Question and Answer with Coach Osbourne

Dale Osbourne is in his second year as the lead assistant coach for the Utah Flash. Osbourne brings 18 years of coaching experience to the Flash after coaching positions in the USBL, CBA, WNBA, and the NBA Development League. While with the USBL, Osbourne led the Dodge City Legend to two consecutive regular season and division championships. Coach Osbourne was named the USBL coach of the year in 2004.

Kyle Flanagan: If you weren’t coaching, what would you be doing?

Dale Osbourne: I would probably be working with kids in some capacity. I’ve taught high school before, and I really enjoyed working with the kids—not necessarily in a classroom setting, but working with them in some capacity.

KF: Who is your favorite NBA player to watch, and why?

DO: I would have to say Kobe Bryant. People talk about how great of an offensive player he is, but they don’t really look at how passionate he is about playing defense. He really gives an effort on the defensive end of the floor, and that’s why I like watching him play.

KF: What is your first memory of basketball?

DO: Probably watching my older brothers play, seeing how they played and how tough they were. I remember sitting down and listening to my older brother tell me about basketball and how it should be played and learning from him.

KF: What are your pre-game rituals?

DO: I just like to sit back and think about the game a lot. I like to read the players, see if I can get a feel about what they are thinking about, and see how they are reacting. I also like to study our opponents and see how they are doing in warm-ups, and see how they are shooting the ball.

KF: Who has had the biggest impact on your life?

DO: Definitely my mother (Maxine). My father died when I was 14, so my mom was really my mom and my dad. She’s had a great impact on my life, and I can honestly say I was blessed to be raised by my mother and father. I talk to my mom about four or five times a week still and she’s always asking how the team is doing.

KF: What is something that most people don’t know about you?

DO: I love spending time with my family, and I also love working out a lot, that’s basically it. I probably watch too much TV as well.

KF: What’s your favorite TV show?

DO: I can watch everything. I like True Stories, Cold Case Files, and definitely the history channel. Also, I obviously I watch too much ESPN. But I can pretty much watch anything.

KF: Do you have any nicknames?

DO: Not that I know of. The players usually just call me Coach or Coach-O.

KF: What is your dream vacation?

DO: Well, my wife and I got married in the Bahamas, so if we were going to do something again, I would probably like to go back there. But this time I would like to take my son with us.

KF: Who is your favorite band or musical artist?

DO: I would say Stevie Wonder. I think he is a phenomenal musician.

KF: What was the first concert you ever attended?

DO: That would be when I saw Prince in Mobile, Alabama. That was when Prince was touring in 1982 or 1983, it was a great show.

KF: What is your favorite movie?

DO: I really like the movie Sea Biscuit. I like movies about underdogs and how they overcome the odds to become a champion. I really liked the message that movie sent.

KF: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

DO: Obviously I wanted to be a pro basketball player. But when that didn’t work out, I still wanted to be around the game of basketball, so that’s why I got in to coaching.

KF: What has been your proudest accomplishment?

DO: So far, I would like to say being a good husband. And I’m going to really try and be a real good father to my first son, who is one-and-a-half years old.

KF: If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?

DO: Jesus Christ. Obviously that’s something huge, but he looks at everything so differently than how we look at it. So, I would probably say Jesus Christ for sure.