Coaching Philosophy

Life experiences have played a fundamental role in the development of my coaching philosophy. Therefore, specific moments in my life have greatly shaped my beliefs and how I learn, teach, build relationships, and cherish every opportunity I am blessed with.

My Why:

As various forms of loss are unfortunate circumstances that everyone must face over the course of their lives, these experiences can determine the strength of one’s faith and how people view the world. This has certainly been the case for me.

The summer after my freshman year in college, I joined a local men’s basketball team with a group of teammates to have fun and stay in shape for the following season. Shortly after one of our games, I learned that during his walk home, my teammate was fatally shot as he was just steps away from his mother’s front door. It was later determined that the individuals responsible for his death were members of a local gang and believed my teammate to be somebody else. His life was tragically ended unexpectedly, unfairly, and for no reason other than a mistaken identity.

A few years later as a Junior in college, I was training for an opportunity as a preferred walk on for the men’s basketball program at NCAA Division I, California State University, Fullerton. During a scrimmage, as I went to the rim to score, I was pulled down from behind which caused me to fall awkwardly onto the court. As a result of the incident, I would miss the entire season as I was left with torn ligaments in my left ankle and would have to undergo six months of physical therapy.

The following season, my left hand was broken while shielding off a defender as I went to the basket. Although this injury only set me back about eight weeks, my collegiate career would ultimately come to an end as just 14 days after being cleared to play, I broke the same hand again while playing defense.

While feeling down about my circumstances, it was during a phone call with my mother that I realized my purpose: I am here to coach basketball. She helped me realize that although my days of playing college basketball may be over, my experiences and love for the sport have provided the opportunity for me to teach others to enjoy the process of personal and athletic development as life and its opportunities can be taken away instantly.

Many years later, on January 18, 2020, my son Kai Alexander Rahn was born. This new life strengthened my faith and solidified my purpose to be a positive role model by serving others. He is a daily reminder to treat others with love, care, fairness, and respect, especially the student-athletes that are entrusted to me.

Together, these experiences have taught me to value every personal interaction with care and as a chance to learn from others and strengthen relationships. Additionally, to count each day and opportunity as a blessing as nothing in life is guaranteed. Therefore, I believe it is important to always be present as life is short and no moment is too small to celebrate.

In memory of my teammate that never had the chance to accomplish his dreams, my athletic experiences, and the birth of my son, I have dedicated my career to be the best coach I can be through service to others, personal development, and conducting myself with a level of enthusiasm that demonstrates my appreciation for life and the desire to help others succeed.

Leadership Qualities

  • As a devoted husband and father first, Rahn’s commitment to family and team are one and the same. Everyone will be treated with love, kindness, and respect.

  • Rahn is an effective communicator and active listener with a genuine interest in the well-being of others. This allows him to handle interpersonal relationships with empathy, defuse conflict through the influence of positive behavior, and identify the appropriate motivational tactics to achieve individual and team success.

  • With a desire to empower others through the development of trust and collaboration, Rahn has shown an unparalleled ability to learn from, and understand individuals from various cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. This is evident from his established network of connections as he has successfully recruited student-athletes from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

  • As the game of basketball continues to evolve and rosters change with graduation, Rahn remains knowledgeable about the latest trends and tactics through a commitment to studying the nuances of the sport while identifying and administering a variety of teaching methods designed to maximize a player’s ability to retain information and successfully execute tasks.

  • Fueled by his passion for people and sport, Rahn’s everyday intensity is uncommon, relentless, and contagious. His high-energy approach exemplifies his tireless work ethic and contributes to his ability to remain poised and provide solutions when experiencing or recovering from unfavorable circumstances. This can be observed through Rahn’s history of overcoming scholarship, and other institutional limitations while becoming the winningest coach in Pacific Union College history and achieving the college’s only conference championship and national tournament appearance.

  • Rahn possesses a unique blend of humility and confidence which allows him to be relatable while maintaining a presence of strength and competence. By continuously seeking opportunities for self-improvement, Rahn welcomes feedback from others as he is confident in his ability to turn weaknesses into strengths. He also directs the credit for his successes to those around him while holding himself accountable for team outcomes.

  • As a leader with integrity and high moral standards, Rahn thoroughly evaluates the ethical qualities and personality traits of prospective student-athletes during the recruiting process. For players that become a part of the Dominican University women’s basketball program, Rahn will guide them in their development as young women by serving as a positive role model and providing them with enriching life experiences.

Scouting Reports

Being prepared is a key element for team success. Our reports detail the opponent’s style of play, top performers, complete team stats, tendancies and coverages for each player.

Shot charts indicating hot and cold zones help determine pick up points and directional influence. The opponents offensive sets are also included.

Academics

Philosophy

As associate coach at Dominican, my goal is simple — every student-athlete will earn a college degree. From the beginning, academics will be a focal point among recruits. For the student-athletes participating in the men’s basketball program, learning will remain an emphasis even after graduation. Being that basketball eventually ends for every player, my program will be dedicated to fostering career-readiness and lifelong learning by intentionally positioning student-athletes for academic success during and after their college careers.

Under my guidance, student-athletes will receive my mentorship, and no one will work harder to ensure they have the support to be successful. In return, I expect my student-athletes to perform to the best of their ability in the classroom. Along the way, my staff and I will provide a support system to ensure their success.

Process

Our annual goal for cumulative team GPA is 3.1. In recognition of each student-athlete’s unique needs and capabilities, we will utilize a specialized approach to academics. Each player will be treated with the same amount of care and respect, but accommodations and expectations will vary from student-athlete to student-athlete. This process gives our student-athletes the greatest chance to maximize their academic experience.

Academic Monitoring & Action Steps

  • Develop an academic plan with each player

  • Develop a graduation plan for each player

  • Have in-person, weekly grade checks and meetings with players to devise action plans and ensure completion of academic work

  • Hold mandatory weekly study hall

  • Require additional tutoring for at-risk student-athletes

  • Communicate with academic advisors and faculty liaisons regarding potential challenges

  • Work with academic faculty and compliance to ensure proper student-athlete eligibility standards are maintained and exceeded

Academic Success:

To help ensure our student-athletes’ academic success, we will conduct an academic session at the start of the school year. This experience will clearly establish my expectations for our student athletes:

  • Attend every class — There is a zero-tolerance policy for missed class

  • Know key locations on campus — Every student-athlete will know the academic services avaliable to them and their corresponding locations such as ACE, EOP, Learning Support Services, and STARS

  • Display good classroom etiquette — Student-athletes will arrive to class prepared. At a minimum, this means having a notebook and writing utensil on hand. In an effort to minimize cell phone use, student-athletes are expected to keep their cell phones in their backpacks for the duration of class

Study Hall:

Players will attend mandatory study hall sessions each week. The number of hours they spend in study hall will depend on each player's cumulative GPA from the previous semester:

  • 2.49 and below/or newcomers –––– 8 hours per week

  • 2.5 to 2.69 –––– 6 hours per week

  • 2.7 to 2.99 –––– 4 hours per week

  • 3.0 and 3.49 –––– 2 hours per week

  • 3.5 and above –––– Exempt

Recruiting

Philosophy

Student-athletes are critical to the evolution and overall success of a basketball program. Therefore, diligence during the recruiting process is one of the key predictors of a team’s success. As head coach, I will be extremely deliberate in recruiting, and strategically use available resources to maximize our chances of attracting the best student-athletes to UC Santa Cruz.

Although I will utilize connections to recruit from various states across the US and internationally, one of my main priorities will be recruiting the Western United States, with an emphasis on California. My focus will be on laying a foundation with four-year players, or student athletes coming directly from high school. Over the course of their careers, these are the players that will promote and maintain our culture. We will also utilize junior college transfers to compose our team as these players are typically more ready-made and can help push the development of our younger athletes while providing immediate contributions because of their experience. With a very close eye, I will evaluate these recruits to determine if they meet the talent, character, and academic expectations I have for our UC Santa Cruz program.

Process

Cast A Wide Net: Utilize recruiting contacts to establish a pool of prospects. Gather information about each prospect and observe them in person, if possible. Watch recent game footage of prospects, especially in instances where there is no alternative.

Evaluate: Determine a prospect’s talent level and evaluate his character, which is a holistic process that focuses on personality traits, body language, and academic capabilities.

Identify Recruiting Targets: Our program will identify roster needs and maintain a "hotlist" of top recruits both by position and overall need. We will contact these prospective student-athletes on a weekly basis and conduct routine “snail-mailings” to engage recruits and their families.

Build and Maintain Relationships: Contact recruits via phone calls, mail-outs, text messages, and social media. Maintain positive relationships with all stakeholders in the PSA’s recruitment, including coaches, parents, and other contacts/connections. It is imperative to identify the recruit’s chief decision makers, ideal college experience, academic goals, career aspirations, hobbies, and other outside interests.

Visit: Develop rapport through in-person interaction. As budget allows, we want a visit to be the centerpiece of a PSA’s recruitment. This may mean we visit the PSA, the PSA comes to visit us at UC Santa Cruz - or, ideally, both.

Commitment: Address all questions and concerns, and highlight program and university positives. Review academic scholarships and overall financial aid packages while working to obtain a verbal commitment. Set a timetable for a decision and maintain communication with the recruit and his chief decision makers.

Post-Commitment/Signing: Continue to “recruit” the incoming student-athlete even after they have signed their Celebratory Signing Form and committed. Ensure there is a strong relationship in place upon matriculation by keeping communication open, honest, and positive.