The clock’s ticking. In the past month, I’ve submitted my WBCA roundtable proposal, refined The 14 into a geometric monster with 1.7 billion possible sequences, and tied it all back into Captain Ball and the 59 Defense. Coaches love to talk about “the grind,” but the truth is—most people wait for the perfect moment to move. The problem? There isn’t one.
Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.
Morgan Freeman delivered the line in The Shawshank Redemption, but it might as well be the motto for every coach deciding whether to stay safe or push for something bigger. For me, “living” means putting my work—the Pony Express Fast Break Offense—on the table for anyone willing to listen, test it, and challenge it. It means showing them the Five All’s of Captain Ball, the triangle maps of The 14, the 31 years of shot chart data behind the 59 Defense… and daring them to run it in their program.
“Dyin’” isn’t about losing games. It’s about playing small. It’s sticking to what’s comfortable because you’re afraid of what happens if you show your best ideas and someone doesn’t like them. It’s ignoring the truth that a good system should scare you a little—because that’s how you know it’s new, different, and powerful.
The Pony Express isn’t a playbook you memorize; it’s a way of thinking. It’s about designing something so fluid and repeatable that your opponent never sees the same thing twice, but your players always know exactly where they’re going. It’s about being willing to break the mold of the 4-out/5-out comfort zone. If you’re reading this and still clinging to the idea that the perfect moment will show up before you make a change—stop waiting. You either get busy livin’… or get busy dyin’.
Coach, You Have a Choice
If you’re a coach who wants to be on the living side of that line, let’s talk. Whether it’s a clinic, a Zoom breakdown, or me walking into your gym with a whiteboard, I’ll show you how Captain Ball, The 14, and the 59 Defense combine into something your opponents will never be ready for.