An interview by NBHoops.com
Recently I had the pleasure of answering a few questions about my thoughts and journey as it pertains to the world of coaching the game of basketball. The exercise was one that made me reflect quite a bit. For the sake of saving this conversation for future reference, I thought to include it on my blog. And so, here it goes!
Back to the Pros is Where Langis Yearned to Land
In a classroom setting, Serge Langis is met with many challenges, but many opportunities to tell his students not to give up.
His message as a teacher was a message he had to give himself last February.
Langis had been fired as head coach of the National Basketball League of Canada’s Moncton Miracles, a sting that bit the Moncton – um, Parkton - resident hard.
He recalled how he dealt with the news and how he moved on.
‘It was tough and anyone with any kind of pride would take that sort of thing hard,’ Langis said. ‘This (pro basketball) is a hard business. The measure of a coach for some people is limited to wins and losses. But at the end of the day, when adversity presents itself in my life, I think of my son and my students to whom I preach on a daily basis to be resilient and bounce back no matter what. If I do not practice what I preach, what would that make me?’
It’s hard not to understand just how passionate Langis is about family, about basketball.
His life revolves around it, supported by his wife Nicole and son, Olivier.
And, now, he is back in the professional game, returning to the NBLC.
Langis is the head coach of the expansion Kitchener-Waterloo Titans in Ontario. The Titans and the rest of the minor professional NBLC begin play following Christmas. The circuit has two New Brunswick-based teams including Langis’ former squad in Moncton and the Saint John Mill Rats.
When the relationship with the Miracles ended, it was the proverbial one door closing, another one opening scenario.
But Langis didn’t wait for someone to push that door open.
He was knocking.
‘I must have spoken to hundreds of people in the pro basketball community about potential openings,’ he said. ‘I love the competition and the people involved in the NBLC. When I heard Kitchener-Waterloo was coming in as an expansion team, I reached out to them, was interviewed and the rest is history. This is a very good league and the knowledge that is shared with me by the people I meet is absolutely priceless.’
His experience with the Miracles, where he held a plethora of duties upon joining the franchise in 2011, will go a long way in understanding how difficult it can be to operate under the umbrella of an expansion team.
You can’t build a roof until you build a floor.
‘Getting out there and talking to agents and players about what you are trying to do as a coach and recruiting them is what I love about the job,’ Langis said. ‘I am certainly not alone doing that in Kitchener-Waterloo. General Manager Stu Julius has a tremendous amount of experience in the world of basketball. Everyone has their hands on deck. The franchise is a body of collaborative work in every detail.’
Langis, who runs the popular Moncton-based Sweat Academy and the fledgling Shot Lab with partners Michael MacDougall and David Dodge, will bring his trademark work ethic with him to Kitchener-Waterloo.
He wants to hit the ground running with all the free agent camps the NBLC operates and find players who share that passion, that drive.
That sweat equity brand.
‘There is a lot that goes into coaching at this level, but no matter the level of play, players want to feel like they are in good hands,’ he said. ‘For that to happen, a coach must have a very strong work ethic, knowledge and leadership skills. I often hear of problems some teams have and without fail, you can always trace it back to one of those three things I just mentioned. Players at this level want to be pushed.’
As he prepares to launch into his new post, Langis will leave behind New Brunswick and his many contacts in the province.
He is one of the very few coaches from N.B. earning a paycheque while coaching basketball.
Langis said the province has a legion of outstanding and dedicated coaches, who need to spend more time together.
‘This province has tremendously skilled coaches, but I feel what holds us back is the attitude of not sharing,’ he said. ‘Not getting out there and learning from others or even seeking opportunities to learn. In my early coaching years, I tried to be in the same room as coaches like Brian Forsythe, Steve Chapman, Neil Smith and Roger Cormier just to name a few. All I was seeking was information I could use to better help my teams.’
That desire to pack in more knowledge hasn’t changed.
Not a bit.
‘I still try and be in the same room as those guys today if the opportunity presents itself,’ he said. ‘I went all over the place for clinics on my own dollar. I feel coaches today fire up Google and settle for that as their development tool. Coaching is a science and an art. It requires much more than knowing plays. It requires time spent in the gym observing and asking questions.’
Langis, who landed his first coaching gig as a 19-year-old, knows he won’t be in the classroom this year as he makes his way to Ontario and the job of running the Titans.
He is following his heart.
‘I love my students like they are my own children, even the annoying ones and they know who there are’ chuckled Langis. ‘I tell them to find their passion and do nothing else but try to get there every day, no matter what. Teaching is a passionate thing for me, but I have the basketball/competitive side that drives me more. I like to think that doing what I am trying to do is inspiring at least one of them to pursue their passion like I am trying to do.’
In a classroom setting, Serge Langis is met with many challenges, but many opportunities to tell his students not to give up.
His message as a teacher was a message he had to give himself last February.
Langis had been fired as head coach of the National Basketball League of Canada’s Moncton Miracles, a sting that bit the Moncton – um, Parkton - resident hard.
He recalled how he dealt with the news and how he moved on.
‘It was tough and anyone with any kind of pride would take that sort of thing hard,’ Langis said. ‘This (pro basketball) is a hard business. The measure of a coach for some people is limited to wins and losses. But at the end of the day, when adversity presents itself in my life, I think of my son and my students to whom I preach on a daily basis to be resilient and bounce back no matter what. If I do not practice what I preach, what would that make me?’
It’s hard not to understand just how passionate Langis is about family, about basketball.
His life revolves around it, supported by his wife Nicole and son, Olivier.
And, now, he is back in the professional game, returning to the NBLC.
Langis is the head coach of the expansion Kitchener-Waterloo Titans in Ontario. The Titans and the rest of the minor professional NBLC begin play following Christmas. The circuit has two New Brunswick-based teams including Langis’ former squad in Moncton and the Saint John Mill Rats.
When the relationship with the Miracles ended, it was the proverbial one door closing, another one opening scenario.
But Langis didn’t wait for someone to push that door open.
He was knocking.
‘I must have spoken to hundreds of people in the pro basketball community about potential openings,’ he said. ‘I love the competition and the people involved in the NBLC. When I heard Kitchener-Waterloo was coming in as an expansion team, I reached out to them, was interviewed and the rest is history. This is a very good league and the knowledge that is shared with me by the people I meet is absolutely priceless.’
His experience with the Miracles, where he held a plethora of duties upon joining the franchise in 2011, will go a long way in understanding how difficult it can be to operate under the umbrella of an expansion team.
You can’t build a roof until you build a floor.
‘Getting out there and talking to agents and players about what you are trying to do as a coach and recruiting them is what I love about the job,’ Langis said. ‘I am certainly not alone doing that in Kitchener-Waterloo. General Manager Stu Julius has a tremendous amount of experience in the world of basketball. Everyone has their hands on deck. The franchise is a body of collaborative work in every detail.’
Langis, who runs the popular Moncton-based Sweat Academy and the fledgling Shot Lab with partners Michael MacDougall and David Dodge, will bring his trademark work ethic with him to Kitchener-Waterloo.
He wants to hit the ground running with all the free agent camps the NBLC operates and find players who share that passion, that drive.
That sweat equity brand.
‘There is a lot that goes into coaching at this level, but no matter the level of play, players want to feel like they are in good hands,’ he said. ‘For that to happen, a coach must have a very strong work ethic, knowledge and leadership skills. I often hear of problems some teams have and without fail, you can always trace it back to one of those three things I just mentioned. Players at this level want to be pushed.’
As he prepares to launch into his new post, Langis will leave behind New Brunswick and his many contacts in the province.
He is one of the very few coaches from N.B. earning a paycheque while coaching basketball.
Langis said the province has a legion of outstanding and dedicated coaches, who need to spend more time together.
‘This province has tremendously skilled coaches, but I feel what holds us back is the attitude of not sharing,’ he said. ‘Not getting out there and learning from others or even seeking opportunities to learn. In my early coaching years, I tried to be in the same room as coaches like Brian Forsythe, Steve Chapman, Neil Smith and Roger Cormier just to name a few. All I was seeking was information I could use to better help my teams.’
That desire to pack in more knowledge hasn’t changed.
Not a bit.
‘I still try and be in the same room as those guys today if the opportunity presents itself,’ he said. ‘I went all over the place for clinics on my own dollar. I feel coaches today fire up Google and settle for that as their development tool. Coaching is a science and an art. It requires much more than knowing plays. It requires time spent in the gym observing and asking questions.’
Langis, who landed his first coaching gig as a 19-year-old, knows he won’t be in the classroom this year as he makes his way to Ontario and the job of running the Titans.
He is following his heart.
‘I love my students like they are my own children, even the annoying ones and they know who there are’ chuckled Langis. ‘I tell them to find their passion and do nothing else but try to get there every day, no matter what. Teaching is a passionate thing for me, but I have the basketball/competitive side that drives me more. I like to think that doing what I am trying to do is inspiring at least one of them to pursue their passion like I am trying to do.’
