From Fundamentals to Futures: Coach Morefield’s Player Development Philosophy
Shawn Jones
DIRECTOR, ATHLETICS
Shawn has 30 years of head basketball coaching experience combined with 11 years as an athletic director. He has coached in Colorado and Texas, and has taken teams to three Final Four tournaments and a state championship. He has seen numerous players of his continue on to compete at the college and professional level of the sport. He is also proud to have seen many of his athletes become high school and collegiate coaches themselves. As director of athletics, Shawn is a key member of Ballogy’s team, driving the company’s athletic strategy, partnerships, coach engagement, and product vision. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for 32 years and they have raised three wonderful children together. Shawn has a passion for player development and the desire to assist coaches with effective, time-saving tools of administering and assessing skill development drills.
Coach Mark Morefield has had an impressive career in college basketball, being blessed to spend the majority of his assistant career on staff with one of the most respected family duos in the basketball community–Homer and Scott Drew – in successful programs like Valparaiso University and Baylor University, as well as a year with Del Harris in the NBA G-League’s Texas Legends before transitioning himself into a Head Coach in women’s basketball. He has incredible achievements like reaching the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 on the men’s side, and turned his first stint in women’s coaching into 4 straight NCAA tourney bids with 3 Sweet 16’s and one Covid-cancelled tournament in 4 years at Mary Hardin Baylor. In the Covid-cancelled year they won their Conference Tournament and were hungry for more. Now the head women’s coach at Ranger College, a short drive on I-20 from the DFW area in Texas, he looks to replicate that success for Ranger.
Morefield brings a wealth of experience and a passion for player development. I asked Coach Morefield what the “staple” was of his coaching philosophy and program. While he notes that most people would think that Offense would be his passion and forte, given his time working with Coach Drew, he is quick to point out that quality offense is really a product of his main philosophy– total focus on skill development. Coach Morefield emphasizes the importance of skill and player development as the foundation for success, and he breaks this down into three core areas:
- Skill development: Adding new skills to a player’s game
- Player development: Applying those skills in game situations
- Basketball IQ: Understanding when and how to use different skills
As Morefield puts it: “If you can do those first three, then you’re going to be able to succeed in the game. And so for us, there is a ‘Three Part That Equals the Whole’ mentality, and those three parts will enhance your opportunity to succeed on the floor.”
Morefield notes that his approach to skill development is not just a personal style, but rather an obligation and labor of love to his players. “I feel like what we’ve gotten into is a microwave society type of approach in basketball where a lot of coaches are like, ‘Well, if you can’t do it, we’ll just find somebody that can do it.’ Me being the old school mentality, that’s not really the right answer. The right answer is, if we recruited you here and we brought you here, it’s our job to improve you as a basketball player.”
Morefield believes in teaching basketball “the right way,” focusing on fundamentals like proper footwork, shot preparation, and playing off two feet. He sees the women’s game as quickly winning the hearts of sports’ viewership with the quality of play. “We’re seeing it evolve, where they’ve worked on their skills, where now the women’s game is highly skilled; it’s fun to watch. They are commanding the respect of enthusiasts and delivering a great product.”
At Ranger College, Morefield is working to instill a strong work ethic in his players. He stresses that players “can’t have great goals with a less than great work ethic.” The team’s practice schedule is demanding, but aimed at preparing players for success at the next level. When asked why someone should attend a Ranger Women’s Basketball game this year, the answer was clear: “People will want to watch because we have girls that aren’t going to get outworked. They’re going to do everything they can. They’re not going to get outworked. You’re going to see a group of girls that are exciting to watch that have camaraderie and a family value system.”
Coach Morefield is optimistic about the future of Ranger Women’s Basketball. With ongoing facility upgrades, which he quickly credits to “an awesome Athletic Director in Scott Norwood who sees and acts to help our programs before we ask,” and a talented, hard-working group of players, he aims to compete for conference championships and develop players for success at the Division I level.
One tool Coach Morefield has embraced in rebuilding the Rangers’ program is utilizing the Ballogy skill development application. He was able to assign drills and instruction to his players over the summer and then assess their work and provide feedback to them, even though they were spread across the country and overseas. “I will tell you this…we were just talking about this as we finished up our summer workouts at the end of July, that you can see the progression of some of the players already and you can tell which ones took the Ballogy workouts serious and we are seeing that growth…you guys at Ballogy are providing something to help basketball players get better and improve that skill and player development side.”
A self-described “old school coach” who also embraces “new school” technological tools like Ballogy, Coach Morefield’s approach serves as a reminder of the importance of fundamentals, hard work, and continuous improvement in basketball. As he works to build Ranger into a junior college powerhouse, his focus on holistic player development offers valuable example for up and coming coaches as well as an open door welcome for players looking for an opportunity to play for a coach and program that seeks to be the best they can be!
For fans and prospective players, Morefield promises an exciting brand of basketball played “the right way” by a group of dedicated student-athletes. His commitment to player development and building a family atmosphere makes Ranger an attractive destination for players looking to improve their game and prepare for future success. From everyone here at Ballogy, we wish Ranger and Coach Morefield great success!