By Maurice Patton

Bruce Slatten, executive director of the Basketball Coaches’ Association of Tennessee, isn’t shy about calling the roster of speakers for this year’s BCAT Clinic the biggest and best he has assembled.

More than 40 coaches are lined up to give presentations online, in keeping with the ongoing global pandemic – but Slatten and the association expect that unique situation to be beneficial.

“A lot of the coaches we’d invited would not have been able to come, but were able to participate virtually, and a lot of others were willing to spend an hour online,” Slatten said. “It fell together pretty well. About 98 percent of our invitations were accepted; usually it’s the other way around.”

Among the clinicians for the three-day event, which begins Sept. 25, are Southeastern Conference men’s coaches Nate Oats (Alabama), Mike White (Florida), Kermit Davis (Ole Miss) and Frank Martin (South Carolina) as well as Tennessee women’s coach Kellie Harper, Arkansas women’s coach Mike Neighbors and Amanda Butler (Clemson women) and Kara Lawson (Duke women) from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“It’s a who’s who of coaches,” Slatten said, pointing out that coaches with Ohio Valley Conference, NCAA Division II and NAIA ties are also set to speak.

Despite the pandemic limitations, the clinic will provide coaches with the opportunity to view the presenters working on different aspects of the game and will allow more flexible access to the presentations.

“The presentations will be 90 percent live, and all specific for BCAT,” Slatten said. “They’ll be on the floor with their team, and it’s not just throwing a coaching DVD out there. A few of them will be pre-recorded because they had other obligations. But it’s going to be a unique thing.”

Coaches registering to participate in the clinic will have two options in addition to the live sessions – either having access to all presentations through Oct. 15 or through March 31.

“That way, coaches can watch at their leisure,” Slatten said. “If there’s two going at the same time, you can go back and watch the other at your convenience.”

For a full list of clinicians, times and registration information, visit bcat.coachesinsider.com.

Maurice Patton is the editor for Southern Middle Tennessee Sports. E-mail: mopattonsports@gmail.com; Twitter: @mopatton_sports.