When we launched our first MIAA coaches' surveys, our goal was to get a snapshot of the state of boys and girls basketball in Massachusetts. Part 1 of our survey results highlighted the top players in the state as named by coaches, and Part 2 focused on the teams in championship contention this winter.
But I personally looked most forward to the second half of the survey.
We asked coaches about some of the most frequent discussion topics in MIAA coaching circles. More than 30 girls coaches participated and were granted anonymity so they could freely (and sometimes passionately) voice their opinions on a variety of contested issues. Part 3 (out of four) of this series discusses the idea of a return to TD Garden, a hypothetical Super 8 tournament, and the current rules surrounding out-of-season coaching.
Let me dig back into my stats classroom bag for a disclaimer: These surveys are subject to volunteer response bias. Not every coach we contacted decided to participate, which means the participants are not an even, representative sample of every division and region in the state. But 30-plus responses is still a valuable sample size and worth exploring.
Now let's dive in.
Do you want to see the MIAA state championships return to TD Garden, even if only some divisions can play there?
The heavy, heavy majority response was some degree of "yes."
TD Garden has not hosted the MIAA state championships since 2020, before the pandemic, before the statewide tournament and before basketball expanded to five divisions. In 2020 and previously, it had been the site for the state semifinals, with the finals played in Worcester.
For coaches who roamed the sidelines during the previous era, playing at the Garden represented a stage that no other arena in New England can match.
"I have been lucky enough to play there a few times both as an assistant and head coach, and it is an experience of a lifetime," one coach said.
That was the feeling echoed by many coaches. Every year, folks clamor for a Garden return. The MIAA has said that it's not logistically possible to have the arena for enough days to host all 10 state championship games and not conflict with the Bruins and Celtics, plus the day of hockey state championships.
If only some divisions played, would that be worth it? This is where answers diverged.
"We went in my first year as head coach and there is nothing like it," one coach said. "The MIAA 'fairness' line is ridiculous. It is better for some teams to go than for none to go. It is a life-changing event for these kids. A true no-brainer that the MIAA is overthinking in a ridiculous effort of 'fairness.'"
Again, most answered "yes" to some degree, implying a similar sentiment. But one coach said they would not want it to be an experience reserved for Division 1 and 2 teams. Others considered the idea of a year-to-year rotation for who gets the Garden stage. And some made clear that small college venues like Tsongas Center have worked fine — TD Garden is just another magnitude of spotlight.
Among the small handful of "no" answers, one responder directly disagreed with the last coach quote.
"Not if everyone can't play there," they said. "I think it has to be all or nothing because inevitably small schools will be pushed out. I think Worcester has some of the best facilities if TD doesn't work — Clark, WPI, Holy Cross, Worcester State, etc."
And it's important to note again that, though we reached out to coaches across all divisions, most survey participants came from Divisions 1-3. It's unclear how many of those smaller schools in Div. 4-5 share the same opinions.
Should the MIAA change or keep its current restrictions on out-of-season coaching?
This was another landslide result, with the vast majority of coaches hoping for change.
Right now, MIAA coaches are not allowed to lead their teams for any practices or offseason tournaments outside of the official winter season (if you're interested in the details, go to Rules 40 and 41 of the MIAA handbook). The intent of the rule is to keep students and coaches from what would be an implicit year-round commitment to a team. It also would help maintain a level of parity.
However, there's a strong sentiment among coaches that this is setting back all of the teams in the battle against AAU time commitments and NEPSAC recruiting, because prep schools have looser guidelines.
Some coaches asked for limited amount of hours during summer weeks that they could work with individual players and teams. One brought up the idea of allowing coaching in 3-on-3 settings; the MIAA does allow this similarly with 7-on-7 football. Others pushed for a summer college showcase even similar to the NEPSAC Scholastic Showcase. This is something other New England state associations run, like the CIAC in Connecticut.
"June needs to be an open period, from the last day MIAA spring sports end to June 30," one coach said. "Massachusetts is one of the states that doesn’t have this and it gives the NEPSAC a giant edge, as this is when they have their showcase. This is a huge draw for MIAA kids to transfer to NEPSAC schools and something that (is) easily monitored and correctable. I literally don’t know one MIAA coach who would be against this."
Attend summer leagues and tournaments like the Wally Seaver Invitational and you'll find plenty of high school coaches present — in the stands, watching as a parent or former player coaches their team. Some think even allowing them to coach in these offseason events would be a fair starting point.
"When I grew up in New Hampshire, our high school coaches were directly involved in summer leagues and off-season tournaments. That continuity not only helped develop individual players but also built team chemistry and culture heading into the new season," a coach said. "Right now, if my team competes in a summer league or tournament, I have to find someone else to coach them. That creates a disconnect and takes away valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships and keep kids engaged in their school programs."
The counterarguments are that coaches would be strained for time; many MIAA coaches are also teachers or have other jobs. It would also further pressure athletes to focus on one sport year-round, whereas high schools often champion their multi-sport stars.
"I have mixed feelings," said one coach. "It protects the coaches' time — so we are not expected to be coaching 12 months a year on a small salary. But I do think the current rules limit the development of our teams and make prep schools seem more attractive to some."
Ultimately, changing the restrictions would demand more from coaches and athletes. But many feel that at this point, they don't have much of a choice if they want to retain their top players.
"Non-MIAA private schools can currently offer kids much more: facilities, open gyms with college scouts, practice and individual instruction year-round, etc. I can't compete with that," a coach said. "If we want kids to stay at public schools, we need to do more. Right now, their AAU coach, who is most likely aligned with Nobles, Dexter, etc., is more valuable than me because of the restrictions that I face. It is one reason why some kids are leaving to go prep.
"That being said, I don't want to coach my kids year-round. There needs to be a balance because I want my kids to play multiple sports, but on the other side of the coin, I am fairly powerless at this moment."
Should MIAA girls basketball have a Super 8 tournament?
The old Super 8 tournaments in sports like hockey have been a source of heated debate. Basketball however, has not had a Super 8 tournament before.
The coaches are split on the idea. About 44 percent answered "yes" to some degree, 38 percent answered "no," and 19 percent answered along the lines of "not sure."
Among the proponents, their reasoning was that a showcase of the best teams across all divisions would provide great entertainment. Some pointed to teams that have dominated lower divisions recently, like Cathedral in Div. 4 and St. Mary's in Div. 3, or they look at how last year Medfield thumped Worcester South 62-20 in the Div. 2 final.
"It seems like in girls basketball the past few years, the top teams have separated themselves from the others," a coach said. "With the new power ranking format, No. 16 seeds could potentially travel hours to play a noncompetitive game against a powerhouse. It would create a more equal playing field for the rest of the teams that qualify."
Those opposed say that for the most part, the current statewide tournament format has worked perfectly well in basketball during its first four years. Division 1 has had four different champions in that span. Aforementioned St. Mary's and Cathedral have won three out of four, but they're now moving up. In 2024, the MIAA basketball committee voted 15-1 against such a tournament and showed no interest in bringing it forward during their most recent October meeting.
"I don’t think the Super 8 is necessary," one coach said. "I believe the recent adjustments to the statewide tournament format is working well. It has created exciting matchups, strong competition, and a structure that players and towns have really embraced. I just don't think the Super 8 would add anything really meaningful to the MIAA and would weaken the value and importance of the current format. If they wanted to add a tournament of champions like other states have, I would absolutely be in favor of that, however."
Some coaches similarly pitched a Catholic school-only tournament (more on that in Part 4) and others liked the idea of an All-Star game for elite players and coaches. But generally, while coaches like the idea, they're not feeling pressure to deviate from what's working.
"Today I say no, but I’ll probably change my mind seven times throughout the season," one coach said.
What's one other rule change or structural change that should be made to MIAA girls basketball?
This was an open-ended question and though some responders opted out, we still saw quite a few themes.
Several coaches commented on the margin-of-victory component in determining power rankings and state tournament seeding. When we launched the survey, the MOV maximum was still 10 points for basketball. The MIAA has since changed the maximum to six points for both boys and girls. In this survey, coaches' thoughts ranged from eliminating the MOV metric entirely, to even increasing it to 20 points.
Another topic brought up frequently: matching high school basketball rules to the college game. Multiple coaches brought up moving the shot clock to 30 seconds, and one requested to move the 3-point line back to the collegiate distance.
"Go back to 30 second shot clock. Allow the ball to be advanced to half court on ATO's. Basically just mirror what they are doing at the college level," a coach said. "That's the goal, right? Get our highest achieving players to play college basketball? Might as well play the same way they do. We don't have to blindly follow the NFHS rule."
Beyond those, some coaches lamented the challenges they have with strength of schedule and wished for more nonleague games. Others asked for rules that force teams winning a lot in lower divisions to move up after a certain amount of time. Three coaches took issue with referee quality and quantity. Two coaches also pushed for state quarterfinal games being played at neutral sites — another heavily-debated topic in MIAA committees.
