Jeff Mittie's Practice Blueprint: Structure, Standards & Competitive Execution

with Jeff Mittie
Kansas State University Women's Head Coach;
2025 Sweet Sixteen;
TCU Women's Head Coach (1999-2014);
2010 Mountain West Regular Season Champions;
2010 Mountain West Coach of the Year;
2002 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2002 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2x Mountain West Tournament Champions (2003, 2005);
2001 WAC Regular Season & Tournament Champions;
2001 WAC Coach of the Year;
Arkansas State Women's Head Coach (1995-1999);
Missouri Western Women's Head Coach (1992-1995);
2x MIAA Regular Season Champions (1994, 1995);
2x MIAA Coach of the Year (1994, 1995);
1995 MIAA Tournament Champions

Successful programs are built in the details of daily practice. In this inside look at a complete Kansas State practice, Jeff Mittie reveals how his winning culture is reinforced through structure, competition, and clear teaching points from start to finish.

The practice opens with a strong emphasis on man-to-man defense, including a unique skipping rope box drill that teaches defenders to move as one connected unit. From closeouts to post doubles, Coach Mittie builds his defense in layers so players understand positioning, communication, and how to eliminate high-value shots. Defensive automatics then prepare the team for common offensive actions out of Horns, including flare screens, brush screens, zoom action, and elbow entries.

The intensity carries into competitive passing work with Bullseye Passing and 4 Spot Passing. These drills demand precision, communication, and pace while directly mirroring game actions such as catch-and-shoot, drive-and-kick, and paint touches. Every repetition has purpose, and mistakes are corrected in real time.

From there, the team executes advanced sideline plays and half-court offense with a focus on timing and spacing. Coach Mittie teaches multiple scoring options within each action so players learn to read defensive coverage rather than memorize patterns.

The practice concludes with 4 Trips live scrimmaging, where defensive standards such as post doubling, forcing contested jump shots, and limiting layups are reinforced under pressure.

Throughout the session, drills only advance once all standards are met. In this live, unedited practice, the energy remains consistently high, and Coach Mittie's teaching is direct, detailed, and demanding. This video provides a complete blueprint for structuring purposeful, competitive practices that translate directly to winning basketball.

112 minutes. 2026.