I do various things. My primary method is to use the standard associaiton creation, create a coach with rather low ratings, and have him hired at a pretty low prestige school that has a pretty pitiful basketball program, then see how that program develops...but when it gets going pretty well, take on a job at a new college with another poor performing basketball program. For these type of associations I do everything (recruiting, playing out games in 2D, handling the transfer portal, etc.
I also have found I like having multiple coaches using the Universal Mode withing DDSCB. For these I mostly sim recruiting and game play.
Then I like to run some Tournament Maker tourneys as well...again usually simming the game play.
Normally I prefer using Brutal recruiting level since you can still recruit better than the AI even at that level. I also like to set the Injury level very high (200% typically, but sometimes 150-170) since even at 200 there are fewer injuries than in real life. I like job pressure to be set to high...even then it's been a long time since my coach was fired, but prefer there be that possibility. But a long time ago I got fired by Arizona State...and will never coach there again and if any of my relatives or friends were interested in attending that school, I'd probably try to dissuade them...and certainly I don't want them to finish first (for real) in the Pac-12 (or whatever number that conference will soon be) in football, basketball or tiddlywinks.. F the Sun Devils.