Edmonds Community College Athletics
Sean Higgins, Head Coach
Coaching Philosophy: In one word, my coaching philosophy is teaching. Practice sessions measure how much was learned and the games are for discovering what you need to learn. Finishing the season well will set the stage for the following year. It's important to measure improvement over the course of the season's schedule among players and relative to other teams.
Play defense, contest shots, box out, rebound and run the floor hard!!!
Off The Court: The way you live your life off the court will reflect how you live on the court. As a mentor and teacher of basketball, I stress the fact that being consistent in your daily life will carry over to your athletic success. Diversity is key, in creating balance in your life! Family, school, work, sports, hobbies, friends etc, all play a major role in the balance we have to develop within our lives.
My family and living a God fearing life is what creates solid balance for me personally.
Love of the Game: I started playing with a basketball from the time I was able to walk. My mother introduced me to basketball. I played the game for fun and the love, even when I played in the NBA. Now, I teach and coach for the same reasons. It's really hard to describe my feeling toward basketball, because of how emotional it becomes when describing my fondness for it. I can say this, I will protect and nurture the sport as long as I'm blessed to be associated with it.
I thank Dr. James Naismith for inventing such a joyful game.
Education: Was recruited by every major university in America, finally choosing the University of Michigan over Louisville, Texas, Kentucky and UCLA. Coach Higgins was fortunate to win the 1989 NCAA National Championship at the Seattle Kingdome, while majoring in Sports Management and Communications at Michigan. Sean's currently pursuing to further his education at the United States Sports Academy (USSA).
Professional Basketball: Coach Higgins played several years in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trailblazers. Having the opportunity to be coached and mentored by Hall of Fame coaches such as Larry Brown and Don Nelson. After playing in the NBA, Coach Higgins embarked on playing European basketball, in Greece, Turkey and Russia before retiring from playing.
Coach Higgins on playing pro basketball: Playing pro basketball was a dream come true for me. It turned out to be one of the best learning experiences of my life, on and off the court. I strongly believe and stress to young aspiring ball players the importance of preparing themselves for life after basketball. Everyone can't and won't make it. There are only so many spots available at the pro level! When I was around 19 years old Dick Vitale (ESPN basketball analyst) pulled me aside and said, "Sean don't allow basketball to use you, use it." Meaning, don't allow yourself to be a statistic of athletes who fall by the wayside after their playing careers are finish! Basketball can be a great vehicle to lead to other opportunities within the sport or even outside the basketball industry.
Insider Fact: My playing career set the table for me to become a teacher of the game right before my eyes! I never realized I had the ability to teach and coach basketball. I guess I was too busy learning! When I sit and watch my old games on video, I was always directing traffic or helping a teammate get to the right spot on the court. After watching and discovering this, I finally realized my career destiny was always teaching and coaching. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!"
Contact the coach: 425-640-1657, sean.higgins@edcc.edu.
