What do you think?
Rate this book
Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench
An irreverent, hilarious insider's look at big-time NCAA basketball, through the eyes of the nation's most famous benchwarmer and author of the popular blog ClubTrillion.com (3.6m visits!). Mark Titus holds the Ohio State record for career wins, and made it to the 2007 national championship game. You would think Titus would be all over the highlight reels. You'd be wrong.
In 2006, Mark Titus arrived on Ohio State's campus as a former high school basketball player who aspired to be an orthopedic surgeon. Somehow, he was added to the elite Buckeye basketball team, given a scholarship, and played alongside seven future NBA players on his way to setting the record for most individual career wins in Ohio State history. Think that's impressive? In four years, he scored a grand total of nine—yes, nine—points.
This book will give readers an uncensored and uproarious look inside an elite NCAA basketball program from Titus's unique perspective. In his four years at the end of the bench, Mark founded his wildly popular blog Club Trillion, became a hero to all guys picked last, and even got scouted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Mark Titus is not your average basketball star. This is a wild and completely true story of the most unlikely career in college basketball. A must-read for all fans of March Madness and college sports!
From the Hardcover edition.
In 2006, Mark Titus arrived on Ohio State's campus as a former high school basketball player who aspired to be an orthopedic surgeon. Somehow, he was added to the elite Buckeye basketball team, given a scholarship, and played alongside seven future NBA players on his way to setting the record for most individual career wins in Ohio State history. Think that's impressive? In four years, he scored a grand total of nine—yes, nine—points.
This book will give readers an uncensored and uproarious look inside an elite NCAA basketball program from Titus's unique perspective. In his four years at the end of the bench, Mark founded his wildly popular blog Club Trillion, became a hero to all guys picked last, and even got scouted by the Harlem Globetrotters. Mark Titus is not your average basketball star. This is a wild and completely true story of the most unlikely career in college basketball. A must-read for all fans of March Madness and college sports!
From the Hardcover edition.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
146 people are currently reading
2453 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
January 10, 2023
We spilled onto the court to celebrate, but most of the guys were confused about how excited they were supposed to be. I mean, sure we won the tournament, but at the end of the day it was the NIT and being the best team in the NIT is like being the most attractive Michigan cheerleader.
I’ve been a fan of Mark Titus since his first appearance on Bill Simmons’s podcast. Can he be juvenile at times? Absolutely, and you can see from other reviews that it is too much for a fair number of readers. Is he probably overcompensating for his depression? Yes, which puts a whole different spin on the book if you let your mind go there.
But he’s funny, and Don’t Put Me In, Coach is funny. His perspective from the bench is quite unusual yet still informative (especially if, like me, you remember those Buckeye teams). Interestingly, my biggest takeaway was not about Mark but about Coach Marta, who I clearly did not appreciate enough when he was at OSU. A quick, entertaining read if you looking for a kinda twisted, kinda silly look at college basketball.
May 1, 2012
Meh. Wouldn't recommend it. Written by a 22-year-old and reads like it. He's also very fond of words like "vagina" to indicate that people are either not good at basketball or are being jerks. Kept making me wish I could force him to go one-on-one with some WNBA players. Glad I got it from the library and didn't give money for it.
January 16, 2013
As a longtime member of Club Trillion, I read Titus's blog for years, eagerly awaited new posts, and looked forward to the book as soon as it was announced. After tearing through it in the span of twenty-four hours, I rattled off a definitive text to my friends among the "Trillion Man March": "don't waste your time."
There's a lot wrong with "Don't Put Me In, Coach." For one, the bulk of the material will be extremely familiar to fans of the blog, who I imagine comprise most of this book's readership. Really the only significant episode here not touched on in Titus's blog is his tryout with the Harlem Globetrotters, recounted in a dizzying fashion as an appendix. The Shark comes across as extremely bitter following his Globetrotters experience and uses this platform to slam the organization.
Another aspect that makes this book disposable is his exhaustive play-by-play summary of seemingly every game of his four-year tenure at Ohio State. Mark felt inspired to recap even the exhibitions and non-conference blowouts, not to mention each Big 10 and tournament game, making for long, arduous passages. The harsh truth is that, having seen no meaningful game action, Titus's perspective offers little insight into these games beyond what any spectator with a courtside seat could offer. Perhaps more pertinent, with a few years' distance from the events captured in this book, it's clear that, having failed to win a national championship or produce any NBA superstars, these OSU squads are destined to be remembered merely as good Big 10 teams, not at all historically significant in the grand college basketball pantheon as Titus seems to believe.
Most of the anecdotes which Titus finds hilarious will seem hardly noteworthy to anyone with even passing experience on a team setting or familiarity with college hoops. The two longest tales involve a roommate receiving oral sex while Titus slept and a black teammate who gave Titus permission to use the n-word. While I'm sure these were noteworthy at the time, they don't sound like anything that might not happen on any high school or college basketball team.
Mark is a fabulous writer and "Don't Put Me In, Coach" didn't fail to make me laugh a few times. His pop culture references are witty and his voice is unique. However, the shtick gets old. There are no less than three detailed accounts of his experiencing diarrhea during NCAA games, which is at least two and probably three too many.
Every basketball team has three or four guys who occupy the desolate end of the bench. With the exception being that most don't find internet fame through a self-effacing blog, most of their stories are similar to Mark's. While I'm sure his humor and ability to poke fun at himself and teammates were welcome at Buckeyes practices, every squad has benchwarmers who must make peace with the fact that they won't find glory on the court. "Don't Put Me In, Coach" doesn't really follow a story so much as deeply characterize its narrator, but most readers will already be quite familiar.
There's a lot wrong with "Don't Put Me In, Coach." For one, the bulk of the material will be extremely familiar to fans of the blog, who I imagine comprise most of this book's readership. Really the only significant episode here not touched on in Titus's blog is his tryout with the Harlem Globetrotters, recounted in a dizzying fashion as an appendix. The Shark comes across as extremely bitter following his Globetrotters experience and uses this platform to slam the organization.
Another aspect that makes this book disposable is his exhaustive play-by-play summary of seemingly every game of his four-year tenure at Ohio State. Mark felt inspired to recap even the exhibitions and non-conference blowouts, not to mention each Big 10 and tournament game, making for long, arduous passages. The harsh truth is that, having seen no meaningful game action, Titus's perspective offers little insight into these games beyond what any spectator with a courtside seat could offer. Perhaps more pertinent, with a few years' distance from the events captured in this book, it's clear that, having failed to win a national championship or produce any NBA superstars, these OSU squads are destined to be remembered merely as good Big 10 teams, not at all historically significant in the grand college basketball pantheon as Titus seems to believe.
Most of the anecdotes which Titus finds hilarious will seem hardly noteworthy to anyone with even passing experience on a team setting or familiarity with college hoops. The two longest tales involve a roommate receiving oral sex while Titus slept and a black teammate who gave Titus permission to use the n-word. While I'm sure these were noteworthy at the time, they don't sound like anything that might not happen on any high school or college basketball team.
Mark is a fabulous writer and "Don't Put Me In, Coach" didn't fail to make me laugh a few times. His pop culture references are witty and his voice is unique. However, the shtick gets old. There are no less than three detailed accounts of his experiencing diarrhea during NCAA games, which is at least two and probably three too many.
Every basketball team has three or four guys who occupy the desolate end of the bench. With the exception being that most don't find internet fame through a self-effacing blog, most of their stories are similar to Mark's. While I'm sure his humor and ability to poke fun at himself and teammates were welcome at Buckeyes practices, every squad has benchwarmers who must make peace with the fact that they won't find glory on the court. "Don't Put Me In, Coach" doesn't really follow a story so much as deeply characterize its narrator, but most readers will already be quite familiar.
September 18, 2012
A very grudging three stars. May deserve two stars instead.
The anecdotes are interesting, the descriptions of teammates and coaches enlightening, but I just can't stand his writing style. Ever have a conversation with someone who's convinced they're hilarious and WILL. NOT. SHUT. UP? That's Mark Titus. That's this book.
Specific examples? I can do that. Here's one sentence from the book, verbatim:
Oh, and hey Mark? Which half are you talking about? I can't figure out if you mean the first half or the second half:
If you can slog through the awful writing, there are some gems among the anecdotes.
The anecdotes are interesting, the descriptions of teammates and coaches enlightening, but I just can't stand his writing style. Ever have a conversation with someone who's convinced they're hilarious and WILL. NOT. SHUT. UP? That's Mark Titus. That's this book.
Specific examples? I can do that. Here's one sentence from the book, verbatim:
Again, it was frustrating to know that we probably would have also beat Michigan had The Villain been healthy, but it was even more frustrating to know that since The Villain hurt his back against Eastern Michigan, whose campus is just 15 minutes away from Michigan’s campus, and since we played Michigan just a couple weeks after Eastern Michigan, I was pretty confident that Michigan had asked Eastern Michigan to do them a favor and take out The Villain because they’re a bunch of cheating asshole bastards.If you're keeping track, that's five commas, seven "Michigans", and three "The Villain"s in one sentence. Doesn't anyone proofread this crap?
Oh, and hey Mark? Which half are you talking about? I can't figure out if you mean the first half or the second half:
In the first half, Purdue played just like they were the best team in the conference, and one of the best in the country, as they rode the back of Robbie Hummel’s 29 first-half points and torched our zone defense en route to a 12-point halftime lead.So the first half, then?
If you can slog through the awful writing, there are some gems among the anecdotes.
January 18, 2015
I really enjoyed Mark Titus' blog Club Trillion when he first got noticed by Bill Simmons. It paired a pretty quirky outlook with an insiders view at a major D1 basketball program. It's possible (probable) that I've just changed a lot since I was a regular reader of the blog but the incessant homophobic, racist and misogynistic way he uses to describe... everything made for a dull and unenjoyable read. That or the dick and poop jokes. It was like a 15 year old boy wrote a book.
The only thing I can say I enjoyed about the book was how he described Thad Matta as a coach with a sense of humor and seemingly a good perspective on it all.
The only thing I can say I enjoyed about the book was how he described Thad Matta as a coach with a sense of humor and seemingly a good perspective on it all.
March 4, 2021
Fun, easy read. Some jokes were forced but it’s filled with great stories. Recommend it to any college basketball fan. 4.5 stars would be more accurate
April 2, 2023
The book was entertaining, informative and funny. The humor was on the edge a few times but that’s expected with a walk-on basketball player on Ohio State who doesn’t take himself seriously. A good quick read.
March 8, 2012
Looks like most of these reviews start off with an explanation of where the reviewer fits on a scale of predisposition to interest in this book. I never read Titus' blog, but I love college basketball and have read and enjoyed his articles on Grantland. I think that's like a 7.5.
This book is an entertaining read thanks to Titus' engaging style and sense of humor. My main complaint is that he zips through four years at warp speed. I put the book down convinced there was more that should have been in it. Now, I've complained that a book was too short and fast paced approximately zero times before now, so Mr. Titus, you can take this as whatever the opposite of a backhanded compliment is (front handed insult?). Maybe you felt like a lot of the material that could of been in here was already up on your blog and you didn't want to rehash it. But I would have loved a little more heft here.
This book is an entertaining read thanks to Titus' engaging style and sense of humor. My main complaint is that he zips through four years at warp speed. I put the book down convinced there was more that should have been in it. Now, I've complained that a book was too short and fast paced approximately zero times before now, so Mr. Titus, you can take this as whatever the opposite of a backhanded compliment is (front handed insult?). Maybe you felt like a lot of the material that could of been in here was already up on your blog and you didn't want to rehash it. But I would have loved a little more heft here.
March 4, 2021
I may be biased but I loved this book. A page Turner for any Ohio State basketball fan. Thad Matta is and will always be my favorite NCAAB coach of all time after reading this.
October 10, 2018
Don't Put Me In, Coach by Mark Titus is a funny. Inspiring. Humorous. I’ve never liked a book as much as this book. Being a teen who is absolutely obsessed with basketball, this book was the perfect read for me. I enjoyed reading the book because of how funny Mark Titus, the main character, is. I feel part of the book because I understand all the basketball knowledge and humor. Mark Titus is a very loud and very obnoxious person towards his teammates and he’s not afraid to push your buttons and get in your head.
The book is about the main character, Mark Titus, who was a manager for the Ohio State basketball team, but when players obtain injuries, he is moved from manager to a walk-on. In this nonfiction book, he goes through his college basketball walk-on career with humor and obviously basketball. If you’re like me and you’re about basketball and laughter, this is the book for you.
The book is about the main character, Mark Titus, who was a manager for the Ohio State basketball team, but when players obtain injuries, he is moved from manager to a walk-on. In this nonfiction book, he goes through his college basketball walk-on career with humor and obviously basketball. If you’re like me and you’re about basketball and laughter, this is the book for you.
December 12, 2018
Don’t Put Me In, Coach by Mark Titus is one of the funniest books I think any sports fan would ever read. It is a book about Mark Titus’ four-year career at Ohio State as a walk-on basketball player. Mark Titus got into basketball mostly because of his height and he then got some skill from there. He was a player that had taken basketball pretty seriously his entire life and wanted to get a scholarship to play basketball somewhere. He was a really goofy and lazy person though and that characteristic of him sometimes interfered with his basketball career. He went to Ohio State because some of his AAU teammates went there for basketball and he was going to be a manager. Him being a manager did not last long and he ended up joining the team as a walk-on basketball player. He was not taking basketball seriously at this point and he was trying to pull as many pranks and jokes on his teammates then for his whole college career.
This book is truly hilarious and I would recommend it to any sports fan or even someone just looking for a good laugh.
This book is truly hilarious and I would recommend it to any sports fan or even someone just looking for a good laugh.
March 23, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. Titus is HYSTERICAL! It’s not something I would normally read but being an OSU fan and sports fan, I figured I’d like it and I was right!
December 25, 2020
Very entertaining, quick read. Still willing to give it 5 stars, even though it was written by a Buckeye, and he bashes Michigan multiple times in the book. I wouldn't expect anything less though.
Read
November 8, 2017The book, "Don't Put Me in, Coach," is an amazing book and is also very funny. This book is about a college walk on student for the Ohio State basketball team and his journey throughout college while sitting on the bench for the games. The book has very funny moments of him in college, and is one of the best books I have ever read. This book is very different from others. Since it is an autobiography, it has a different feel to it. And since it is nonfiction, everything that I read and was funny, I laughed even harder. Since this is the only book by him, it doesn't compare to any other books of his. But, comparing to other authors, it is a lot different. He doesn't write like a normal author like Stephen King or John Green. He has a unique writing. I loved the characters. All of them had a unique personality and that's what I loved. Of course Mark, who wrote the book, had me laughing almost during the whole book. And others like Greg Oden, who made it to the NBA after Ohio State, was also very interesting on what he did during his off time and was also very funny. The ending was of course funny and it had a "good" message. One of my favorite parts of the book is where Mark created the "Club Trillion". That is where for the time that someone gets in, that that person cannot record any stat (rebound, steal, point, ext.). I absolutely loved that. I didn't really have a least favorite part, I loved the whole book. This book was very easy to get into and from there you probably don't want to put it down.
September 5, 2021
Mildly entertaining but overall, I didn't love it. Usually I devour behind-the-scenes books like this, but I actually moved on to other books after starting this one before making myself come back and finish it.
It was a mix of actually funny, trying too hard to be funny, borderline offensive, and straight-up juvenile. Between the stupid pranks, constant sexist or penis references, insults, or too-detailed accounts of his trips to the bathroom, I felt like I was reading a preteen's journal.
I dug the recounting of his senior night and how he felt about being able to contribute to the children's charity, and there were a couple of other chuckle-inducing moments, but overall, it was just a no for me. Even the game recollections weren't as much insightful as they were just boring, for the most part. It didn't seem like information that anyone who watched or covered the game couldn't have provided.
But hey. I'm sure there are more than enough people that appreciate his type of humor and seeming refusal to take anything seriously. Just not me, unfortunately.
It was a mix of actually funny, trying too hard to be funny, borderline offensive, and straight-up juvenile. Between the stupid pranks, constant sexist or penis references, insults, or too-detailed accounts of his trips to the bathroom, I felt like I was reading a preteen's journal.
I dug the recounting of his senior night and how he felt about being able to contribute to the children's charity, and there were a couple of other chuckle-inducing moments, but overall, it was just a no for me. Even the game recollections weren't as much insightful as they were just boring, for the most part. It didn't seem like information that anyone who watched or covered the game couldn't have provided.
But hey. I'm sure there are more than enough people that appreciate his type of humor and seeming refusal to take anything seriously. Just not me, unfortunately.
June 27, 2025
With a style of humor that’s random, full of metaphors, and definitely from another decade; Mark Titus gives a hilarious look at his time as a benchwarmer. If I were an OSU fan I’d give this 5 stars, as someone with no affiliation this is a 3 star read. While enjoyable there aren’t many takeaways, which was expected. He’s a damn good storyteller though!
Personally I don’t know if I’d love or hate having him on my team. 🤣🤷🏻♂️
Personally I don’t know if I’d love or hate having him on my team. 🤣🤷🏻♂️
November 6, 2023
i absolutely loved this book. it brings a big smile to my face. as a former manager turned benchwarmer on my highschool basketball squad, mark the shark’s story resonated deeply. I goofed around on the bench and in practice a ton. i had a villain figure on my team who i got in loads of fights with. this book made me proud that i went on the court in the last minute of the game and made as little impact as possible. club trillion forever 000000000000
May 5, 2024
Pretty funny book. Cool to see a completely different college basketball experience. Titus thinks he’s Tucker Max with how he wrote some of the chapters. Not as funny as Tucker but still a great author
Read
January 5, 2019Don't bother, Coach. Ugh. This story had so much potential but Titus instead punctured it with too many racist, misogynistic fratboy jokes.
February 25, 2021
Hilarious and easy read, not an Ohio State fan at all but still enjoyed the stories
August 26, 2023
Funny basketball book.
August 15, 2025
Some funny parts- but his overall tone and pretentiousness are too much most of the time.
June 11, 2024
LOVED IT! Must read. Really funny.
January 8, 2024
I did not know about the story of Mark Titus since I started following Ohio State at the end of his time there. But he provides a hilarious (albeit slightly inappropriate) account of his time with the Buckeyes. The chapters are short and recount certain events and scenarios while he was on the team. Titus definitely flips the idea of what a benchwarmer is on its head!
June 25, 2012
First of all, I know that anytime a reviewer posts a review on a book that they didn't finish they get slammed...mainly by other reviewers. With that said, here we go...
Mark Titus is smart, funny, and edgy (maybe too edgy?)...
"Don't Put Me In, Coach" is written by Mark Titus, a walk-on player who sat the bench 99.9% of the time during his 4-year NCAA Div I basketball career at Ohio State University. This book has received some buzz in stories on NPR and other media outlets, so when I had a chance to pick up a copy and give it a look I thought, "Why not?"
Titus is, make no mistake, a good writer. He tells a story well, and he knows how to grab an audience and hang onto it.
In the book "Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style" by Randy Olson, scientist turned filmmaker, he states that there are four organs of mass communication: head, heart, gut, and sex appeal that you can used to connect with an audience.
OK, back to Titus and his book. He starts out mainly with heart and gut, but soon moves his narrative to the level mainly of sex appeal. Titus is, make no mistake, a good basketball player, you just don't make it to the bench of OSU without that, but at the same time, his main role on the team was court jester and clown. Apparently the coach not only allowed, but encouraged highly unorthodox behavior from Titus because it kept the rest of the team loose. And so, Titus ran with it! He ran as far and as fast as he could with it. As a result you are barraged with story after story of sophomoric humor and antics.
Titus tells a story well, but, as the product description states, it's irreverent - highly irreverent. His accounts and stories are laced with sexual antics and references to the lower organs. I made it to p. 66 before I had just had enough. There are too many books and too little time to wade through this kind of thing. I mean, when the account devolved to Titus telling in detail how and why he attached nerf gun suction-tipped darts to his privates, that was the straw that ended it for me.
In all fairness I did skip to other sections of the book, including the last chapter, to see if this level of thinking continued, and yep, that's what you get all the way through.
It's no wonder that Titus developed a huge following for his blog - the blog that led to this book deal. When it came to mass communication he was able to appeal to people's lowest common denominator - sex appeal.
I didn't award it 1 star because the writing and his potential as a writer are actually pretty good. But I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone I know.
Bring on the "not helpful votes" (eve though a review like this for me is often one of the most helpful kinds).
2 stars
Mark Titus is smart, funny, and edgy (maybe too edgy?)...
"Don't Put Me In, Coach" is written by Mark Titus, a walk-on player who sat the bench 99.9% of the time during his 4-year NCAA Div I basketball career at Ohio State University. This book has received some buzz in stories on NPR and other media outlets, so when I had a chance to pick up a copy and give it a look I thought, "Why not?"
Titus is, make no mistake, a good writer. He tells a story well, and he knows how to grab an audience and hang onto it.
In the book "Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style" by Randy Olson, scientist turned filmmaker, he states that there are four organs of mass communication: head, heart, gut, and sex appeal that you can used to connect with an audience.
OK, back to Titus and his book. He starts out mainly with heart and gut, but soon moves his narrative to the level mainly of sex appeal. Titus is, make no mistake, a good basketball player, you just don't make it to the bench of OSU without that, but at the same time, his main role on the team was court jester and clown. Apparently the coach not only allowed, but encouraged highly unorthodox behavior from Titus because it kept the rest of the team loose. And so, Titus ran with it! He ran as far and as fast as he could with it. As a result you are barraged with story after story of sophomoric humor and antics.
Titus tells a story well, but, as the product description states, it's irreverent - highly irreverent. His accounts and stories are laced with sexual antics and references to the lower organs. I made it to p. 66 before I had just had enough. There are too many books and too little time to wade through this kind of thing. I mean, when the account devolved to Titus telling in detail how and why he attached nerf gun suction-tipped darts to his privates, that was the straw that ended it for me.
In all fairness I did skip to other sections of the book, including the last chapter, to see if this level of thinking continued, and yep, that's what you get all the way through.
It's no wonder that Titus developed a huge following for his blog - the blog that led to this book deal. When it came to mass communication he was able to appeal to people's lowest common denominator - sex appeal.
I didn't award it 1 star because the writing and his potential as a writer are actually pretty good. But I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone I know.
Bring on the "not helpful votes" (eve though a review like this for me is often one of the most helpful kinds).
2 stars
August 4, 2016
okay, so this guy talks a lot of shit in here (literally, there are so many poop jokes (that i just added to) and he is seemingly constantly on the john).
okay, the thing is hilarious, occasionally i feel like i would be kind of annoyed by him but mostly i feel like i could be sort of in love with him (it probably helps that experienced a drastically shorter and yet more devestating basketball career myself). but in terms of hilarious books, of which i read a few, this one was firstly, steadily hilarious all the way through, and secondly, sort of meaningful to boot.
(previous comment below)
dude, i'm actually tired of laughing... and i'm only like 50 pages in.
he has my sense of humor (in fact, i find myself anticipating most of the jokes) and i keep finding myself relating to him, down to deeply appreciating finding that sense of humor in others, making horrible geeky jokes 'bitch', and using the phrase 'down to' when referring to a person somehow similar to us and making up weird reasons (the time i remembered doing this actually, although id say coincidently, actually furthermore involved basketfull)
him: "i was essentially a junior high version of Dirk Nowuitzki, all the way down to the fact i also considered Detlef Schrempt a personal hero of mine (but only cauxe his flat top was damn near immaculate--not quite on the same level as Chris Mullin's, but then again, whose is?)"
me (in a review on "All the wrong places" by Philip Conors): "this guy is me in sooo many ways; d0wn to the way he started shooting hoops when he felt a certain way, down to the ROUTINE he has for shooting hoops, down to me being his fantasy girl drinking whiskey alone in a bar. seriously"
this guy is a new hero of mine
okay, the thing is hilarious, occasionally i feel like i would be kind of annoyed by him but mostly i feel like i could be sort of in love with him (it probably helps that experienced a drastically shorter and yet more devestating basketball career myself). but in terms of hilarious books, of which i read a few, this one was firstly, steadily hilarious all the way through, and secondly, sort of meaningful to boot.
(previous comment below)
dude, i'm actually tired of laughing... and i'm only like 50 pages in.
he has my sense of humor (in fact, i find myself anticipating most of the jokes) and i keep finding myself relating to him, down to deeply appreciating finding that sense of humor in others, making horrible geeky jokes 'bitch', and using the phrase 'down to' when referring to a person somehow similar to us and making up weird reasons (the time i remembered doing this actually, although id say coincidently, actually furthermore involved basketfull)
him: "i was essentially a junior high version of Dirk Nowuitzki, all the way down to the fact i also considered Detlef Schrempt a personal hero of mine (but only cauxe his flat top was damn near immaculate--not quite on the same level as Chris Mullin's, but then again, whose is?)"
me (in a review on "All the wrong places" by Philip Conors): "this guy is me in sooo many ways; d0wn to the way he started shooting hoops when he felt a certain way, down to the ROUTINE he has for shooting hoops, down to me being his fantasy girl drinking whiskey alone in a bar. seriously"
this guy is a new hero of mine
August 15, 2025
From the moment Mark Titus opens the book with a riff on the difficulties of morning wood, I knew I was in good hands (pause). Don’t Put Me in, Coach is one of the rare sports memoirs that manages to be hilarious, self-aware, and sneakily profound all at once.
Titus’s humor is effortless, and his timing is impeccable. I found myself audibly laughing at more than a few moments, and not just at the jokes, but at the painfully accurate depictions of life in a locker room. Whether it’s middle school or a top-tier NCAA program, Titus proves that the dynamic between the dudes never really changes, and that’s part of what makes this book so enjoyable. It’s absurd, juvenile, and somehow deeply nostalgic.
His delivery, equal parts sarcastic and sincere, makes even the most absurd stories feel grounded. But what really impressed me was the balance he struck between humor and honesty. Beneath the jokes and self-deprecation is a surprisingly deep reflection on ego, purpose, and identity. He’s not afraid to admit when he felt lost, overlooked, or unsure of his role. And that vulnerability adds real weight to what could’ve easily just been a collection of locker room anecdotes.
Despite the fact that Titus’s experience (being a benchwarmer on one of the greatest college basketball teams ever assembled) is completely unique, it still feels relatable. Anyone who’s ever been part of something bigger than themselves, who’s struggled to find their role, or who’s laughed their way through uncertainty will find something meaningful here.
Don’t Put Me in, Coach isn’t just for sports fans—it’s for anyone who knows what it’s like to be underestimated, to laugh in the face of failure, and to still come out with a hell of a story to tell.
Titus’s humor is effortless, and his timing is impeccable. I found myself audibly laughing at more than a few moments, and not just at the jokes, but at the painfully accurate depictions of life in a locker room. Whether it’s middle school or a top-tier NCAA program, Titus proves that the dynamic between the dudes never really changes, and that’s part of what makes this book so enjoyable. It’s absurd, juvenile, and somehow deeply nostalgic.
His delivery, equal parts sarcastic and sincere, makes even the most absurd stories feel grounded. But what really impressed me was the balance he struck between humor and honesty. Beneath the jokes and self-deprecation is a surprisingly deep reflection on ego, purpose, and identity. He’s not afraid to admit when he felt lost, overlooked, or unsure of his role. And that vulnerability adds real weight to what could’ve easily just been a collection of locker room anecdotes.
Despite the fact that Titus’s experience (being a benchwarmer on one of the greatest college basketball teams ever assembled) is completely unique, it still feels relatable. Anyone who’s ever been part of something bigger than themselves, who’s struggled to find their role, or who’s laughed their way through uncertainty will find something meaningful here.
Don’t Put Me in, Coach isn’t just for sports fans—it’s for anyone who knows what it’s like to be underestimated, to laugh in the face of failure, and to still come out with a hell of a story to tell.
May 23, 2016
Don't put me in coach is one of my favorite books of all time. This book is not only hilarious but it is also a great story about a college athlete and how his experience was being a college athlete benchwarmer. Not only did I laugh all the time but I couldn't put the book down.
A quote that I find fitting for this book is “After I was forced to remove my name from the draft, I took to my blog to explain what happened. I said “it was fun while it lasted” and explained that I wasn’t that upset because I was going to remove my name eventually anyway, so to be the first guy kicked out of the draft was actually an accomplishment I was proud”(Titus 327). This quote is perfect because it describes Marks character. He was a joking and trolling character that took important things lightly. Even though he only played one game in college he submitted himself for the nba draft and infuriated the nba. He posted about it on his blog and people started protesting the company.
My essential question for this book is, How does perspective shape or alter truth? In this book Titus gets in a lot of controversial arguments with teammates. He often thought he was doing the right thing but ended up getting in controversies with his college and fellow players.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves
Comedy and sports. Because this book has a lot of basketball references it would be good to touch up on basketball terminology before reading.
A quote that I find fitting for this book is “After I was forced to remove my name from the draft, I took to my blog to explain what happened. I said “it was fun while it lasted” and explained that I wasn’t that upset because I was going to remove my name eventually anyway, so to be the first guy kicked out of the draft was actually an accomplishment I was proud”(Titus 327). This quote is perfect because it describes Marks character. He was a joking and trolling character that took important things lightly. Even though he only played one game in college he submitted himself for the nba draft and infuriated the nba. He posted about it on his blog and people started protesting the company.
My essential question for this book is, How does perspective shape or alter truth? In this book Titus gets in a lot of controversial arguments with teammates. He often thought he was doing the right thing but ended up getting in controversies with his college and fellow players.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves
Comedy and sports. Because this book has a lot of basketball references it would be good to touch up on basketball terminology before reading.
December 12, 2014
I read the book, Don't Put Me in Coach, by Mark Titus. This was honestly one of the better books I have ever read. This book was an autobiography with a big emphasis on comedy. Mark really made this book enjoyable, just listening to the title you think Mark would just complain about never going in the game but that is the complete opposite of what he did. In Mark Titus whole career he only scored 9 points, let me say that again NINE points but being a walk-on for a great basketball team and for riding the bench for, four years one positive is that he is the most winning Ohio State Buckeye.
Mark talks about how growing up he played AAU and was surprisingly a very good basketball player. He grew up in Indiana and played for an all-white team. While they were at a tournament they played the number one team in the nation which would later have some of his Ohio State teammates on it. He played Mike Conley and Greg Oden’s travel team that was very talented and very athletic. They were not playing so well but then they went in a zone and their coach told them, “if he’s white play tight, if he’s black step back,” that was to make them shoot three’s and not drive and out athletic them and surprisingly it worked. That was probably my favorite part of this book, so overall this book is a 5 star too me.
Mark talks about how growing up he played AAU and was surprisingly a very good basketball player. He grew up in Indiana and played for an all-white team. While they were at a tournament they played the number one team in the nation which would later have some of his Ohio State teammates on it. He played Mike Conley and Greg Oden’s travel team that was very talented and very athletic. They were not playing so well but then they went in a zone and their coach told them, “if he’s white play tight, if he’s black step back,” that was to make them shoot three’s and not drive and out athletic them and surprisingly it worked. That was probably my favorite part of this book, so overall this book is a 5 star too me.
October 22, 2012
The Good: Titus can be an excellent story teller. There were several times when I laughed out loud and/or stopped to read a sentence or two to Ray.
The Bad: Oh, the high school boy humor. Poop and diarrhea stories and jokes. Dick jokes. Basically things that a 14-year-old boy would find hilarious.
The Ugly: Calling other players and teams women or saying they have a vagina. 'Cause there's nothing funnier/more insulting than being a woman? Hilarious, dude.
Then there were at least four joking references to rape or sexual assault. That was it for me. Not funny. Ever. In any context. You are a grown man. This is how you chose to present yourself?
Bummer, because this had a lot of potential.
The Bad: Oh, the high school boy humor. Poop and diarrhea stories and jokes. Dick jokes. Basically things that a 14-year-old boy would find hilarious.
The Ugly: Calling other players and teams women or saying they have a vagina. 'Cause there's nothing funnier/more insulting than being a woman? Hilarious, dude.
Then there were at least four joking references to rape or sexual assault. That was it for me. Not funny. Ever. In any context. You are a grown man. This is how you chose to present yourself?
Bummer, because this had a lot of potential.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews