Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology, 2nd Edition

Item Number: GB-00981

Currently 4.67/5 Stars.

4.67/5 Stars (3 Reviews)

Featuring an amazing introduction by 2019 NBA Champion Coach/2020 NBA Coach of the Year Nick Nurse (while at Toronto Raptors/is now Philadelphia 76ers head coach) and his connection to the original text from legendary Football Coach Darrell Mudra and co-author Gordon Scoles!

Learn the amazing connections between an out-of-print book, its authors and an NBA Championship-winning coach
Study the original book by Coach Darrell Mudra and Gordon Scoles detailing an authoritarian vs democratic approach to coaching philosophies
Back in print for the first time since 1986!

Your Price: $19.99

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Features & Benefits

Featuring an amazing introduction by 2019 NBA Champion Coach/2020 NBA Coach of the Year Nick Nurse (while at Toronto Raptors/is now Philadelphia 76ers head coach) and his connection to the original text from legendary Football Coach Darrell Mudra and co-author Gordon Scoles!

Learn the amazing connections between an out-of-print book, its authors and an NBA Championship-winning coach
Study the original book by Coach Darrell Mudra and Gordon Scoles detailing an authoritarian vs democratic approach to coaching philosophies
Back in print for the first time since 1986!

Authors/Contributors:

Darrell Mudra - Veteran football coach with experience at all levels. Won almost 75% of the games he coached.
Gordon Scoles - Veteran collegiate track & field coach. Coached 18 NCAA & NAIA All-Americans at four different universities.
Nick Nurse - Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head Coach; Toronto Raptors (NBA) Head Coach from 2018 to 2023; 2019 NBA Champions and 2020 NBA Coach of the Year.
Brandon Hurley - Jefferson Herald sports editor. Primary researcher for Nick Nurse's autobiography.

Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology was first published in 1986. Its authors, Darrell Mudra and Gordon Scoles, worked together to publish the book, based on Mudra's dissertation on his own coaching philosophies and practices. Scoles coined the title, Freedom in the Huddle, which connected the premise of the book to the fact that Mudra was a head football coach and Mudra added in the second part of the title, The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology, based on his dissertation focus.

The book delves deep into the psychology of coaching and opens the door to the notion of contemplating an authoritarian vs a democratic approach to decision-making, listening to your team and more.

After being published by Championship in 1986, it was never again republished. It would seem Freedom in the Huddle was gone for coaches to discover forever.

Fast forward to 2019. Nick Nurse, a first year NBA head coach for the Toronto Raptors, wins the NBA Championship. Subsequently, in 2020 (a year in which he also won the NBA Coach of the Year award) Nurse writes a book, Rapture: Fifteen Teams, Four Countries, One NBA Championship, and How to Find a Way to Win - Damn Near Anywhere, which chronicles his ascension to this point in his career, and how he got there, who he learned from and where some of his coaching philosophies originated. In his book, Chapter 6 is titled: 'Freedom in the Huddle'; in it, he describes his connections to Coach Mudra and gives credit to his adoption of some of the principles from it for some of his successes along the way.

An early 2021 web search for a copy of Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology would lead to a resale link for a used copy of the book for $900+. Coach Nurse, after talking this through with Darrell Mudra's family and Gordon Scoles, contacted Championship Productions about his many years of connecting with Darrell, the publication of his own book and subsequently, a renewed interest in seeing Freedom in the Huddle available to coaches everywhere once again.

So inside the 2nd edition, we have republished the original text of Darrell Mudra and Gordon Scoles. We have included an introduction from Nick Nurse. And thanks to Coach Nurse, and with permission from Little, Brown and Company, we have also included Chapter 6, 'Freedom in the Huddle' from Nurse's book Rapture (as well as a new contribution about Mudra's coaching career).

There are few things in this world that begin and end perfectly - we think Coach Nurse's deep connection to this book is one of those things!

164 pages. 2021.

See more products by: Brandon Hurley Darrell Mudra Nick Nurse Gordon Scoles

See other products you might like: Books Coaching Essentials Team Building and Leadership

Ratings & Reviews

Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology, 2nd Edition
on September 10, 2021

Currently 5/5 Stars.

5/5 Stars
by Anonymous

This is the best book on coaching I've ever read. I coach girls varsity basketball and I make it a habit to read at least one book about coaching or by a coach each offseason. I've thus read at least a hundred such books but this is the only one I've ever bought in bulk for my coaching staff.

I will offer my unfettered recommendation by way of a criticism; the book includes dated references, could've used a more thorough editing, and was written by football coaches with - despite what the preface by Nick Nurse states - football in mind. It might not, thus, surprise you that the book went out of print. But having read it, I have a clearer understanding of why this occurred and will make the case that it is precisely for this reason that you should buy it.

The authors, Mudra and Scoles, frame their work within a continuum with Perceptual-"Democratic" style of coaching on one end and Behaviorist-"Authoritarian" on the other. I will caution you that these allusions to the Cold War can be confusing; "Authoritarian" after all refers to brutal dictatorships. But it would be a mistake to read the book as a critique of "authoritarian" coaching style. Had i edited the book, I'd have recommended he coopt different terms, say, Athenian and Spartan. The authors set up this comparison in order to tease out what I think is the most essential issue in coaching - being able to recognize your biases so that you can think clearly and identify what kind of team you have and plan accordingly.

The book was ahead of its time - we weren't ready for it in the late 80s. If you're coaching against me this season, please don't read it!

Championship Productions replies:
Coach, Thank you for offering your feedback on this book. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a helpful review for other coaches! -- Championship Productions

33 of 60 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes No

Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology, 2nd Edition
on August 22, 2021

Currently 4/5 Stars.

4/5 Stars
by ArthurZR

First off, this book is one of the absolute best resources in teaching, coaching, and learning. It is truly one-of-a-kind and I'd recommend it to anyone in the education field. I have the original and wanted to get this updated version. The reason for the 4-star review is because the font in the book is too small and difficult for an old guy like me to read. Also, the book itself is incomplete without the accompanying video, which remains one of the greatest clinics in my library. I hope they bring it back and update it as well. Thanks for bringing back a true gem and I hope you do the same for other older books and videos.

31 of 59 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes No

Freedom in the Huddle: The Creative Edge in Coaching Psychology, 2nd Edition
on July 21, 2021

Currently 5/5 Stars.

5/5 Stars
by Anonymous

I had an original copy of this book and it was my all time favorite coaching book. Loved the way it lays out different approaches to coaching. It was one of those books that just clicked with me. Loaned it to someone and it was gone. Cannot wait to get this new version with Nick Nurse's story and his connection to the book!

42 of 68 people found this review helpful.Was this review helpful? Yes No

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