John S.

I am an experienced and successful basketball coach at the International Professional, NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2 and High School levels.

Currently, I am the Head Coach of Fuerza Guinda of the FIBA Americas. I have led the team to a Top 4 finish all season long and the team is currently poised for a playoff birth. Playing 4 games per week, this season has proved to be challenging and I have met each challenge and surpassed them.

During this 2011-2012 season I was instrumental in getting players into jobs overseas, having placed Jarron Collins and Mardy Collins into the CBA in China, Salim Stoudamire into Italy, Sam Clancy into Argentina, James Porter into Japan, Calvin Hampton into Bahrain. Over 100 players have come through Los Angeles to get player development training including the future Hall of Famer NFL player Simeon Rice who came out to LA to train for 3 days in strenuous basketball training.

I coached in high school, college and professional basketball in Arizona, California, Oregon, Mexico and Bahrain. Most recently, I was the successful Head Coach in the Premier League in the country of Bahrain in the Middle East since March 2010, leading the team to a Final Four finish. Prior to that I was the Assistant Coach at Cal State Stanislaus University in the CCAA Conference and an NCAA Division 2 institution. I was also the Associate Head Coach and Director of Player Development for the Culiacan Caballeros of the top league in the Mexican Professional Basketball League (LNBP). As a first-year franchise, the Caballeros went to the LNBP playoffs in a top 6 finish.

Prior to coaching professionally, I was the Director of Basketball Operations and Assistant Coach at Oregon State University in the Pac-10 Conference from 2005 to 2007. Before landing in Corvallis, I was a teacher and Head Coach at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz. My previous high school coaching experience include being the Head Coach at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Ariz. (2001-04); Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, Calif. (1995-01); and Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, Calif. (1992-95).

I led my team at Canyon del Oro to the state tournament twice and was named the Coach of the Year in 2001-02. At Bonita Vista, I was also named the league’s coach of the year after leading my team to the CIF championship in 1999, the first CIF Championship earned in the schools history. At Mar Vista, I earned Coach of the Year honors by taking my team to the league championship in 1994-95, and the schools first since 1964.

As a guest speaker in Italy, Croatia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bahrain, Mexico and soon to be Israel, I have earned a reputation as an authority on player development and I have produced several DVD’s on getting athletes better through individual training.

I graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. I played one season at UC San Diego and three seasons at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 1985-86, I was the Leading Scorer in the United States (USA) as I led the entire NCAA Divisions with 31.2 points per game scoring average. I earned All-Conference MVP and All-American candidate honors all three of my years at UC Santa Cruz as I scored more than 2,450 points in my career. I am the All-Time scoring leader in University history and my number was retired this year. I went on to play professionally in Spain and Mexico for four seasons earning various honors including several All-Star selections.

Advanced Workout by Coach Saintignon

1. Ball Handling Warm Up:
a. Ball slaps.
b. Around the head and then change direction.
c. Around the waist.
d. Around both legs.
e. Around left knee.
f. Around right knee.
g. Figure 8 through the front.
h. Figure 8 through the back.

i. Rhythm drill right and then left.
j. Hard static pound with the ball in right hand.
k. Inside/out with right hand.
l. Front and back (ball on a string) with right hand.
m. Behind the back with both hands.
n. Left hand hard static pound.
o. Left hand inside/out.
p. Front and back with left hand.
q. Crossover in front with both hands.

2. Warm Up: I use a 2 ball warm up. Starting with the player in front of the rim in the key. Continuous quick shot really emphasizing technique of Balance, Eyes on the target, Elbow and follow through (BEEF). I will alternate from chest passes to bounce passes…working our way up to 1 dribble pull up for each hand and then working to 2 quick dribbles, emphasizing the quick pickup of the ball. We will then move to the other side of the key working on the same moves and then finish on the opposite side of the key.

3. Right Wing: catch at the timeline moving from Half court.
a. Two dribbles right hand jumper toward the baseline
b. Two dribbles step back toward the baseline
c. Two dribbles and crossover into jump shot
d. Two dribbles and then double crossover
• Make 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, or 15. Make 2 in a row before moving on, etc. Include pump fake…

4. Shoot free throws: Work on Balance, Eyes on Target, Elbow at 90 degrees, Follow through and finishing with elbow above eyebrow and on your toes and pose. Usually make 4 and then onto next routine.

5. Right Wing: Catch the ball at the timeline and use 2 dribbles left handed to the elbow.
a. Pull up jump shot at the elbow
b. Two dribbles and step back
c. Two dribbles and step back crossover

6. Shoot free throws

7. Right Half Court area attack moves.
a. Hard stutter/hesitation into jumper
b. Inside/out move into jumper
c. Crossover into jumper
d. Spin dribble into jumper
e. Behind the back into jumper.

8. Right half court area attack with double moves.
a. Hard stutter and inside out into jumper
b. Inside out, crossover into jumper
c. Crossover, spin into jumper
d. Spin, behind the back into jumper
e. Behind back, hard stutter into jumper.

9. Free throws.

10. Right Wing area: Spot, Fade Curl.
a. Spot up at the 3 pt line wing area, take shot and then fade to the corner for a 3 point shot and then come off hard toward the elbow for a curl shot.
b. Add 1 dribble shot to each move
c. Add Pump fake first and then into 1 dribble shot.
d. Add 1 dribble step back into the shot.

11. Free Throws

12. Top of the key
a. Catch and shoot with 1 step
b. Catch and shoot with hop.
c. Catch and use 1 dribble left and right.
d. Catch and use 1 dribble, then spin move to opposite elbow for jumper.

13. Top left retreat and explode: above 3 pt line.
a. Three dribbles left hand retreat-between legs and finish at rim.
b. Three dribbles left hand retreat-crossover into jumper.

14. Top Left Half Court.
a. Catch at timeline and take 2 hard dribbles toward baseline, pull up jumper.
b. Catch at timeline and take 2 hard dribbles and step back.
c. Two hard dribbles and crossover.
d. Two hard dribbles and double crossover.

15. Free Throws

16. Catch at timeline and take two hard dribbles to elbow.
a. Two hard dribbles and jumper at elbow.
b. Two hard dribbles and step back at elbow.
c. Two hard dribbles and step back, crossover.

17. Free throws

18. Catch at half court and use attack dribble moves.
a. Hard stutter/hesitation into jumper
b. Inside/out move into jumper
c. Crossover into jumper
e. Spin dribble into jumper
f. Behind the back into jumper.

19. Left half court area attack with double moves.
a. Hard stutter and inside out into jumper
b. Inside out, crossover into jumper
c. Crossover, spin into jumper
d. Spin, behind the back into jumper
e. Behind back, hard stutter into jumper.

20. Top right retreat and explode: Above 3 pt line.
a. Three dribbles right hand retreat-between legs and finish at rim.
b. Three dribbles right hand retreat-crossover into jumper.

21. Spot, Fade, Curl

22. Free throws

23. Left Wing Slide and flash: Start in a stance at the bottom of the circle and then slide out to sideline and then flash into middle.
a. Elbow jumper
b. 3 point shot.

24. Right Wing Slide and flash:
a. Elbow jumper
b. 3 point shot.

25. Free throws.

26. Sweet 16. Make 16 shots from short baseline to free throw elbow to opposite short baseline to free throw elbow in continuous movement until 16 makes.

27. Elite 8. Make a power move under the basket, then out for a quick 3 in the corner, come back and put the ball in basket off a bounce off the floor, then to the free throw corner, for a shot, then out to the side and come back hard for a shot at the corner, then out to half court line, and make a move for a shot. If you make 8 you are done, if not then continue onto the other side of the court.

28. Free throws.

29. Elite 8. Make a layup under pressure, then out for a 3 point shot in corner, then back for a follow-up lay-up, then to the nearest free throw elbow, then out to the sideline catch and take one dribble for a shot, then out to the corner of the halfcourt line and make a double move…then into the other side of the court doing the same moves until 8 baskets are made.

30. Free throws.

31. Final Four. Must make 4 shots in a row from the Corner, right wing, corner, left wing without stopping.

32. Make 5 Free throws in a row-miss and slide in a stance to the sideline and then back.