Episode 135: Dennis Gates, 10 Ways to Teach, 10 Ways to Learn

Guest: Dennis Gates, Cleveland State Head Coach

In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, Cleveland State head coach Dennis Gates joins the Basketball Podcast to share his philosophy around teaching and learning with ten ways to teach and ten ways to learn. In just one year Coach Gates has revived a Cleveland State program.

In Coach Gates’ first year at the helm of the Vikings, Cleveland State won seven league games which is the most since the 2014-15 season. The program won three consecutive non-conference games for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Following his efforts in his first season, Gates has rewarded a share of the Horizon League Coach of the Year after Cleveland State won seven games in Horizon League play, the most for the school in five years. Gates is only the second head coach in Cleveland State history to be named Horizon League Coach of the Year

Gates, who owns 16 years of Division I coaching experience, has spent the previous eight seasons on Leonard Hamilton’s staff at Florida State. Gates’ tenure at Florida State mirrored the Seminoles rise to national prominence. With Gates on the staff, the Seminoles played in four NCAA Tournaments, advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in both 2012 and 2019.

Gates began his career as a coaching assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers as a skill development coach during the 2002-03 season. He worked with a collection of players that included 10 prospects with three, or fewer, years of experience including future All-Stars Elton Brand and Lamar Odom.

Gates has learned from some of basketball’s all-time great coaches including Hamilton who ranks as one of the top 10 all-time winningest coaches in ACC history. He played, and coached, under Braun at Cal, Tom Crean at Marquette, Ricardo Patton at Northern Illinois, and David Carter at Nevada.

Breakdown

1:00 - Masters in Adult Education

5:00 - Objective Learning

9:00 - Solutions

11:00 - Visual Learning

16:00 - Inquiry-Based Learning

19:00 - Concept of Asking Question

22:00 - Leading Into Discussion

25:00 - Reflective Learning

30:00 - Student-Led Learning

32:30 - Leader

35:00 - Experimental Learning