Coaching, development, and strategy from former Warriors GM Larry Riley and NBA trainer Irv Roland.
If you’re serious about a career in basketball scouting, player development, or coaching at the highest level, this course is your playbook. Winning basketball programs aren’t built on plays alone—they’re built on advanced scouting, individualized development plans, elite film study, and systems that develop athletes year-round.
In this 8-week online course, you’ll learn directly from two NBA insiders:
Larry Riley – Former Golden State Warriors GM who drafted Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, architect of one of the NBA’s most iconic dynasties
Irving “Irv” Roland – NBA trainer and coach who has worked with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and other All-Stars
Together, they’ll teach you the real strategies NBA teams use—from draft prep to in-season adjustments. You’ll master film breakdown, advanced scouting reports, game-day preparation, individualized training programs, and pathways into NBA coaching and front office roles.
Whether you’re an aspiring scout, a high school or college coach, or a trainer ready to break into the NBA’s player development pipeline, this course is your direct line to pro-level basketball expertise.
NEXT START DATE: September 15NEXT START DATE:
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Weekly Live Interactive Zoom Chats With Larry Riley
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Basketball fans see the action on the court—but the real work happens behind the scenes, where elite teams plan every detail of player development, scouting, and preparation.
This course gives you a front-row seat to NBA-level strategy, showing you how championship organizations:
Build winning organizational cultures
Define leadership philosophies that create team buy-in
Manage and train player development staff
Run elite-level practices and workouts
Scout opponents and prepare for game day
Handle media, agents, and off-court dynamics
Create long-term systems for success
Perfect for serious basketball professionals and students of the game looking to elevate their expertise:
Basketball Coaches (high school, college, G-League, pro)
Scouts and Video Coordinators
Player Development Specialists and Trainers
Basketball Operations/Front Office Staff
Aspiring Executives and Agents
Advanced Players seeking a coach’s and scout’s perspective
You’ll gain career-focused skills to:
Create development plans for rookies, stars, and vets
Design in-season and off-season training strategies
Analyze film and scouting reports like an NBA staffer
Understand career paths in player development and operations
This isn’t just theory—it’s NBA-proven strategies you can put to work:
Insider access to NBA front office and training expertise
Real-world scouting and player evaluation methods
Tools to design personalized development plans
Career guidance for basketball operations and coaching
A global network of SMWW alumni working in the NBA, NCAA, and international leagues
This 8-week Basketball Player Development & Strategy course blends NBA front office expertise, advanced scouting techniques, and hands-on coaching strategies. Each week focuses on building skills that pro teams look for in their player development staff.
Week 1: Foundations of Player Development & Organizational Strategy
Understand how elite basketball programs build a culture of development. Learn how scouting, coaching, and management work together to elevate talent from youth to pro levels.
Week 2: Advanced Individual Player Development Plans
Design personalized plans based on player strengths, roles, and long-term growth. Learn how NBA teams evaluate and chart player progress year-round.
Week 3: Elite Training Routines for Rookies and Veterans
Explore how pros tailor workouts for rookies, stars, and role players, including injury prevention and load management strategies.
Week 4: Scouting and Development from Draft to Opening Night
Get an inside look at NBA draft prep, player evaluation, and advanced scouting reports used to shape rosters and maximize player growth.
Week 5: Game Day Prep, Shootarounds, and Opponent Scouting
Learn how NBA coaching staffs prepare players for competition, break down opponents, and structure shootarounds for peak performance.
Week 6: Film Study & Scouting Reports
Go beyond highlight reels—learn how front offices and coaches analyze film to assess player tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Week 7: In-Season vs. Off-Season Development Strategies
Explore how training, scouting, and player monitoring change across the NBA calendar to keep players improving year-round.
Week 8: Careers in Player Development and Scouting
Discover pathways into NBA coaching, scouting, and front office roles. Build a network and toolkit for long-term success in basketball operations.
Larry Riley, who has 30 plus years of experience in the NBA, currently serves as the Assistant to the General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, a role he has been in since 2018. Before the Hawks, Larry was with the Golden State Warriors as Director of Scouting. Prior, Larry was the General Manager of the Warriors, bringing in top guys such as Stephen Curry 7th overall in 2009, Klay Thompson in 2011 and has since had a hand in the wildly successful 2012 draft that brought the team Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Draymond Green. Larry spent three seasons with the Warriors as Assistant Coach and Assistant GM before being promoted to GM in 2009.
Riley arrived at Golden State after spending the previous six seasons (2000-01 thru 2005-06) with the Dallas Mavericks, where he served the last four campaigns as an assistant coach and NBA advance scout. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Riley served a six-year stint (1994-95 thru 1999-00) as the director of player personnel for the Vancouver Grizzlies. In that role, he oversaw the team’s scouting of professional, college and international players and advised the team on all player-related transactions. Riley also spent six years (1988-89 thru 1993-94) with the Milwaukee Bucks organization as an assistant coach and scout. While with the Bucks he was responsible for advance scouting of NBA opponents, CBA, USBL and college scouting. Riley originally broke into the NBA when he was originally with the Bucks in 1988 as a scout and video coordinator.
Before entering the NBA, Riley was the head coach at Eastern New Mexico for ten years from 1978-88, where he developed the program into an NAIA powerhouse and helped the program transition up to NCAA Division II. Riley, who owns 40 years of basketball coaching and administrative experience overall, was also the head coach at Chadron State in Nebraska for two seasons from 1976-78. Additionally, he served assistant coaching stints at Southeast Missouri State (1969-70), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1970-73), Brevard Community College (1973-74) and Mercer (1974-76).
A 1966 graduate of Chadron State with an honors degree in education, Riley was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. He received a master’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State in 1970.
Irving Roland is a longtime basketball coach, player development specialist, player, and basketball trainer. Irv has spent 15+ years in the NBA as an assistant coach and player development coach, with the Hornets, Rockets, Suns, and Celtics. Irv has also built a career as a private trainer, working with NBA players like Lebron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and many other elite players. He was even referred to as James Harden’s “Secret Weapon” in an ESPN article from 2019. Irv also works with overseas and youth players, focusing on developing their talent and skills to help bring their game to the next level. He owns his own basketball training company, “Irv Roland Basketball Training International” which was formerly known as “Blueprint Basketball”.
Irv got his start in the NBA in 2004 as a video assistant with the Boston Celtics, and continued to work his way up the coaching chain. Irv then went on to the Hornets, Suns, and finally the Rockets where he ended his NBA coaching career in 2019. Irv continues to work with NBA stars as a private trainer and is working on continually building his private training business for youth, overseas, college, and professional players.
Weekly Interactive Zoom Video Chats: A unique aspect of each 8-week course is the opportunity for students to participate in weekly, interactive Zoom video chats with fellow students, Dr. Lashbrook, Larry Riley, Irving Roland, SMWW mentors, SMWW agents, certified agents in all sports, professional athletes, and renowned guest speakers. This is a tremendous opportunity to network within the professional and collegiate sports industry by getting to know your instructors and fellow students personally via the Internet. This allows ample opportunity to network, ask questions, and discuss aspects of the course openly with instructors and fellow classmates. The interactive Zoom video chats are available via any online computer with a microphone. If you are unable to attend the chats, they are archived and you can listen at a more convenient time. These chats are so popular that graduates continue to come back and participate to enhance their opportunities. Sport-specific chats are offered on an ongoing basis.
Online Education: This innovative academic course is facilitated through a Web-based educational delivery system. You will enjoy the online discussion boards, weekly readings, weekly quizzes, course projects, and interaction amongst fellow sports business-minded students and faculty. The course content is the foundation for a successful career as a sports agent.
Global Participation: SMWW students participate from over 162 countries. Courses have an international influence and instructors will cater assignments to specific countries or leagues. Countries with economic challenges are eligible for economic discounts.
University Credit Available: For additional fees to Fort Hays State University in Kansas, you may receive graduate or undergraduate university credit for Sports Management Worldwide's courses. Click here for more information.
Sports Career Conferences: Throughout the year, Sports Management Worldwide hosts Sports Career Conferences at a variety of sporting events. These are fabulous networking events that put SMWW alumni in the heart of the action. Opportunities to meet head coaches, gm's, player personnel, scouts, and fellow sports agents are facilitated. Visit SMWW Sports Career Conferences to learn more. SMWW alumni receive discounts.
Advanced Certificates: Want to take your career to the next level? Our Advanced Certificates have been hand-selected by our team of sports industry experts to put you on a path to success. These bundles allow you to take advantage of our biggest discount available, by bundling multiple courses and becoming an expert in that field. Learn more about our Advanced Certificates here.
Military Discount: For those individuals who represent their country in military service, (active, reserve, or retired) we offer a discount. Thank you for serving your country! For more information on the Military Discount please Click Here.
Tax Write Off (For USA Citizens): SMWW course tuition, books, and supplies can be used for education tax credits. Save your receipts and consult with your tax advisor on how this applies to you.
Successful graduates of the SMWW Basketball Player Development & StrategyCourse will be sent an SMWW Certificate of Accomplishment. This represents not only your achievements in the course but also demonstrates your personal commitment to self-improvement and the ability to "self-train" yourself for higher positions within the football industry.
In addition to your certificate, you will be given the stamp of approval by SMWW.
Acquiring the skills necessary for your dream sports career is only one part of the employment journey. Even with the required skill set, you still have to market yourself properly to attract the attention of sports industry employers.
At SMWW, we’ll teach you the skills you need to thrive AND help you redesign your resume for optimal impact in the sports industry. We’ll help you craft a resume to include your new skills in Basketball Player Development & Strategy, include a reference from Larry Riley, and Irving Roland, and optimize it to reach hiring managers searching online.
We want you to become the next SMWW success story and will go to great lengths to help you get there!
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THREE MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $550
Or a single payment of $1,650 Includes all course textbooks and access to a web-based classroom. Shipping is additional.
APPROXIMATELY $1650
If we offer an economic discount in your country, it is included in the estimate above. Exact pricing including the discount is shown before you complete checkout. Payment plan options are provided during checkout. PAYMENT METHODS:
       Prerequisites: Must be 18 or older to participate and have a passion for sports.
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Thank you! We will let you know as soon as course dates are announced!
Flamengo Basketball Head Scout and Analytics Director
NFL Agent
NBA Agent
Greatest classes ever! Where else can you get the quality of instructors at such a low cost and such a diverse group?
Greatest classes ever! Where else can you get the quality of instructors at such a low cost and such a diverse group?
Peter Evans
Rafael Souza
John Oluyole
Daniel Villarreal
Shane Brady