
The Basketball Podcast Burton Uwarow on Special Situations and Mentorship (EP407)
Jan 14, 2026
Burton Uwarow, a seasoned basketball coach and athletic director, shares his journey from Bob Jones University to West Florida Baptist Academy. He reflects on the importance of mentorship and the relationships he's built with former players. Uwarow delves into practical coaching strategies like prioritizing special situations and scripting early-game plays. He emphasizes the need for discipline and strong communication with parents while advising on how to build a recognizable program. His insights offer valuable lessons for both aspiring coaches and players.
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Stepping Back After Serious Injuries
- Burton describes being hit by a semi and spending months recovering mobility, which led him to step down from college coaching.
- He emphasizes choosing to leave when he couldn't perform fully and preparing his assistant Tony Miller to step up.
Make Special Situations A Practice Priority
- Do practice special situations at the start of practice to signal importance and ensure consistency.
- Run special-situation tournaments and repeated end-of-game scrimmages to build habits and belief.
Integrate Timed Plays Into Warmups
- Start special-situation work during warmups with time-based plays (7s/5s/3s/1s) so it never gets skipped.
- Use tournaments, rotate coaches, and involve player managers and refs to teach philosophy and timeout organization.


