Sheldon Keefe has done things a little differently with his Maple Leafs squad since being hired as the 31st coach in franchise history. In fact, in a recent interview with TSN's Mark Masters, Keefe revealed that two of the coaches that he draws influence from are not NHL coaches. They are NFL coaches, Pete Carroll and Sean McVay.
"It's not just about the coaching, it's not just about the X's & O's, it's just as much a priority to focus on the culture of the team & the spirit of the team"
Coaching is very philosophical in nature. As a coach, you face the challenge of communicating the same message to a group of individuals who may absorb information in different ways. You have to be able to work with those individuals to discover each of their learning styles and adjust your methods accordingly to help everyone succeed as individuals and as a team.
To be a good coach, you have to be very self aware. You have to have confidence in the system that you're employing. You have to be firm, yet fair. You have to be stern and demanding, but also approachable and flexible. Above all else, you must be patient and remain positive. This is the characteristic he admires most in Carroll and McVay.
"The way that they communicate to the players is one thing I've really noticed and how they're very positive in nature and they follow that through with just how they organize their day and how they organize their practice plans."
Whatever Keefe is doing differently from Mike Babcock seems to be working well for both he and the team.
Source: TSN.ca
