By Kim Mulkey-Robertson, Baylor University Head Women’s Coach

• Establish what you need from the athletic department in order to be successful. Make sure you will get it before saying yes to the job.

• Hire a talented and diverse staff of assistants. Don’t waste time or money by bringing in assistants with the same skill sets. For example, if one assistant is best at working with big people, make sure you have another who excels at teaching the perimeter game.

• Establish rules and a code of discipline right away. If a player violates a rule, impose a consequence. That ensures conformity by the players in the future.

• Look people in the eye when you talk to them. It sounds simple, but it is one of the big keys to communication. Laugh with them. Hug them. Get involved with their lives.

• Understand the recruiting process. Know that you can't get every player that you want and learn to read the signals quickly. If you don't think you have a reasonable chance of bringing in a player, move on to the next one. Don't waste your time on a player you can't get.

• Drill specific plays and circumstances in practice. Make sure your players understand what they have to do when they trail by four points and 40 seconds are left in the game. Make sure they know how to play with an 8-point lead and 1:10 left in the game.

• Celebrate the small victories and advances of a program that is starting at the bottom. The first road win. The first win over a ranked opponent. The first winning streak. These are all things to be recognized.