The view from the couch vs. the view from the bench

Though his team eventually went on to wrap up the 5A Inland Empire League title last Friday night, Post Falls High boys basketball coach Mike McLean said he was frustrated with the number of missed shots around rim by his players.

He said he was also very frustrated with his team’s lack of scoring on fast breaks in a 47-34 victory at Lake City.

The only difference — McLean had to watch last Friday’s game from his couch, on his cellphone, after undergoing surgery on his ankle the previous day, following a mishap on his farm/ranch on Super Bowl Sunday.

“It was difficult to watch from home,” McLean said. “Not being there with my guys was an extremely helpless feeling. My biggest concern since the injury is that my injury would derail what our guys have been working on all summer and winter. We preach in this program that no one is bigger than the program and that includes me.”

With McLean watching from home, Post Falls varsity assistant Rob McCarthey assumed the duties of head coach, assisted by Trojan JV coach Brian Carlson.

“I have zero concerns about my staff,” McLean said. “Both Rob and Brian could be very successful 5A coaches if they choose to be — great knowledge of what we stand for as a program and what we want to do during games.”

NOT ONLY did McLean miss the first game of his career on Friday, he missed the first full practice of his career on Thursday, when he had surgery.

His techno-savvy athletic director, Craig Christensen, set up his cellphone in the upper corner of the Lake City gym and aired the game on Facebook Live.

McLean couldn’t get Facebook Live to load on his TV WiFi at home, so he watched on his phone from his couch.

McLean stayed home from the game partly due to doctor’s orders, partly due to Christensen’s advisement, but mostly because ...

“The biggest reason I missed the game was my wife Jessica wanted me to stay home so that I don’t have a setback and be available to coach during regionals and state, hopefully,” McLean said. “Jessica knows me better than anyone and when she tells me what she thinks I need to do, I will always listen. She knows what is best for me. She knows what coaching does to me physically, mentally and emotionally. She has been right by my side with every big win and heartbreaking loss; her influence on my coaching is as great as anyone.”

ABOUT THOSE missed shots, and missed opportunities on the break ...

“Both of these thoughts were things I would have brought up during the game (during timeouts) but knew Rob and Brian would address,” McLean said. “Brian came over to my house Thursday after surgery and we talked for a few hours about all of the possibilities we might see during the game. Rob came over Friday during the day and we also discussed the different possibilities that we may encounter and the options we always have.”

Since Jan. 10, Post Falls has played just six games, giving the coaches ample time to devise a game plan for each opponent.

“The game Friday against Lake City was executed the exact same way if I was there or not.,” McLean said. “We always watch film separately and then again as a staff. Each of us is expected to come with 3-4 key takeaways and share. Our players — individually or as a team — are very accustomed to Rob or Brian coaching them in practices, pregame, halftime and timeouts. My basketball coaching philosophy is pretty simple. We look to create advantages for us both offensively and defensively and take advantage of that. We work constantly on fundamentals and situations in practice so that when advantages present themselves, we are skilled enough to exploit the situation even if it is not the exact situation we have done before. Strong fundamentals allow us to do that on the fly during a game.”

McLean said he plans to be a Friday’s 5A Region 1 opener at home vs. Lake City, and on the bench for the rest of the season, “unless I have some kind of setback.”

He said his recovery has gone well post-surgery.

“The plan is for me to be courtside on a scooter,” McLean said.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.