Bob Hurley, one of the winningest coaches in boys' high-school basketball history, made his full-court presence felt at HBS on March 28 when he visited Aldrich Hall for the tip-off of a new case about him and his life's work. "Coach Hurley at St. Anthony High School," written by HBS senior lecturer Scott Snook and Bradley Lawrence (MBA 2013), explores how Hurley builds his powerhouse Friars—five-time national champions—in Jersey City, one of the poorest communities in New Jersey, at a school that has no gym and a coed student body of just 240 pupils.

After Snook taught the case in his Authentic Leadership Development elective, Hurley hit the court for some impromptu coaching and informal hoops with section intramural teams. He later joined members of the HBS community at a March Madness Sweet Sixteen gathering in Spangler Grille. The Hurley visit was another event in the "HBS Showcase" series that aims to draw attention to recently published cases.

Notes from Coach Hurley's playbook:

High Standards
Players must sign a 20-item contract agreeing to strict academic, lifestyle, and team standards. During Hurley's 41-year career, only three of his players have not gone on to college.

Sweating the Small Stuff
Each practice is planned in handwritten detail; nothing is too small to be ignored. Coach Hurley personally sweeps the court before games because "nobody sweeps the floor better than me."

WINning Formula
Hurley's own "WIN" system tracks teamwork and hustle indicators, such as loose balls won and charges drawn, rather than shooting percentage and rebounds.

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CORRECTION: In the March issue, the remembrance of Professor Emeritus Thomas McCraw misnamed his mentor. It was the late HBS professor Alfred D. Chandler.

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