The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel: Recent Episodes
Joe Daniel Football
Building an effective run game takes more than calling plays—it requires a practice plan that develops players step by step. In this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how to structure group run periods that bridge the gap between individual drills and full team sessions, helping coaches reinforce key techniques without overwhelming players.
You'll learn how to organize half-line, 9-on-9, inside run, and outside run periods, keep every drill aligned with your weekly practice focus, and script meaningful reps that translate directly to Friday night performance. Whether you're refining your practice schedule or looking to get more from every run period, this episode provides practical coaching strategies you can implement immediately.
- 5:31 — Progressing from one-on-one drills to live group run reps
- 9:47 — Chaining one-on-one games into a linebacker's full run fit
- 14:27 — Using half line periods to organize run drills
- 17:12 — Bird Walk drill for teaching run blocking landmarks
- 22:20 — Half line limitations and the eight-man football comparison
- 29:22 — Scripting group run periods with a play list
- 32:51 — Organizing nine v nine run periods
- 35:19 — Nine v nine practice plan progression and seven play scripting
- 47:35 — Coordinating weekly practice focus across position groups
- 50:49 — Aligning gap and zone scheme focus days with opponent tendencies
Building Better Group Run Periods 1. Master the One on One Game Understand how every successful group period begins with individual skills. Learn how to build drills that teach specific football problems before combining them into larger practice periods.
LISTEN: Individual Drill Periods for Skill Development https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/indy
- Build Drills That Transfer to Game Day Learn how to create drills that solve real game problems, progress naturally into group work, and reinforce the habits your players need during live football.
READ: Complete Guide to Coaching Football Drills that Win Games https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/coaching-football-drills
- Organize Your Practice Around a Single Focus Learn how to structure every practice period around one coaching objective so your individual drills, group periods, and team sessions all reinforce the same skill.
DOWNLOAD: Perfect Practice Plan Template https://www.joedanielfootball.com/practice
- Script Group Run Periods with Purpose Learn how to organize 9 on 9, half line, inside run, and outside run periods around the specific run concepts your team needs to improve, instead of running random plays.
LISTEN: 90 Minutes Means 90 Minutes: How to Make the Practice Plan Work https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/90-minute-football-practice-plan-tips
- Build Your Run Game Through Repetition
Learn how to organize your core run concepts so players repeatedly see the same blocking schemes, timing, and reads throughout practice.
LISTEN: How to Design Run Plays That Get Big Yards https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/design-run-plays-big-yards
- Connect Individual Skills to Defensive Execution Learn how to carry individual techniques like key reads, block destruction, and run fits into group periods so defenders execute confidently during team sessions.
LISTEN: Build Your System Around Your Defensive Run Fits https://www.joedanielfootball.com/blog/defensive-run-fits-system
- Build a Practice System That Gets Better Every Week
Learn how to evaluate each practice by whether your players improved at the day's focus, then adjust future practice plans based on those results instead of simply running more drills.
DOWNLOAD: Turnaround Guide https://www.joedanielfootball.com/turnaround-guide
Picking your starters for a football team is generally pretty easy. Whether you're a best-11 guy, have specialized positions for certain players, or fully two-platooned… those guys stand out and make decisions easily. However, once one guy goes down, the carousel begins. In this episode, Joe and Daniel go through talent evaluation, how to pick the best (and next best) player for each position, and how you can convince players to play a position that's new to them.
- 9:26 Using ASCA to evaluate positional talent
- 10:59 Identifying what skills a position really needs
- 14:49 Building a position rating rubric with five traits
- 17:20 Ranking players and filling the depth chart like a draft
- 29:51 Finding the best player for each position based on scheme
- 34:53 Managing two way players and fatigue on the depth chart
- 37:30 How depth chart substitutions actually work
- 57:47 Cross training positions for depth and flexibility
- 1:02:51 Convincing players to switch to a new position
- 1:05:37 How to sit a player down and explain a position change
Build a Depth Chart That Actually Works on Game Day Step 1: Start With Your Best 11 Build your depth chart around getting your best football players on the field, then determine where each player can contribute most within your system. Do not get locked into traditional position labels or ideal body types. READ: 4-2-5 Defense Positions: Fitting Your Personnel to Your Step 2: Define What Each Position Actually Requires Identify the three to five traits that matter most at each position based on the Alignment, Stance, Key Read and Assignment required in your system. Evaluate players based on their ability to execute those jobs instead of simply using size, speed or their previous position. LISTEN: From Confusion to Confidence: Getting Linebackers to Play Fast Step 3: Fit the System to the Players You Have Keep the foundation of your system intact while adjusting how individual players are used. Simplify assignments, change alignments and use personnel strategically rather than changing schemes because your roster does not match the ideal. LISTEN: Keep the Playbook, Fit the Defense to Your Players Step 4: Build the Real Game Day Depth Chart Your depth chart should reflect what will actually happen when a starter leaves the field. Identify universal backups, cross train players at related positions and know which players will move before simply inserting the listed second string player. LISTEN: We're Not Getting the Most Out of Our Talent Step 5: Give Players Transferable Responsibilities Teach principles that players can carry from one position to another. On defense, concepts such as spill, force, alley and stay in coverage give players a common framework that makes cross training and emergency substitutions easier. READ: Coach the Umbrella Principle to Get Perfect Run Fits for Your Defense Step 6: Build a System That Survives Personnel Changes Organize your defense around consistent principles, terminology and responsibilities so injuries, substitutions and changing personnel do not force you to rebuild what you do. DOWNLOAD: What You Need to Know to Build the Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System Step 7: Get Players to Buy Into Their Best Role Explain how the new position gives the player an opportunity to contribute and why his abilities fit what the team needs. Players are more likely to accept a position change when they understand the job, see a path to playing time and know how their role contributes to the team. LISTEN: We Aren't Tough Enough to Win
The Wing T offense is designed to make defenders hesitate, overreact, and abandon their fundamentals—but the best defenses do exactly the opposite. In this episode, Joe Daniel explains how to build a defensive game plan that handles the Wing T without installing an entirely new defense, including key coaching points, film study strategies, and practical in-game adjustments that help your players play fast and stay disciplined.
Whether you face a traditional Wing T, Gun T, or modern pistol variation, you'll learn how to identify what the offense really wants to accomplish and defend it with sound principles instead of chasing every motion and formation.
Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.
Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.
Indy period is the one place where you as a non-head coach or coordinator get the most say. You can develop drills to best service the players in your own group. But, many of us forget how simple this should be and start looking to be internet all-star indy coaches.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to get the most out of practice planning your indy periods by planning your drills to have answers, organizing your periods to get the most out of your time, and building out your practices to progress skills.
Joe Daniel records a rare solo "episode zero" of the Football Coaching Podcast (nearly 15 years running) while co-host Daniel Chamberlain is away after the birth of his daughter. Joe previews the new Coaches Edge membership and monthly workshops (install plan in June, practice plans in July, in-season adjustments later) and then shares "21 things coaches disagree with," centered on "keep it simple" and that scheme is rarely the solution. Key points include: defenses boil down to even/odd and 7- vs 8-man fronts; numbers don't matter as much as run fits; defensive ends shouldn't be force players; a wide 5x5 force alignment; inside zone can work with smaller linemen; QB alignment doesn't define an offense; take Saturdays off and finish film by Sunday; 90-minute practices and five-day installs; the free safety is most important; avoid 4-3 for youth/small staffs; don't change systems yearly; avoid most training aids; don't print playbooks; average athletes can play press man; prioritize self-scout; wristband scout team; emphasize OL footwork; and minimize contact in individual drills.
You don't need more practice time. In fact, you're probably using too much right now if you're honest with yourself. Practice shouldn't be a thing that your coaches and players despise.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the benefits of moving towards a 90-minute practice schedule. They talk through how to plan the practice with the new constraint, how you can get more in with efficiency, and the benefits of engaged players and coaches.
Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Okay, you get the point. Your defense has to be built around your run fits. If you can't stop the run game, nothing else will matter.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the Umbrella Run Fits System, how to teach it to your entire defense in 10 minutes, and how to fit any run play without changing your defense.
Your team's culture, your team's character, doing what's right, making great decisions… it all starts somewhere. It takes time to build, and to build it you need the right tools. The priorities pyramid is that tool.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk through what it means to build character, how the Priorities Pyramid helps, and how to teach your players to make decisions on the fly without outside help.
Your Week 1 Opponent may be a week away, or 12 weeks away, but it's never too early to start planning for them. As your working through your summer schedule, the 7-on-7s, Team Camps, Fall Install… It all should be guiding you to the same place, your Week 1 Game Plan.
On this episode Coaches Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss preparing for your Week 1 Opponent by Beginning with the end in mind, building out your game plan for week 1, and practicing so your players can execute flawlessly in week 1.
If the internet and Social Media have made football worse anywhere, it's given coaches the false understanding of what a good football drill looks like and why we use them. Too many whistle-bearers are turning to Tik-Tok and X to find their next day's drill, when they should be turning to their game film.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through Better Football Drills by starting with the 1-on-1 game, problem solving any problem, and using drills to build habits for your players.
Once you know a system like the back of your hand, it's nearly impossible to change the way you think about the game. Changing systems just because you have players that don't fit it perfectly is similarly almost an impossible task.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss how to fit any defense to the players you have. They talk through player-Centric Coaching, fitting the defense to your players, and executing faster on defense with a player-centric culture.
Building a culture takes a long time. "Rome wasn't built in a day," is such a comparable phrase, because you can't change things overnight. But, with the right tools, you can expedite your turn around time.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through Building a Culture with the Players' Creed, how to establish the team's identity, and getting you players to buy into your culture and the creed.
Coaches are constantly looking for ways to get better at making adjustments. It's game night, the opposing offense is driving, you need to make changes but you can't install a whole new front right now. What's the quickest way to make adjustments on the fly, and where do you start anyway?
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Levers Principal, how to pull them for improvement, identifying which ones to pull, and how to build practice plans that highlight levers.
Building out your Run Plays for your system doesn't have to be complicated. You get a few base plays, you make them look as similar as possible, you add some wrinkles… bingo, bango, bongo, your offensive run game is born.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss what it takes to build out your run game, keeping the blocking simple for the linemen, designing your core to minimize break points, and adjusting that core to attack any defense.
Designing Defensive Plays generally isn't the big thing amongst football coaches. We always see the offensive guys putting their newest play design on a napkin at the local watering hole, but defensive guys "draw the field upside down" and don't get the same freedom to break traditional rules.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel walk through the fundamentals of Defensive Play Design, run fits being the foundation, building a play that fits your system, and how to attack your opponents.
Everything is YOUR FAULT! No, seriously, everything is your fault. What You choose to do with that information is often the make or break point in any endeavor. But, there's more to Extreme Ownership than that.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Extreme Ownership Principle, how you can take control of problem solving with extreme ownership, and how you can develop player leaders using the same principle.
Giving your linebackers the perfect gameplan for Friday nights is difficult. We've simplified it to nearly elementary coaching points, but the pressures of the game can take a toll on a young player's mind to the point of failure.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the ASKA principle for your linebackers, what makes it operate, how you can use it with your current playbook, and how it's a gameplanning tool in hiding!
Coaches across the nation are on a mission to build the "perfect" playbook. How do I carry the right amount of tools into a game without overloading my players? Here's the deal, most of us are getting it wrong and we're less efficient with the loads of plays we carry, rather than being surgical with a few great ones.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss limiting your playbook to plays that do a certain job, how to determine exactly what you need, and how to add new plays without confusing your players.
Building a practice schedule doesn't have to be a big complex thing. Sure, you make a ridiculously nice one on a spreadsheet, add photos, some color… or just scribble it on paper (don't do this, you coaches deserve better)… but the most important thing is the content. To decide what goes into your practice, you need to compartmentalize your coaching.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss how to use the containers principle, how staying focused leads to faster development, and how to get more done in less time.
On The Football Coaching Podcast, hosts Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel record live at Milton Academy in Massachusetts with guests Brady Bradbury and Kahn Chace, discussing what they wish they'd known before becoming head coaches. Bradbury says he initially assumed he'd run a complex 4-2-5 college system, but learned to tailor schemes to players and staff capabilities, simplify to help coaches teach, and manage constant daily "fires" unrelated to football.
The group emphasizes that coaches often overestimate staff buy-in, must intentionally schedule time to educate coaches, and should delegate without trying to control everything. Chace advises not to pursue the title alone, to find and stay with good people and loyal administrators, and to know your "why," sharing that his is watching players improve. Chamberlain adds that persistence through rejections can lead to the right job, and notes head coaching requires year-round time and planning.
"Nothing new under the sun," is a statement that's truer than we like to admit. It also gives you the "okay," to stop pretending you're going to do anything different than any other coach out there. You don't have to build a brand new football idea from the ground up.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain jump into system stealing, system matching, and system evolution. Learn how to find proven systems, find the right system for your team, and how to evolve the system year after year.
As Spring Ball gets closer, 7-on-7 is looming, and season seems just around the corner, you're probably looking through your defensive install plan, scratching your head, wondering how to get it all in the most efficient way this season.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through the best defensive install plan for the 425 defense, and likely any defense, for this upcoming season. They talk planning what you need to install, how to get it all installed in 5 days, and how to ensure you have enough ready for week 1.
Calling plays for your team's offense on game day doesn't have to be super complicated, but it does need to be methodical. Your plan to take advantage of the defense has to involve finding their weaknesses and exploiting them.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the four weaknesses of a Defense, how to build your playbook to attack those weaknesses, and how to identify the weaknesses during a game.
Building your playbook from year to year is one of the most important things you do to ensure success for that season. It is also important to remember that no two years are going to be the exact same.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how many plays to carry, how to build around your best play, how to execute that play at the highest level, and how to attack your opponents weaknesses.
As long as football has been around, there have been winners and there have been losers. Some teams find a way to win more than lose… and some teams get stuck in the losing column. It becomes their culture.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to break out of that losing cycle by building confidence, getting your players to buy-in, and setting expectations that you already understand will have some adversity.
Being a teacher doesn't stop when the last bell rings and you don your whistle. ""You're not so different, you and I." - Austin Powers" - Football Coaches to teachers everywhere. The skills you master to be a great teacher in the classroom can help your players on the field as well. In this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Ryan Moshak, a former Army Officer, athlete at Army at Westpoint, and current Football Coach. They discuss the use of traditional pedagogy, forced recall, formative assessments and more in teaching football to get kids to better understand your system.
Coach, you really don't need to recreate the wheel every season. There is a whole world of guys who are using the same plays recycled in a new playbook from year to year. We live in an amazing of SYSTEMS.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what a system is, why you need to build one you can believe in, and how to adapt it year after year to fit your personnel.
"There's levels to this, man." That is true, there are levels to calling a defense. Every play in your playbook fits a certain level of play calling, and has a specific task. Calling defense isn't hard, if you have an understanding to your system, and use the tools to solve problems.
In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the finer details to defensive play calling. They talk about the Three Levels of play calling, how you can always know what play to call, and how to use your own weakness to stay a step ahead.
Simple doesn't mean Elementary… but it does mean reducing the clutter and eliminating inefficiencies. Everything about your program can improve with the Coach Simple Philosophy.
In this episode Joe and Daniel jump feet first into Season 20 with a deep dive into the Coach Simple Philosophy. What it is, how it can help you reduce, and how it can set you up for future evolutions of your program.
Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel discuss the significant changes in college football due to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and the transfer portal. They reflect on the challenges and pressures faced by athletes and coaches under the new system, the destabilizing impact on smaller programs, and the evolving landscape of college athletics. Key topics include the history of athlete compensation, potential future regulations, and the shifting dynamics between traditional fans and modern expectations.
The 4-2-5 has a lot of answers to common problems in high school football. If you're team is struggling to stop the opposition, you'll likely find the answer somewhere within this playbook and scheme.
In this episode, the guys are doing a crossover episode on the Coaching 101 Podcast with Kenny Simpson. Check it out to find the basics of installing and running the most hybrid defense in football.
3rd downs on defense are the magic number. This one play, especially if it's the first 3rd down of the drive, can add or subtract several percentage points from the offenses' chances to score. So, how can we get better at stopping our opponent on these critical downs?
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss situational practice planning to better prepare your players for 3rd down, how you can call your defense to be in better position to stop your opponent, and what we're doing to motivate our players during crucial downs.
3rd and Long is the ultimate, we don't have a great play here, offensive situation. The deep pass is already covered, the run hasn't been great or you likely wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. So, what are your options?
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the reality of 3rd & Long, what your real options are to convert, and how you can use situational practice plans to better prepare your players for the tough down and distance.
We've hit that time of year that guys go back "into the lab." This year you've diagnosed some other needs for your team, and the lab is changing from just being the weight room, to needing some speed development.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the benefits of Athletic Speed and Movement to get your team faster and more explosive this offseason. They talk through Football Speed Training Progressions, how to coach speed without being a guru, and dveloping the correct skills for football speed.
The screen game is a mighty weapon wielded by offensive coordinators across the land. But, it doesn't have to be your demise anymore. In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the ways to counter screen plays next season by practicing the screen retrace drill, using the system you're already in, and reading and reacting to any and every screen with your fundamentals.
In football, the run game is the foundation of MOST offensive schemes… and rightly so. Ball control, time control, game tempo control all belong to those who can run the ball. So much so that if it isn't working for you, you may find yourself in the losing column more often than you'd like. In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the importance of the timing of your run plays, how you can work within your playbook and get plays to break out, and finding ways to increase your yards per carry without adding talent to your team.
Leadership isn't easy. It isn't natural for everyone. But, there are ways to help your players improve their leadership ability throughout their time in your program (it all starts with confidence and competence.)
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what it takes to be a leader, how to improve the leadership of your team, and how that leadership can show up on Friday nights.
Shifts and motions are a great tool for offenses to use, but that doesn't mean they have to leave you stumped on the defensive side. You need to have adjustments ready for your kids to use when the offense starts moving around. In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the keys to keeping a shifts and motions in check by using a complete defensive system, installing your adjustments early in the season, and Drilling players on adjustment communication.
Resiliency is one of the hardest things to train in High School football. In a world where technology continues to make every day life easier and easier, we have to make kids understand that being uncomfortable and straining won't end them. In this episode Coaches Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss preparing your players for adversity through practice planning to cover the hard things, preparing them for things that could happen on Friday nights, and getting rid of the "Here we go again" mentality.
Cover 3 may be the best HS coverage possible. Cover 1 probably holds the crown as the best overall coverage, if you have the cats to run it. Cover 3 just answers all the questions, while being simple to understand, run, and problem solve with.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are covering the fundamentals of Cover 3, simplifying your coverage package, solving all the weaknesses, and making Cover 3 look complicated.
Tackling may be the bane of every DC's existence, especially when trying to turn a program around. It's also the part of football that has evolved the most… outside of Travis Kelce type of TEs, and the weird side-arm throwing motion used around the country now. Tackling doesn't have to be a thorn in your paw, you have to simplify your system so it can happen more naturally and in pairs.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the easiest ways to fix mistakes in tackling, through Umbrella Run Fits, how to do it without running the "Oklahoma Drill" every week, and motivating your players to ATTACK.
The season is a GRIND. Not just for you, but for your players. It's a grind for the starting QB, it's a grind for the Sophomore that's having to play up on Fridays, and it's a grind for the freshmen that practice week in and week out to never touch the field on Friday nights. Everyone is exhausted! Don't let it kill your team as you approach the most important games of the year.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to plan your practices to keep kids mentally and physically fresh for game night… during weeks 8-15, How to limit injuries and accelerate your recovery, and how to keep kids focused late in the year.
A lack of confidence in a football player is almost never an actual lack of confidence. What does that mean? Well, you can’t go to the gym and workout your confidence muscles. You can’t drink a magic beverage that increases your confidence score. Confidence is built by simple understanding and preparation for what you’re about to try to achieve.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the building of confidence through the streamlining of your scheme. They talk through the Coach Simple Philosophy, Understand your Why (and coaching to ensure your why is achieved), and game planning to give your players the ability to play FAST!
Coach, your kids are bored… and it’s 100% YOUR FAULT. Okay, extreme ownership says everything is your fault, so you already knew that. But, really, you’ve planned a boring and stagnant practice, so that’s exactly how it feels.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are talking about shorter more high energy practices that achieve a goal, motivate athletes, and put the spark back in your team.
“The one kid that keeps DCs up at night,” aka the dual-threat QB who is nearly impossible to contain. I bet you’ve coached against (or been lucky enough to coach with) at least one of these in your career. All of football seems to be going in the direction of putting the most athletic kid at QB and let him get loose!
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the fundamentals of stopping a dual-threat QB, how to coach pass rush lane integrity, keeping dual-threat guys contained, and how to manipulate the QB with your scheme, so you can control his actions.
Getting Pressure on High School Quarterbacks is quite the challenge. Between terrible fundamentals by HS O-Linemen, to quick game, to QBs generally being run first athletes, you have to really drive home the point of getting D-Linemen to the QB.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to teach your pass rushers to think situationally, how to call your defense to attack the opposition, and the simplicity of using 1-2 pass rush moves for your HS players.
At some point we all struggle with it… consistently moving the ball down the field. You lose a player, the defense has you out-manned, there can always be something to slow you down. But, you can do more before the season starts to prevent it from happening.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to get the ball rolling again in your favor. From attacking weakness, to ensuring your game day isn’t derailed by a flawed offensive playbook, we’re covering it all!
In this episode of 'The Football Coaching Podcast,' hosts Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel discuss the current excitement of scrimmage week and share insights into recent college football strategies. They delve into the topic of establishing a team's identity by focusing on core principles, non-negotiables, and creating player buy-in. Key themes include the importance of consistent communication, understanding player challenges, and employing a well-defined practice structure. Additionally, they emphasize the value of adopting a 'coach simple, play fast, win' approach and explore the application of military leadership models to coaching. Personal updates include Daniel's office reorganization and exploration of new ventures, highlighting their commitment to personal and professional growth.
Depth wins championships. It doesn’t matter how talented your starters are — if you’ve got no one ready to step in when it counts, you’re in trouble. Backups matter. Depth matters. And if you’re not preparing those guys now, you’ll pay for it later. On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel talk about how to build depth on your roster, get your backups game-ready, and keep your team competitive no matter the numbers. You’ll hear why the Coach Simple philosophy is the fastest way to boost confidence and performance, how to train your scout team to become tomorrow’s starters, and how to adapt your drills when roster sizes are smaller than you’d like.
There isn’t a perfect defensive scheme in football. Let’s say that again, there isn’t a perfect defensive scheme in football. They all work. Pro’s and Con’s… sure they exist. But, the truth is, every modern defense should be able to work successfully against any offensive scheme, you just have to remain adaptable.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk about adapting your defense to whatever you’ll see this season, how you can shut down the spread specifically, and coaching your defense to SWARM the football!
The offensive line is the HEART of your football team. It doesn’t matter what the skill level of everyone else on the field is, you win or lose behind the O-Line. If yours is getting steam rolled each and every game, you’re likely losing each and every game.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are talking how to get your O-Line to improve by simplifying your communication, simplifying your scheme, and getting your players to love their craft!
We often hear, “Your players won’t be as passionate and committed as you are.” What we don’t hear as often is that your coaches may not be on your level either. Sometimes you’re going to get a guy, or multiple guys, that you have to win games with, but may not be on the same level of football coaching as you.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are discussing ways to prevent the feeling of coaching alone. They discuss the need to develop your philosophy and systems, communicating with your staff, and getting buy-in from everyone in the program.
Practice doesn’t always equal performance. You can dominate the practice field all week, but if it doesn’t show up under the lights on Friday night… something’s missing. Maybe practice wasn’t hard enough. Maybe the scout team didn’t look anything like your opponent. Or maybe your kids just didn’t buy in. In this episode, Joe and Daniel dive into how to turn practice success into real game-day results. They break down how to make practice tougher than the game, why specific drills lead to better buy-in, and what to do when your scout team can’t replicate your opponent. They also share stories from their own coaching experience, discuss highlights from the Texas High School Coaches Association Clinic, and even drop a few book recommendations for coaches who want to think deeper about football—and probability.
Coaching is a game of efficiency. Don’t run too much, or you’ll be tired. Don’t run too little, or you’re out of shape. Don’t tackle too much or you’re risking injury… too little, well you get the point. We have to find the best way to get the most out of the talent on our team. On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the way they get the most out of their players. They talk about setting up a depth chart, identifying the right guys for the position, and getting kids to play a position they may not want to.
Calling plays when the lights are brightest, things aren’t going your way, or the game is on the line can be a challenge. Especially for coaches who haven’t experienced it before, you can start to be too aggressive or pull too many punches. But, it’s something you can get better at.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are discussing how to better your play calls in the biggest spots in football. They talk setting up a play call sheet, playing the game before the game, and using your play calls to attack weaknesses of the defense.
We’ve unfortunately all been there… the 4th Quarter starts and our best 11 have their hands on their knees and are too exhausted to perform up to the standard. It’s cost many coaches a game or two, but there is a way to prevent it from ever happening again.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the more modern approaches to getting your players in shape for the season, how to condition in practice, keeping things from getting too tyrannical, and how to hold your player accountable so they’ll want to be in shape in the 4th.
In a game of inches, giving up “busts” or Big Plays can quickly become a mistake too big to overcome. The other sideline earns a paycheck too, so you likely can’t stamp out big plays altogether, but you can get your team to limit them enough.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to limit big plays against your defense by simplifying your scheme, cutting out the wanted complexity, and getting your players to consistently be in a place to make a play.
Undisciplined teams lose games. And sloppy habits in practice show up under the lights. In this episode, Joe and Daniel break down how to build discipline and efficiency into every rep. You’ll learn how to simulate high-stress situations in practice so your players stay sharp when it counts. They’ll show you how to tighten communication, dial in on the small details, and run drills that actually translate to game-day success.
Wasted time in practice leads to unprepared players on game day. And with limited hours on the field, every minute has to count. In this episode, Joe and Daniel dive into how to run efficient, high-energy practices that get your players ready—fast. They share how to build out practice plan shells, keep the tempo up with smooth transitions, and make sure your drills actually matter. You’ll also hear how to lean on veteran players, use film for faster corrections, and even streamline scouting with tools like wristbands.
A stagnant offense can stall an entire season — even with the right athletes on the field. But constantly adding new plays without structure usually leads to confusion, not results.
On this episode of the Football Coaching Podcast, Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel share how to build a dynamic offense the right way — starting with mastery of a base play and layering in variation through motions, shifts, unbalanced formations, and tags. They also introduce the containers principle — a smart way to install new ideas without overwhelming your players or your practice time.
The end of the game of football can be intense! The crowd, the officials, the clock… they all add extra pressure to an already high pressure game. If you keep finding yourself on the losing end of close games, it’s likely that you, your coaches, and your players don’t understand the situation(s) they are in during crunch time.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the need to add situational football into your practice planning, what situations you should practice, and the need to mentally prepare your players.
An undisciplined defense can bring even the best program to its knees. But, as schemes become more and more complex to try to match the offenses running all over the field, the byproduct is often undisciplined chaos.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss fixing tackling and executing through ASKA, fixing alignments, and ensuring players are doing their job and not their neigbors’ jobs through the umbrella principles.
Special Teams, the Third Side of the Ball, can be a secret weapon or a glaring flaw for your team this year. If you keep chasing different schemes week after week, or year after year, you’ll never learn to problem solve within your own game.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to simplify your Special Teams, teaching each team one way for the whole season, getting rules put in to place so your players can use them to problem solve.
Getting buy in is the foundation of any system in football. Not just Xs and Os systems, but strength and conditioning, recruiting, culture, etc.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the SCS System, coaching like you’re teaching a new prep for the first time, and what all goes into the Players’ Creed.
Across the Nation there are teams that are struggling to keep the program afloat due to low numbers. The game is slowly dying, and we’re all paying the price. But, you don’t have to watch your program die off.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the need to have a system to get players out to play, how we can get more players to say YES to playing, and how to get your players to be salesmen for the team.
It seems like every coach on Earth has the same three complaints: We aren’t fast enough, we don’t have as many players as the other teams, and we aren’t tough enough. But, a general consensus of multiple 30+ year coaches says kids haven’t changed… expectations have.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what it means to be tough, how accountability can toughen up your players, and the fact that relationships still reign supreme.
A football coaching staff is often made up of a bunch of the same type of people. Those people aren’t great at communicating, they all think their way is the best way, and often they won’t even speak the same language due to the influence of different coaching trees throughout their careers. Sometimes that inability to communicate can hurt the team.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the ASKA Principle, how to get your staff using the same language, and the benefits of you, your staff, and your team when communication is streamlined and made common.
Every year, the law of averages says you’ll face at least two teams that simply have better talent than you do. But, you don’t have to concede those games. You can have a plan to go out and beat them on the gridiron.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the beating teams by eliminating errors using the Coach Simple philosophy, and how to unlock the potential of your team.
Stopping the run is imperative in the game of football. You have to take away the opponents ability to move the rock, especially between the tackles.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the umbrella run fits, how you can use it with the scheme, coaches, and players you have now, and how you can stop any offensive formation or scheme.
The success of a team is tied to so many variables. X’s and O’s can’t win every game. Jimmy’s and Joe’s can take you far, but how can we get those guys on the field if we aren’t at a powerhouse school? Your support chain, the parents, admin, community, all play a very large role in the success of a team.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Justin Kinzie to talk all things support. They talk about the groups you need to prioritize to gain supports, what that conversation might look like, and when you’ll know that enough is enough and a situation just isn’t winnable.
Practice makes perfect. WRONG! Perfect practice makes perfect… any your 3 hour practices aren’t perfect. In today’s game, the science says less is more when it comes to “getting in work.” Your extended practices are making your players worse on Friday night.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss all things practice schedules. Being efficient with your time, prioritizing what the “right” things are you need to be practicing, and ensuring your players get what they need, but not everything and the kitchen sink.
So, your passing game is broken. Your QB is terrible, your receivers can’t catch, the O-Line can’t block a soul… we’ve been there. Luckily, you don’t have to install a non-passing offense and become one dimensional.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the usability and benefits of a simplified passing game, why you don’t need to teach progressions, and how you can add options to your passing game to meet your players where there are and bring them forward.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, hosts Daniel Chamberlain and Joe delve into the intricacies of the 4-2-5 Defense. They emphasize the simplicity and effectiveness of the 4-2-5 defense, discuss its historical roots and evolvement in JDFB, and its adaptability to various coaching needs.
The episode also covers how new coaches or those in struggling programs can benefit from this defense setup, touching on its ease of installation, teaching, and play-calling. They highlight the significant advantages for undersized teams, emphasizing the need for a robust system that requires minimal special players.
Lastly, they discuss the importance of coaching simplicity and efficient player execution for optimal performance.
00:00 Introduction and Host Updates
00:37 Episode Topic: 4-2-5 Defense Overview
01:42 Coaching Philosophy and Strategies
04:47 Level Up Segment: Personal and Professional Growth
11:39 Promotions and Sponsorships
18:45 Deep Dive: 4-2-5 Defense Explained
26:42 JDFB 4-2-5 Defense System
34:36 Evolving the 4-2-5 Defense
35:34 Fundamentals of Defensive Strategy
36:09 Challenges for New Coaches
38:02 Simplifying Defensive Schemes
40:03 Turning Around Struggling Teams
43:57 Maximizing Player Potential
46:15 Adapting to Different Player Skills
55:15 Promoting and Sharing the Podcast
Relational coaching, although not a brand new concept, has been on the rise as of recently. With the increase of NIL opportunities and Transfer Portal antics, coaches have had to rely on relationships in the locker room more than ever before.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Travis Davidson of Team Sports Consulting Group to talk about the options available to coaches to ensure they’re building the relationships that matter.
Friday Nights in the fall to the common person is about Friday Night Lights, “the boys of fall,” and the 11 v 11 competition on the field. For the coaches on the sidelines, Friday nights are just an “unstandardized test.” We’ve studied all week, and now we just have to solve the problems as they come along.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk with Jackson Wiggins to cover common Friday Night problems, usual ways that they solve those problems and others, and how to implement changes in the heat of the game!
We all know a coach is only as good as the staff they hire. But, hiring the right guys out of the pool you have access to isn’t always the easiest thing to do. We’re breaking it down to try and make it easier.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk everything you need to know about the wrong coaches to hire, the right coaches to hire, and what to do with your staff once you’ve made all the hires.
Quarters coverage, with man or zone match principles, can be one of the best defensive coverages in football if you get the proper reps and communication. But, there are even options within the coverage, a dime package as Joe was introduced to it, that allows you to be more efficient and look more complex.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk all about Quarters coverage, the new dime package, and how you can stay versatile in the ever changing arms race between offense and defense.
It’s the offseason, which mean the weights in your weight room should already be bangin’ and clangin’. But, we aren’t all being the absolute most efficient with our weight room practices.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the importance of the right person running your weight room, getting an expert to develop your weight room plan, and who all you should be running INTO your weight room.
“QB Guru” is a title that’s often thrown around… and seems to be rarely regulated. We aren’t QB Guru’s on the podcast, and we’re big on “hire a professional.” So, we brought the professional to you!
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Mitch Wieland to discuss developing your QBs, what fundamentals are absolutely necessary for them to have, and how soon you can start.
Defensive lines come in various shapes and sizes… and techniques and alignments and stances and stunts and…
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the different defensive fronts that are in use today. They discuss the odd and even fronts, odd (different) fronts gaining popularity, and the reasoning behind all these alignments.
Not all QB Alignments are made the same. Some allow you to do more in the run game, while others help your High School Quarterback see the field better for passing. The option game is different in each. So which is right for you?
On this episode Joe and Daniel are discussing the benefits of each QB alignment, what they lack, and how you can use each of them in your current offense to show a different picture.
“There’s nothing new under the sun,” is a statement that lives in football as much as anywhere else. At this point, recreating the wheel for a football system, offensive or defensive, is like recreating the wheel… it's unnecessary. On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are joined by Brandon Samuels to discuss finding and utilizing coaching resources available today.
When regular defenses wouldn’t work for his team, Coach Hicks turned to his studies to create a new look defense for the Baltimore area.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Hicks to talk through his 2-3 defense, why he made it, and what the numbers said about how it turned a program around.
In this episode of the Football Coaching Podcast, host Daniel Chamberlain is joined by Coach Chris Cole to discuss high-pressure defensive strategies in football, particularly focusing on how to implement and adapt these techniques. They explore the concept of drinking from the fire hose as a new head coach, referencing experiences from both small school levels and powerhouse programs like Bixby.
The conversation covers various defensive fronts, the importance of outside linebackers, and using tight fronts to disrupt offensive plans. They encourage coaches to simplify reads for players to eliminate analysis paralysis and share insights on effective halftime adjustments. The episode closes with their personal 'level up' moments, highlighting recent learnings and strategies for continued coaching development.
As most of our seasons have come to an end, it’s time to take note of the good and bad from the last 10+ weeks. There has no doubt been some highlights that you’ve handled perfectly… and some lowlights of things you just weren’t prepared for.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the methodical evaluation of your program, from what makes up an evaluation, why you need to do it now, and how to carry it out without forgetting anything.
Football is the greatest game ever. EVER! But, that doesn’t mean it comes without its issues. Unfortunately, most of those issues we bring on ourselves.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the newest issues they’re seeing in their respective states, how recruiting and NIL have helped and hurt High School Football, and how a “transfer portal” is good, bad, and ugly.
Building a successful program is something most coaches dream of. Sure, taking over a juggernaut and continuing that success is great… but building from the ground up and breaking through to new levels of success is what we nearly all have an urge for. But, what does a successful program look like? What are the building blocks that make it up?
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by James Ransom to talk just that! What does success look like, how can we start shaping our program in that direction, and can any program actually achieve success…
Combo blocking is the key to your Zone run game, and maybe your gap scheme too. They could be the most important blocks your offensive line will make all year. But, the most important part of any system needs to be coached the hardest.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what combo blocks are, why we use them, and how to coach them to ensure they are executed correctly on game day.
The playoffs are a magical time for football coaches, players, and teams. But, they do not come without their own hurdles. It’s always great to coach the extra games, but you’ll find there’s a little more to it than your regular game week.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain breakdown the advantages and disadvantages to playing a new or unknown opponent, as well as some things you can do to better prepare for the game.
Bracket coverages are an advanced way to help lock down, or eliminate the threat of, a star WR. You can also use it to cover a bunched group of WRs.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk all things double coverage, what it is, why you need to carry it, and how to best utilize it in your base defenses.
Shifts and Motions, also known as “Window Dressing,” are growing exponentially in High School football. Not only are they growing in frequency, but in complexity as well. Throwing shifts and motions into an already efficient offense can lead to explosive results!
On this episode Joe and Daniel are discussing what shifts and motions are, why they use them in their offenses, and how they gameplan to make use of shifts and motions.
What is a Turnover Culture?
- Nick Saban put it best, “The ball, the ball, the ball!” Defenses must get the ball back for the offense
- If you’re thriving in turnover culture, your players are constantly thinking about getting the ball out.
- Most HS teams struggle to emphasize it
Why is it hard to commit to in High School?
- We’re usually having to focus on more basic principles, such as alignment or run fits.
- Facing multiple offensive schemes at the High School level means we’re constantly having to coach the basics and struggle to move on to more advanced philosophies
How can we use this mindset in our system?
- Develop drills that highlight a fundamental of defense, such as tackling, and then add a ball security piece to the end of it.
- Practice ball security/strip drills every week.
- Keep your defensive scheme simple so you can move on to more advanced tactics.
Every coach identifies the games on their schedule each year that are winnable, and those that just aren’t. We often have that game on the schedule that if we found a way to win, would be considered an upset. But, what is the magic behind the upset, and how can we get there?
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what makes up an upset, why it’s so important for your program, and how to approach the big game weeks.
There are MANY situations that play out during a football game. It’s hard to pinpoint any one that’s the MOST or LEAST important. But, without a doubt, playing defense in the Red Zone is very important.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the importance of Red Zone Defense, why we’re forced to make changes to our base defense in the Red Zone, and how you can scheme those changes up for your next game.
Playcalling has changed drastically over the years. From running a WR in to communicate each play, to signals, radio comms, and poster boards. We all do things a little differently.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are talking with innovator and Head Football Coach Thad Wells to discuss his “Rooski” play calling system. Listen to find out how the Rooski system can give you an edge by simplifying football for your players.
Throughout our careers, we have both stumbled upon greater understandings of the game of football, the schemes that fit into it, and the path of being a coach. We call these our “Aha Moments.”
On this episode, Joe and Daniel talk about their individual “Aha Moments” on Offense, Defense, and in regards to the total program.
In the modern game, tags make the world go round. Whether you’re tagging formations, pass routes, run blocking, or RPOs… Tags can create a whole new offensive world for you and your team, without adding another base play to the playbook.
On this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the importance of using tags in your offense, what tags are, and how you can start using them TODAY!
Three Safety Defenses have started making a name for themselves at places like Iowa State University. But, high schools across the land are also incorporating more of the scheme in their defense. Sometimes a new thing is good, especially if it fits the “Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win!” ideology.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by PJ Gibbs, the creator of the Fast and Physical defensive system, to discuss the Three Safety Defense, how it can help your team, and how to sprinkle some into your current scheme this year.
It’s week 8, your playoff chances are on the line. Your star Running Back is deemed ineligible because he let his grades slip. What do you do? Well, hopefully you put some plans into action long before this happened.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the ways you can fill holes in your depth chart well before they happen. They talk causes for players to miss time, why you need a plan in place, and what those plans may look like.
College Football 25 is taking the world by storm in 2024! After 11 years of waiting, the “boys are back in town.” We’re all playing just as much as you… except for when we’re in practice of course.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by friend of the show, and YouTube gaming sensation, Ron McKie to talk about the new game, the pros and cons, and how we can use the game to teach football.
Just like the offensive episode from last week, this episode is all about trimming down that expansive playbook you’ve built over the last 12 months.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the process of playbook management, what you can do to trim your playbook without cutting it too much, and when to expand what you’re running.
After a full summer of learning all the newest trends, adding 100 tags to your system, and now it’s time to get it all installed. But, we have to be real with ourselves at some point about what we can get installed with any confidence.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the process of playbook development, why you need to trim your playbook, and how to decide what stays and goes.
The fourth phase of the game, the referee, is something that we all need to better understand. We all focus on offense, defense, and sometimes… special teams. But focusing on the Ref crew is often overlooked.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are joined by Mike D the Referee from the Whistle Talk podcast. We talk all things reffing, coaching, and some hilarious stories.
Condition in the days of old was something of a debacle. Due to the increase of research and knowledge in this realm, most of us are moving forward and looking for a better way.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how conditioning is changing from the past to the present, how they’re establishing new norms and following the science, and how to change your own program throughout the training calendar to best help your players.
Option football is as old as the game itself, but it’s also still based on one player making some type of read to know where the ball will go. When defending the option, you are being put in a spot to be WRONG. So, you need to have a plan to force the QB’s hand.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the intricacies of QB Read option plays, why it’s important to have a plan to stop them, and how to game plan them throughout the week.
Unbalanced formations add a lot of stress to the defense. From adjustments, counts, angles… It all adds up on young players trying to communicate their issues to a coach. So use it to your advantage!
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the definition of unbalanced formations, their advantages, and why gap scheme pairs with them so easily.
Parents. More than that, parents of players on your team. Some loathe them, some love them. But, regardless of where you stand on the topic, you need them. You need them to help you build your team, your program, and your culture.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the importance of keeping parents close to your program by letting them have some ownership in it.
“Blitz Paths” are a very convoluted way to say “modular blitzes.” Blitz paths are pieces of blitzes that can be called together to mix and match pieces of different defenses. It’s not the most simple thing to understand either.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Chris Vasseur, aka Coach Vass, to educate our audience on what exactly blitz paths are, why we should use them, and how to game plan them from week to week.
In football, there are many ways to throw the ball around. Many coaches use two primary types of concepts; full field or mirrored routes. Either can be effective, but mirrored route concepts may fit you best.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the differences of the two concept types, why you should use mirrored routes, and how to game plan to defeat your opponent on Friday nights.
Install season is just a couple of months away! Is your install schedule locked in? How are you getting from new team to playoff contender this year?
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the key pieces of an install schedule, why the schedule matters, and how they’re progressing each side of the ball.
Offseason, and more specifically Summer, is upon us. It’s time to convince kids to come spend their summer mornings (or evenings) picking up heavy things and putting them down. But, we all know you have a lot of competition for their time. So, how do you build the buy in and improve your summer weights culture?
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the intricacies of small school summer workout programs, what you can do to improve your numbers, and what the alternatives are to “mandatory” participation.
2-Tight formations are all the rage in small school football, especially against odd front defenses. If you’re running one of those (3-4, 3-3) then it would be smart to have a plan for how you’ll align to and attack a 2-tight formation.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss everything you need to know about aligning to and defending 2-tight formations this year.
Counter (maybe only falling under Power) is one of the most popular run plays in High School football today! Everyone has a version, and they’re all useful. But, why do so many variations exist?
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the foundations of Counter, why they carry multiple variations, and what the advantages of each are.
In a lot of states, spring time is the second best time of the year, right behind the fall. We get to blow the dust off of the pads and helmets and get back on the practice field for a couple of weeks, and see what our kids (and coaches) remember.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what your Spring Practice should really be used for, how to organize your practice, and how to evaluate what you installed.
Winning programs have more than “great schemes” in common. The best programs have a sense of accountability built into them. A self-governing team accomplishes more with less, because everyone is bought in. The term we’ve given this trait of accountability is Culture!
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the big buzz word, what it means, why some coaches struggle with it, and how you can ensure your program is on the right path to a great culture.
Developing your Offensive Line is one of the most important tasks you can perform as a coach. Whether you’re the Offensive LIne coach, the Offensive Coordinator, or the Head Coach, you’ll find your success goes as the OL development goes.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Owasso Rams Co-OC and Offensive Line Coach Justin Morsey to discuss what a developed offensive lineman looks like, how to evaluate the guys on your squad, and what your development program should look like throughout the year.
Offensive Coordinators LOVE trying to break your defensive rules. As defenses get more “simple,” OC’s try to make your simplicity work against you. Even your most basic rules can become jumbled when dealing with condensed edges and TE Nub formations.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are working through defending TE Nub, taking on a condensed edge, and how to do all of that without losing your defensive identity.
You’ve probably noticed that Joe and Daniel have been starting the podcasts a little differently recently. We’re doing what all good coaches do, stealing an idea and making it our own.
On this episode, we’re talking about our new “Level Up” section of the podcast, how it’s making us better coaches, and how we hope you can join in and get better yourself.
Teaching Quarterback reads isn’t the easiest part of coaching, for sure. Often coaches start in the trenches and learn the run game. But, eventually you have to get to the passing concepts and how your QB will decide who to throw the ball to.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by a friend of the show, Coach Ron Mckie, to discuss QB Reads. We cover pre-snap, and post-snap reads that can help make your QB make better decisions.
Watching game film is just like every other skill in coaching, it takes practice to get good at. Unfortunately, we don’t watch enough film when the pressure is off as coaches. We see it as a time-sink and keep that for weekends before in-season games. But, if we commit to a process to improve, we can get more out of those weekends with less time expended.
On this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are discussing the importance of watching game film, what to look for while watching, and how to put your practice plan into action.
In the current world of high fly, high movement, “formation them to death” offenses that seemingly have all the rules in their favor, just getting an efficient defense on the field can feel like an impossible task.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Chris Cole to talk game planning an opponent, what adjustments you should or shouldn’t make in your coverages, and how to build a practice schedule to minimize those blown coverages against your opponents best concepts.
The 2-minute offense is something that only comes around twice per game, but is used in every game! It’s a fairly special scenario in which your offensive play calling may see a break from all other tendencies to take advantage of a short clock.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what a 2-Minute offense is, why you need to have a plan for it, and what key pieces go into that plan.
Concussions have, unfortunately, been a part of football for as long as we can remember. Even when it was just a statement, “Dude, I got my bell rung,” they were still happening. Today is no different. In the “Arms Race” between safe football equipment and Bigger, Faster, Stronger athletes, there is ample opportunity for concussions to make a devastating impact on your players and team.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Dr. Samantha Chamberlain PT DPT to talk all about concussions, what they are, what they look like, how we can return to sport, and most importantly how we can mitigate them in the first place.
In 2023-24 we saw a LOT of football being played out of the two-high safety shell. High School to the NFL, size and league did not matter. What’s this “static” look all about, and how are we coaching our players out of it?
Joe and Daniel are joined by University of Tulsa Safety Coach (and friend of the podcast) Dominique Franks top talk differences in 1-high vs 2-high, what coverages fit best, and how safeties are still included in the run fits from their two-high alignment.
The Quick Game isn’t some new fangled thing in football. In fact, in the passing game, it may be as old as the power/counter combo. However, it is still extremely effective. The quick game can give you a quick strike game plan to take advantage of what your opponent is giving you defensively.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the quick game, what it consists of, why you need it, and how to use it with the offense you already have installed.
Power, the backbone of the gap-scheme world. A foundational play for offenses the world around. But, with the evolution of defenses, multiple front teams, and high pressure packages, how can we ensure the Power play stays relevant?
On this episode Joe and Daniel are talking variations of Power, what base power is, why you need variations, and how to install it with your team.
Clinic Season is a FULL GO! But, are you getting the most out of it? Do your coaches disappear to the bar on Friday night and show up to catch the ride home? Are they sitting at the back of the room on their phone? We often take “vacations” for clinics when we should be sharpening our sword for next season.
On this episode Joe and Daniel, who was excessively late, are joined by Mike Carter to discuss what you should be taking from this clinic season.
Decentralized command is a tenant of leadership for us military members. In football, you just call it hiring a coordinator. But, that task isn’t always as simple as “just hiring a coordinator.” Sometimes you get to hire someone in, and sometimes you have to promote from the guys you have.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to do each of those things, what to do if no one is ready to be the guy, and ways to bring in someone that’s an expert.
As with the Defensive Staff Break Down from two weeks ago, we go through all the ways you can organize your Offensive Staff to get the most efficient coach-to-player coverage.
This episode was recorded at the 2024 American Football Coaches Association Convention in Nashville, TN.
Adding to your staff can be a great thing! Many coaching staffs are short at least one guy, and likely more than one. But, if you aren’t getting that new coach ready to be a functioning part of the team, you may find yourself with another fan with a whistle.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss staff additions, how to focus their training to be on your staff, and why you need to be so efficient in your training.
Your team is only as good as your staff. But, your staff is only as good as your ability to organize them. You have to get the best coaches coaching the players they’re the best at coaching to maximize your success.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss defensive staff organization, what it should look like, what variable can change it, and how to pick the coaches you’re using.
Last week we talked about finding the perfect job, so it’s only right to follow it up with HOW to get the job. We invited eightlaces.org founder, Chris Fore, to come shed some light on this topic.
On this episode we’re talking all about how to make yourself stand out, what mistakes will hurt your chances, and how to prepare for the interview.
It’s job hunting season. Many coaches, head and assistant, are moving on from one place to find greener pastures. But, what is the perfect job?
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss why the job matters, what the red flags are to stay away from, and what things you should target in a job.
There comes a time in every job when talent must be rearranged. Football Coaching is no different. You could even say, as a Head Coach, talent management is the majority of your job. But, when is the right time to make those changes?
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the reasons a coach should make a change, and what the right way to go about making changes is.
Communication tends to be most Football Coaches’ weak spots. In an Alpha dominated world, we just think everyone else around us has our knowledge base or assume they know what needs to be done. Unfortunately, in most cases, our assumptions are wrong.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss what a plan of communication, or a Standard Operating Procedure, is as well as why you need to prepare yours now and how you can implement it with you staff this year.
Another season has come and gone. Unless you’re holding the trophy at the end (and maybe even if you’re holding the trophy), there’s at least one thing you need to fix or update in your system. No system is perfect, and some are just bad.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss why you shouldn’t throw your system out, how to evaluate it to make some corrections, and what changes you can make without a wholesale change.
Every season we learn lessons as coaches. What are we good at, what are we bad at, what do we need to expand or contract in our playbook and system. This year was no different.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are going through YOUR lessons learned from YOUR season.
Toxicity happens in every profession. It happens on Wall Street, it happens in the military, and it happens in sports.
Generally, it’s magnified in positions when the rules or positions put a toxic person “in charge” of others. This is especially an issue when that group is made up of kids that can’t take a stand against the toxicity.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what a Toxic Coach looks like, why you need to deal with them now rather than later, and just how you can go about letting a coach go.
As the off season begins for many across the country, it’s time to focus on what you need to improve for next year. Without a doubt, many of you have strength and speed on your improvement list. But, it’s not just THAT you hit the weight room. It’s HOW you hit the weight room that matters.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the importance of using the weight room, why you need to have a program to follow, and what that program should consist of.
As voted on by the loyal listeners, we bring you a peek into our lives as parents.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by veteran coach Kenny Ridley to talk all things, parenting and coaching.
The Pro Style Offense is an ever evolving system. Originally named after the actual schemes being used in the NFL, it has taken an identity of its own as a balanced offense capable of being used as a Smash Mouth running offense, or an air-it-out passing attack.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are discussing how to take your High School version of this scheme and incorporate a Star Wide Receiver. We discuss what he might look like, what his role is in the Pro Style Offense, and what you can do to highlight him in your gameplan.
With the Wing-T, and its variations, being so popular, and the 4-2-5 being the most used JDFB defensive system, we figured it was time to put the two together. We’re talking about defending the Buck Series with the 4-2-5 defense.
On this episode Joe and Daniel will break down the strengths of the 4-2-5, what the weaknesses are, and how to make adjustments to eliminate those weaknesses.
The Tiger Cat Blitz… super solid name (especially if your mascot is a tiger), but even more solid of a scheme. This is the cheat code of all blitzes, by reducing your risks and multiplying your reward.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Tiger Cat Blitz, how to install it, and how to adjust it to whatever front you want to run.
Having a Star QB can open up a WORLD of opportunity. But, if you aren’t prepared to really let him shine, you could find yourself wasting some top tier talent.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss using a Star QB in the Spread system. We talk through what a star looks like, what makes him different in the spread system versus other systems, and how you can expand your system to really let him show off what he brings to the table.
In any defense, you need ALL 11 men to fill their role, “Do your job,” if you will. But, on the defensive line, a man amongst boys can make your life much easier. Not all stars look the same, though.
On this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the makeup of a Star Defensive Lineman, what a star at each position might look like, what their role is in the 4-2-5 really is, and what else you can do with them to create chaos for the offense.
Getting help running our schemes is something that EVERY coach struggles with. Having someone else point out our flaws isn’t an easy thing to do. But, it could be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your team and your development.
On this episode, we discuss the importance of using Game Film Analysis, why you need to get an outsider’s eyes on your film, what the pros are seeing when they watch other people’s film, and where all you can go to get some help.
Lots of teams are “multiple” on Defense. You’ll get a little odd front, a little even. Maybe they’ll play a quarter in attack mode, and then one just playing base. But, being multiple on offense is a fairly new concept and is even breaking into the NFL. Go check out the Detroit Lions and their complete Wing-T package they ran in week 2.
On this episode, Daniel Chamberlain is joined by Beau Collins from NW Arkansas to talk about combining two different offensive schemes into the same system.
As football defenses continue to trend… as they will do… we’re seeing more 4-2-5 on friday nights. If you’re running an “old school” offense, like the wing-t, you’re probably thanking the football gods that you get to block up an even front once again. For the rest of us, we’re trying to block up a traditional front with a modern offensive scheme.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the weaknesses of the 4-2-5, how the Zone Scheme takes advantage of those weaknesses, and how you can expand your run game to attack the 4-2-5 in other ways.
Gap Scheme and odd fronts CAN seem like a mismatch for the defense at face value. But, knowing your defense and using your advantages in your favor can lead to some great outcomes.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what exactly constitutes “Buck Series”, what the advantages of running the 3-4 truly are, and what the disadvantages can be if you aren’t prepared to solve them.
We all dream of having a “bell cow” running back to hang our hat on throughout the season. But, misusing that type of player in the Pro Style Offense can see you losing your best player before year end.
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss how to let your star running back shine in your Pro Style offense, what he might look like, what his role should be, and how to call your offense to get the most out of him… without overusing him.
Justin Dottavio is an athletic trainer and long time user of the Dale Baskett Speed and Movement training program. He uses Dale’s teachings in his every day work to help kids of all sports and disciplines.
Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are joined by Coach Justin Dottavio to discuss how Dale’s program changed his world in training athletes.
For more information jump over to Athletic Speed and Movement at www.AthleticSpeedandMovement.com.
A star Inside Linebacker can be an absolute game changer for your defense, especially in the run game. But, are you getting the full potential out of your linebacker? If not, is it your playcalling that’s holding him back?
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain (the one in the war paint) discuss what makes an ILB a star, what their role is in the 4-2-5 defense, and how you can call your defense to let him shine.
Gap scheme, old school football, can be run against any defense. The 3-4 defense is taking the country by storm, and it’s inevitable that you’ll see it this season. We’re taking a look at these two proven systems against each other.
On this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are discussing the advantages, disadvantages and problem solving techniques of using gap scheme run plays against the 3-4 defensive front.
If you have a star WR, you probably know it. What you may not know is how to use him to his fullest. How can I get the ball in his hands when I know he’s getting double coverage every snap?
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain are joined by Ron McKie to discuss what a star WR looks like, what roles they can fill for your team, and how to build an offense around him.
The Free Safety is likely the best player on your defense right now. But, is he a star? If you have a star, how do you utilize him to really let him shine?
On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk all about using a Star FS in your 4-2-5 Defense. We talk about what makes him a star, what role he usually plays, and ways to highlight his talents.
The Zone Running Scheme and the 3-4 Defense are two of the most popular schemes in football today. Chances are, if you run the 3-4, you’ll face a zone team this season. You need to be prepared when that week (or weeks) comes around. Knowing your weaknesses and your strengths can give you the upper hand on Friday Night.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss defending zone runs with your 3-4 defense, what issues you’ll face, how to fix them, and what your strengths should be.
The 4-2-5 has become one of the most used defenses around the country. Which means you’ll likely face it at some point this season. Gap scheme run plays are the backbone of many offenses. So, you’re probably running at least power and counter right now. We want to see how the two match up, and how you can gain the advantage on Friday nights.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the plan to attack the 4-2-5 with gap scheme run plays. We look at the weaknesses of the 4-2-5, why we should run gap scheme plays against it, and what the best gap scheme run plays are to run against the 4-25.
Breaking into coaching or getting your first Head Coach job, much like learning any new skill, can be like drinking water from a fire hose. You can’t possibly take it all in until you become grounded on a foundation. But, we’ve all been there before, and most coaches want to help you survive your first days in the indust or as a new Head Coach.
On this episode we give you cutups of our conversations with coaches from different experience levels. These guys have been doing it at varying sizes of schools, but still getting it done.
It’s the Battle of the Titans… football edition. This time, we’re putting two of the most used offenses against each other. Whether you’re looking to throw it around in the Spread Offense, or wanting to be more balanced in the Pro Style offense, this episode is for you.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the benefits and weaknesses of the Spread Offense and the key reasons you should or shouldn’t run each one.
Each Season we take a break from talking football for a week and just discuss something else in our lives. This season we landed on video games.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss games that make them feel nostalgic, what their favorite game from the past are, and what games they’re playing right now.
The Sprint Out Game can be very useful to every team for a multitude of reasons. Maybe you’re already using it some, and maybe you’ve never known the difference in Sprint Out, Roll Out, and Bootleg.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Sprint Out game, what it can do for you and your team, and how you can integrate it into a full offensive playbook that you already have.
The interior blitz may be every new DC’s original go-to call. But, they are very likely misusing them. Interior blitzes are a great addition to any playbook, and can range from the most simple to excessively complex.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss Interior Blitzes, their benefits and weaknesses, and when you should (or shouldn’t) be using them on Friday nights.
Football is a game of evolution, adaptation, and sometimes… cycles. Option football seems to fit into each of those descriptions, and has since the fall of 1964 when Coach Bill Yeoman told his Offensive Tackle “You can’t block him anyway, so just get out of the way,” and the defensive end was so confused that he ran up the field and out of the play… and the Split Back Veer Triple Option play fell into Coach Yeoman’s lap. Since, we have seen offenses adapt and evolve into spread teams that want to throw the ball all over the place, but they always seem to find themselves looking for “options” regardless if they’re pass or run based.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss Option Football, what it is, how it can help you be successful, and how to incorporate it into your current offense.
Quarter Coverage, or Match Quarter, is widely believed to be one of the best pass stopping coverages. In a world full of Cover 1, 2, and 3 “beaters”, pattern matching helps players match up to any passing concept thrown at them. But, “if it was easy, everyone would be doing,” it has never been a more fitting phrase.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss pattern matching in Quarters Coverage, the pro’s and con’s of the scheme, and when you’ll know if your players and staff are truly ready for the challenge.
The Double Edge Blitz, or the laziest call in Joe’s terminology, can help you when you’re in a pickle or when the offense just has your number for a series. But, there are better and worse places to call it.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Double Edge Blitz, what they are fundamentally, the benefits they bring to your system, and coaching points to ensure your players know it and execute it to perfection.
Most of the time, when you’re thinking about passing concepts, you’re thinking about 5-step drop passing concepts. Do you love smash? Four verts? Double slant? Odds are, you’re running these out of a 5-step drop for your QB.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Head Coach Dylan Terry to do discuss what the 5-step drop game is, what advantages it brings to your offensive arsenal, and ways to gameplan your next opponent to ensure you’re putting the correct plays on your call sheet Friday night.
Cover 1 Coverage seems to be in every team’s arsenal on defense. Whether they’re a Primary Man Free team, or just using it as an off coverage for their Cover 3 base, they all want to have and need to have the option to go man-on-man with a little safety help over the top.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the basics and fundamentals of Cover 1 as a coverage, We talk about what Cover 1 is, what benefits it brings to your defensive system, what problems you may have with Cover 1 and how to fix them.
Twist Games can be some of the most frustrating things to an Offensive Line coach who’s just trying to get his unit to perform. Especially early in the season, you can push an Offensive Line unit beyond their skillset with just a few movements by your big boys upfront.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Southeaster Missouri State’s DC Ricky Coon to talk about what twists are, how they can give you and advantage, and some quick pointers on installing them into your defensive scheme.
We’ve broken open the mailbag again. We’re digging in to answer the questions you’re asking the most.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel tackle everything from Nasty Splits to assigning OC/DC roles. You can review the questions in order below and find the answers on the podcast.
Cover 3 has silently, or maybe less so, become the go to defense of a majority of coaches across the world. Whether it’s run heavy divisions, fear of playing man, or tired of watching Cover 2 Corners getting blown up by the run game, coaches are converting… and for good reason.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Kahn Chace to discuss the fundamentals of Cover 3, what benefits it brings to your defensive package, and how to coach the basics to any age or skill of player.
The Zone Blitz at its core is one of the two basic blitz types on defense. They can range from simple zone evacuation blitzes in which we want to send an LB or Safety, and expand to some of the most complex blitzes in the business with different versions of America’s Fire Zone Blitz.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the ins and outs of the Zone Blitz, how they fit into your scheme, and a method for game planning Zone Blitzes for your next opponent.
The play action pass could be one of the biggest threats in your arsenal, especially if your run game is explosive. The more you can make a team commit to stopping your run, the more the play action pass can open up. You NEED to carry at least one play action scheme into your game on friday night.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the basics of three play action schemes, the differences in the names of some of them, and why you need them in your scheme.
You’ve just scored to get within 1. It’s been a hard fought battle up until now, but the game is almost over and you aren’t confident overtime is the best option. What do you do?
The entire situation above was unnecessary, we were going for 2 no matter what the situation was. If you don’t know why, then this episode is for you! Listen to Joe and Daniel as they break down some Two Point Conversion analytics, plays, and gameplans for ensuring when you score, 8 points go on the scoreboard.
You’ve just scored to get within 1. It’s been a hard fought battle up until now, but the game is almost over and you aren’t confident overtime is the best option. What do you do?
The entire situation above was unnecessary, we were going for 2 no matter what the situation was. If you don’t know why, then this episode is for you! Listen to Joe and Daniel as they break down some Two Point Conversion analytics, plays, and gameplans for ensuring when you score, 8 points go on the scoreboard.
In a world where seemingly every small school coach thinks they have to keep the wishbone, flexbone, or wing T alive due to their “lack of size and skill”, the zone run scheme may be the worst best kept secret.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by coaching legend Bill Blankenship to discuss the fundamentals of the Zone Run Scheme. They hit on what exactly a zone run is, why you need to add it to your system, and what the key pieces of a successful zone run scheme are.
The Cover 2 Defensive scheme seems to be outdated and almost extinct. But, the defense has its place in your system, if not in your playbook for this year.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the Cover 2 Defense, what it is, why you need it, and whether or not it should be a primary coverage, off coverage, or a situational install.
As we continue our dive into the fundamentals of the game, blitzing has to make the cut. Although new coaches will likely send blitzes at random and ad nauseam, or search for the most complex blitz schemes known to man, the very simple Single Edge Blitz can be the key to success in gameplanned situations.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Single Edge Blitz’s uses, why you need to have them in your scheme, and exactly how to gameplan them to see positive results.
When in doubt, kick it out (of the reach of the front lineman and give your player a chance to recover it). That’s the motto that really captures the spirit of a “onside everytime” coach. The onside kick is an excellent tool to use to steal possessions from your opponent when used anytime.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the ins and outs of the onside kick, the reasons you need to start using it, and some coaching tips to ensure you’re getting the best out of your onside kick attempts.
Offensive schemes in football have gone many directions throughout the history of the sport. But, in the run game, two schemes have remained: gap scheme and zone scheme plays.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by O-Line Coach Jack Dingus as they break down the basics of the gap scheme, why you need it in your playbook, and some key coaching points to use to be successful.
In a world where there are a multitude of ways to play defense, and minimal time to install the ways you want to do it, every defensive coverage you use has to have a purpose. The Cover 4 coverage is exactly that, a coverage with a purpose. Whether you’re needing spot drop or quarters pattern match, you probably have a reason to install a Cover 4 coverage look.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by coaching great Dominique Franks to talk all things Cover 4. Listen in as we discuss the ins and outs of spot drop Cover 4 and Quarters pattern matching
The shield punt is a very simple, yet effective punt scheme. With Special Teams being the least prioritized phase of football, having a scheme that’s simple to coach and simple to execute can alleviate many of the Friday night woes.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Joel Mathews to discuss the basics of the shield punt scheme, why you should use it, and some key coaching points of a simplified special teams scheme.
Live and die by the sword! Okay, maybe not the sword in this day and age, but Defensive Coordinators have replaced the sword with blitzes, and living and dying by the blitz is very true of some coaching philosophies. The man blitz, or blitzing with any man coverage behind you, is a fairly safe and targeted blitz call to live and die by.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the ins and out of man blitzing, why you need to install a few, and how you can mix them into whatever you’re running now.
As we start our dive into the basics of football concepts, we’re getting our first taste of the passing game. This season on the podcast is all about learning the small pieces to sure up your coaching knowledge.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the quick passing game, why you need it, and a few of the basic concepts you can install today.
Much like we started 2022, Joe and Daniel are closing it out with big predictions about upper level football. This time we’re taking on the NCAA, Bowl Season, and the College Football Playoffs!
On this episode, you’ll hear us discuss the current state of the Transfer Portal, our thoughts on NIL and how it’s changing the landscape of college ball, and some Bowl Game predictions you probably don’t want to go to the bank with.
Our Mailbag series continues with the second installment, as Joe and Daniel answer some more questions from subscribers. On this episode, we’re covering poor character in players, Special Teams programs, and changing defenses from the 4-2-5 to the 3-3 stack.
This week Joe and Daniel are fielding questions from you, the listeners. Our topics on this episode include increasing player and parent buy-in to the offseason process, how to get your O-linemen to block the right guy, and how to see more of the game as a future coordinator.
If you would like to send in your questions, click this link and let us know!
Calling defensive plays on game night may be one of the most stressful jobs in football. You have a limited amount of time to assess the situation, identify what call you want to use, and get it signaled in before a much more regimented offensive system goes to work.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss exactly what it is that goes into a defensive play call, and ways to guide yourself into making better calls based on your skill level and what you see on game night.
It’s week 7. You’re down by 4 against your crosstown rival in the 3rd quarter. The wind is in your face, your starting Right Tackle is gimpy and not playing as well as usual. You’ve been a step ahead of the defense all night, but you’re quickly running out of bullets. With the season and bragging rights on the line, what call do you signal to your QB?
In this episode Joe and Daniel break down the important pieces that go into any given play call on Friday night; from why every call matters, to what weaknesses the defense is giving.
Not every high school takes the field on Friday night with the perfect kid in every position. Sometimes they have a SR Linebacker who never learned how to get downhill. Sometimes they have a freak speedster who doesn’t have the confidence or ability to make a tackle. Coaches at many levels are usually trying to prevent one player from losing them the game and need to hide them in the scheme to eliminate them being exposed.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach David Lane as they discuss what kind of player needs to be hidden, how to hide him on gameday, and what you should do to prepare your players for such a scenario.
Special teams can be both frustrating and time consuming. It’s a part of the sport which can be so simple, but seems to be made complex by coaches trying to gain a competitive edge.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel break down what changes make sense to make and how your game plan should be altered from week to week.
There’s no worse feeling for a coordinator than to get to Friday night and our team can’t match the opponent on the field. It doesn’t matter what side of the ball you’re coaching on, if you can’t gain yards against their defense, or can’t stop their offense, frustration and embarrassment will quickly set in. You need to have an answer as soon as possible. Hopefully, it’s that night, if not at least being able to get right before the next opponent copy-cats and hits you with the same exact problem.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what comes next after you’ve been exposed. It may be what your choices are on game-night to solve the problem and move on, or a plan for next week to ensure you never suffer that fate again… or at least because of the same problem.
Injuries are an unfortunate part of football that can truly derail your season if they happen to a key player. Maybe it’s your QB. Maybe it’s your 5th QB. Maybe it’s your lead tackler, or the best Offensive Lineman your school has ever had. If you haven’t been struck by the injury bug yet, keep doing what you’re doing because that’s likely helping. But, understand that it will happen at some point.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by NFL Great Dominique Franks as they discuss what to do to salvage your season when you have a key injury, and how you can help yourself in the offseason before the injury ever happens.
Football is a game of adjustments. Whoever can make the correct adjustments the quickest will generally prevail in a game. The ASKA Principle and Pulling Levers is just an incremental adjustment system that allows a coach to make changes on the fly, or build a game plan throughout the week, and knowing exactly what they changed and why.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what levers are, how to determine which ones you should pull, and a checklist to start solving whatever problems you’re facing today.
Sometimes we find ourselves in a position where change is necessary in our depth chart. Maybe the injury bug has hit your team, suspensions, grade troubles… The list is endless. Regardless of the reason, you need to be ready to move players around within your scheme.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach James Vint to discuss how to make changes to your lineup, when the foundation for a “We not me” team is best to be laid, and how to prevent backlash from players, families, and fans when making those changes.
Self scouting is hard to do midseason. You have 2-3 films from your opponent that you really need to start deciphering immediately. You still need to work in family time this weekend, and draw up the next magical offensive play (what was that play that the Chiefs ran last Sunday anyways?) that’s sure to lead to victory. But, self scouting is an investment in yourself and your team that may be more beneficial than ever turning on the opposing team’s film.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Matt Allen to discuss all of the pros to breaking down your own film, finding and fixing your weaknesses, and using last week’s film to determine what you need to schedule in practice this week.
“Football is a game of adjustments.” I’ve probably said that phrase 25 times in the last 5 weeks. Some weeks we’re better at it than others. If you’re not make adjustments throughout the week, or on Friday nights, then you may find yourself playing less efficient football and in need of evolving what you’re doing as a play caller.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what it takes to identify the things you’re doing right or wrong and how to begin altering the game plan you’re using to put your kids in the best position to be successful.
Across the United States, approximately 1,161 teams are playing 8-man football. Compared to the approximate 16,000 11-man teams and another 700+ college teams, 8-man coaches are at a disadvantage when it comes to adding to their offensive and defensive systems. You can’t turn on the TV on Saturday and watch the local college team tear it up in the 3-2-3 defense. So, they have to be able to take new content from the 11-man teams and adapt it to fit their situation.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Kenny Ridley as he discusses his path from college player to 11-man DC, and then the foot-first jump into the 8-man world and all the new challenges that brought his way. Coach Ridley discusses the origin of his defensive scheme, how he adapted 11-man fundamentals to the 8-man game, and he breaks down the basics of 8-man football to those of us who not had a reason to dig into it.
The evolution of football, particularly on the Offensive side of the ball, is something that just about anyone can google and read the history of. However, very few coaches have lived the game and experienced those changes first hand.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel sit down with NE Oklahoma and NW Arkansas coaching legend Bill Blankenship to get his perspective on the evolution of the game, what’s made him so successful over the years, and how he’s kept things simple at multiple levels of football.
Similar to making changes in life, making changes in football can be hard, difficult, frustrating… the list goes on. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” is a mantra that comes to mind. But, if it is broken you definitely need to fix it. You can’t sit on an unsound system just to claim simplicity and not wanting to confuse the kids.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the reasons why you should, or shouldn’t, change your defensive front midseason, what key pieces need to stay the same after the new front is installed, and how to execute a change without muddying the water so much that your players can’t play.
Gaining information on your opponent is always beneficial, and for many reasons. But, it’s only as beneficial as what you do with the information. Putting all of their formations, plays, and personnel evaluations in a binder and tossing it to all of your coaches may not provide the edge on Friday night that you think it will. You have to know what to take out of all of that data, and how to make adjustments to your own defense to defeat it.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel talk with Jamelle Byrd about breaking down your opponent’s offense, how to organize the data and gameplan off of it, and the do’s and don’ts of adjustments to what you do best.
Opponent scouting is an event that can quickly eat up most of… if not your whole weekend. In fact, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it could steal your whole week away. We’ve all fallen into the “just one more watch through” trap as coaches. We want to make sure we’ve taken everything we can from the film to help us win.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Southside’s HC Kenny Simpson in a discussion about the benefits of breaking down your opponent’s defense, what changes you should make to your scheme to attack them, and exactly how film breakdown is most efficiently done.
Opponent scouting is an event that can quickly eat up most of… if not your whole weekend. In fact, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it could steal your whole week away. We’ve all fallen into the “just one more watch through” trap as coaches. We want to make sure we’ve taken everything we can from the film to help us win.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Southside’s HC Kenny Simpson in a discussion about the benefits of breaking down your opponent’s defense, what changes you should make to your scheme to attack them, and exactly how film breakdown is most efficiently done.
Yes, Special Teams is one-third of the game of football. If ST hasn’t won or lost you a game as a coach yet, it’s coming. There are times that Special Teams practices can feel chaotic, like no one knows what’s going on, and 1 coach (whomever had that ST Coordinator role thrown on them) is coaching 11 players, and the other Coaches are standing around watching the kicker.
On this episode we’re talking to Coach Joel Mathews on ways to prevent the nightmare written above. We talk not only scheduling a special teams practice, but having it scripted ahead of time. Let everyone know where to be, who to coach, and what they’re responsible for.
Yes, Special Teams is one-third of the game of football. If ST hasn’t won or lost you a game as a coach yet, it’s coming. There are times that Special Teams practices can feel chaotic, like no one knows what’s going on, and 1 coach (whomever had that ST Coordinator role thrown on them) is coaching 11 players, and the other Coaches are standing around watching the kicker.
On this episode we’re talking to Coach Joel Mathews on ways to prevent the nightmare written above. We talk not only scheduling a special teams practice, but having it scripted ahead of time. Let everyone know where to be, who to coach, and what they’re responsible for.
The first drive, or the first few of them, of any game of football can give you nearly all the information you need to be successful the rest of the night if you use it right. Although we’d all love to run our bread and butter ad nauseam and hope to put some points on the board, you have a low risk situation to ask several questions of the Defense and see if they have answers at all, and what those answers are.
On this episode we dive into the science and art of scripting your first drive with Southside Southerners Head Coach Kenny Simpson. We discuss what questions you should be trying to ask, how to dress up your common plays to confuse the Defense (and next week’s DC), as well as the benefits of having the first drive written down well before the first kickoff.
Now that just about everyone is back to practicing football (with real helmets and everything), it’s time to streamline our schedules and get them into the most efficient formats. You don’t have to make that a daily chore either!
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk with Coach Justin Dottavio about the makings up a practice schedule shell for each day of the week, what key components you need to add, and how to adjust them as the season goes on.
Injuries are very much a part of football. We coach a contact sport, and that contact can create a vast number of different injuries to players of any age. A part of being a coach is mitigating the risks that lead to those injuries by modifying the practice schedule to get the most out of our kids without unnecessary risk.
On this episode Joe and Daniel talk with Antoine Smith about how he keeps 5 teams of youth players healthy in practice to ensure they stay in love with the game, their parents don’t pull them out completely, and how we keep teams ready for a playoff push.
Getting your players in game shape is usually held as one of the highest priorities in Summer Pride and pre-season practices. There is without a doubt a benefit to being in prime shape as the season kicks off, but maybe it shouldn’t be as high of a priority as we make it out to be.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Southside ( Batesville, AR) S&C Coach Deerick Smith (www.smithperformancellc.com) as we discuss the mistakes coaches make by forcing the conditioning issue too fast too soon, when your team should really be in the best shape of the season, and ways to measure your players’ fitness level without killing them with some ridiculous fitness test.
Getting your players in game shape is usually held as one of the highest priorities in Summer Pride and pre-season practices. There is without a doubt a benefit to being in prime shape as the season kicks off, but maybe it shouldn’t be as high of a priority as we make it out to be.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Southside ( Batesville, AR) S&C Coach Deerick Smith (www.smithperformancellc.com) as we discuss the mistakes coaches make by forcing the conditioning issue too fast too soon, when your team should really be in the best shape of the season, and ways to measure your players’ fitness level without killing them with some ridiculous fitness test.
Your Pre-camp practice schedule is, as it should be, its own beast. Getting your players ready for the first camp, and laying the foundation for the rest of your season is possibly one of the most important things you’ll plan and execute until your first Friday night snap.
On this episode Coaches Dave Dugan and Rick Stewart join Joe and Daniel to discuss pre-camp practice planning. Listen to identify how these coaches use the time leading up to the first camp with installs, drills, packages, and basic football information.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a scientific phenomenon in which people who are relatively new to a field, such as coaching football, often think they have all the answers when they actually have little to no knowledge of the subject at all. This effect is seen in nearly all aspects of life, even growing from a child into an adult (think about a 4 year old who has ALL the answers and a teenager who is frozen from fear of getting into the real world). It stems from the fact that you generally don’t know what you don’t know, and a false confidence in your ability to control what you do know. All of this can lead you to believe that you’re the smartest man in the room.
On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the challenges of believing you’re the new greatest thing in football, what to do if you find yourself actually being the best coach on staff as an assistant, and the unfortunate situation in which you’re a Head Coach with a subpar staff.
Linebackers could be considered the most important players in your defensive scheme. Regardless of how you rate them in importance, they can definitely make or break your defense if you aren’t playing the right kids in each position.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss what the ideal backer looks like, what the player you’ll likely be playing there looks like, and what type of player to fit into the inside backer positions in the scheme you’ve chosen.
Picking a defense doesn’t have to be a very difficult task, but it is one that can easily be overthought. Some guys get stuck looking for the “perfect” defense, when that simply doesn’t exist.
In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the varying levels of difficulty and complexity in running each of the most prominent defensive schemes and what factors you should consider when picking one to run.
As coaches, we’re constantly performing a balancing act; run plays vs pass, playing time for our players, time at the office on the weekend… the list goes on ad nauseum. Only one small part of that list is the number of touches our players are getting.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by coaches Kenny Simpson and Max Wilson to discuss the pros and cons of spreading the rock around in your offensive scheme to maximize experience, minimize wear and tear, and have your team ready for the high pressure moments on Friday nights.
Our teams are composed of athletes of a large range of experience levels. In football especially, players pick up skills and abilities throughout their career that usually result in them being more experienced and seeing the game differently than younger players. This leads to complications during practice when it comes to running drills that have to benefit everyone on the team.
On this episode we talk with Coach Justin Dottavio about the importance of differentiating drills and how to add to and take away from your drills to ensure every player is getting max benefit from them.
You cannot expect, through any amount of drills or training, for an incoming freshman to show up and be the stud on the team. Realistically, you probably can’t even expect them to be game ready with a single fall camp under their belt. However, you can and should have a plan to make them serviceable as a player.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Lynn Shackleford and Antoine Smith as we discuss developing your team, and building them physically and mentally.
“I run six plays, split veer. It’s like novocaine. Just give it time, it always works.” - Herman Boone
Although Coach Boone had T. C. Williams rocking and rolling to a 13-0 season and a state title in 1971 with the Split Veer… Most of us can agree that you likely need more than 6 plays in today’s football game. Not that the split veer, wishbone, or other offenses won’t work. But, you can at another level to these schemes with a simple RPO or or mixing in a little pass game to keep defenders honest.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how many of each play type you should carry in a playbook vs a system, how to decide how much to install each year, and the benefits of keeping things simple.
“I run six plays, split veer. It’s like novocaine. Just give it time, it always works.” - Herman Boone
Although Coach Boone had T. C. Williams rocking and rolling to a 13-0 season and a state title in 1971 with the Split Veer… Most of us can agree that you likely need more than 6 plays in today’s football game. Not that the split veer, wishbone, or other offenses won’t work. But, you can at another level to these schemes with a simple RPO or or mixing in a little pass game to keep defenders honest.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how many of each play type you should carry in a playbook vs a system, how to decide how much to install each year, and the benefits of keeping things simple.
As the school year winds down, and football season gets ever nearer, you may find yourself as the newest defensive play caller on your team. Or, maybe you’re a new DC on a different team than last year. Regardless, if you’re in a position to determine which defensive coverage your team will use, you’ve come to the right place. Defense doesn’t have to be complicated, and it often starts with keeping your coverage package(s) simple.
In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss why you need to stick to a base coverage, which coverage you should likely be using, and whether zone or man coverage is right for you.
In small town high school football, where the running game reigns supreme, the cornerback position is often greatly overlooked. Many coaches don’t know how to properly coach the position, so they’re schemed into a deep third of the field and forgotten about until they give up the big play that seals a win for the cross-town rival. However, if the proper personnel are used, you may find the confidence in your players to get them more involved, and even break free from the overly-common “we don’t have the players to run man coverage” ideology.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Dominique Franks, DB coach for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, to talk all about how to pick the personnel you use at the cornerback position based off of your scheme and ways to identify who your best corners really are.
The offensive line could be considered the most important “team” to take the field on Friday nights. Sure, special teams is one side of the ball and defense wins championships, but you can’t win 0-0 and the offense goes as your O-line goes. Piecing that team together can be a daunting task, especially for small schools where you may or may not have five guys that look the part.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Jack Dingus and Coach Matt Allen to discuss the personnel of perfect O Line positions, and what the “right guy” looks like for each one.
Coaching kickers seems to be one of the most overlooked and underappreciated skills in the football world. For a team that’s supposed to entail the figurative third side of the ball, it seems there is very little info out in the football world about how to take the average high school athlete and make them into the one kid held responsible for all of your special teams situations. It’s even been said that some very large colleges will not staff a kicking coach throughout the year.
On this episode Joe, Daniel, and Coach Joel Mathews of Headcase Kicking talk through some of the easiest reasons to get involved in your kickers training, the basics of kicking a ball off of a tee and punting, how to identify your next punter and the proper practice plan to make them better without burning them out.
Not every player learns best the same way. I’ll say that again. Not every player learns best the same way. Some of your players cannot sit down with a playbook and learn how to play football. The white board looks nothing like a football field to some of your players. You’re writing Greek up there. Your practice schedule, as well as your coaching style, should incorporate as many learning styles as possible to ensure every player on the team is taking something from it.
On this episode Joe, Daniel, and Coach James Vint discuss the types of learning styles there are, why they’re all important, and ways that we’ve been adding them all into our practice plan to get the most benefit for the most players.
A hybrid position on defense can bring something different to the game of football that other positions simply can’t, flexibility. These positions, and the players that fill them, have begun to pop up on both sides of the football and for some of the same reasons. A “jack of all trades” is more versatile in your defensive scheme than a “master of one”. Coaches have quit prioritizing size in an effort to get the best 11 players on the field, and letting their athletes play more positions and techniques.
On this episode, Joe, Daniel, and guest HC Kahn Chace talk about using hybrid defenders in their defensive schemes to better equip them to face the ever changing offenses in High School football.
Regardless of your offensive scheme, the person who touches the ball nearly every play is the Quarterback. Regardless of his skill level, you have to build your offensive scheme around him. Your overall system should include plays and packages to make any QB successful, once you identify what he can do, and what he can’t.
On this episode Joe, Daniel, and our guest Patrick Taylor discuss the reasons you have to build around your QB, ways to accommodate your QB, and how to change your play calling mindset depending on who your QB is.
Having absolute studs on your football team sounds like a dream come true. But, the truth is, even having absolute raw talent in the huddle comes with its own problems. Maybe your best players are pulling an Allen Iverson, “Practice? We talkin’ about practice man.” Or perhaps they’ve begun shutting it down with a scholarship already in hand and those around them telling them they’re better than they may be.
On this episode we’re joined by former Texas HS Coach Randy Jackson to discuss ways to motivate your star athlete throughout the season and beyond. We tackle some of the major concerns associated with coaching extremely talented players and a few solutions to getting over those hurdles.
We’ve all had that one player who just HAS to test the limits. We know it’s only natural, but it can definitely test us as coaches. Whether it’s your star running back showing up late consistently or a youth player whose parents just can’t seem to get them to practice on time, we all have to have a plan in place to ensure the discipline of the team doesn’t falter due to our “problem child”.
In this episode Joe, Daniel, and guests Antoine Smith and Bill Weiss share years of combined wisdom on dealing with the situations above and many more that you may have had already or need to have a plan for in the future.
Regardless of the record, history, or size of your team, something all coaches have to deal with is parents. Some can be jet fuel for your system, and some can feel like an anchor dragging you down. But, parent involvement is a currency that every team needs to help maximize their potential in the fall.
On this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach Rick Stewart to discuss some successful ways to communicate with parents, how to get to know them, increase involvement, and what to do if you have a parent already going sour.
On this episode we’re talking to Dale Baskett, a renowned speed coach with over 40 years of speed training experience in the NFL, MLB, and numerous collegiate and high school powerhouse schools, about the intricacies of training speed throughout the year, how little time it can really take away from you, and some mistakes of guys who are trying to do it on their own. Dale is a big part of our “If you don’t know, hire an expert” philosophy.
No matter the size or level of your program, adding players to your roster is always a good thing. Maybe you’re under the roster size expected for your school size, or you’re seeing kids in the hallway that you know could help you be successful. Either way, you have to be able to recruit the building to add numbers and hopefully talent.
On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the importance of recruiting your school, which kids you should aim to recruit, and we talk about a few ways to make you a successful recruiter and team builder.
The H-Back is a position that few admit to or knowingly use. However, they’re showing up more and more across the world of Football. In the NFL, Travis Kelce has been playing the role since his emergence in 2014. In college, the Oklahoma Sooners have had a pair of H-Backs helping in their bread-and-butter counter game for at least the last 5 years. Last but not least, the High School ranks have been attempting to use everything the next level does for ages, and the H-Back is just the next thing to trickle down to their level in mass.
On this episode we’re focusing on identifying what a H-Back is, the benefits of using one, and how you can fit a H-Back into the offensive scheme you’re already running. You may be closer to having one than you think. It may be as simple as changing the designator in your playbook.
Every coach in the game has a “best” player on defense. They may or may not be a talent that will move on in the game. But, we all need to know how to identify who our best player is in each position group, and where to play them within that group on Friday nights.
In this episode we’re talking about why you need to identify your best players, which player in each position group is really your best, and which position you should play them in depending on your overall defensive scheme.
When it comes to learning how to coach football, we all have to start somewhere. Everyone’s starting point will be different, and for various reasons. Some of us start coaching after successful playing careers and learning comes easy, some of us haven’t touched a football in 10+ years and it feels like the lingo is in a different language. Some start with highly successful mentors that pass on their techniques, others start from scratch with nothing but a desire for self-improvement.
In this episode, we’re discussing Daniel’s start to his coaching career, why he decided to become a coach, and what methods he found useful in learning how to coach football.
How to call football plays from the sideline is one of the most asked questions from new coordinators or play callers. Everyone does it a little differently, and even if you have a way, you may be looking for a more efficient method.
In this episode, we will discuss exactly that. How do we like to call plays, whether on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, and what are some pros and cons for each method we’ve tried.
Defensive line drills can be a key piece to having your big boys playing their most efficient, most effective football. They’re not the only tool you need in your toolbox, but one you need without a doubt.
In this episode we’re talking ways to improve your players with defensive line drills and focusing on the fundamentals of D-Line play.
Every coach is looking for the best football fundraising ideas. It’s part of the job. Regardless of your school size, being a good steward of the program’s finances is a key to success.
Whether you’re trying to bring money in, or stop the flow of money going out, you need to be on top of the organization’s “check book” to ensure you have the finances to continuously be improving.
In this episode, learn the best football fundraising ideas for your team. Find out how to get control of finances, control how much you spend, and increase money coming into your program this season.
RPO plays have changed the game on both sides of the football. Run Pass Option offenses are not just at the college level and big high schools, though. You can use these schemes in your small school football offense.
In this episode, we’re talking to back-to-back Oklahoma State Champion coach Lynn Shackelford from Cashion High School (Cashion, OK) about his evolution into RPO plays, how they helped his teams perform well above their expectations, and how he’s using them today to keep adding 1A state championships to his trophy case.
Are you still scared of playing press man coverage? Man coverages seems to be every DC’s “off” coverage, usually to compliment cover 3 or in blitzing situations. But, seemingly just as many coaches stay away from man coverage all together for their own personal reasons.
On this episode, we’re speaking with Sooner legend, NFL GREAT, and Owasso Rams DB Coach Dominique Franks about how press man technique changed for him at each level of the game, and how he’s successfully coaching it now to the CBs at Owasso High School (Owasso, OK).
As the season comes to a close, we’re all evaluating where our strengths and shortcomings were this fall. More than likely, many of us have found that there is improvement needed in the strength and speed departments of our team.
In this episode we discuss the why, the what, and the how of preparing football workouts and building a successful weight room program.
The Air Raid Offense is one of the most popular offensive systems in football today. There are also a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about the offense.
Coach Patrick Taylor is the Head Coach of North Surry High School in North Carolina. He’s an expert in the Air Raid Offense and joins the podcast to share his knowledge. Learn the base philosophy of the offense, what coaches moving into this system can expect, and where the offense is going in the future.
As most of us get into our offseason, sending our student athletes to different sports, it’s a great time to start planning ahead for spring ball and summer workouts.
On any given Friday night, an uncountable number of offensive schemes are being ran across the country. But, from pee wee to the collegiate level, you can always find a team running the Wing-T.
Tonight, we’re going to discuss the basics of the offense, everything you need to know to get your feet wet.
As defensive coaches, we’re constantly stuck between keeping coverages simple enough for our kids to execute, and complex enough to make an opposing QB wrong.
In today’s episode we will discuss how to change-up from your base coverage, ways to disguise what you’re doing from play to play, and small tweaks that can change up your base to make it more effective for the team you’re facing without slowing down the play of your players.
We’ve discussed revolving offenses in previous episodes, and how there is no king of the mountain. However, the spread offense has held its own for several years.
In today’s episode, we will skim the surface of the spread option, why people continue to use it, what its key formations and plays are, and what weaknesses a coach can expect from year to year.
Sometimes the season just doesn’t go your way. Every season, at every level, there are teams at the bottom of the standings. Every season there is even an NFL team who is so bad, they get the #1 draft pick. Most of us have had to deal with it at one point or another. But, regardless of the score board or district standings, you can successfully utilize the games you have left.
In today’s episode, we will discuss playing out a season that hasn’t gone your way, when to pull the plug, and what your plan moving forward should be.
Linebackers are often considered to be the most “torn” position in football. They have twice the responsibility of other position groups, and multiple reads at the snap of the ball to get them to their assignments.
Tonight’s episode we will discuss drills specifically for the linebacker corps, to help get your players reading and reacting more efficiently and playing their assignments with muscle memory.
Many pro and college athletes have made the change to coaching their sport. While some find success, this is not always the case.
In today's episode, we’re going to try to break down why this happens, why skill doesn’t always translate to coaching ability, and why you don’t have to be brilliant to be successful.
Blitzing in football is a lever that many coaches pull for different reasons and with widely varying frequency. Some want to send an additional player every snap, some wait for the planets to align on the perfect situation.
In today’s episode, we will discuss three primary purposes for blitzing in football and what each of these bring to your playbook.
Every coach knows tackling is a key to winning games, but do you know the physics of football tackling?
The two most basic functions of American football, at any level, are blocking and tackling. If you’re coming up short at either job, you’re probably not seeing a lot of success on that side of the ball.
Tackling, much like every other aspect of the game, has evolved over the years. Players have gotten bigger, faster, and stronger. The game has opened up in regards to playing behind a row of blockers, to getting the ball in open space.
In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss the fundamentals of tackling, and some drills that you can use to better prepare your athletes to make all types of tackles, whether it be open field or round the edge of the OL trying to hit a sideline.
In 1906 Saint Louis University (eventually named the Billikens) completed the first official forward pass in college football history. Everyone else was playing checkers (Rugby style football to be exact) and SLU’s head coach Eddie Cochems was playing Chess.
Today’s episode is all about the offense, and how it has cycled over the years. From the “Rugby” beginnings, the Split-T of the 50s, the Wishbone of the 70s-90s and into the Air Raid era. We will look at how each of these offenses, and a few others, were phased in and phased out, and where they’re still useful today.
From depth charting players in the pre-season to trying to stop your cross-town rival’s power play, understanding your defense is of utmost importance. The better you know your system, what each lever is best at stopping, the more efficient you’ll be at adjusting on the fly.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast delves further into the idea of having the best 11 on the field, by concentrating on your overall understanding of your defensive system.
When you’re filling out your football depth chart for your defense this season, you should be pencilling in the ‘Best 11’. In Youth and High School Football where we do not recruit, we coach the kids we have. They might not always fit into a perfect mold for each position.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast kicks off Season 10 with a look at what the Best 11 really means for your defense. Find out how to pick the right guys and put them in the right places on your football depth chart.
For every playbook out there, you will find another way to name offensive football formations. There are no strict guidelines or rulebook to what you call your formations.
Creating your own system of rules for how you name offensive football formations is important, though. It will determine how easy it is for your players to grasp new formations. The system also determines how easy it is for you call new formations.
I love keeping it simple. Football plays take a lot of work. They take time to install and perfect. You do not need a lot of plays.
Formations are cheap. You can install new formations quickly in practice. Being able to run just a few plays out of many different formations creates a complex look for the defense, while you keep it simple.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to learn all about naming and grouping your offensive football formations.
Unlike the rest of the topics in Season 9 of The Football Coaching Podcast, this is not one of the 20 most asked questions. In fact, this question gets asked very infrequently.
But it is important.
When do I know it is time to walk away from coaching?
You feel like you need a break. The stress of the job is wearing you out. Changes in your life have made the huge time commitment a bigger burden than it was. You don’t get the same joy from the game as you did before.
There are a lot of reason coaches ask the question. In this episode, I will talk about how I knew it was time to walk away. And how I knew it was time to come back.
Two platoon football has been a divisive concept in high school football over the last decade or more. Do you specialize players on one side of the ball, or keep the best players on the field at all times?
There’s a lot to the issue. And while there is not as much argument about two platoon football anymore, there is still a lot to consider.
My feelings on two platoon football are not a secret, either. But I see the advantages. And disadvantages. That’s what this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about.
What is the best football defense for my team to run? I hear that question a lot. But there’s no easy answer.
In Season 9 of The Football Coaching Podcast we’re answering the most common questions I’ve heard over the last decade. And this question about the best football defense is one of the most popular.
Check out this episode for a look into some of the biggest myths and misunderstandings about defensive football. After listening, you’ll be ready to push ahead coaching your defense with confidence.
Coaches are always trying to find ways to spice up practice, like running fun football drills. Little things that make practice more like a game.
Wait a minute. We have to come up with cute ways to make football practice seem like a game?
There’s a problem here.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast looks at how to cure boring football practices. Fun football drills to spice things up, why that is insane, and how to make your players enjoy practice time so they come back for more.
It’s all in this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
The failures of your football scout team are the bane of every coach’s existence. You’re trying to prepare your starters to play a top opponent. That scout team is ruining everything, though.
Football scout teams don’t have to equal misery. But you have to put them in a position to succeed. We have a plan for that, and I’m going to share it with you in this episode.
Winning in all three phases might be a cliche, but you will lose games if you have sloppy special teams practice. Planning your special teams practices is critical if you don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot on game day.
How do we plan special teams practice when we only have a 90 minute practice plan? It seems like there is too much to get done. But that’s not true.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast dives into planning your special teams practices - and your special teams playbooks - with a Coach Simple approach.
You don’t want too many plays in your offensive playbook. But you need enough plays to beat the defense. So how many plays do you need to have ready?
How many plays you need in the playbook is the 15th episode in our 20 Questions series for Season 9 of The Football Coaching Podcast. It is one of the 20 most-asked questions I have seen from our podcast listeners and JDFB Coaching Systems clients.
Every offensive playbook is different. And every coach is different. But this episode will give you a solid guide for how many plays to have in your offensive playbook.
Linebacker reads and keys are the single most searched for keyword on Joe Daniel Football. It seems every coach is looking for the perfect reads for your linebackers.
I have coached just about every type of linebacker reads imaginable. Keying guards, keying backfield. I have cross-keyed the backs, keyed the 2-man surface… you name it, I have tried to coach it.
Skip all the hassle. Get the complete guide to Linebacker Reads in this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
I hear from coaches all the time who have their own ideas on how a football team should be run. They just cannot get the head coach to listen!
This is a touchy subject. After all, the head coach is the man in charge. This is his time to shine. Not only that, he probably has more experience than other coaches on staff (though not always).
This episode dives into how to get your head coach to open up to your suggestions… and when to keep your mouth shut.
The Coach Simple plan uses the 5-Day playbook install to get your system taught quickly.
All of the systems inside JDFB Coaching Systems use a version of this principle. The 5-day playbook install plan gets your base playbook installed in just one week of practice.
The plan is to have enough installed so that you could play a game or scrimmage. You might not have everything, but you have enough.
With the season approaching, you need to figure out how you want to organize your football coaching staff. Who is going to coach which positions? Where is each coaching going to be most valuable to your athletes?
Putting the right coaches in the right places is just as important as putting the right players in the right positions. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast dives into getting the most out of your football coaching staff this season.
Defending quads formations can be scary when your football team is not prepared. Have a plan and your defense can shut down 4 by 1 empty sets with ease.
Football tackling technique is critical for a good defensive football team. There is no special secret. Find out the drills to focus on to get better.
Landing your first or next high school football coaching jobs can be tough. You need a plan. Follow these tips to be prepared for your opportunity.
The wedge kickoff return is the simplest and likely oldest kickoff return scheme in football. It is also one of the most effective and easiest to teach.
Trick plays are a part of every offensive playbook. Sometimes you need a big play and a little trickeration can make it happen.
There have been a lot of great trick plays throughout the history of football. In this episode we take a look at three of the best High School Football trick plays. These could be a part of any offensive playbook.
The Tunnel Screen Play is one of my favorite offensive weapons. Check out this podcast to learn everything you need to know about coaching the tunnel screen, and how to defend against it.
This episode is part of the deep dive series in season 8. We take one play and dissect it from every angle including origin of the play, how to run it, and how to beat it.
Protect your passing game using slide protection. Get the details of how to coach slide protection in the quick game and drop back pass to give your quarterback time to throw the ball.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast takes a deep dive look at the Buck Sweep play. It is the key play in the Buck Series, the most common series seen from Wing-T attacks at the high school level.
Defensive Line Stunts are a great way to be aggressive up front in your defensive calls without weakening your coverage packages. This episode takes a deep dive on Defensive Line Stunts including slants and twists.
Every episode in Season 8 is a deep dive into a particular play call (or family of calls, in this case). I’ll share origins of the call, why you run the call and how to coach your players to execute it. Then we look at how coaches on the other side of the ball can attack the call and defeat it.
Deep Dive on the Counter Trey run play made famous in the NFL by the early 1980's Washington run game! This play is a feature of the One Back Offense. Learn the origins of the play, how to execute it, and how to stop the Counter Trey.
It's been around forever. The 4 verticals passing concept is probably the most commonly called passing concept in football today. But there's a lot more to it than just running 4 guys down the field.
Part 1: Origins of the Call
Where did the Double A Gap Blitz come from?
- Blood, Sweat and Chalk credits Jim Johnson as DC under Andy Reid’s Eagles teams in the early 2000s. Credit to Cincinnati Enquirer article, Mike Zimmer as Defensive Coordinator in Cincinnati really popularized it (with Paul Guenther?).
- Teams have been attacking the A Gaps since the start of football.
- Johnson developed the double A gap scheme to force the Offensive Line to adjust protections by putting immediate pressure up the middle. Zimmer article mentions using the blitzes to disguise coverage. I guess?
Part 2: Execution of the Call
How do you run a Double A Gap Blitz?
- Blitzing two linebackers (or a linebacker and a safety) in the A Gaps. The Defensive Tackles have to get out of the A gaps, so you’re probably lining up in a 40 front with either 2’s, 3’s or 2i’s that will stunt out.
- Walking the linebackers up on the line forces the Offensive Line to either check protection to a slide or gap protection, or let the back handle one of the linebackers on an immediate rush with no help.
- An adjustment I like is to stack the two rushers. This is because our guys are not NFL, and so the back guy has a better chance of dropping off for either zone or man blitzes. You can also drop both and play traditional cover 3 if they know how to zone drop.
- With both guys up, drop the man the center steps to, and blitz the other one. You end up with a 3 under/3 deep
- Crossfires are great for pass blitzing in High School.
Part 3: Attacking the Call
What do you run to attack Double A Gap Blitzes?
- Teams are primarily running double A gap blitzes to attack a pocket passer. It’s a great blitz in the NFL, but you probably aren’t seeing drop back passers 8 games a season. You can also attack interior run plays like a midline or trap play.
- Run the ball off tackle. Just run an outside zone play, those backers are locked into the A gap and can’t scrape to build a wall against the edge runs. A toss play or jet sweep takes them completely out of the equation.
- Linebackers aren’t adept at keying down blocks the way a defensive lineman is. Try to trap one of them. If you can pop to the second level there’s no one there. One on one with the safety.
- Slide protection is your best bet, but get the ball out quickly. If you’ve got a 3-step quick pass called, use a slide protection to get the ball out.
- Screens!
- Get the QB in shotgun (no matter what), and then get him on the move. Sprint out or roll out. Don’t bother with play action, the backers are already sucked up. Hit a quick drag route or TE pop pass, or any sort of moving route.
It's a half-episode! Look for Season 8, Episode 2 of The Football Coaching Podcast with a deep dive on the Double A Gap Blitz on Monday at Noon Eastern!
Season 8 of The Football Coaching Podcast is focusing on deep dives on individual play calls, so what better play to start with than the Zone Read? In fact, we've come full circle - Zone Read Option was the topic on the very first episode of the podcast back in 2012!
The deep dive series will take a look at play calls from every angle. We look at the origins of the play, the details of execution, how to attack or defend the play, and how to evaluate and evolve the play within your playbook.
The season kicks off and that call you’ve been working on for 6 months just is not working. Run plays, passing concepts, blitzes, stunts or coverages. Whatever it is… it’s not working.
This is the 5 step process to evaluate that football play call before you just kick it to the curb. You’re always smarter in February than you are in September and October (or whenever your season happens this year!), so let’s figure out what the problem is!
There’s an old saying among option football coaches. OK, really it’s among all football coaches… mostly old football coaches.
If you can’t block ’em, read ’em.
Pretty simple. When you don’t have anybody that can take that guy 1 on 1, you always have another option.
Just make him wrong, no matter what he does.
That’s the premise behind option football. Make one guy wrong, no matter what he does.
For coaches running a true option football system, this is a way of life. Let nothing get in the way of reading the guy that’s causing problems.
Then there’s the rest of us. We run an offense that is not based solely on reading defenders. Are we left out of the option offense goodness?
Nope.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll show you how to expand your offensive playbook using option football principles. Without confusing your players and causing a total disaster in the backfield.
Any time you decide to install a new playbook for your football team, you could run into trouble. It takes time to teach the skills your players need. It takes time for the coaches to understand how to teach those skills, too.
The knee jerk reaction when your team isn’t firing on all cylinders in the first few weeks of the season is to panic. Go back to what you were doing before. But that’s not the answer.
This week’s Football Coaching Podcast looks at how to make in-season adjustments when your brand new plan of attack isn’t working like you expected. This is how to get your team back on track with the changes you need to make to reach a whole new level of success.
Football drills are a big favorite among coaches. It's our thing. Standing there holding a whistle, watching your guys run around hoops and over bags. That's what coaching football is all about.
Except that most defensive drills are a waste of time for high school football players. They end up never translating the drills to the field. Today you'll find out the football drills that really matter at every defensive position to get your players ready to win on game day.
When they hit the football coaching scene a few years ago, defensive coordinators were scratching their heads defending RPOs. But while it's a great tool for offenses to attack, run pass options are not as mystical as they may seem.
If you've got a good RPO team on your schedule this season, you don't need to panic and change your whole defense. Follow the 5 tips for defending RPO's in this podcast to shut 'em down.
Using a creative evolution in the coverage package leading to a modified 2-Read Coverage in his 4-2-5 Defense, Hollis-Brookline High School Defensive Coordinator Fred Hubert helped lead his team to a New Hampshire State Championship in 2019. Find out the keys to the team's success and how this take the 2-Read Quarters Coverage package can work for your defense.
Week 1 of your season sets the tone, so you need to have your best offensive game plan ready to go. With the 2020/2021 season that doesn’t mean having incredible strategies, either. It means getting the most from your offensive playbook.
The game plan that wins this year is the one that’s tailored to your players. What they can handle. It’s about keeping it simple so they can play with confidence from the start. No matter what that defensive coordinator throws at you.
Study Game Film Unlike most seasons, you probably won’t get any scrimmage film this year. You’re going to get a couple weeks of practice, then jump right into that first game of the season.
You need to know all you can about the defense you’re facing before you can develop your offensive game plan. So study last season’s film. Anything you can get your hands on.
“Can I break this defense with formations? Can I break this defense with plays? Where is it not sound? What is it not ready for?”
Identify who they are. Not what you saw last year, but what that defense would look like if they had just a couple weeks to prepare. Because that’s what they’ve got.
Looking at what their JV team usually runs is a good start. Figure out the base defense. You aren’t looking for tendencies here.
Now it’s about figuring out if you can break their umbrella. Create seams in the defense. Take advantage.
What’s Working in your Offensive Playbook? Now you need to look at your own team. What you’ve seen in the past, and what you’ve seen in practice so far (if you’ve had that).
The best plays are the plays that work in practice. They are the plays that your players have the most confidence in running. So make sure in your offensive game plan you expect to call more of those!
“What do you feel like you can call on a 1st & 10 in almost any situation and guarantee that you’ll get 4 yards? You need to have that play in mind.”
You need a couple of calls in that game plan that you feel incredibly confident about. One is a play you can always get 4+ yards on 1st & 10. The other is a way to give your Quarterback some confidence throwing the ball with a simple pass.
Pull Simple Levers in Your Offensive Game Plan Even in the best of times, game plans don’t win many football games. Its the sad fact of coaching. You do a lot more damage over-coaching with fancy plays that win on a napkin that you’d do under-coaching and letting your players play.
Formations are cheap. Plays are expensive. Don’t over-do it, but as much as possible use base blocking schemes with special formations, shifts and motions to put the defense in a bind.
“Script the first 10 plays, because you have an idea of things you want to see… but go off script in a heartbeat.”
You do want to script your first 10 plays, but you don’t want to be completely controlled by the script. If the first play call carves them up, keep calling it!
Finally, you need a plan for making adjustments throughout the game. The ASKA principle comes into play here, and pulling levers. Make sure you check out the ASKA podcast. It applies to offensive adjustments as much as it does to defense.
Do You Have the Right Offensive Playbook? You’ve got the details on putting together that call sheet for Week 1 of the season. If you’ve got the right offensive system in place and your coaches are ready to teach the players, you’re in good shape.
Need help getting that offensive system just right? That’s where JDFB Coaching Systems comes in for your team. Clients get access to The Pistol Power Offense System plus all of my other coaching systems, web clinic archives, private message board and more.
Right now you can get instant access to the entire JDFB Coaching Systems resource library for 7 days for just $1: Click here to get started
Related Episodes * How to Game Plan Your Offense – Football Coaching Podcast Episode 172. * Coaching ASKA Principle – Football Coaching Podcast S07E03. * Levers Principle – Football Coaching Podcast S07E06. * Learn all about Horizontal and Vertical Seams – Football Coaching Podcast S07E10. * Study the Umbrella Principle so that you know how to break it. * Scripting Your First 10 Offensive Plays * State of Football 2020 and returning to play this year from The Football Coaching Podcast S07E15. * 5 Day Install Plan to prepare your playbook install plan for a short off-season – Football Coaching Podcast S05E02.
There’s a good reason so many defensive coordinators are also coaching linebackers on their staff. The position is critical for High School and Youth Football defenses to stop the run. Many coaches put their best defender at an Inside Linebacker position.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a natural, instinctive linebacker to play the position then your job is easy. Just stay out of his way and don’t slow him down. For the rest of your guys, you need to coach.
Earlier this season on The Football Coaching Podcast, I shared the ASKA Principle that has become one of the core principles for our defensive coaching systems. On this week’s episode of the Football Coaching Podcast, we’re going in-depth on coaching linebackers using the ASKA Principle.
What is ASKA? ASKA stands for Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment. It started as a pre-snap checklist (stolen from the TCU coaching staff) for our defensive players. It evolved to a checklist for the coaches, and then to the foundation of how each defensive position gets coached.
Each of those elements of ASKA gives you a lever to pull. By systematically seeking out weaknesses, and then pulling levers for solutions, you have constant improvement on your defense. Check out this podcast on Coaching the Levers Principle to learn more.
ASKA for Coaching Linebackers When you’re coaching linebackers using ASKA, there’s a lot of levers you can pull. Check out these examples of levers to pull with your inside linebacker group:
- Alignment: Move your linebackers away from the line of scrimmage so they can flow to the football. Moving them closer makes them one-gap defenders, so you might as well put their hand in the dirt.
- Stance: Years ago, I made a simple adjustment in the way we coached linebacker stance to stop making false steps. I go in detail on that in this episode.
- Key Reads: Simplify your key reads if they’re not working. There’s usually too many if-then situations you’re giving your athletes if they’re not reading their keys. You can always start simple and build later. I detail both guard reads and linebacker reads in the episode.
- Assignment: You’ve got the most flexibility here. Changing the assignment can mean everything from a blitz call or coverage call, changing the front, or tons of other minor adjustments. Your most critical piece here is clearly defining the run fits using the Umbrella Principle.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast using the player below, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!
Welcome to Coaching Football 101, class is now in session. Today's episode barely scratches the surface of all that a new football coach needs to know, but we only have an hour.
A football coaching friend likes to say that every man in America thinks he can do two things: grill and coach football (in 2020 you can add doctor to that list). But every experienced football coach knows at least half of that is not remotely true.
What You'll Learn in Coaching Football 101 This podcast isn't the place to get into the details of coaching football. The little things like how to design a good play, decide which play to call, or figure out what drills to run during your practice. That's what a lot of new coaches are looking for. But in Football Coaching 101, we need to start at the beginning.
Instead, today's lesson is going to focus on 10 things every football coach should know. Young or old. Youth, High School, College or NFL. First year coaches and 30 year veterans.
10 Things Every Football Coach Should Know Here's the list of 10 things every football coach needs to know that we'll kick off Football Coaching 101 with. You coach long enough, you'll learn all of these things through trial and error. Most of these I've learned through a lot of pain and suffering.
I want you, new coach, to skip all that. I want you to start out in the fast lane. It's a better way to live. I'll go into each point in depth in the episode, which you can listen to at the bottom of this post.
- It's all about relationships. That'll get beat into your head any time you ask a coach the most important thing to know.
- You do not need to learn any plays to get your first job.
- Drills are for solving problems. Don't waste time on worthless drills.
- There is no RIGHT way. But there is OUR way.
- Confidence is critical. Being 'mean' or 'violent' is not.
- If you're new to coaching football, accept that you know very little. And that's OK.
- Drop all the excuses. You're a coach.
- Keep your composure.
- Terminology in football coaching is not universal.
- Execution of plays, not the play itself, wins football games.
This is a great list to get started. But as I said earlier, it's just scratching the surface. There's a another great post on the most common mistakes youth coaches make here, but it applies to all coaches in my experience.
And then there's all the fun stuff you're really looking to learn. The X's and O's of coaching football. There's a great place to start learning more of that too, with JDFB Coaching Systems.
Coach Tim Snow wasn't thinking about spread formations when he first started studying the Pistol Power Offense System in 2015. That first version of the system looked a lot more like the traditional One Back Offense that I first learned from Coach Bill Mountjoy years ago.
But the great thing about the System is that it evolves. And as Coach Snow and the Winnisquam High School offense evolved in New Hampshire, so did their offensive playbook. The version of the playbook that won back to back New Hampshire State Championships in 2018 and 2019 uses a lot more wide open spread formations. But it keeps the same core principles and schemes.
Scroll down to listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast and my interview with Coach Snow on the use of spread formations in the Pistol Power Offense System.
Versatility of the System
Coach Snow credits the versatility of the Pistol Power Offense System with helping his offense evolve to fit the players. Each season, the Winnisquam staff takes a look at what his athletes can do. Then they build the playbook around that, while keeping the core teachings.
After using a bruising rushing attack for 3 seasons, the talent the small New England school changed. It was time for a wide open attack. Starting in 2018, Coach Snow incorporated spread formations, the read option, and an expanded passing attack. That took Winnisquam to their first State Championship.
The following season, the offense continued to evolve. RPOs were added to open up the playbook for an athletic Quarterback who's understanding of how to read a defense continued to improve. Winnisquam rode that development all the way to a second State Championship in 2019.
They'll look to defend the Championship and three-peat (do I owe someone money for that?) in 2020.
Play Calling with Spread Formations
It's not just about the playbook. Coaches have to know how to choose what to use from the playbook. It's not just about spread formations. It's knowing what your athletes can handle, and what they can do best.
Season to season, you're selecting the plays and formations that define your identity. You need to adapt to the style that fits your athletes best. You also need to game plan each week for how you're going to attack the opponent.
Then you're looking at how to call the plays during the game. Play selection throughout the game determines the outcome much more than the game planning you do on the weekends. The Winnisquam offense has that down, scoring three times as many points in the second half as they did in the first half during 2019.
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the simple process Coach Snow uses to determine play selection. Tim shares exactly what he looks for to determine how his team will attack their opponents during the game.
This is a great look at how the Pistol Power Offense is a lot more than just running the ball, or even lining up in pistol! Check it out using the player below, or search for The Football Coaching Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!
Every coach has been trying to figure out just what's going to happen with the 2020 football season. From state to state there seems to be just as much uncertainty today as there was 3 months ago.
This week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast takes a look at the questions your coaching staff needs to address to get ready. This is not about what's going to happen. None of us really know what is going to happen with COVID-19. It's actually about preparing your football program for what could happen this season.
What Could Happen This Season? There are multiple possibilities. Things could turn out pretty good (at least from a football standpoint). It could turn out very bad. This is not about any scientific or political beliefs you hold personally. It's about being prepared for very real possibilities.
From state to state, we will all be dealing with different situations. We've already seen different plans within the same state, like California and Texas. To keep track of what's happening around the country, there's a state-by-state look here.
Possibilities for the 2020 Football Season Many states are still on track to start on time, or within a week to two weeks of the planned starting time. None of that is official until teams actually start stepping onto the field. But even for those coaches that are getting back to practice as expected, there are a lot of issues to plan for. This episode addresses the issues you need to expect in the 2020 football season even when starting on time.
Then there are states with a longer delay planned. Anywhere from one to two months. Several of those plans include shortened seasons. You're already dealing with a shortened off-season as well. How much do you need to simplify your playbooks?
Other states have looked at flipping some spring sports with the fall season sports, or moving football entirely to the spring this year. Those longer delays can open up a whole new can of worms - like totally flipping the weather dynamic. Is it better to play in 100 degree weather when you're just starting, or fatigued from the season? I don't know that answer.
And then there's the elephant in the room. What about a situation where you don't even have a 2020 football season? Not in 2020. Not in Spring 2021. Not at all. Scary, but a very real situation. One that Spring 2020 sports already had to face.
Prepare for Adversity This Year There's a lot of questions. This episode doesn't even touch on all the possible questions that could be asked. I'll be working with our JDFB Coaching Systems clients to get better insight on the big issues each scenario causes through the next 6 months or more.
One thing is sure. Teams that are prepared for the adversity of the 2020 football season are going to fare better than the teams that are not. There are opportunities for your program to get ahead despite all the uncertainty that has been caused by COVID-19 this year. Check out this episode for some of the steps your program can take to find those opportunities.
Coaching defensive line technique for young players can be frustrating. There's a world of bad habits and natural instincts you've got to break.
During Season 7 of The Football Coaching Podcast we've looked at how to use some of the core principles from JDFB Coaching Systems to solve problems. Those core principles include shows on coaching using ASKA and pulling levers for constant improvement.
Now it's time to apply those concepts to defensive line technique and solve those problems we see all the time with young defensive linemen learning the position.
Top 5 Defensive Line Technique Issues
Football is a complicated game. With JDFB I'm always working to simplify it for coaches. That will simplify the game for players. We're focusing on 5 big technique issues that Defensive Linemen at the High School level often have.
- Staying Low: Every defensive line coach knows this one. We're constantly screaming about pad level. Low man wins! There's some critical levers to pull with your ASKA to solve this one. Honestly, if you can fix this problem your defensive line is going to be significantly better regardless of what else you manage to improve.
- Eyes in the Backfield: You know that look. When you've got a defensive lineman trying to look over the shoulder of his blocker. That's not a good thing. Let's fix that technique issue too.
- Getting Trap Blocked: Seems simple. Don't get up the field. But the levers you need to pull to solve that problem are a lot more complex. Kind of like telling a wide receiver to just CATCH THE BALL! We'll pull the levers to solve this defensive line technique problem.
- Staying Blocked: The ability to get off blocks is critical for defensive linemen. They need to use active hands to get off the block. We'll look at some drills and coaching cues to make this happen.
- Losing Quarterback Contain: It's not the top-of-mind issue for coaches. But this is a defensive line killer. Losing contain on an athletic quarterback when you have great coverage is a disaster. It often extends the drive for an otherwise sputtering offense. Find out how to solve this issue when you listen to the podcast.
Constant Improvement
Using the ASKA principle and the Levers method gets constant improvement for your defensive line technique. Follow the concepts that I'll talk about in this episode and apply them to any position on your football team if you want to keep getting better all season long.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast uses critical elements of JDFB Coaching Systems. You don't need to run every front, every coverage that we teach to get the most out of our systems. They are a framework for your football team to maximize the performance of your football players.
Click here to find out more about JDFB Coaching Systems and get instant access to 5 Complete Coaching Systems and all of the resources JDFB clients enjoy.
You can argue if it's the best, but the power blocking scheme is definitely one of the most used running plays in football today. On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're doing a deep dive into all the details of this great gap blocking scheme attack.
Gap Blocking vs. Zone Blocking I'm biased. Power is a core run play in The Pistol Power Offense System. But the other primary blocking scheme is the zone run game. So we get started with a discussion about Gap Blocking vs Zone Blocking schemes.
Inside Zone and Outside Zone runs are like pattern matching on defense. That means they take whatever you do on the other side of the ball and use it against you. There's nothing soft about zone blocking. But there is a somewhat passive nature about zone blocking. We're letting you make the decision on how we're going to beat you.
With the Power blocking scheme, it's the opposite. This is a gap blocking play. The offensive line is going to create a seam where we want it, when we want it. Gap blocking schemes like Power use angles and numbers to create an advantage and open the hole whether you want us to do it or not!
Blocks for Running Power Now that we've established the difference in gap schemes vs zone schemes, it's time to work through the rules of the Power blocking scheme. It starts with identifying the different types of blocks your players need to execute.
Down blocking is critical in any gap scheme play. Power is no different. Base blocks aren't used very often, but we'll talk about them too. The combo is the other major feature of the power blocking scheme - a double team at the point of attack against most defensive fronts. That's where you force the issue to create your run lane.
Of course you have the other two notable features of a power run play. The kickout block on the defensive end, and wrapping the back side Guard to block the play side Linebacker. There's intricate details of angle and footwork you've got to teach to get the most of out your play. Those details are also in the podcast.
Power Blocking Scheme Rules And finally, you need a set of rules. When you're a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win offensive coach you have to keep those rules in check. There can't be a lot of if-then situations.
I'm not going to blow your mind with the basics of Power. It's more about the little details. That's what makes this play work for absolutely any offensive attack. You use angles to create the running lane and get great at the play because you keep it simple.
Blocking Assignments for Power * If the Guard is covered, and Center uncovered combo between Guard and Tackle. * If the Guard is uncovered, combo between Tackle and Tight End. * If the Guard is covered and the Center is covered everybody down blocks. * Center always blocks back. * Tight End, if not in the combo, blocks the A Gap Area. * Back side Guard wraps to block the back side number of the play side Linebacker. * Back side Tackle hinges. * H-Back, Fullback, whoever your kick out guy is going to be based on formation - kicks out the man on or outside the Tight End. With no Tight End, it's the man on or outside the Tackle.
Flexibility of the Power Blocking Scheme Finally, this podcast closes out with a look at how versatile the blocking scheme really is. This is not just one play. In fact, in the Pistol Power Offense System we built an entire series around it. Click here to get my free 3 video series on the Power Series!
Power Read. 'G' Power. 1-Back Power. Counter and Counter Trey. You can get a lot of mileage out of this one single gap blocking scheme. So invest in it!
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to get all the details on running the Power Blocking Scheme. Then subscribe so you don't miss great new episodes coming out every week.
Time to put the finishing touches on that defensive playbook to get ready for the upcoming season. How much do you need in it? The biggest problem many coordinators will run into this season is not going to be not having enough play calls. It’s going to be having a defensive playbook that is too big. And for no reason.
When you’re using a Coach Simple approach, that defensive playbook needs to only include the calls you absolutely need. Especially with a shortened off-season. Check out this podcast to find out just how much you need in your defensive playbook this season.
Understanding horizontal and vertical seams is critical to your run fits on defense. Let’s take a deeper look at the concepts. This concept is a big one in run fits. Understanding horizontal and vertical seams, and how to pull the levers to fix those seams for your force defenders, is one of the fastest ways to improve your defense.
Seams is a fancy word for run lanes… or run lanes is a fancy word for seams. They can happen horizontal to the line of scrimmage, or perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. But the issue remains, when you have seams in your defense, you create run lanes for the offense.
In this episode we’ll explain what horizontal and vertical seams are, how they create run lanes, why they happen, and how to fix them. This is a critical episode if your defense has had trouble maintaining force on the perimeter.
Show Links * Pulling Levers for Constant Improvement: FBCP S07E06 * Coaching the ASKA Principle: FBCP S07E03
What does it take to run a Championship caliber 4-3 Defense? Find out from Coach Dave Dugan. Bishop-Fenwick High School in Massachusetts is a perennial title contender and their 4-3 Defense run by Defensive Coordinator Dave Dugan is a big contributor to that success. Coach Dugan joins The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about what’s worked in building his defensive attack.
Find out how this brand of the 4-3 Defense teaches simple Linebacker reads and a pattern match Cover 2 coverage to shut down their opponents. Plus you’ll find out how you can prepare your team with a short off-season - because in Massachusetts they do it every year!
Strength calls are important to get your best players in position to make the play. Here’s how to use them. There’s a reason defensive coaches make strength calls. But there’s a lot of thought that needs to go into those strength calls.
In this episode we’ll talk about how to make your strength calls fast, make them easy, and make them work for your defense. Because if they’re not helping your defense, they’re making your defense worse.
Do you have a plan for when your team gets to start practicing again? Here’s the Do’s and Don’ts. In some areas, coaches are getting to start working with their players again. In other areas, that time is still a long way off. But you need to have a plan.
I’ll share the 7 things you cannot do if you want to have success in the 2020 season when teams start getting back to work. Plus the plan for teams getting back to work in June, July, August and beyond.
The concept of using Levers to get constant improvement on the field has fascinated me. Here’s how to make it work for you. Nothing has changed the way I look at coaching football in the last twelve months like the concept of pulling levers. It takes everything I’ve learned about coaching and puts it into a systematic approach to constant improvement.
I love the levers concept because it builds on the ASKA principle we’ve been using with our defensive position groups for several years. Now you can use that ASKA principle to create levers you can pull - like buttons to press - to get incremental improvement all season long.
Forget about fancy ball drills. This is what Wide Receivers really need to work on in your football practice. No position group wastes more time working on things that don’t matter for their offensive attack than receivers. In this episode, we’re going to focus on what a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to Wide Receiver drills really looks like.
Cut the fancy ball drills. You just don’t have time for that with the 90 Minute Practice Plan. It’s all about blocking, and running precision routes with perfect timing for the receivers in this offense.
Randy Jackson is the guru on creating a winning culture for your football. He’s going to answer the questions that need answers. When I had my first chance to be a head coach, I knew I needed to establish a certain attitude in our players. Call it culture. But we needed a strategy to do it.
Randy Jackson is the author of Culture Defeats Strategy, but as you find out in this podcast, there’s a strategy to building culture.
Find out the keys to building that team identity, plus a ton of incredible nuggets you don’t expect. We had our JDFB Insider clients on hand to ask some questions that you’ll love to hear the answers to.
ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it’s much more than that for your coaching staff. Alignment. Stance. Key Read. Assignment. I stole the ASKA principle from TCU several years ago. But it’s grown into so much more than it started.
ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it’s the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win measuring stick for coaches. If your ASKA is too complicated, your players are playing slow.
In this episode, find out what ASKA is all about, get examples of ASKA, and find out how it has become of the backbone principles of JDFB Coaching Systems (including the offense!).
If you have the right Offensive Line Footwork, your guys should never miss a block. Here’s how to make it happen. Coaching Offensive Line has always been my true passion in football. It’s the most exciting position to work with for me. And I love working on the perfect footwork to make a block.
The right footwork turns an average offensive lineman into a great player. It can turn a bad player into an average offensive lineman. It’s amazing how focusing on just the first two steps of your offensive line footwork can change the entire fortune of a football team’s offense.
Football Drills are what every coach seems to be looking for. But what really matters is running the RIGHT drills. Looking for the best football drills for every position? You won’t find that in this episode. This episode is the guide to choosing which drills to run, and creating the drills you need to run.
It’s about being efficient. Effective. Getting results. Actually doing something with your coaching besides wasting your player’s time running around a hula hoop or fighting over a pad.
This episode is all about football drills that actually make your football team better at playing football. This is not rocket science.
Show Links * Learn all about the 90-Minute Practice Plan with Practice Planning to Keep Your Players Fresh from Season 3 of The Football Coaching Podcast * Check out Group Football Drills for Low Numbers from Season 5 for developing your group drills. * Also from Season 5, an episode on 12 Keys to Getting the Most From Individual Football Drills.
The 4-2-5 Defense System requires a lot of planning. Here’s how to plan your defensive System. The 4-2-5 Defense System has been completely updated for 2020. Here’s the blueprint you need to follow to get your System ready for the 2020 Season.
You don’t have to use the 4-2-5 Defense System to make this blueprint work for you. But you must make sure you’ve covered all these bases if you’re going to be ready to win in 2020.
Time for the definitive answer of 4-3 Defense or 4-2-5 Defense… which one is better? It’s the Battle of the 40 Fronts. What’s the right defense for your team? There’s no single defense that is BETTER than any other front - that’s not what we’re here to figure out.
It’s about whether the Miami 4-3 Defense that we teach in the 4-3 Defense System, or the 4-2-5 Defense System is the right one for your football team.
I’ll break down 15 key points for each defense, score it up, and come to a completely meaningless conclusion. It’s up to you to decide which one is right for your team.
Get the full plan for your 4-3 Defense Install Schedule. It only takes 5 practices to get this done. During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ve been going through the pieces of the 4-3 Defense System. Now it’s time to actually install your 4-3 Defense with your players.
Learn how you can get the entire defense installed in just one week of practice. No two-a-days and you don’t need to be a 2-platoon team to get it done. This is the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to the Miami 4-3 Defense
Show Links * Coaching Quarters Coverage in the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019quarters43/ * Foundations of the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019miami43/ * The 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/
How can you get the most out of your 4-3 Defense Safeties in Quarters Coverage? Here’s the levers you need to pull. During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ve been looking at the Miami 4-3 Defense System. No position is going to define the success of that defense for you more than your 4-3 Defense Safeties.
Today’s episode walks you through the A.S.K.A. for Quarters Coverage Safeties. The Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment for the position. Learn how you can use these 4 levers to have constant improvement at the Safety position (and all over the field) all season long.
Show Links * Listen to the podcast on the Simplified Quarters Coverage package * Get access to the 4-3 Defense System when your team joins JDFB Insider
Get extra possessions for your football team using the Onside Kick this season. Here’s how to do it. Kevin Kelley is a 8 time Arkansas State Championship Pulaski Academy. He’s known for doing this a little different. Like onside kicking every single time.
A while back, I adopted the same philosophy. It really is a difference maker for your team when you commit to it!
Check out this podcast to hear Coach Kelley and myself talk about the onside kick. The logic behind it, how to study the analytics, and why you’re going to want to use the onside kick every time for your team.
Show Links * Learn how to execute Coach Kelley’s best onside kicks: Coach Kevin Kelley`s Onside Kicks from CoachTube. * Find Kevin Kelley on Twitter @coachkelley1
How do you lead your players through the recruiting process? How can you protect them from a harsh business? You’ve got athletes that want to play at the next level. And they’re capable of doing it. But how do you point them the right direction?
It’s a thin line between helping your players get exposure, and wasting your athlete’s time and money by attending a bunch of one-day ‘camps’ (fundraisers?).
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is more like a JDFB Quick Clinic. I’m answering a listener question on recruiting… because we all need to work on it.
Coaches love talking about the X’s and O’s. But it’s these ‘Little Things’ that make the big difference for Championship Programs. You spend your entire off-season working on blitz packages and trick plays. You might call some of them once or twice the entire season. But you miss the big picture.
Chris Fore from The Coaches Locker Podcast joins me on today’s episode to talk about the ‘little things’ that really matter in coaching. We’ll talk about recruiting your building, player academics, and everything else your program needs to win.
The Double Wing Offense is one of the most feared and brutal offensive attacks in football. Learn it or lose to it! Years ago, I wanted to learn the Double Wing Offense and turned to the Internet for resources. After all, you can’t just visit your local college to learn this stuff.
I found an amazing resource to learn from. That was Coach Jerry Vallotton’s “The Toss” book, available at DoubleWing.org. Easily the best resource I found then, and still great.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is your chance to learn the Double Wing Offense from Coach Val! Check it out as we talk about the philosophy behind the offense, the base play series, and the details of coaching The Toss, Coach Val’s Super Power play.
Show Links * Check out all the resources from Coach Val at DoubleWing.org * Find Coach Val on Instagram at @doublewingfootball * The Smash Mouth Alumni Facebook Group started by Coach Vallotton
How can you simplify the Play Action Pass for your offense and still be effective? All you need to know is in this episode. The Play Action Pass is a critical part of any offensive playbook. You’ve got base runs, counters, and play action. That creates a simple series based offensive package.
You can go overboard in preparing your Play Action Pass game, though. The key is to get the maximum amount of benefit with the minimal amount of teaching.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how we’ve simplified the Play Action Pass for the Pistol Power Offense System.
What are the Special Teams schemes your football team needs to be running? Here’s my favorites. Every football coach knows how important Special Teams are to winning football games. If it’s one-third of the game, why don’t coaches spend a whole lot more time on it?
There’s good reason. If you’re going to be a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win type of coach - it needs to carry over to your Special Teams philosophy.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the special teams schemes that have worked best for my teams. And how you can add them to your own football team.
Show Links * The Shield Punt book by Coach Fore (I’m an idiot - the actual URL is shieldpunt.com). * Lew Johnston’s Put the “Special” in Special Teams video from Championship Productions. * Gaining Possession Using the Onside Kick by Kevin Kelley from Championship Productions.
How do you get the most out of 7 on 7 football this off-season? Don’t waste your team’s time - follow these tips. I’m not the biggest fan of 7 on 7, and that’s no secret. It’s not because it’s an offensive drill or because there’s anything wrong with the concept, either. It’s more about how 7 on 7 has evolved in the football landscape over the years.
But the truth is, 7 on 7 football can be really valuable for your team. It’s a chance to learn the route concepts, learn the coverage concepts, and get better as a football program. You just need to do it the right way.
Check out these 10 tips for getting the most from 7 on 7 football this off-season. And remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re winning with no pads on in June.
Your 4-3 Defense Linebacker Reads are critical to your run stopping defense. Here’s how to get the job done. The Miami 4-3 Defense has proved itself time and again to adapt to every change that offenses have thrown at it in the last 30+ years. At the core is a sound, aggressive defense that can play fast.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast looks at the Linebacker Reads for the 4-3 Defense System. We’ll talk about the options you have, the thought process I’ve been through over the last decade in testing different options, and how to coach the most effective Linebacker Reads I’ve learned for the 4-3 Defense.
Champions are Built in the Weight Room, so check out these tips for better football strength training! It’s great to come back from the winter holidays and see your guys again. Ready to get after in the weight room and start building for the next season.
But don’t waste their time. Check out these 10 football strength training tips to get more out of your weight room this off-season!
Your football team’s defensive playbook just didn’t get the job done last season. Is it time for a change? I’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on the reasons you should NOT change your defensive playbook. Way too many coaches jumping from shiny object to shiny object.
But there are reasons why you SHOULD make a change. Remember, only a Sith deal in absolutes.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast shares the 8 reasons why you might want to change that defensive playbook for the 2020 season… and hopefully for the last time!
Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo
The Wishbone Offense might not be as popular as it once was. But we can still learn a lot from a 1970s Arkansas Playbook. Download the Arkansas Wishbone Offense Playbook
The Miami 4-3 Defense was originally developed to shut down the Wishbone Offense that Barry Switzer was running at Oklahoma in the 1980s. But we’re going to go a little further back.
Today’s playbook breakdown is on the 1970s Arkansas Wishbone Offense. It’s a really well laid out playbook from the Lou Holtz era (that’s the claim anyway). Plenty to learn from any football coach, whether you run the Option or not!
Show Links * Download the Arkansas Wishbone Offense Playbook * Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo
Quarters Coverage is the perfect fit for your 4-3 Defense. But you can’t let Pattern Matching slow your defense down. Quarters Coverage can mean a lot of things to a lot of different coaches. Cover 4? 2-Read? Palms? Hey who knows… but here’s how we do Quarters Coverage as of now, in 2019.
A lot has changed over the last 12 years since I started running Quarters Coverage. It’s a pattern match coverage that requires you to have some pretty good Safeties. But if you’ve got the horses, and the time to teach it… this is a great way to coach a winning football defense!
Check out the episode for an in-depth look at updating Quarters Coverage for the 2020 Season.
Show Links * Get the 4-3 Defense Video Series here: http://joedanielfootball.com/43videos * Learn the Umbrella Principle, the most important concept I’ve learned for defense * Fritz Shurmur’s Coaching Team Defense at https://amzn.to/2Z0DEmf, for which I wrote the foreword. * My interview with Shap Boyd, author of Quarters Coverage Made Simple from several years back is at https://joedanielfootball.com/shapboyd/. * The original Quarters Coverage Made Simple that I learned the 4-3 Defense Quarters Coverage system from is at https://coacheschoice.com/quarters-coverage-made-simple/ * Sign up for your Free MaxOne Demo
Let’s get outside the box for leveling up your football team’s off-season in a new way. Coach McKie joins us on this episode! Coach McKie from The Talking Football podcast and the Football Coaching Podcast Network joins the show as we run down our Top 5 Ways to Level Up Your Football Program. This is a little more ‘out of the box’ thinking on ways to make your team better this off-season.
You’re going to get some tricks that we’ve used throughout our coaching careers, plus some ideas we’ve taken from other walks of life to apply to coaching. This is a good one!
Show Links * Check out Coach McKie’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/rsmckie * The best strength training program I’ve ever used is available at http://joedanielfootball.com/weightroom. * For your speed program, Dale Baskett is at godfatherofspeed.com.
Time to plan your 2020 Football Off-Season. And there’s a whole lot to plan for if you want to be successful. OK, Mister #nooffseason, here it is. All the things… well, most of the things… you’ve got to get done during the off-season. There’s plenty of work.
This episode breaks down your football off-season into coaching development, player development, speed and strength development and on-field development. This is going to be a critical time for your 2020 Football Season.
Get the breakdown on coaching defensive line in the 4-3 Defense. Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment. The Miami 4-3 Defense is a great system for defenses that have the right athletes. One of the features is the simplicity and aggressiveness in the Defensive Line play.
We’ll break down the ASKA for coaching defensive line play in this great defensive front. Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignments for your base 4-3 Defensive Line.
Is there a perfect Offensive Playbook for your Football Team? Probably, but it might not be for the reasons you think. Following up on last week’s show on choosing the perfect defense, this week we’re working on finding the right offensive playbook for your football team. It’s a little different.
I’ll walk you through eight different offensive playbooks that might fit your team. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, but a good enough look for you to get a good idea on how to figure out which one is right for you.
At the end of the day, none of these offensive systems are better or worse. Every single one of them can and has won championships. But there’s one that’s right for you as a coach. Find it, and then STICK TO IT!
What’s the best football defense for your team to run? There is no ‘right’ defense, but there’s a right one for you. Wasn’t planning to do this show, but it’s a good time for it. If your defense wasn’t ‘lights out’ last season, or if you’re just moving into coaching or rising to a coordinator position, you’re probably looking for that ‘right’ football defense.
I can end your search for the Holy Grail of defense right now. It doesn’t exist. But there is definitely a right defense for you to latch onto and become the expert at. This episode is going to help you choose the best football defense for you and your football team. Then help you stick to it.
Show Links Check out the Umbrella Principle for the 4-2-5 Defense at http://425defense.com/podcast
Download the Defensive Installation Manual above or at https://joedanielfootball.com/dim
Once upon a time, the I-Formation Offense was dominating the High School football world. And it’s not dead yet. When I started coaching way back when, we were lining up in the I-Formation Offense. Running the toss sweep, Iso, and trap. And it was a pretty good offense.
The I-Formation Offense is not dead in the high school football landscape. In today’s episode I’ll break down when you should use the formation, how to make it a part of your offense, and we’ll put together a basic playbook for the I-Formation.
Show Links Free 3-Video Series teaches the Power, Counter and Power Pass
Coaching the Trap Play
Coaching the Toss Sweep Play in the I-Formation Offense
The Miami 4-3 Defense was the foundation of my understanding of defensive football. And it’s still a great System. The Miami 4-3 Defense is where it all started for me. Not the first defense I ever ran, but the first time I really understood how a defense works.
How do all the parts fit together? Why do you spill the football? Who’s the force player? Why does Coverage have to match the defensive front?
Learning the Miami 4-3 Defense put it all together for me. I’m going to share what I’ve learned about the 4-3 Defense over the course of Season 6 of the Football Coaching Podcast. And how some of my views have changed.
Check out this podcast to learn the foundations of the 7 man front in the 4-3 Defense System, plus choosing the right personnel to fill those spots.
Show Links Adjusting to the Spread with the 4-3 Defense (since we were in an I Formation all podcast)
1996 Miami Hurricanes 4-3 Defense Playbook breakdown
Quarters Coverage in the Miami 4-3 Defense from Season 2 of the FBCP
Nearly every High School Football Team is using Hudl for game film. Are you getting the most out of it? How much has Hudl changed the world of High School Football coaches? If you were around going back to the VHS days, you know that it’s been an amazing innovation in our lives.
But there’s so much more than just exchanging film with your opponents and watching the game. And we’re not talking about those additional tools. This episode is all about getting the most out of plain old basic Hudl for Football.
Check out the 5 ways you can get more from Hudl and see if your football team is getting the most out of your video software!
It’s never a good idea to make huge changes for your football team in the middle of the season. Not if you’re a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win coach. It’ll just slow your kids down.
But you can make adjustments. You SHOULD make adjustments. But you need to make the right adjustments.
This week’s Football Coaching Podcast takes a look at the 10 in-season adjustments you can make, that will actually make your football team better. Right now.
Each adjustment is ranked according to the return on investment. That ROI is estimated by how much practice time it takes to implement the adjustment compared to how much better it’ll make your team. Listen to the show, then download the PDF above and work through the list with your staff!
It’s Game Day! Here’s the full plan, from the end of school to the opening kick, to get your team ready to win. Coaches are always looking for an edge. Or a solution to a problem (that’s what coaches do!). And the problem of starting slow, or starting fast, on football game day can be that edge.
We’re going to go in depth on the Game Day Itinerary and the reasoning behind each step in today’s podcast. It’s the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to getting your players amped up for the opening kickoff!
Plus you can download the Game Day Itinerary in PDF Format. Just enter your email address in the box at the top of this post.
Get your 33 Defense Zone Blitz package ready to attack… in the right ways. There’s no guessing here. The 33 Stack Defensive System offers so much versatility... but you need to know how to use it. That freedom can be a blessing and a curse.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast will break down 5 different Zone Blitzes from the 33 Stack Defense. Plus how to use them, when to use them… and the extremely important difference between run blitz and zone bltiz.
Show Links * Coaching the Stacks in the 33 Stack Defense: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019stacks/ * Creating Fronts in the 33 Stack Defense: https://joedanielfootball.com/creating-fronts-3-5-3-defense/ * Coaching Outside Linebackers and Overhang Safeties: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019safeties/
Perfect Thursday, the last practice plan you run before Game Day. Here’s the step by step guide to get your players ready. Perfect Thursday has been a long tradition in football coaching. But every program seems to approach it differently. This is the practice plan for perfect Thursday that has worked best in my experience.
Of course, there’s a lot of other factors. This practice plan goes hand in hand with the 90 Minute Practice Plan week, which you can download for free above. I’ll talk about the step by step process, and all the factors that go into preparing the perfect Thursday practice plan.
Show Links * The 90 Minute Practice Plan and how to use it: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/ * Individual Drills in the 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019individuals/ * Group Drills in the 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019group/ * Using Pre-Practice in your Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019prepractice/
If your Quarterback fakes can freeze the defense, your offense has the advantage on every snap. Here’s how to make it happen. Coach Dan Gonzalez has been working with Quarterbacks and the passing game for a long time. He’s a true expert on the subject. So I asked him to get on the phone and talk Quarterback ball handling for this week’s Football Coaching Podcast.
We go into detail about coaching the hand-off and coaching multiple different Quarterback fakes for your Play Action passing game in any offense. We also touch on zone read ball handling, drills for improving your exchanges in the backfield, and plenty more.
Under center, Pistol or Gun alignment. Doesn’t matter. It’s all here on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
Show Links * Follow Dan Gonzalez on Twitter @dan_gonzalez16 * Visit Coach Gonzalez’s website at https://gonzalezpassinggame.weebly.com
The 33 Stack Defense is one of my favorites. Fast. Aggressive. Attacking. Simple. The Stacks are a big part of that. The 3-5-3 Defense, Georgia Military style, was the first defense I ever installed on my own. I’ve loved it ever since. Even when running other fronts as a base, the 3-3-5 Defense (or 5-3, or any combination of letters and numbers you want) has always been available as a change-up in our package.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast breaks down the feature that makes the defense unique. The stacks. It’s a great look at the concepts that are central to our 33 Stack Defensive System at Joe Daniel Football, and what you should look out for as a stack defense coach. Check it out!
Show Links * Get the Free 3 Video Series on the 33 Stack Defense * Article on Creating Fronts in the 3-5-3 Defense * Video teaching you Run Fits in the 33 Stack Defense * From earlier this season on the Football Coaching Podcast, the 11 Mistakes in the Georgia Military College 3-5-3 Defense * Podcast breakdown of the 2008 Georgia Military College 3-5-3 Defense Playbook (there’s also a link to download the playbook there)
The Unbalanced Single Wing is a great offense. What if we could use the concepts and formation with our existing System? A few years ago I sat down in a Glazier Clinic that Rick Darlington was presenting. Coach Darlington is a Single Wing guru from Florida and an incredibly entertaining speaker. I was just there to learn something I didn’t know and be entertained.
What I got was a lot more than that. It sparked a few ideas. I realized that the plays being run in the base package (which does NOT involve any ‘Spinner’ plays) were straight out of our Pistol Power Offense System.
Not long after that, I was adapting the Unbalanced Single Wing formation to the Pistol Power Offense System. That became the centerpiece of our very successful short yardage and 2-point conversion package.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m sharing how that System was created with you. Plus you can download the Unbalanced Single Wing in the Pistol Power Offense play sheet up by entering your email up above here.
Show Links * Get the 3 Video Series on Coaching the Power Series in the Pistol Power Offense at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast * Instant Access to the Pistol Power Offense System at http://pistolpoweroffense.com
Pre-Practice periods can be extremely valuable in your football practice plans. But you need to use them right. Pre-practice has been a huge difference maker for practice planning, but it only works when you use it right. That means educating yourself, the rest of the coaching staff and your players on the purpose and execution of the pre-practice periods.
This is a great place to get extra work. To steal practice time, without wearing down your players. Non-contact drills, reviewing and reinforcing foundational football skills.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to learn all about how you can use Pre-Practice to make your football team better this season.
Show Links * Download the 90 Minute Practice Plan Template (above) and listen to the podcast on how to plan your most efficient practices at https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/ * Check out the podcast on Practice Planning for Critical Situations * Last week’s podcast on Group Drills for your Practice Plan
Group Football Drills can target a specific area and clean out all of the noise around it. Plus you don’t need as many players. This episode was planned for several weeks into the future, but it needed to be moved up. These group football drills can do wonders for a lot more teams than even I knew.
Recently I asked coaches to tell me what is biggest problem their team was facing right now. No surprise, but a huge percentage of those responses revolved around needing more players. And wondering how to get a good practice with their small numbers.
These group drills can benefit any team. During the podcast I talk about how I’ve used the drills on a team with over 150 players in the program. But they’re also a critical part of coaching in a small school where 11 on 11 team is not always an option.
Show Notes * Get the 90 Minute Practice Plan template: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019critical/ * Getting the Most from Individual Periods Podcast: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019individuals/ * Coach Drive and the Game Planner Pro - not available right now!
Time to take a look at a classic Air Coryell Playbook. An offense that brought the passing game to prominence in the NFL. Don Coryell and the San Diego Chargers lit up the NFL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Air Coryell passing tree is something everyone has heard about in our coaching journey.
Taking a step into the past, I’m going to investigate the 1983 San Diego Chargers playbook featuring the Air Coryell passing game. Spoiler alert: passing has come a long way.
Visit FootballXOs.com to get the 1983 San Diego Chargers playbook: click here
There’s football teams from the past we still love to watch. For many reasons. Here’s our Top 5 Teams to Watch from the past. Football coaches all have a little ‘football junkie’ in us. That desire to watch a game with the DVR remote so we can go back and watch a play again. Or pull games from the past up to watch our favorite offense or defense from the past.
Ron Mckie joins me on The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about our Top 5 Favorite Teams to Watch. When we go to YouTube, who’s the team to pull up?
This was a great episode. We both chose teams for a number of reasons. And we’d love to hear your favorites - just send a message to us on Twitter @footballinfo and @CoachMckieJr with your own personal list!
Here’s how to get the most out of your individuals football drills. Maximize your time without sacrificing your team’s performance. You’ve got a limited amount of time to teach all the skills and techniques your football players need. And it starts with your 1 on 1 football drills in the individuals period.
Follow these 12 key tips to get the most out of individuals with your football team. You’ll maximize the productivity of your coaching to see big time results on game day!
It’s the 300th Episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, so Nate Albaugh is back and we’re talking Wing-T Belly Series!. The Buck Series is everybody’s favorite, but the Belly Series can be deadly for Wing-T Offenses. We’re breaking the Belly Series down with a Wing-T Novice and a Wing-T Expert on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
What’s the difference between Belly and Down? Why is the Belly Sweep such a great play that I can’t find any details about? I found the answers with Nate Albaugh from ChiefPigskin.com in today’s episode!
And the best part of the episode… long time listeners know that Coach Albaugh was the original Co-Host for The Football Coaching Podcast. Over 7 years later, we’re back together for the 300th Episode!
The performance of your Overhang Safeties in your defense is critical to your success. No matter what front you’re running, here’s how to coach your force defenders. It’s one of the most requested topics that I get for The Football Coaching Podcast. Two years ago, we broke down coaching the overhang safeties in Episode 209. Time to do it again…
Start off with understanding the critical Umbrella Principle. It’s how your players understand run fits and how they fit into your defense. Then we’ll step through the Alignment, Stance, Keys and Assignments for your Overhang Safeties and Outside Linebackers. And top it off with the drill package for refining those skills.
When your Running Backs are doing a great job blocking for your team, the offense starts clicking. Here’s how to get it done. Running Backs spend a lot of their time working on ball handling and jump cutting. Making moves and maybe even catching a pass or two… but there’s one skill they better get good at.
Run game or passing, coaching up your running backs blocking technique is going to be critical for the success of your football team. Here’s a deep look at the technique of blocking for running backs, with a Coach Simple, Play Fast take on the position.
Don’t forget to grab the FREE PDF DOWNLOAD at the top of this page to get all the notes from this podcast plus DIAGRAMS showing each of the blocks.
There’s successful seasons… and then there’s a successful program. Here’s how you know your team has ‘Made It’. There’s good teams on your schedule. They have quality seasons and then some years they drop off. The coaching staff has some turnover, the players have even more.
Then you’ve got the perennial powerhouse. No one is ever going to look past these guys, and only a few are ever going to beat them. But their head coach is the most relaxed cat you’ve ever met…
Here’s 10 Signs Your Football Team Has Made It. How many has your football team achieved, and how many are you going to reach in 2019?
You’ve got your playbook all planned out… but how do you get all this in? Here’s how to build your Install Practice Plans. Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win. That’s what Joe Daniel Football is all about. That means you can get your entire offense or defense installed quickly.
So how do you put those practice plans together? You need an Install Plan first. We put that together last month: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019install
Now you start from the end, and work back to the beginning. Follow along with this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to create the perfect practice plans for your install.
Show Notes * Get the Install Schedule template from Season 5, Episode 2 of The Football Coaching Podcast at https://joedanielfootball.com/2019install * Download a free Practice Plan Template from our Season 3, Episode 17 episode on Practice Planning at https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/
It’s a slight technique change for blocking run plays. But it worked. Here’s the How and Why on the shift to shoulder blocking. A few years ago, I came to the realization that something had to change in the way we teach blocking run plays on our Offensive Line. We needed to take out the weak link.
Those adjustments had huge benefits. We’ve got to a shoulder blocking style - but not exactly like old Wing-T Offense or Veer Option blocking you might have seen.
This isn’t revolutionary. But a lot of coaches have asked about the adjustment to our run play blocking. So here it is!
Show Notes * Coach Lew Johnston’s blog at http://coachlewj.com * Watch video of shoulder blocking in it’s very early stages: https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/evfw55q5by
It’s the foundation of one of the most successful offenses in the history of football - the Wing-T Buck Series. Here’s how to do it. The Wing-T Offense has always been a fascination for me, and the Buck Series is by far the most used series in that offense. But I needed to bring in an expert for us to break it down.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, Coach Rick Stewart joins me to talk Wing-T Buck Series. We’ll go over the finer points of blocking the Buck Sweep, Buck Trap and the Waggle. It’s a great show!
You’ve got a great playbook. How are you going to get it all installed in time for Week 1? It can be daunting when you look at all the great stuff you want to run against your Week 1 opponent, and compare it to the number of days you have to actually get that playbook installed.
Today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is exactly what you need. I’ll share a plan for a 5 Day Install on Offense and Defense.
We’ve done this install schedule with a team where everyone plays both ways, and practices are only 90 minutes long. You can get it done.
Don’t forget to download the Playbook Install Template at the top of this page!
Georgia Military College popularized the 3-5-3 Defense for the High School level 15 years ago. What’s changed? 15 years ago, Georgia Military College came out with a comprehensive video series on the 3-5-3 Defense. It was all the rage back in 2005, with tons of coaches buying them up.
I was one of those coaches. We installed the defense in 2006 and I took over as Defensive Coordinator in 2007.
By 2008, we had moved on. This time it was the Miami 4-3 Defense. That changed my coaching life forever.
With a little more knowledge and wisdom, it’s time to go back and look at the original concepts and videos on the 3-5-3 Defense. What’s changed? And why didn’t we stick with it?
Find out what you need to look for when you switch to the 33 Stack Defense in 2019 (and it IS the same - GMC said so!) when you listen to this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
Show Links * The original DVDs are still available at Championship Productions: Basics of the 3-5-3 Defense [that’s an affiliate link, but I do not recommend buying that one] * My Playbook Breakdown on the 2008 Georgia Military College 3-5-3 Defense, which had many tweaks from the original, Season 02 Episode 11 of The Football Coaching Podcast. * The 33 Stack Defense free 3 video series on the JDFB version of this defense.
Ready to create your own Defensive Playbook? Here’s the simple 10 Step Process to a putting your dominant defense on paper. Coaches love playbooks. Unfortunately, most of the defensive playbooks you’ll download off the internet are going to be completely worthless to your football program.
There’s a 10 Step Process you need to use to putting together the Defensive Playbook for your football team. Find out what it is and get to work putting your ideas on ‘paper’ with this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
It’s that old football coach that’s spent more time on a football field than you can imagine. Can you teach him some new tricks? There’s nothing more valuable on your coaching staff than the guy who has 30+ years of experience coaching football. That old ball coach is a blessing.
But sometimes, it can get frustrating. Especially if he’s set in his ways and you want to move forward into the 21st Century.
This week’s episode is kind of fun, kind of weird. 10 Tips for getting that old coach to change his ways. He ain’t wrong, he’s just different.
There’s an art to working with football officials to get the calls going your way. Are you doing it wrong? They can be frustrating. Drive you completely insane. Maybe take a couple years off your life.
But you can’t let the officials in your football game know that, Coach. You’ve got to keep your cool.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is a deep dive into how to communicate with the officials during your game. From pre-game to post-game and everything in between.
Want to get those critical calls? You need to check out this episode.
Here’s all the slant drills you need to get your 3-4 Defensive Line moving and reacting for effective run fits. [3-4 Defense Run Fits PDF]
Getting that 3-4 Defensive Line to slant and attack without getting washed or kicked out can be tough. You’ve got to have a plan, and this is the technique to make that plan work.
If you’re using a spill & kill philosophy or coaching the umbrella principle to your guys, the 3-4 Defense slant drills in this episode will help your players be the right place to achieve your goals.
Your Quick Game Doesn’t Need to Be Complicated to Be Effective. Use These Tags to Light Up The Scoreboard! The Pistol Power Offense System is the most flexible offensive coaching scheme you will ever fine. It’s built on the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win philosophy.
Those base concepts aren’t enough? No problem.
We start with 2 quick concepts and 5 drop back concepts. But that won’t limit you when we start talking tags. Today we’re looking at 4 tags for each of our Quick Game concepts.
When it’s time to make a big play, this 3-4 Defense Zone Blitz Package is there for you. The 3-4 Defense System that I teach in JDFB Insider offers a ton of flexibility, so you’ll want to use it. But you need to know how to use it.
In this podcast, you find out how to use your 3-4 Defense Zone Blitz Package effectively. How and when to call your Single Edge Pressures, Interior Pressures, and Double Edge Pressures.
This is an advanced stage for your 3-4 Defense System, so make sure you review the podcasts on the base fronts and base blitz package below.
You can also run all of these 5 man pressures with a Cover 1 coverage, instead of the 3 under / 3 deep Zone Blitz coverage we discuss in the podcast.
Show Links
- Coaching the 3-4 Defense System podcast https://joedanielfootball.com/201834defense/
- 3-4 Defense Base Blitz Package podcast https://joedanielfootball.com/2019blitz34/
You’ve got a new football coach on staff. How can you help him develop faster to make your football team better? As an experienced football coach, you need to do everything you can to help develop those new coaches on staff. The young guys who think they’ve got it all figured out. Or the guy just stepping in who’s head is completely swimming.
These 10 tips will give you ideas on how to develop your new football coach to be the best they can be. And that’s going to make your football team the strongest it can be this season.
There’s a few ‘Make or Break’ situations you need to consider when practice planning. Here’s how to get ready for them. During the course of a football game, there will be a few situations that are very hard to prepare for in your practice plan. They’re those situations where the crowd gets loud and emotions run high.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we look at practice planning for a few of the most important situations and plays you’ll face during the course of the game. It’s those moments that could win or lose the football game for your team. Or cost you the entire season.
Show Links * Learn all about the Pistol Power Offense System at http://pistolpoweroffense.com * Check out a free video series on the Power Series in the Pistol Power Offense System at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast * Check out my podcast on Practice Planning to Keep Your Players Fresh to find out more about those 90 minute practice plans: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/
How can you get your players to play aggressive football on Game Day? There’s not a magic drill to fix this. https://joedanielfootball.com/membership
It might be the biggest frustration I hear from coaches on a consistent basis. “My players just don’t play aggressive. They aren’t tough. How can we fix it!?”
Most coaches are not approaching this question the right way. You’ve got to address the root of the problem when your players aren’t playing aggressive enough. And it’s not just throwing your hands up and saying, “Kids these days!”
Today’s episode is all about the 4 areas you need to address to get ‘more aggressive’ play from your football team. And exactly what playing aggressive football really means.
Show Links * The podcast on Practice Planning to Keep Your Players Fresh at https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/ which includes downloadable practice plan templates. * Randy Jackson’s Culture Defeats Strategy book on Amazon [affiliate link]
Go back in time with the Oklahoma 5-2 Defense Playbook from the 1985 National Championship Season. https://www.footballxos.com/download/oklahoma-sooners-5-2-defense-1985-gary-gibbs/
We’ve been looking at a lot of 3-4 Defense lately. I’m hearing more and more of it. So it makes sense to go back in time and look toward the origins of the 3-4 Defense.
That means we get to break down a playbook! I found the perfect one with an aggressive defensive scheme from the 1985 Oklahoma Sooners. This 5-2 Defense has a great look at multiple fronts from the 3-4 Defense (or 5-2 Defense) and a coverage package that will fit right in for today’s game.
There’s some adjustments to be made. But it’s great to see how the defense fits perfectly with the Umbrella Principle and mirrors so much of what we do in the 3-4 Defense System.
This is the basic blitz package for the 3-4 Defense as we teach it in the 3-4 Defense System that’s a part of JDFB Insider.
First we’ll talk about the blitz package in the 3-4 Defense System and how the front, stunt, blitz and coverage all have to work together. This is going to be different depending on if you’re a 2-gap or 1-gap odd front.
Then we’ll look at those base blitzes, and why you might want to use them. And most coaches in the 3-4 Defense System want to use them on every down.
Finally we’ll talk about blitz technique considerations. Disguising blitzes with no show, show it and bluff looks. Blitzing on run downs vs pass downs, and training the eyes of your linebackers to read out of blitzes when necessary. There’s no reason to blitz a gap if they’re not running there.
You don’t need to have pads on when you’re teaching tackling to your football team. Find out how to get it done! Teaching tackling to your football team and seeing better results on game day will done more for your football team’s winning percentage than anything else you can do. After all, this game is still all about blocking and tackling.
There’s an entire off-season for your team to improve their tackling. And with rule changes being put in place limiting live contact, you may be teaching tackling with no pads on all season long!
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll share tons of drills you can use to teach tackling to your football players without any contact. And without screaming WRAP UP!
Show Links
- Flat Orange Cones for tackling drills on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SPunZp [affiliate]
- Four Cone Drill video clip - go to https://joedanielfootball.com/2019tackling/
The Run and Shoot Offense set records in the USFL in 1984. Let’s see what we can learn from what they learned in 1985! A few weeks ago I started looking at the Run and Shoot Offense. With the assistance of Jason Hahnstadt’s Demistifying the Run and Shoot Offense video series, I came up with a base understanding of the offense. But I wanted to go deeper.
Do I think the Run and Shoot Offense is the right direction for a High School Football team to go? Only if you have a background and a guaranteed Quarterback pipeline. Do I think there are elements we can take from the offense? Absolutely.
So I dug around through a few Run and Shoot Offense playbooks. Settled on the 1985 Houston Gamblers playbook with… wait what? Kevin Gilbride? No idea. That’s who’s on the front page. John Jenkins was the Offensive Coordinator after Mouse Davis had moved on to the new Denver Gold.
Yes, this is the first time we’ve ever talked about the USFL in the history of The Football Coaching Podcast. Coincidence, with the AAF coming around this year? Yes. Completely.
Anyway, here’s the links to the playbook and some other useful links for Run and Shoot Offense enthusiasts…
Show Links * The 1985 Houston Gamblers playbook, and several other playbooks mentioned in this podcast can be found here (thanks to footballxos.com) * Get the Demistifying the Run and Shoot video series at 25% Off, FBCP listener special * My earlier podcast as I stumble through learning the Run and Shoot is Season 4, Episode 5 of The Football Coaching Podcast * I mentioned our passing concepts in The Pistol Power Offense several times, but you can get a taste of the offense with a free video series on the Power series at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast
No matter how good you are, every coach is going to lose some games. But there is a silver lining to every cloud! Every coach wants to win. And there are times when your job will depend on it. But every loss can’t be a soul crushing defeat that sends you into the doldrums for a week.
In this episode, we’re going to break down losing into 3 categories of losses. Then we’ll look at how you can best deal with each type of loss. You’ll find out how to get the most out of each loss, so that your team moves forward instead of bogging down and falling behind.
Give the same look to the Quarterback every snap using Roll Cover 3 coverage. Here’s how to do it. The simplest way to disguise your coverage is to give the same look on every snap. One way to accomplish that is to align your safeties and corners across the field in a straight line - then adjust before (or after) the snap.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll go in detail on installing a Roll Cover 3 system into your defense. This is based off of our 4-3 Defense System packages, but can be incorporated to any defensive package with a few adjustments.
Show Links
- My free video series on the 4-3 Defense System at http://the43defense.com/podcast
- A great resource for putting together your defensive philosophy is Fritz Shurmur’s Coaching Team Defense at https://amzn.to/2MWSnZu (using that link gives me a little kickback - after all, I got to write the foreword in it!)
Get the most out of your passing game drill progression by having a plan. Here’s how to have success in the air, faster. Want to get the most out of your passing game? You’ve got to have a plan for your passing drills. There’s a lot more to it than just working the QB’s throwing motion, too.
A lot more, in fact. And a lot more than playing 7 on 7. In this episode, I’ll outline how to plan your passing game drill progression to work your most important route concepts to perfection.
Show Links
- 10 Keys to Coaching Quarterbacks from S04E06 of the podcast: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019quarterback/
- Wide Receiver Drills for Better Route Running from S02E08 on the podcast: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018widereceiverdrills/
- YouTube video on coaching better route running from your receivers: https://joedanielfootball.com/receiver-routes/
- YouTube video on the relationship between Quarterback footwork and Receiver footwork in route timing: https://joedanielfootball.com/timing-wide-receiver-routes-quarterback-footwork/
Coaching Quarterbacks doesn’t have to be complicated. This is The Non-Guru Guide to Coaching QBs! This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast looks at how to coach quarterbacks when you’re not a Quarterback Guru. It turns out you don’t need a PhD to get the job done.
First, you’ll find out the 3 critical skills your signal caller needs to have when you’re deciding who should play the position. Then we’ll break down 10 Keys to Coaching Quarterbacks. You can download the 10 Keys in PDF format in the download box at the beginning of this page.
Show Links
- My article on the Characteristics of a Great Quarterback from several years ago
- Coaching Quarterbacks to Read Coverages from Season 2 of The Football Coaching Podcast
- Get the foundations of the Pistol Power Offense System with my 3 video series on Coaching the Power, Counter and Power Pass.
We’re breaking down the Run and Shoot Offense. Here’s what I’ve learned in a very, very short period of time. It may be football’s greatest mystery. The most complex offensive play design out there. For myself, it’s the single offensive system I knew absolutely nothing about.
Time to change that! This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is a look at the Run and Shoot Offense. I’ll look at a few base passing plays and see what we can learn from this offensive system.
The Run and Shoot Offense is fascinating. I don’t know of any other system that has achieved such high levels of success without spreading like wildfire through the High School and College coaching ranks. Maybe we’ll be able to figure out why!
Show Links
- Jason Hahnstadt’s new video series on Demystifying the Run and Shoot Offense is the play to start! Click here to get 25% OFF the video series
- Lots of videos from Mouse Davis that were uploaded by Ron Mckie on YouTube, plus that June Jones short explanation of a Run and Shoot concept: Run and Shoot Playlist
We’re diving into the backlog of the Football Coach Mailbag. Time to play catch-up! Today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is getting us caught up on your questions from the football coach mailbag. We’re hitting all kinds of topics you’ve been asking about in this special episode!
In This Episode…
- Should Defensive Ends be in a 2 point or 3 point stance?
- How to improve player academics during the off-season
- Scout Team Wrist Bands from CoachDrive.com
- Advantages of 4-2-5 Defense over the 33 Stack (and visa versa)
- What to do when you’re good on defense, but bad on offense
Show Links
-
Scout Team System from CoachDrive.com
-
Foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense System video series at http://425defense.com/podcast
-
Coach Fore’s The Shield Punt manual: https://eightlaces.org/product/shield-punt-book/
Every football coaches needs his own coaching philosophy. Mine is short… Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win. You hear it on every podcast: Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win. But what does that really mean?
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about explaining my own personal coaching philosophy. Because a lot of coaches get it wrong. They think I’m a 4-2-5 Defense guy, or a power run game guy.
None of that is true. My entire coaching philosophy is summed up with 5 words. Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win. And you hear it on every podcast. Now, let’s go in depth on what that really means.
The 3-4 Defense System can shut down your opponents next season with a simple approach to creating complexity. The 3-4 Defense has become increasingly popular because of the flexibility to defend everything from downhill rushing attacks to elaborate Spread Option and RPO offenses. In today’s episode we’re going to look and the 3-4 Defense System that is a part of JDFB Insider.
The 3-4 Defense System gives you a simple approach to defense. But with an added complexity and flexibility you can use as needed. We’ll talk about the base front, stunts, and blitz package that are taught inside the system. You can also download alignments to standard formations in PDF format above.
There’s a lot of moving parts to being a Head Football Coach. Here are some of the critical lessons I learned this season.
2018 was my first season as a Head Football Coach. Overall the year was successful, but there was a lot of learning. I’ll share some of the lessons learned that weren’t in the manual when I started on the job.
You can download my 12 Lessons Learned as a Head Football Coach PDF document above. These lessons have nothing to do with X’s and O’s. If you don’t have your X’s and O’s nailed down, or have a plan for it - you probably shouldn’t be in charge yet.
Use these 6 methods to learn to coach football, faster. The key is knowing where to focus your effort. How can you learn to be a better football coach this off-season? There’s more opportunity available than ever, but you’ve got to look in the right places and have a focused goal.
I’ll share 6 resources you can use to learn to coach football, whether you’re just starting out or continuing your lifelong coaching education. And the 3 keys that you must follow to get a coaching education that’s actually going to help your team win games.
How can you make the right halftime adjustments to win the big game? Here’s how to plan for success with the 4-2-5 Defense. You had a great game plan. It should work. Maybe it’s even working for you… to a point. But at halftime, you need to make a few tweaks to get to the finish line.
Halftime adjustments in your 4-2-5 Defense (or any defense, for that matter) can be made for a number of reasons. In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll break down the 5 reasons you should make an adjustment, and share some of those potential adjustments for your 4-2-5 Defense System with you.
It’s raining. It’s pouring. Hold onto the football so you can keep scoring! Don’t let a driving, pouring rain cost you a football game. Or footballs. Because footballs are expensive.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll go into detail about how to prepare for a rain game. I’ll give you the 11 items your program needs to have to get ready (put these on your off-season shopping list!).
Then we’ll talk about in-game management. Keeping the balls, and your players, dry all night. And how you can still hit the perimeter without tossing the football.
Finally, I’ll share how we played a game in a driving rain, and got all of the footballs back to game-ready. The entire process (good and bad) is shared on this podcast!
You played them once. Now you’ve got to do it again! Here’s how to prepare your Offensive Game Plan. You beat them once. Or maybe you lost to them. But this is your second game against the same opponent!
Last season, we faced this conundrum twice. We played our week 9 opponent in the first round of the playoffs, and our week 10 opponent in the 2nd round. It’s tough to prepare for the changes you’ll see!
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll focus on preparing an Offensive Game Plan to face a team you’ve already played one time this season.
Need a different result? Need the same result again? Doesn’t matter. This episode will get you prepared to win!
You don’t have to be an Offensive Line guru to coach great Pass Protection. You just need the first two steps. The biggest difference maker in the success of your offense, and maybe your football team, is how good your Offensive Line plays. For most offenses, that includes great Pass Protection.
Today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast focuses on Offensive Line footwork for blocking defenders in drop back passing. And it’s really independent of what pass protection scheme you decide to use.
Learn the most important rules of pass protection. Then find out how to coach the first two steps that will win your Offensive Line most pass protection battles!
Is your Goal Line Defense ready to make the critical, game winning stop? Probably not. Your opponent drove the ball the length of the field. They’re inside your 5 yard line. It’s time to make the big stop.
Defensive Coordinators need to take a big step forward right now - and accept that getting the stop is not very likely. After all, you couldn’t stop them up til now.
But if you CAN make that big stop? What a momentum changer! So your Goal Line Defense needs to be ready to show up.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll install a basic goal line package for the 4-2-5 Defense that gives your guys a shot to be heroes (even when they probably shouldn’t be).
How can you have better practice planning in significantly less time? Here’s how to plan efficient and effective practices. We’ve all been through those long practices that seem to drag on forever. It’s not productive, no matter how long you spend out on the field.
What if you could get twice as much accomplished, in just a fraction of the time on the field? Higher energy practices. Consistent effort from your players.
And then get home to your family earlier?
It can be done. But you’ve got to commit to a more efficient practice plan. In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll share with you how to get the job done!
Also, check out the interview I had with Justin Dottavio where he talked about how he keeps his practices to 90 minutes.
Does your team sputter in your Goal Line Offense? Here’s how to turn your base offense into a Short Yardage Machine. You drive the length of the field. But when it really counts, your goal line offense has a tough time punching the ball across the finish line.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about turning your offense into a high powered short yardage machine. Find out how you can create a powerful goal line offense and still keep it simple for your players.
Scheme doesn’t matter if you don’t have great tackling technique. We’re taking a deep dive into teaching safe and effective tackling for your football team! Player safety is the single most important aspect of coaching football today. But it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice effective blocking and tackling.
We started using the Hawk Tackle method before it was even a thing (though we had no idea what we were doing). It has been a huge benefit for football coaches all over the country by increasing player safety while also improving tackling efficiency.
I’ll go over technique and drills for teaching all aspects of tackling technique in this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
Coach Safety Reads that tell your force and alley players if it’s a run or a pass. And never have to change those reads again. With the defensive philosophy that I subscribe to, the ‘umbrella’ is critical to the success of the defense. That means your Safety reads must be fast and accurate.
You can’t have a lot of confusion or hesitation. And you can’t give up long passes on play action because of a bad read.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll look at 4 different methods of coaching safety reads. Then I’ll go in depth on the one that I’ve found to work the best for our guys.
Brent Dearmon talks about installing RPOs into your offense and how he’s turning around Bethel University with an explosive offensive style. Coach Brent Dearmon has a pretty impressive resume including most recently working as Offensive Coordinator at Arkansas Tech. Now he’s turning around his alma mater at Bethel University in Tennessee.
In this Football Coaching Podcast interview, Coach Dearmon shares how you can install RPOs into your offense, and how to call plays to attack any coverage. Plus he’ll talk about the turnaround process at Bethel, and about his time working for Gus Malzahn at Auburn.
Coach Dearmon and CoachTube.com generously provided a special deal for Football Coaching Podcast Listeners to get $10 OFF Identifying & Attacking Coverages with the RPO. Coach Dearmon teaches everything you need to know to incorporate RPOs into your offense right now. Click here to get this exclusive deal.
The Outside Zone Play is one of the best plays in football, no matter what level you coach. Here’s the deep dive details on how to run it precision for big gains on the ground. The Outside Zone Play is one of the best offensive plays in football. In the NFL, it may be the most frequently called run in the entire league.
But you don’t care about the NFL. You care about your football team, and how the Outside Zone Play can help you.
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast for the complete, in depth look at how to run the Outside Zone Play against all 6 defensive fronts - and absolutely anything else you might see. Plus we’ll break down a few variations to get even more mileage out of the outside zone blocking scheme.
From the early days of the Pistol Power Offense System, let’s take a deep dive into the run game of the 1986 Washington Redskins Playbook. The Pistol Power Offense System has a lot of roots with the Washington Redskins playbooks from the 1980s. Today we’re taking a look at one of those playbooks.
Be warned… this playbook was a mess. There’s no way any Redskins player ever received the playbook in this format.
But we powered through! Look at Inside Zone, Outside Zone, and a couple of very interesting variations of 3rd & Medium or 3rd & Long plays from this 1986 Washington Redskins Playbook. You can also download the playbook above here.
Shut down the run with your 4-4 Defense. Or whatever you want to call it... Time to shut down the run. Get serious. You don’t defend spread teams every week! Better be ready to play it tough! This week, we’re talking about running that powerhouse 4-4 Defense against all of the most popular offensive run schemes in football today.
Okay, time for true confessions. This is how we teach defending the run in the 4-2-5 Defense System, and you can sign up at the top of this article to get instant access to a free video series on it. The 4-4 Defense, 4-2-5 Defense and 6-2 Defense are all essentially the same.
Wasting your entire weekend watching film, trying to find the secret for your Defensive Game Plan? Here’s how to stop. You can spend hours and hours watching Hudl, hoping to find some little secret nugget that makes you a genius on your defensive game plan. Truth is, you’re wasting a lot of time.
Learn how to watch film efficiently and take care of the things that matter in your life. Listen to today’s episode for efficient defensive game planning, and then download the free Offensive Film Study Sheet above!
What pass protection scheme is best for keeping your Quarterback safe? Take a look at the Half-Slide Pass Protection scheme. In the Pistol Power Offense System, we use Half-Slide Pass Protection as our drop back protection scheme. If you want a scheme that works great and adapts to any front, this is the place to start.
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to get the basics of Half-Slide Pass Protection. Could this be the solution to your Quarterback protection problems?
Think your Offensive Line isn’t good enough? Make their job easier using these critical Offensive Line Run Blocking tips. There’s a few myths in coaching offensive line run blocking that we need to break through. Then we can start to build a better run game.
In this episode, we’ll talk about why you don’t need your Offensive Linemen to sustain blocks longer. Or drive their man down the field. And how you can make your less talented Offensive Line look like a group of All Pro’s with a few minor adjustments.
What’s the simplest, most effective coverage you can teach? Let’s take a look at coaching Cover 3 Coverage in the 4-2-5 Defense. Coaches love to over-complicate things. In a lot of situations, the less complicated answer would be the better one. That’s often the case with coverage packages.
Aside from trying to run every coverage, many coaches are running a coverage that is much more complicated than necessary. If you’re in a league, conference or level where the teams you need to beat are run heavy offenses, Cover 3 coverage might be perfect for you.
I’m going to break down how to teach Cover 3 coverage for the 4-2-5 Defense, but the teachings are very similar no matter what defensive front you choose.
Show Links Coaching Cover 3 Coverage in the 4-2-5 Defense on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sYTcU5zsaE4
The Up Front Offensive Line System by Dave Christensen: https://joedanielfootball.com/upfront
Check out all of the coaches on The Football Coaching Podcast Network
What are the critical keys to great Offensive Line Play? Arizona State Offensive Line Coach Dave Christensen has your answers.
https://joedanielfootball.com/upfront
Dave Christensen has been coaching football for 36 years. Mostly working with the Offensive Line. And I had a great time talking OL play with him on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
Listen to this episode to hear Coach Christensen talk about what it takes to have a great Offensive Line, the most important drills for your Linemen, and what a typical practice plan looks like for his D1 Offensive Line practices.
Coach Christensen has also created an awesome course called the Up Front Offensive Line System. CoachTube has set up an exclusive deal for Football Coaching Podcast listeners to save 50% Off the Up Front Offensive Line System for a limited time only! Click https://joedanielfootball.com/upfront to get instant access to this incredible coaching system.
Every offensive playbook needs a foundation. The Power Series is that foundation for the Pistol Power Offense System. [create optin box for the Pistol Power Offense PLC content]
It’s nice to do a podcast where you don’t need any notes. You’ve talked about something so many times that it just flows.
That’s the Power Series for me. It’s the foundation of our offense, and has been for a number of years.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll go in depth on the details for executing the Power, Counter, Power Pass and Counter Pass in the Pistol Power Offense System.
Tired of watching a great defensive series fall apart on a poor job defending a screen pass? Here’s how to get your 33 Stack Defense ready to stop the Screen Pass.
Download the Huskies ‘92 Defense Playbook Here
The 1992 Washington Huskies 4-4 Defense Playbook is the subject a deep dive look on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. And it’s an interesting look.
We’ll investigate the similarities and differences between the Huskies 4-4 Defense and the more modern 4-2-5 Defenses today. Is there really a difference in the core structure? Listen to The Football Coaching Podcast to find out!
Does your Defense need to tighten up? The 4-2-5 Defense can be a simple a system to let your players play fast. You need a defense that can easily adapt to any offensive attack. If you’re changing everything from week to week, you’ll be in trouble when your players get confused.
The 4-2-5 Defense System has been built around the Joe Daniel Football motto of Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win. In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we look at the philosophy and principles that build the foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense.
There’s a lot to be done this season! This is a guide to planning your football year.
Running a top notch program doesn’t just happen. It requires a lot of planning to have a great football year.
In this week’s Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll walk you through planning the entire year. Fundraising, parents, building the culture, and planning scheme install is all discussed here. Everything you need to think about to have a great season!
What are your favorite football video games of all time? Here’s a look at the games we used to play.
There is no great football coaching insight in today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. I’ll be back with more of that, next episode.
Today is just about doing something fun. A little different. A walk down memory lane with the football video games I grew up with.
What are your favorite football video games of all time? Here’s a look at the games we used to play. There is no great football coaching insight in today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. I’ll be back with more of that, next episode.
Today is just about doing something fun. A little different. A walk down memory lane with the football video games I grew up with.
What’s the Secret to Defending RPOs with the 4-3 Defense? It’s not really a secret. Season 2 of The Football Coaching Podcast wraps up with defending RPOs with the 4-3 Defense and Quarters Coverage. We’re using the defense as drawn up in The 4-3 Defense System that is part of JDFB Insiders.
Quarters Coverage offers some special flexibility that you might not have in other coverages and with other packages. The true nature of the 7 man front and 2 high safeties might be your best answer for defending RPOs.
Listen to this week’s episode and find out why The 4-3 Defense is my favorite defense for defending RPOs! (...on paper)
Show Links * Learn the foundations of the 4-3 defense with my free 3-video series * A lot of the RPOs we run are detailed in the episode on Coaching RPOs in Your Current Playbook
You don’t have to create an entire RPO Playbook. It’s easy to incorporate RPO’s into the offensive system you’re running right now. Run-Pass Options (RPOs) are the hot topic for offensive football coaches across the country over the last few seasons. The schemes have made their way down from the College level down to the High School ranks in a hurry.
Many coaches have been abandoning what they’ve always done in favor of more modern, “exciting” offensive schemes. The purpose of this episode is to show that you do not need to do that. You can use your existing offensive playbook and add RPOs into the mix, without sacrificing all you’ve done in the past.
How do you Coach Simple so your players can Play Fast? Triggers are the answer to your problem. Triggers are a stimulus, or event, that happens on the field that tell your player to initiate a response, or reaction. For every action on the field, there is a reaction by your player. (but this is not physics and we do not want the response to be equal!)
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll be looking at triggers for every offensive and defensive position. Plus, how you can use triggers to simplify your teaching and get your players to react faster.
Show Links * Jerry Campbell has an excellent collection of manuals at https://www.jcfb.com/ * Video on setting up the timing of your Run Plays: https://youtu.be/CnEXaE2GXMA * Curl Pass Concept including Trigger Reads: https://youtu.be/4LzPFyQ8clc * Ron McKie’s The Pin and Pull RPO eBook gives an in-depth look at using triggers to coach a single play that will always be the right call. * Rex Ryan’s Coaching the 46 Defense book has an excellent chapter on Defensive Line triggers. * The Pistol Power Offense System teaches our Triggers for the passing game and the run game: http://pistolpoweroffense.com
Coaching 4-3 Defense Quarters Coverage gives you great pass coverage. Plus you get 9 defenders against the run! I love coaching 4-3 Defense Quarters Coverage. It’s incredibly effective if you know how to teach and adjust the package. And if you have the right guys.
There’s a ton of advantages, but there are also a few difficulties you need to be aware of. We’ll discuss all of that on this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
We teach this complete 4-3 Defense Quarters Coverage package in The 4-3 Defense System included as part of JDFB Insiders. But there are some important updates in this episode, too!
Show Links * There’s only 4 types of defense! The infamous Episode 80 strikes again. * Get my 3 video series on the 4-3 Defense exclusively at http://the43defense.com/podcast * The 4-3 Defense System is part of a JDFB Insider subscription. * Shap Boyd’s excellent Quarters Coverage Made Simple video. * If you’re interested in Press Quarters, the Michigan State Cover 4 video is great.
Clemson’s Spread Offense uses a Hurry Up, No Huddle approach. Don’t be fooled, there’s nothing fancy here.. The 2013 Clemson Offense playbook is available from Chris Brown’s SmartFootball.com through the link below. It’s a great look at the simplicity of many modern Hurry Up, No Huddle offenses.
The Clemson Offense was already introducing RPOs at that time, and showing the development of some of the more run-pass options we see today. It’s an interesting look at the Spread Offense during a time of critical development.
In this episode we’ll be focused on the Day 1 Spring Install for the Clemson Offense in 2013.
Show Links * Download the playbook from SmartFootball.com * The foundation of the offense is very similar to the Pistol Power Offense System * Get my free 3 video series on the Power Series
It may be the hot new thing in football, but coaching RPOs is here to stay. Check out this simple primer for adding Run-Pass Options to your Offensive System. Thinking about coaching RPOs in your offensive system? There’s a few things to consider first.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is a basic introduction to using Run Pass Options, no matter what offensive system you currently run. If you can add this new phase to your offensive attack, you could really open up the scoring next season!
If you can’t block ‘em, read ‘em. That’s what the Option Gurus like to say… but how do we read ‘em!? Listen to find out! I love Option Football. Any style. Flexbone Option, Split back Veer, Zone Read Option, or today’s most advanced Run Pass Option plays. At the end of the day, it’s all option reads.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast focuses on coaching option reads for your Quarterback. How do you read the Dive Key? How do you attack the Pitch Key?
Check out this week’s Football Coaching Podcast to find out!
The Miami 4-3 Defense is one of the most successful defenses of the last 30 years. Let’s break down the 1996 Miami Hurricanes 4-3 Defense Playbook. The Miami 4-3 Defense is one of my favorite defensive schemes out there. In the previous episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we talked about the foundations.
In this episode, I’ll dive into the 1996 Miami Hurricanes 4-3 Defense playbook. This very detailed playbook gives a look at how the defense was evolving throughout the 1990’s at the college level.
How did the Miami 4-3 Defense come to be one of the most popular defenses in football today? Here’s the background. When Jimmy Johnson installed his 4-3 Defense at the University of Miami, he built a great defense. It continues to expand and adapt with the evolution of offensive football, year after year.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll look back at the origins of the 4-3 Defense, before Miami. The Even 4-3 Defense and Tom Landry’s Flex 4-3 Defense get examined.
Then we’ll break down the basic philosophy and foundations of the Miami 4-3 Defense that I teach today in our 4-3 Defense System.
You can get my Free 3 Video Series right now to learn how to teach and install the Miami 4-3 Defense. Visit http://the43defense.com/podcast to get instant access!
Show Links 4-3 Defense for Football is one of my first YouTube videos from several years ago, on the basics of the Miami 4-3 Defense
Coaching Football’s 4-3 Defense by Tim Simons and Mike Freeman, book from Amazon
Is There Any Way to Explain Football’s Most Confusing, Convoluted, Intellectually Taxing, Perhaps-No-Longer-So-Great Defense? From D Magazine
The Landry Flex 43 and the Even 43 from Cowboys Nation
The 43 Flex, from Tom Landry to Rob Ryan from Code and Football
Coaching Football’s Double Eagle Flex Defense by Ted Amorosi, book from Amazon
(I love the 4-3 Defense, I doubt you’ll ever see this many links in the show notes again!)
Run or Pass? What should you call? Here’s how to decide. When you’re putting together your playbook, you’ve got a good idea of what you like to do. You’re either a running team, or a passing offense.
But how do you know what to call during the game? Should you try for balance, or take what the defense gives you?
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll talk about when to call a run vs pass and why should make that decision!
Increase your completion percentages and get better pass protection by coaching your Quarterback to read coverages.
In the Pistol Power Offense System we have a great passing system that can attack any defense. And it’s simple. But it will really accelerate once your Quarterback is able to start reading coverages.
This doesn’t have to be a super complicated graduate level class on reading coverages. There’s only a pieces he needs to be aware of before the snap. 4 to be exact.
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to get your quarterback started on reading coverages. Don’t forget download the PDF document above for the visuals from this episode.
Georgia Military College’s 3-5-3 Defense is the foundation many teams have based their entire playbook around...
We’re breaking down Georgia Military College’s 2008 Defensive Playbook. You can get the playbook from Coach Hoover’s 3-5 Defense page.
This is one of the best defensive playbooks we’ve looked at on the podcast. The description is fantastic, and useful for any defensive coach (not just 3-5-3 Defense guys!).
We’ll look at the GMC Playbook for the fronts, blitz packages, defensive line play, and an in depth look at the coverages. You’re going to want to download this manual too, so click that link above to get it from Coach Hoover’s website!
Tired of watching a great defense series fall apart on a poor job defending a screen pass? Here’s how to get your 33 Stack Defense ready to stop the Screen Pass. Screen passes are great calls for offensive coordinators. When your 33 Stack Defense is really bringing the pressure and getting fired up, a screen pass can cool them down in a hurry.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast I’ll share 6 steps for preparing your 33 Stack Defense to defend the screen. Plus, I’ll share two drills you can use in practice to get your defense ready. You can also download those drill PDFs in the box above here.
How can you slow down a hard charging Defensive Line’s pass rush? What’s the right call on 3rd and a mile? Turn to your Screen Game. Visit https://joedanielfootball.com/2018screengame to get the PDF download that goes along with this episode.
I love calling the screen game in our offense. There are so many situations where it’s the right thing to do.
A conservative play call when you can’t afford to lose yardage. A potential big gainer when you need a play. And an incomparable tool to help your Offensive Line’s pass protection.
In this episode, we’re breaking down the anatomy of the Screen Game for your offense. No matter what style of offense you run, screen plays should be a vital part of your offense!
If you run a passing game based on timing, wide receiver routes have to be perfect. Here’s the progression of Wide Receiver drills to make it happen. Coaches love drills. But are those drills actually accomplishing anything?
The progression of Wide Receiver Drills I’m sharing in today’s Football Coaching Podcast is how you can get your receivers to run the best possible routes to get open on time for your Quarterback.
You can’t neglect the importance of your receivers being in the right place, in the right time, and being open. It helps them get the ball, but it helps the rest of your team too. Quarterbacks have confidence to deliver the ball. You reduce the amount of time Offensive Linemen need to protect.
And of course, throwing the ball will help open up your run game.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast for Wide Receiver Drills that will get your receivers open when you need them there!
The routes I discuss in this podcast are all major parts of our Pistol Power Offense System. You can get all the details at http://pistolpoweroffense.com.
The Coaching Tree out of the Kentucky Air Raid System is well known. Let’s take a look at the playbook that started it all. Hal Mumme’s 1997 Kentucky football team brought the new Air Raid Offense to the SEC. They were throwing the ball all over the place.
The Air Raid System uses a unique philosophy of distributing the ball to your athletes in space using the passing attack. It might seem complex. When you get into the inner workings this is an extremely well designed offensive system built on a few core plays.
I’ll break down what you can find in the 1997 Kentucky Offensive Playbook. There’s some great nuggets of information in here, even if you’re not an Air Raid guy!
I love playing Cover 1. With our 4-2-5 Defense System, it’s my favorite coverage to run. But not everyone is comfortable.
In this episode, I’ll talk about why you should think about Cover 1 coverage and why you should be even more comfortable than you would be with a lot of zone coverages.
We’ll look at elements to consider when your athletes are not ‘man cover’ guys, and how to adjust for it, too. All in this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
What’s the best plan for attacking Man Coverage? Here’s how to beat Cover 1, Cover 0 and 2-Man Coverage with your passing game. Nothing fancy. I’m not going all ‘Air Raid’ on you just yet. This week’s Football Coaching Podcast is about attacking man coverage with sound principles that can work in any offense.
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting a loaded box, blitzing linebackers, and not having a way to make the defense pay for it. But all that pressure can really cause chaos for your offense.
To get the balance back and return to your running game, you have to be able to throw simple concepts against man coverage. And you must be able to protect the Quarterback.
The concepts discussed in this episode are all part of the Pistol Power Offense System. You can get access to the System by becoming a JDFB Insider client right now!
Coach Flawless Linebacker Blitz Technique to Get All the Reward of Aggressive Play Calling, with Less Risk. Too many coaches use blitzes as a way to just ‘make something happen.’ That something could mean either your band, or their band, is going to play. And the outcome might be 50-50 at best.
Defensive Coordinators can minimize risk in two ways. One is obvious. Study the other team, and call your blitzes with intent and purpose to stop specific actions by the offense.
The other way to minimize risk, is coaching linebacker blitz technique. Coaching techniques that are going to give your blitzing linebacker the chance to make a play.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re going to look at 7 keys to Coaching Linebacker Blitz Technique. Each individual phase of the blitz game is an opportunity to improve your defense.
In the 2000’s, the West Virginia 3-3 Defense was one of several Odd Stack fronts turning heads across the nation. Along with Georgia Military College’s 3-5-3 Defense, these two variations became the most popular for High School Football teams to emulate.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m breaking down the West Virginia 3-3 Defense playbook from 2002. We’ll look at the philosophy behind the defense, base fronts, alignment, adjustments, blitzes and coverages in this 192 page playbook (download available at the top of this page).
Looking for more ideas to expand your Odd Stack defense or add the front in as a change-up? The breakdown of the West Virginia 3-3 Defense in this episode, along with my previous episode on Coaching the 33 Stack Defense, will get you going.
I started running the 33 Stack Defense in 2006. At the time, it was just gaining in popularity. Many coaches criticized the defense because “you can’t stop the run.”
But the defense gained a foothold. Coaches liked the aggressiveness and the idea of a defense built for smaller players. More speed on the field.
Unfortunately, a lot of myths sprung up around the defense in that era, too. High School Football coaches have done a better job learning the intricacies and executing the defense in recent years.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll talk about the basics of the 33 Stack Defense. We’ll also look at those myths and how you can use the 33 Stack Defense for your football team today.
Your football team will have more success, and you will be a happier coach, when you give an identity to your offensive play calling. Everyone has that team on the schedule. You know exactly what they are going to do on offense. You just can’t stop it.
It’s a great situation to be in. One that seems so simple and obvious. But so many High School football coaches are putting way too much time into coming up with the next great thing.
Instead, work to establish your offensive play calling identity.
Listen to this podcast, and download the document above, to get the steps to establishing your own offensive play calling identity.
Hopefully I won’t forget these Football Coaching Lessons again before next season... For the final Football Coaching Podcast of 2017, I wanted to talk about the football coaching lessons I learned this year.
I sat down and started hammering out a list. It’s a good list. Learned a lot this year.
Unfortunately, several of the things on this list are football coaching lessons I have learned many times before. And just seem to forget them.
So for you, and for me, this year’s list is not only on The Football Coaching Podcast, but you can also download my 10 Football Coaching Lessons Learned in the box above.
I’ll be pinning it up on the wall somewhere, and hopefully looking at it. Before I make the same mistakes again.
Do you need your 4-2-5 Defense to dominate? Take a deeper look at one that has already done it.
We’re going deep into the pages of the 1999 TCU 4-2-5 Defense Playbook. This playbook was used when Gary Patterson was still the Defensive Coordinator for the Horned Frogs.
It’s a great playbook to look at for any football coach. But 4-2-5 Defense coaches should be intimately familiar with it.
I’ll point out what you should take from it, and what you should probably leave alone. And a few things that I’d like to steal, but haven’t done it yet!
Your defense must be ready to stop any RPO the offense can run at you.
Getting your defense ready to defend Run-Pass Options isn’t as hard as other coaches will make it sound. At least, the X’s and O’s side of things isn’t so hard.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll give you a plan for shutting down RPO’s with your 4-2-5 Defense. Just by running your base scheme.
Plus, I’m going to share the 5 Keys to Defending RPO’s that every defense must follow. If you can take care of these pieces, your defense will be ready to shut down any RPO.
Are you getting everything you can out of every football run play in your playbook? Take a look at the detailed anatomy of an offensive play to find out.
Football seems pretty simple, right? Move the ball down the field. Score.
Block. Tackle. End Zone Celebration or Sack Dance. Not much to it.
Yeah, if you’re a football coach you know that’s not true. There’s a lot of work that goes into this.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m breaking down the anatomy of a Football Run Play. What goes into the play every time the ball is snapped?
Any good football coach will tell you that it’s all about execution. The best play designs and ideas in the world won’t matter, if your players can’t execute.
If you want to see how we put together some pretty good football run plays (and a play action pass), you need to check out my 3 video series on the Power, Counter and Power Pass plays. Visit https://joedanielfootball.com/podcast to get instant access, at no cost to you, because this is my gift to you.
The Off Season is the perfect time for your football team to make improvement in leaps and bounds. But you’ve got to have a plan.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re looking at the 6 areas of Off Season Planning you need to be focused on, including…
- Academics
- Recruiting
- Fundraising
- Character & Team Building
- Strength Training
- Skill Development
Football coaches have a lot more to work on during this time than most people thing. You can’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to looking for off season improvement.
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast right now, and get started planning your Off Season Calendar!
In this episode, I mentioned JDFB Insider and the Annual Subscription Plan. Annual Subscribers get Unlimited Coach Licenses, because your entire staff needs to be getting better this off season! Click here to check out JDFB Insider
For the first time on The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re doing something a little different. I’m breaking down the 2004 Utah Offense playbook.
Urban Meyer was in his second year at Utah, running this Spread Option attack. Even though it’s the standard of college football today, this was an innovative and unique offense in 2004.
When I’m looking at this playbook with you, all I’ll talk about is what I would want to steal. For my own players.
You will not hear any talk about the athletes at Utah, or even Urban Meyer himself (except a few shots at Florida, because I couldn’t resist). It’s about what football coaches can learn from an old playbook.
You’ll hear about the program philosophy as presented in the playbook. We’ll talk run game including those Spread Option plays - like that shovel option everyone’s so excited about today.
Then I’ll look at the passing game that Utah was using in 2004. And why it was so effective.
This is a great playbook to examine for coaches. Even though it seems complex watching the offense on TV, the truth is that the Utes kept it simple. There are just a few schemes for players to learn.
In reviewing a Utah game from 2004, I saw that they really stay true to the simplicity in the playbook, too. You don’t need a lot of plays to be extremely successful!
Links
- Download the 2004 Utah Offense Playbook
Get Instant Access to my Pistol Power Offense video series at no charge. I’ll detail the Power blocking scheme that is the foundation of Utah’s Shovel Option, along with a Counter and Power Pass (Utah uses the Power and the Power Pass, but there wasn’t a Counter in the playbook).
Defensive play calling might seem simple. Pick a front, maybe throw in a blitz, choose a coverage. But it’s not.
Defensive football in general isn’t nearly as simple as some would make it out to be. Sure, at the heart of the matter you just find the football and get the guy to the ground. But if that was all it took, we’d all be geniuses.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re looking at how to call you defensive fronts to effectively stop the offense. More than play calling, we’re talking about how to game plan the fronts you want to use.
I’ll even give you a 6-Step Process for choosing your defensive fronts when you game plan for an opponent. This is a great to figure out how to put your players in position to succeed!
Doesn’t matter what your base defense is, either. No matter what defense you run, this podcast will help you game plan your fronts to shut down the run.
Check it out! And if you want to go even deeper in learning defensive fronts, start your JDFB Insider subscription right now! You’ll get access to 4 Complete Defensive Systems instantly. Click here to get started right now.
It’s just 3 yards. How hard can it be? 2 Point Conversion Plays seem like easy points. But they won’t be unless your team is prepared.
If you have a good field goal kicker, the 2 Point Conversion may be something you only use when you need it. For other coaches, it’s an absolute necessity.
There’s a lot to think about when you put together your 2 Point Package. How many plays do you need? Do the come from your regular offense? Or will you use special plays?
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re going to go into preparing a 2 Point Conversion package. From basic philosophy behind 2 point plays, to specific plays that you can use in your offense right now.
At some point, you’ll have a football game that will come down to the 2 Point Conversion Play. Listen to this episode now to get the jump on your preparation for that moment!
In this episode, I mention the Power Pass and other parts of our Pistol Power Offense System. Visit http://pistolpoweroffense.com to find out how you can get Instant Access to this complete Offensive System right now!
The 3-4 Defense is one of the most popular schemes being used in High School, College and the NFL today. Unfortunately, just saying that you 'run a 3-4 Defense' won't tell anyone else a whole lot.
Sure, you use 3 down linemen and 4 linebackers. But they can be arranged in a huge variety of ways. And flexibility is one of the strengths of the 3-4 Defense.
Within JDFB Insiders, I teach The 3-4 Defense System as my own preferred brand of the scheme. It's not too complicated, and grew from our 4-2-5 Defense playbook.
Find another coach running the 3-4 Defense. It's likely that his version will look different.
You might 2-gap the defensive linemen. Or base out of a different coverage.
Or you might not call it a 3-4 Defense at all. Maybe you call this a 5-2 Defense. They're the same.
Check out https://joedanielfootball.com/80 for my entire rant on how there's only 4 defensive schemes in football. Plenty of people have argued with me, no one has convinced me I'm wrong yet.
For this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're talking all about The 3-4 Defense. Advantages, disadvantages, and how we teach the scheme inside of JDFB Insiders.
You can get Instant Access to my Complete 3-4 Defense System right now for just $1! Plus you'll get access to 4 other complete football coaching systems inside of JDFB Insider. Visit https://joedanielfootball.com/tryit to start your 14 Day Trial for just $1 right now! Available only during the month of October!
Playing Center is not the most glamorous position. It’s the opposite.
In the NFL, the Left Tackle gets all the glory on the Offensive Line. Probably the only position to consistently get recognized up front.
Sure, there’s a few Centers who become well known. They usually have a high command of the offense and play for many years. And they’re snapping the ball to some of the top Quarterbacks in football.
In High School Football, the Center will rarely get that kind of recognition. His recognition is more likely to come from a bad snap, than from anything positive he contributes to the team.
Offensive Line Coaches know the truth. The Center is often the single most important guy in your blocking scheme.
Within our Pistol Power Offense System, there’s a lot of variation. We don’t always line up in Pistol (less than 1% of snaps this season). And Power isn’t always the top run play (it’s been Zone most of this season).
The one consistent factor in our System is that we are as good as the Center. His talent, work ethic, effort and mastery of the offense go a long way.
Rarely the most talented blocker. It’s more likely the opposite.
How you coach your Center is critical to score more points. In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll break down just what you need to do to get more production from your center.
Want to learn more about The Pistol Power Offense System? You’ll get instant access to my exclusive 3 Video Series on the Power Series at no charge, when you sign up at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast.
Links
Jock Sutherland Snap taught by Ted Seay: https://youtu.be/gtboAyXHl_k
Gil Brandt’s Greatest NFL Centers of All Time
Things might be going well. They may not be.
For whatever reason, you feel like you need to make some changes. Big one’s.
It’s time for the playoff push. Or you’re just trying to salvage the season from disaster.
So you’re thinking about making drastic changes. You want to change you a whole new defensive scheme. Right now. In the middle of the season.
In today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll explain why you should not change your defensive scheme right now!
At least… why you shouldn’t make any big time, wholesale changes. There’s always room for adaptation and improvement. It’s absolutely necessary if you want to be successful!
If you’re running a well designed defensive system, none of this will be a problem. A good coaching system is easy to adapt and adjust. Game to game and year to year.
But if you aren’t doing that, you may be tempted to make some major changes right now. I’ll help you decide what changes to make, and which changes to avoid. And how to get your team’s defense back on track for the second half of the season.
Don’t forget to visit and follow my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic! We’ll be talking about Offensive Line, so don’t miss it!
Want to check out the newly updated JDFB Insiders right now? You can get a 14 Day Free Trial for only $1 for a Limited Time. Sign up at https://joedanielfootball.com/tryit.
In a big runaway win from our Twitter Poll this week, the Veer Option received 35% of the vote! And I’m excited about that.
This episode won’t cover the entire offense, of course. That’s impossible. We’ll be focusing on The Split Back Inside Veer play.
Two whole episodes of old school (sort of) Option Football in a row! What a treat.
All the Spread Offense guys have left us by now. But we’re still having fun.
In today’s episode I’m going to go deep dive on the Inside Veer play. Everything you need to know.
We’ll talk about how to line up your offensive formation to get in the right places to attack. Then I’m going to talk about the basics of the blocking scheme for the Inside Veer.
After that, it’s all about the Option mechanics of the backfield. The dive, the keep, and the pitch.
I’ll close out the episode by talking about some of the counters and play action you can run off the Split Back Inside Veer play. It’s everything you need to get started with this Offense, and decide if you want to do more research.
Resources If you decide to go further, you’ll want to check out these resources (I used these for this podcast)...
- The 1968 Houston Veer Option playbook
- Controlling Defense with The Veer Option Offense with J.T. Curtis from Championship Productions.
- Huge Wyatt’s article on The Split Back Veer Offense, The Veer Explained
- Bruce Eien’s resources on the Split Back Veer.
- How to Install the Complete Option Game from Jerry Campbell. Not Split Back Veer but a good book if you just want to learn some Option.
I love college football. That doesn’t mean I’m glued to the TV all day every Saturday. However, I’ll usually stop to watch Georgia Tech’s Flexbone Option Offense on the field for at least a series or two.
Not because I love Georgia Tech, let’s make that clear. I’m a lifelong UGA fan. But man, that offense is a thing of beauty.
Most people I talk to don’t understand it. They think the Flexbone Option Offense is boring to watch. Makes no sense to me.
How could anything be more exciting than Option Football!?
Oh well. At least there’s still a few schools out there doing something to excite us football coaches (and probably infuriate some of their boosters) every Saturday.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m going to look back at the foundations and origins of The Flexbone Option Offense.
Where did it come from? How did it get to where it is today?
Truth be told, there’s not a ton of information on this. Paul Johnson doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’s interested in writing a book. At least not yet.
We’ll take it back to the days of the Wishbone Option. And even before that. On up to those 1-AA National Championship teams at Georgia Southern in the 1980s and 1990s.
I’ll also talk about the basic concepts of the offense and what makes it unique. The Flexbone Option Offense is a lot of fun to watch, and it’ll be a lot of fun to talk about on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
The mark of a great coach is the ability to adjust during the game. It’s not easy, and it takes a lot of experience. Adjusting your football run defense is no difference.
Unfortunately, a lot of the football run defense adjustments you make won’t work, just because the team you’re playing is flat-out better than you. Those game winning adjustments will be few and far between, no matter how good you are.
But there’s a chance. You will win some games in your career because of great adjustments for your football run defense.
Football Run Defense Tips in This Episode * What to look for during the game to decide on needed adjustments * How to build a library of potential adjustments for your football run defense to be ready for anything. We’ll look at adjusting for problems with individual players, and for your overall defensive scheme. * Preparing your football team for the run defense adjustments that you might use during the game (you always need to think one step ahead in your game planning!) * When to make adjustments on your defense, and when you should stick with the plan. * How to install a last-minute football run defense adjustment with your players that still allows them to play fast.
Links in This Show * My interview with Coach James Vint on running the Pistol Option Offense: https://joedanielfootball.com/vint/ * Check out The 4-2-5 Defense System to get Instant Access at one low monthly rate with no contract, cancel anytime. Visit http://425defense.com for all the details.
Paul “Bear” Bryant is a coaching legend. There’s not much question about that.
He won 6 National Championships as the Head Football Coach at the University of Alabama. The image of his houndstooth hat is unmistakeable.
But we’re football coaches, and we’re not just interested in the story of a coach who won a lot of football games (323 games, to be exact). We want to know how. And why.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ll take a look at the early year of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s coaching career. How did he come to be the legend at Alabama?
Starting with his upbringing in Arkansas, to his playing days at Alabama, we’ll look at the rise of one of the most legendary figures in our profession. On to his time in the Navy during World War II, and his first head coaching job that followed, at the University of Maryland.
Then on to Kentucky, and of course, to Texas A&M. The site of the famous Junction Boys.
Don’t get too excited, I plan to leave the Junction Boys story for another time.
When this went on the Twitter Poll @footballinfo, I had every intention of covering Coach Bryant’s entire career. But after doing my research, well… there’s just no way.
Instead, it’s time to lay the foundation on one of the greatest coaching legends of all time! I’ll share my thoughts, my own personal (though pretty thin) connection to Bear Bryant, and a few interesting stories on Episode 210 of The Football Coaching Podcast!
This episode is sponsored by JDFB Insider, where you can get access to all 5 of my Coaching Systems, plus a whole lot more. Check out https://joedanielfootball.com/membership for all the details on how you can get instant access, right now.
The Overhang Safeties in your 8-man front defense set the edge. Defend the flats. They are critical to shrinking the field for your defense.
Overhang Safeties are a major piece in your 4-2-5 Defense or 3-3-5 Defense. If you call it a 4-4 Defense or 3-5-3 Defense, they’re your Outside Linebackers. The principles are still the same.
Episode 209 of The Football Coaching Podcast will go in depth on coaching the Overhang Safety position. This won our Twitter Poll @footballinfo this week. Check in each week to vote for the next topic.
I’ll talk about the alignment of the Strong Safety and Weak Safety. We’ll look at why you use variations in alignment and how to align your defenders to maximize their effectiveness.
We’ll look at the most effective stance for your defenders to execute their assignment.
In this episode, I’m also going to address the most common question I get about the Overhang Safeties. What keys should they read? My answer is a little different than most, but something I have found to be very effective from week to week and season to season for these guys.
Finally, we’re going to dive into how to coach the technique for your Strong Safety and Weak Safety to perform their job within the defense to help you shut down your opponent.
There’s a lot of variation in this topic based on coverage. We could probably break it down by coverage, and again by Strong and Weak Safety. I’ll talk about these guys in as much detail as possible without getting too specific to your coverage. But there will be some differences.
I also focus a lot on the 4-2-5 Defense System and how we teach our defenders in there. You can get all the details on the System and get instant access today when you check out http://425defense.com.
Special Teams are one-third of the game. Every coach says it. Most of us don’t actually spend that much time on it, though.
In fact, a big part of special teams comes down to execution. Limiting mistakes. If you can do that, you can make big things happen.
I posted 4 Special Teams units on our Twitter Poll @footballinfo. The winner by a big margin was the Kick Return schemes.
And why not? Kick Return is a huge key to scoring for your football team. It’s probably the single special teams unit where you have the highest probability of scoring (PAT/FG not included).
Plus this is what’s going to set up your field position on the next drive. Or the opening drive!
In this episode we’ll break down kick return schemes for handling deep kicks, sky kicks, squib kicks and onside kicks. You’ll also learn how to use the right personnel on your Kick Return unit.
And last but not least… we’ll talk about practicing your Kick Return team. How can you get the most from these guys in the necessarily short amount of time that you have?
In this episode, I mentioned Coach Lew Johnston’s Put the "Special" in Special Teams by Being Unconventional video. Coach Johnston has been a huge help to me this year, so… buy his video!
Want more podcasts? More football coaching videos? Support The Football Coaching Podcast on Patreon!
The Playbook. It’s like the Holy Grail of football coaches.
We dream of putting together that amazing playbook. With just the right selection of calls.
You’ve probably drawn up one or two in your time. If you’ve been dreaming of this job for long, you at least drawn up a few plays.
Almost every football coach has downloaded a few playbooks from the Internet, too. Good and bad.
The truth of the playbook isn’t nearly as sexy. Playbooks don’t win games. Players do.
What else do players do? Leave their playbook in their locker (or worse). Forget to study it.
And execute the plays completely wrong. No matter how many times you drilled it.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about putting together your playbook, so that it actually gets translated to on-the-field success!
Want to have a successful playbook? Check out JDFB Insider where I supply you with the playbook, but more importantly teach you how to teach your players so that your team executes on Game Day. Visit https://joedanielfootball.com/membership for more information.
Press Man Coverage is our Twitter Poll winner at http://twitter.com/footballinfo for this week. I’ll look at some of the myths and reality of coaching Press Coverage. We’ll also talk about technique for coaching press coverage to your athletes.
I used to be one of those guys who shied away from press technique. Always thought you had to have some kind of freakish athlete to do it.
Now I’m going to share with you why that’s just not true. Why you can use press coverage for your football team, even with average athletes.
This episode is brought to you by The 4-2-5 Defense System at http://425defense.com. Visit there to get all the details on this complete Coaching System, including how to put together a coverage package that matches your defensive front. Whether you’re going to run Cover 3, Cover 1, Quarters, Robber, or Split Field Coverages, The 4-2-5 Defense System gives you complete instruction on how to do it.
Plus you get base run fits, change-up fronts, blitz package, game planning, practice planning and more. Everything you need to dominate on defense this season with The 4-2-5 Defense System. I’ve worked with over 1,000 coaches on installing the System around the country and around the world. At every level including High School, Middle School, Youth, College, and Semi-Pro.
Check out http://425defense.com for all the details on The 4-2-5 Defense System and how you can get instant access, today.
The Single Wing Offense has one of the oldest and most storied histories in all of football. After seemingly disappearing from the game, it has come back in force in recent years.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. The modern day Single Wing that you can run with your own football team, right now.
I’ll be looking specifically at the Unbalanced Single Wing as popularized by Coach Rick Darlington from Apopka High School (FL).
Learn the philosophy and the thought process behind this unique offensive attack. Whether you want to install it, have to defend it, or are just curious - this is going to be a great episode!
You’ve got the playbooks printed. The players will be there. Are you ready, coach?
This week in The Football Coaching Podcast we’re looking at preparing for those critical pre-season practices. Getting your team ready for Week 1, when it really counts.
Everyone wants a cookie cutter answer to installing your offense or defense. It’s not that easy. You can’t just run practice plans someone hands you. It’s the same as running a playbook you download from the internet with no understanding of the How or Why.
This episode shares my 4-Step Blueprint for Pre-Season Practice Planning. I’ve established the four main goals of pre-season practice, and then put together a framework for planning how to get all of this in.
Links
In this podcast, I referenced a few other podcasts and resources…
Episode 125 - 5 Keys to Perfect Practice Planning
Episode 80 - The 4 Types of Defense in Football
The 33 Stack Defense: Run Fits is on my YouTube Channel
The Wing-T Offense has always been a fascination of mine. Even though I’ve never really coached the system.
For this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m indulging that fascination by exploring the origins of the Delaware Wing-T Offense.
You might know the story. You probably don’t. I didn’t.
Tubby Raymond is not a major part of this tale. In fact, he marks the end of the story.
Instead, we’ll talk about the true origins of the Delaware Wing-T Offense. A story that begins with Dave Nelson, Harold Westerman and Mike Lude.
And it doesn’t even start at the University of Delaware. Nope.
This story starts in Maine.
A few key resources for this episode…
I’ve had a blast gathering information for this episode. Here are the key pieces so you can read them for yourself:
- Dave Nelson, Tubby Raymond and the Rise of the Wing-T Offense by Doc Bear. Big help in getting started on the right path.
- Mike Lude… An Originator of the Wing-T by Hugh Wyatt. Coach Wyatt has been on the podcast, and this kind of first-hand knowledge was exactly what I was looking for.
- Appendix III: History of the “Winged T” - by Harold S. Westerman posted by Dave Westerman. I think this was posted by Harold Westerman’s son on his personal blog. It was a really good read. No idea what it is the appendix to.
- The Grand Experiment: Dietzel’s Ingenuity Results in National Title by Marty Mule’. Not much related to the Wing-T and most of it is only interesting if you care about LSU football history. Tells the story of LSU’s 1958 season, which got started in part with Paul Dietzel switching to the Wing-T Offense.
- Fritz Crisler’s 1947 Single Wing Playbook is an interesting look.
- And to balance it out, this is a good look at the T Offense from Kyle McElvany. I also found Frank Leahy’s book on the T Formation pretty cheap on Amazon.
This week is a special Football Coaching Podcast mailbag episode. I’m answering questions from coaches on all kinds of topics.
I’ll be discussing…
- How to coach the 7-technique (or 6i) Defensive End. This is a follow-up on the last episode about the 6-Tech Defensive End
- How do you get into coaching, when you don’t want to be a teacher?
- What coverage options do you have for Trips formations in the Miami 4-3 Defense?
- ...some other things, I don’t clearly recall, because I was recording this episode at about 3am before leaving for vacation the next day.
That in itself should make Episode 202 of The Football Coaching Podcast a must-listen! I’ll have to listen too, because I have no idea what’s in there.
For an in depth look at the 4-2-5 Defense, I’ve got an exclusive video series you can check out at http://425defense.com/podcast. You’ll get instant access to the first video on the foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense, with two more videos to follow.
You’ll find out the advantages of using a 6-tech Defensive End, how to coach this technique, and whether or not your football team has the right guy to play that position.
The 6-tech Defensive End won our poll topic getting 33% of the votes and beating out Kick Return Strategy. There won’t be a poll next week, but I do need you to send an email to joe@joedanielfootball.com or tweet me your questions for next week’s Q&A Podcast.
I started using the 6-Tech Defensive End when we switched to the 4-2-5 Defense. We continued to use it in our 3-4 Defense front, as well.
For an in depth look at the 4-2-5 Defense, I’ve got an exclusive video series you can check out at http://425defense.com/podcast. You’ll get instant access to the first video on the foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense, with two more videos to follow.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll talk about advantages of Press Quarters Coverage, the basics of coaching Press Quarters, and adjustments that you’ll need to be ready to make if this becomes your base coverage.
You can use press quarters coverage with any traditional defensive front. I’m focusing on the viewpoint of a 4-3 Defense, since that’s where we have used Quarters most often.
You can run this with your 3-4 Defense, 3-3-5 Defense, or your 4-2-5 Defense. If 4-2-5 Defense is your thing, I’ve got a special 3 video series that you can get instant access to right now as my special gift. Just visit http://425defense.com/podcast to sign up for that series right now.
Links
- Coaching Press Quarters Coverage video on YouTube that was made for this episode.
- Quarters Coverage video - this is the foundations of the Quarters Coverage I teach in The 4-2-5 Defense System.
- Football Coaching Podcast Episode 189 - How To Coach Pattern Read Coverage
- Football Coaching Podcast Episode 196 - Defending Trips Formations
Visit and follow my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic!
Coaches are always struggling to create an identity for your football team. We don’t need to create it though - you should be trying to develop the identity.
It’s an important distinction, and the biggest takeaway from this podcast. You need to build around the strongest positive character trait that the majority of your team possesses.
To find your football team’s identity, you need to examine the community, parents, tradition, and your current players. You also need to look at yourself and the coaches around you.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, find out just what the Team Identity really means, and how you can develop one that will take your football team to the next level of success.
I’ll also share several examples of Team Identity for you to look at, to help you decide what direction your football team’s identity needs to go in.
This isn’t about X’s and O’s, but if you want to give your team’s defense a new identity, I’ve got a free gift for you. Visit http://425defense.com/podcast to get instant access to my Foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense video series.
Visit and follow my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic!
It’s the single most searched term on Joe Daniel Football. “Linebacker Reads.”
So it’s about time we do the definitive podcast on coaching linebacker reads. Of all styles.
Because I coach them all. It’s about finding what works best for your players, in your defense. And every player is different. Heck, every game is different - but we only have an hour (well, 70 minutes).
I’ll talk about backfield keys, guard keys, and the 2-man surface read for your Inside Linebackers. What it is, and how you can read it.
No matter what defense you coach, we’re going to talk about Linebacker Reads that you can use for your football team this season.
Check out http://425defense.com/podcast to get instant access to my Foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense video series. This is my special gift to you and you can get access to these videos right now at no charge.
Visit and follow my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic!
We’re always looking for new technology to give your football team an edge on the opponent. And there’s an increasing number of options.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll look at a few of those different options. From video analysis, to playbook, team organization and safety - learn new ways to improve your football team.
None of these are the magic bullet. You have to become a better football coach to get better results.
We’re looking for ways to be more efficient, relay information, and improve safety on the field for your football players.
Don’t forget to check out http://425defense.com/podcast to get instant access to my Foundations of the 4-2-5 Defense video series, too!
Don’t forget to visit my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic!
This week's winner on our Twitter poll @footballinfo was Defending Trips Formations. We look at multiple ways to defend 3 by 1 formations no matter what defense you're running.
In any game plan, you'll need 3 ways to defend Trips Formations. I'll give you plenty to think about.
As with any other defensive plan, it starts with deciding what the offense is using that formation for. What's their purpose?
Then you've got to make some decisions. Man or Zone? Or a combination coverage?
6 man box, or 7 man box? Or 5 man box when they're really trying to sling it all over the place?
In this episode I also mention that special gift, my 3 Video Series on Coaching Football's 4-2-5 Defensethat you can get access to right now at http://425defense.com/podcast.
The Red Zone is the Scoring Zone. When you get there, you've just got to put points on the board.
And a field goal isn't good enough. No, in fact, a field goal represents a failure for the Offense in the Red Zone (still a positive for the team!).
Red Zone Offense needs to be one of your top priorities for the Offense to be successful.
In today's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I'll tell you how to make it a priority. And a success.
In this episode...
- The Definition of the Red Zone for your Offense
- How to make your players understand the importance of Red Zone Offense
- Putting together your Red Zone Playbook
- How to identify and take advantage of the Defense in the Red Zone
Don't forget to VOTE in our Twitter Poll for next week's FBCP Episode Topic @footballinfo.
In this episode, I also mentioned a free gift for listeners of The Football Coaching Podcast on Coaching the 4-2-5 Defense. You can get access now at http://425defense.com/podcast.
Cornerback technique is often neglected. If you focus in on the fundamentals of the position, you can make some huge improvements with these athletes in a short period of time.
I'm breaking down the position by coverage and using the A.S.K.A. model.
A.S.K.A. is Alignment, Stance, Key and Responsibility. It tells the story for every position on your defense. It is the pre-snap checklist every defender should go over in his head before every play.
Whether you're Cover 2, Cover 3 or Quarters you'll get some great ideas from this week's Football Coaching Podcast.
Get your coaches in the right place is going to be critical to the success of your football team. This takes a lot of thought to get it right.
Every coach on your staff is at a different level. A different person. We’re not all great field generals, or great motivators. We each have strengths and weaknesses.
And of course, every coach on your staff has a different level of experience. At different positions.
Time to get it right. Listen to Episode 193 of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how to make sure you’re using your football coaches right!
Don’t forget about my 3 video series on The Pistol Power Offense System. Those videos are my gift to you. Register and watch the first video right now at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast.
The Offensive Line takes more attention to details and technique than any other position on the field with the possible exception of Quarterback. Your asking big men to do unnatural things. Players can’t just rely on their athleticism.
In today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m going through the key blocks you will use in a Gap Blocking Scheme. That’s plays like Power, Counter, Iso and Trap.
This is a detailed look at blocking. Footwork, aiming points, and the upper body.
If you want to learn more about Offensive Line play, and every football coach should, I strongly recommend two books:
Coaching Offensive Linemen by Dave Christensen and James A. Peterson
Complete Offensive Line by Rick Trickett
I mentioned that 3 video series on The Pistol Power Offense System. The videos on Power and Counter will show you where I apply these blocks in our System. Those videos are my gift to you and you can access the first video right now at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast.
It’s the longest wait in football. The time from the end of school to kick-off on Friday night. Seems to take forever.
Don’t waste that time. You can get a lot out of your pre-game routine!
This week’s Twitter Poll winner was Pre-Game Warm Up’s. From the pre-game meal to the opening kick, I’ll go in depth on how you can get your players ready to play.
How should you handle your meetings? When do you flip the switch?
And on the field, how much contact are you going to have? This is the complete guide to get your players ready to perform from the first drive through the fourth quarter (and Overtime if needed!).
I also told you about a 3 video series on The Pistol Power Offense System. Those videos are my gift to you and you can access the first video right now at http://pistolpoweroffense.com/podcast.
There’s a lot of ways to get your Offensive Formations to your players. None of them are the right way, you just need a system. One that’s consistent.
Learning football terms like formation calls is like learning a foreign language. So you can’t be too complex (I don’t know how good your kids are doing in Spanish, ours struggle).
Formations are usually called using a combination of words and numbers. But nothing is universal.
Then there’s the tags. You can get really complicated with tags.
Oh, and motions! Shifts! Trades! It’s endless.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m going to go into all of that. A whole bunch of different ways you can align your players. And how to put it all together.
One of the formation systems I talked about in this episode is from our Pistol Power Offense System. You can get a Free 3 Video Series on one of the core schemes of that System at https://joedanielfootball.com/ppo.
Don’t forget to visit my Twitter Profile Page @footballinfo to vote for next week’s poll topic!
On this edition of The Football Coaching Podcast, it’s a deep dive into Pattern Read Coverage. What is it, and why should your team run it?
And also… why shouldn’t your team run it? We’ll talk about making the decision.
I’ll talk about the 4 Critical Keys to Coaching Pattern Read Coverage. Then we’ll dive into all of the communication your players have to learn to run a successful pattern read defense.
In this episode I mentioned quite a few resources, and they’re listed below:
- Coaching Pattern Read Coverage by Tom Olivadotti is an excellent overview of pattern read principles.
- Quarters Coverage Made Simple by Shap Boyd was crucial for me learning Quarters Coverage.
- Listen to my interview with Coach Boyd on Quarters Coverage in Episode 26 of The Football Coaching Podcast
- 4-3 Over Cover 4 Defense from Pat Narduzzi is a great resource if you’re interested in Press Quarters. Or defense. Can’t recommend this 2 DVD set enough.
Don’t overcomplicate your coaching. Keep it simple so your kids can execute. That’s what The 4-2-5 Defense System is all about.
To get access to free videos on The 4-2-5 Defense System, visit http://425defense.com/podcast.
For this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, Defensive Game Planning won the Twitter Poll! You can vote for next week’s poll topic on my Twitter feed @footballinfo.
This could probably make up a month’s worth of show topics. I decided to focus on one aspect - the scouting.
Gathering enough information to give your football team an advantage. Without going overboard. And without digging through too much information and actually falling behind.
I talk about what information the football coaches need to know. And how much of that do your players actually need?
Then we’ll talk about the Game Planning Call Sheet. If you want to go deeper on that, check my article on 24 Things You Can’t Leave Off Your Defensive Call Sheet.
For more ideas on putting your Defensive Playbook together (after all, you can’t get the call sheet right if you don’t have a foundation), download my free eBook Defensive Installation Manual here.
The most important skill for a Linebacker is learning how to defeat blocks. A Linebacker should expect to defeat a block before he makes the tackle.
It's also one of the hardest skills to get your Linebackers to execute. The natural tendency is to run around those big guys trying to push you.
I've studied a lot on coaching linebackers. The best resource I've found is Lou Tepper's Complete Linebacking book: http://amzn.to/2mXKjMp
If you haven't read it yet, you need to get it. Every football coach should check it out.
In this episode, I talk about 3 styles of block destruction. We focus on the core principles including the strong inside foot, leverage and exploding the hips through the blocker. Then you'll shed the block and go make a tackle!
You voted and this is the topic that won! Coaching Without Leadership means coaching when you don’t have those leaders on your team. The one’s that would make your life so much easier.
Here’s the real secret. You have leaders. You have leadership.
Now you have to be the coach. Develop it. And there’s a lot going on here.
For this podcast, I referenced my interview with Coach Chris Zablocki and his Pyramid of Priorities. Making good decisions is what you’re really after.
I also focus on the 5 Levels of Leadership that John Maxwell talks in this video. Maxwell’s books are a must for football coaches.
Finally, you can get instant access to Chris Zablocki’s web clinic on leadership from last year, as well as my Max Motivation for Peak Performance eCourse when you join JDFB Insiders. Click here to get all the details.
Get ready for an in-depth look at Coaching the Outside Linebackers. Or Overhang Safeties. Whatever you want to call them!
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m going through the foundations of coaching your force players in the defense.
This is mainly from the perspective of a 4-4 or 4-2-5 Defense, or a 3-5-3 or 33 Stack Defense. But you can pick up some ideas no matter what defensive system you’re running. Cover 3, Quarters, Cover 1 or Cover 2 all get discussed.
I’m going through the ASKA pre-snap progression for your players. Stolen from TCU, as so many things I talk about are.
ASKA stand for Alignment, Stance, Key, Assignment. It’s a great way to build your pre-snap checklist that your players run through.
I’ll share the how and why of everything your Outside Linebackers need to do. Include 4 different Outside Linebacker Keys for determining Run or Pass and identifying the play.
Outside Linebackers take a lot of work. This is the guy that most Offensive Coordinators will look to put in conflict. Make him wrong no matter what. This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast will help to arm you against the bad guys!
Looking for the Umbrella Principle video? Click here to watch the video. Then you can sign up to get the entire 3 video series on Coaching The 4-2-5 Defense System delivered directly to your inbox for free.
I’ve talked a lot about The Pistol Power Offense System. But I don’t know if I’ve ever talked about what it really is.
At least, not on this podcast.
The Pistol Power Offense System is just the One Back Offense. Run from Pistol… and under center, and gun. It’s just a fancy name.
What’s the One Back Offense? Pretty simple. We’ve got a feature back. Then use a hybrid H-Back to move around and set up the defense.
That hybrid guy replaces your Fullback in a Pro I Offense. He’s just more versatile. Most of the plays are the same.
Listen to this episode to hear the details of the running plays in the offensive playbook. Power, Counter, Zone, Stretch and Truck Toss.
I get into the basics of each play, along with how and why they’re packaged together. It’s a good introduction to the One Back Offense for your football team.
When you’re ready to dive all the way in, join the Pistol Power Offense System!
Size matters. Especially when you don’t have it.
Coaching with smaller players means you have to make some adjustments. Your undersized team can still have success if you don’t hit the panic button.
In today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’ll give you 8 keys to Coaching With Smaller Players.
This is probably the most common question I get asked. Or some form of it.
“My team is undersized. What should I run?”
The answer is… changing the playbook won’t change a thing. It’s how you use your scheme that will make the difference (no matter what it is).
So don’t panic about all those little guys. Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast for ideas on how to coach your smaller players.
And if you need a System - one that works no matter who you’re coaching - check out The 4-2-5 Defense System. You can get Instant Access when you sign up now!
The 4-2-5 Defense is probably my favorite defense. And what I’m best known for.
In today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re going to talk about the basics of this 8 man, even front defense.
This is the same as a 4-4 Defense. Or a 6-2 Defense. Numbers don’t really matter. Don’t get caught up thinking this is some ‘Spread Defense’.
We’ll go in depth on Defensive End alignment and responsibility. His technique is critical to the 4-2-5 Defense.
This defense is a balanced front. You can flip your players strong and weak, or not flip them. This is an advantage when you’re facing Hurry Up, No Huddle teams.
I’ll also talk about the variety of coverage you can run with your 4-2-5 Defense. Stay a single high safety Cover 3 or Cover 1, or get fancy. Like TCU’s Split Field Coverage.
Finally, we’ll go in depth on position personnel. Who do you need in order to run a dominating 4-2-5 Defense? I’ll give you details.
I’ve worked with over 3,000 coaches on this incredible defensive scheme. To learn all about my 4-2-5 Defense System, visit 425defense.com and get Instant Access today.
When’s the right time to start applying for jobs? That’s easy.
You can always apply for the job. The interview experience in invaluable.
But when are you ready to take a head coaching job?
“It depends.”
That’s the answer we’ve heard for years. In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m going to nail down the real right time to be a new Head Coach.
Just a warning. I don’t want to be a head coach right now. I have never been a head coach. A lot of this is a little tongue-in-cheek.
But it’s what I’ve observed. What I believe. What would have to be true for me, if I were to pursue head coaching jobs.
My sources are a few head coaches I’ve worked for, and hundreds of head coaches I’ve worked with. It’s a hard job.
So… thinking about it? Or just want to reminisce about the time before you sold your soul to be a head football coach? (that’s tongue-in-cheek too!)
Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast.
In this episode, I mentioned Coach Chris Fore. He’s THE MAN when you want to put your resume together and prep for your head coaching interviews. Find him at CoachFore.org.
I also mentioned the Max Motivation for Peak Performance eCourse. This is the definitive guide to building trust with your new team, and creating the culture that all winning teams have. It’s available only by becoming a JDFB Insider Client.
Champions are made in the Weight Room. Every High School Football Coach talks about how important this time of year is.
This week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about the keys to having a great off-season in the Weight Room. Getting the most from your football strength training.
On a side note, this episode is 100 episodes after my favorite Football Coaching Podcast of all time… Episode 80 4 Types of Defense.
What makes your football strength training program great?
You need players in the weight room. Sell the program to them. Better yet, get your players that are already committed to sell to new kids.
Then you’ve got to know your facilities. Yeah, you need a weight room. It doesn’t have to be anything special though. Work with what you have.
Then you ned a plan. Laid out. Well thought out. Don’t just wing it.
This season, we’ve got an expert Strength Coach to do all that for you. Chris Lawyer, who runs The Weight Room RVA here in Richmond, VA, has put together an incredible football strength program for you.
Click here to get the details on JDFB Weight Room 2017
With 40,000 hours of strength coaching hours logged, Chris is a true expert. He’s coached State, National and World Record Holders in powerlifting, weightlifting and strongman. He’s also consulted with plenty of High School and College strength coaches. Chris knows his stuff.
I’ve only heard one coach ever talk about how loaded his team was. Twice.
He’s won two State Championships.
For the rest of us… we got problems.
The kids are too small. Too slow. Too young. Too soft. Too entitled.
Something’s wrong. For every single one of us.
Probably why coaching is not for everyone.
You get into coaching thinking you know everything. The smartest coaches are the one’s who have never done it.
Then you find out this is a hard gig. The kids don’t run around like they do in Madden.
But the truth is… your players can play. They’re just like everyone else’s players.
Maybe not as big, or as fast, or as… whatever it is. But everyone has shortcomings.
This off-season, figure out what yours are. Get to work addressing them.
Then move on. Time to go to work.
In this episode, I mention the Max Motivation for Peak Performance eCourse along with several of the other resources that are available exclusively as part of JDFB Insiders.
Click here to find out how to get Instant Access to JDFB Insiders!
Our biggest job as a coach is to develop character in our players. Best way to do that is to model it.
There’s a lot of problems in society today. We know football can help develop our young men to overcome those problems. Rise above.
And a victim mentality? That’s a big one.
It’s always someone else’s fault. “I can’t!”
Why not?
Because of this… this… this… oh the list goes on.
As a football coach, we shouldn’t have that mentality. But it creeps up for a lot of us.
I see it all the time.
Stop finding reasons you can’t. Start finding solutions. Finding answers. And then get to work.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is a total rant, by the way.
By the way, JDFB Insiders is a great place to find help for your football team. 1% at a time.
Stop looking for excuses about why you can’t… sign up here for JDFB Insiders.
You work hard. Is it enough? Are you the right guy for this?
We all worry about whether or not we’ve done all we can. Done it the right way.
Your players only have a few years to play the game. That’s a lot of pressure. Not to mention pressure for the faculty, administration and community.
It’s normal to wonder... Am I a good football coach?
So I made a checklist. And you can download it from Joe Daniel Football.
At some point we all run into tough times. You ask yourself the question. Then you carry on because, well, no one else is going to do it and you love it.
That, coupled with the fact that you’re listening to this podcast, means you probably are a good football coach. But we all need a reminder.
It's that time of year. Some guys are rolling into the Playoffs. Others are searching for answers.
This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is for those guys who know that what you're doing... it isn't working.
Change your thinking. Your approach.
Make that change first. Then you can change the scheme.
I talk about my Pistol Power Offense System in this episode. You can check out the free video series at http://joedanielfootball.com/ppo.
If what you're doing on offense isn't working... it's the solution. But not because of the playbook.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out why.
You stand on the sidelines in disbelief. We worked on this!
The fans in the stands have their doubts. How could any kid who’s ever been coached make mistake like that!?
The skills that you forget even need to be coached. The skills that everyone should be able to execute.
On paper they seem so easy. But you’ve tried to teach it. You’re cutting years off your life trying to get better at it.
These are the 12 Football Skills that seem so easy that you shouldn’t even have to coach it.
But you do.
And you coach it. And coach it. And coach it.
And they will make the mistake again.
How do I know? Because they make these same mistakes in the NFL, too.
Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the 12 Football Skills that Seam So Easy (but aren’t)!
In this episode I mention our Pistol Power Offense System and 4-3 Defense System. You can get immediate access to both of those when you sign up for JDFB Insiders today!
Every coach has the question. How do we turn losers into winners?
Kids need to learn to win. Winning isn’t easy.
Sure, some wins come easy. And if you’re just better than everyone else... that’s easy.
Championship football teams win close games. Tough games.
Go back and look at nearly every undefeated team or Championship team in NCAA Football. They all have a scare somewhere on the schedule.
When your team has a winning mindset, you win those football games. When they don’t... you wilt and die.
Listen to Episode 174 of The Football Coaching Podcast for ideas on how to establish that winning mindset for your football team!
Ready to build the trust factor in your football team? Check out Max Motivation for Peak Performance, available exclusively as part of your JDFB Insider membership
It’s one of the most frustrating parts of being a football coach. The scout team.
You work to put all the opponent’s plays down on cards. You show them to a group of guys on your team... wait, these guys are all on your team?
...anyway, hold the card up. Everyone looks. They nod. They head to the line.
The ball is snapped. If the snap doesn’t get fumbled, it’s a small victory.
Then the disaster is on.
Wait, the Guard didn’t pull! We need that guy to pull!
Where’s the Tight End? There’s supposed to be a Tight End on that play! He was WHERE!?
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m sharing ideas on how to make your scout team better.
Just as an FYI, it’s not using color coded cards. I never saw more confused kids than when I did the color coded cards.
None of these are earth shattering. It’s all about building your practice from small to big, just like we teach in JDFB Insiders.
Check out this week’s episode, and start making some changes in your practice planning that will save your sanity!
Putting together your offensive game plan is critical to the success of your football team. And the most important part of that game plan is your evaluation of the defense.
What do they do best? Where are the weaknesses?
Who are the best players? The worst players?
What are their tendencies? When do they change? (you can get your tendency report faster if you let us tag your game film!)
Then you take that information and put it against your offense. What are you best at? Where are your strengths?
It’s like fitting together puzzle pieces.
This requires honest evaluation. Try to identify your bias. Try to identify the opponent’s bias.
This is the chess match that makes football great.
Check out this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast for some game planning tips. And for more in depth analysis on your opponent, use the JDFB Insider membership forums to post your questions.
Lots of coaches can draw up passing routes. Trick the defense, find the holes in a zone. It’s fun stuff.
But this isn’t 7 on 7. And it ain’t Madden.
You want to throw all those fancy passing concepts? You have to protect your Quarterback.
In Episode 170 we talked about the pass protection technique that you can use. That’s independent of your pass protection scheme.
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, I’m diving into the different protections schemes you can run.
Big on Big protection. Slide protection. Half-Slide protection. Turn Back protection. Sprint protection.
What does it all mean? When should you use each one? How many protections can you install for High School Football?
When you want to go more in depth on pass protection, check out Joe Daniel Football Insiders. Learn the in’s and out’s of our 5 Step Protection in the exclusive JDFB Pistol Power Offense System to give your Quarterback time to throw the football! (no matter what level you coach!).
There’s your pass protection scheme, and there’s the technique you use to execute it. Today we’re talking about technique.
You’re probably familiar with kick sliding... that thing you see NFL Offensive Tackles do all the time. But that’s not the only way to protect your quarterback.
Or even the best way to go about it, if you don’t throw the ball much. There’s a few options.
In today’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we talk about 3 different styles of pass protection...
- Kick-Slide Technique
- Vertical Set Protection
- Lead Step Protection
Each method has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I’ve taught all of them in the past (and will likely use them again in the future, at the right time).
This isn’t a thing where you choose 2 or 3. You choose one technique for the entire season, based on what is best for your football team.
When you want to go more in depth on pass protection, check out Joe Daniel Football Insiders. The Offensive Line Coaching Formula is a 12 hour instructional course including an entire module on how to teach pass protection for your linemen (no matter what level you coach!).
There are many different ways to coach Linebacker Keys. They all have their merits. None of them are perfect.
This is probably the most asked question I get at Joe Daniel Football. What should our Linebacker reads be?
It's pretty simple. What do you like the best? What gets your kids going the fast?
You need to decide how much room for error you want to leave. How important is it for the keys to be right on paper?
What your kids can process will be a determining factor. What can they learn? What can they execute? What gets them going fast?
In this episode, I'll go through several different options for coaching your Linebacker reads. Decide what works best for you and your players!
When you need more detail, check out JDFB Insider. We have the Coaching Linebackers for Peak Performance video, along with detailed reads in all of our defensive courses. It's all included when you sign up for JDFB Insiders membership.
Your players have a million things happening in their lives. And it's increasing all the time.
Family. Friends. Other sports. Academics.
Even when your players want to do the right thing... it's difficult.
(most of them want to do the right thing, by the way)
I recorded this episode completely off-the-cuff. No real preparation, a couple notes on a piece of paper.
But it is very real. This is important stuff. Not the X's and O's. The stuff that matters.
I do a lot of surveys of coaches that use Joe Daniel Football and listen to The Football Coaching Podcast. The issues we address in this episode are at the top of your list of problems.
Players who want to play other sports. Single sport athletes are a big problem in the world today. Not because it's wrong to play one sport. But because it's wrong to play one sport if the kid wants to play other sports.
What about parents? That's the big issue. It's probably the one that keeps me from being a head coach. Parents are tough to deal with sometimes. They have unreasonable expectations.
Social life. Kids are getting into a lot more than we ever did. OK, maybe not. But it seems like it. Youth makes stupid decisions. We have to deal with that, and help as best we can.
Expectations are sky high. Every kid, and every parent, thinks they're getting a scholarship. Any talented kid has heard from his uncle who used to play for a semi-pro team that he's definitely going to make it in The League. We have to deal with that, too.
Listen to Episode 168 of The Football Coaching Podcast for ideas on how to deal with all of this. And for lots more on building relationships that matter with your players, check out the Max Motivation for Peak Performance course that is an exclusive series for JDFB Insider members.
Timestamp:
[04:03] What is a distracted player?
[04:40] Distracted by other sports
[08:50] Distracted by their own parents
[12:32] Distracted by the social life
[15:40] Distracted by expectations from the people around him
[18:30] Get more ideas for helping your players
Every football coaching staff needs certain guys. And I put together a list.
It’s the 5 types of football coaches every staff needs to have. Are you one of them?
The truth is you probably fall somewhere on a spectrum for each of these qualities. You have some of them. Some of them, you don’t.
Then you have the 5 types of football coaches no one wants.
These guys are the worst. The guys who kill your team unity. Ruin your enjoyment of the sport.
The types of coaches that need to either change... or get gone.
I put these lists together based on coaches that I have been around. The best and the worst.
There’s probably some more out there. Good and bad. I just haven’t worked with them.
This week’s Football Coaching Podcast was inspired by an email from Kody. If you have a suggestion for a topic you want to hear discussed on The Football Coaching Podcast, please email it to me!
Please take a minute to leave us a review in iTunes for The Football Coaching Podcast. It really helps the podcast continue to grow!
Want to see what JDFB Insider is all about? You can get instant access right now - click here.
As a Coordinator or a Head Coach, you’re looking at the picture. How does it all work together?
In this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re talking about looking at your football team from 30,000 feet.
How can you get it all to mesh? Use these 6 little details to get started...
- Let go of the ‘little things’ if they don’t affect your big picture.
- Know what the non-negotiables are.
- Communicate your Vision to the coaches and the team
- Put the pieces together without worrying about the individual parts.
- Timing is everything. Your football team is a machine.
- Constantly adapt. You have to make corrections, without over-correcting.
It’s time to step back and take a look at the big picture!
The Defensive Installation Manual is an in-depth guide on figuring out the big picture for your defense. Click here to download it now.
We get caught up in the X's and O's sometimes. Probably too much.
There's a lot that goes into a football season. Far beyond your playbook.
Do you have everything ready? Are you prepared to deal with the off the field stuff?
Make sure you've got all your gear ready.
Have a plan for the worst case scenario.
Put systems in place that will save time all season long.
Maybe even get a new whistle (I recommend the Fox 40 Classic).
This week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast isn't really sexy. No cool plays.
This time of year, all that should be in place. If it's not, you better get moving.
We're getting everything in place to have a great season.
Limit the headaches so that you can do what you love doing... Coach Football!
It’s the Jimmy’s and Joe’s. Not the X’s and O’s.
You know that. You still spend a boat load of time on your scheme. After all, your kids are the one’s you’ve got. You gotta do something to fill your obsessive football junkie time.
Where you put those players is just as important as how good they are. That’s what this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about.
There are 5 key factors to consider when you start putting your players into positions...
- Evaluate the talents and abilities of each player. Focus on where they are at right now. What they have done in the past is only a small piece.
- Look at your scheme. What do you need at each position?
- Study your opponents. The one’s you really need to beat to achieve your goals. Where do they attack your defense? Where can you crete mismatches on offense?
- Once you’ve placed those guys based on the first 3... where do you have extra depth? Where do you need more depth? Fix it.
- What does the player want? A lot of coaches ignore this. You should not.
Keep your schemes simple. Because you won’t get it perfect every year (or ever).
Injuries play a big role, too. You may need to move some guys around. It’s all about having the best 11 football players on the field!
If you need to perfect your defensive scheme, download my free eBook, The Defensive Installation Manual. It’s a 7 step process for choosing the right defense for your team.
You love football. You study it constantly. Always learning.
We have an abundance of knowledge at our fingertips. When is it too much?
To become a better football coach (fast!) you need to focus on what matters.
We’re talking Pareto Principle here. 80/20 rule.
20% of your stuff gives you 80% of the results.
20% of the plays in your playbook might get 80% of your yards. 80% of your points.
20% of the technique you’re teaching on how to block or tackle is producing 80% of the success.
Crazy stuff, right? Most of us are well aware of the 80/20 rule. But we don’t always apply it to coaching.
Your playbook gets bigger as the season goes on. As your career goes on.
The drill library expands. More drills. Better drills. Bigger drills.
Is all that stuff producing results? Sure. But some of it... about 20%... is producing most of your results.
So here it is, Episode 163 of The Football Coaching Podcast. The secret. The holy grail.
How to become a better football coach, right now... in one simple step.
OK, I’m not an expert on this. It took me 4 steps. Listen to the podcast to hear me outline those 4 steps!
The finishing touches are on your playbook. Now you have to teach it to your players. Having a plan for your Offensive or Defensive Install Schedule this football season is critical. The best plays don’t matter if they aren’t executed. Execution relies on how well the coaches teach. If your Install Schedule is well thought out, the offense or defense gets taught in a logical pattern. It makes sense to the players. That gives them confidence that you know what you’re doing. They play faster. They win more games. Start by deciding on your foundation. What matters to your football playbook more than anything else? Then build the offense or defense. Build it the way you would want a game to work. Some coaches want one play installed and run perfectly before they move on to the next play. Others want to get the entire offense or defense in first. Then perfect it. There is no right way. Just have a plan that makes sense! Other resources on Install Schedules: Episode 98 - Offensive Installation Guide Episode 120 - How To Create Your Install Schedule Also check out my Defensive Installation Manual for a step by step process to putting your Defensive Playbook together.
Kirk Ferentz is the Head Football Coach for the University of Iowa. You probably know that.
In 2015 he led the Hawkeyes to an undefeated regular season and a Rose Bowl appearance. He received the Big 10 Coach of the Year Award for the 4th time.
Coach Ferentz was also the recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Awards for 2015.
He’s going into his 18th season at the University of Iowa.
We talk about what it takes to build a successful football team. The importance of balance, keeping it simple, and building a culture.
Sound familiar? Football is basically the same at any level.
Coach Simple. Play Fast. Win. That’s always the focus.
Want a balanced, simple approach to coaching your Offense? Get my free video series on the Pistol Power Offense System.
Chris Brooks has a decade of experience coaching the Wing-T Offense for Youth Football. He is the creator of WingT-Football.com.
Chris has a Wing-T Football coaching pedigree that started with coaching the Youth program in Sherwood, Oregon. He learned the offense from the local High School coaches, who have over 20 years of experience with it.
We’ll talk about how to create a mutually beneficial relationship between Youth and High School coaches in your area.
We look at the Wing-T Offense, and the terminology involved.
We also talk about specialization of athletes. When is it a good thing, when is it a bad thing?
On Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific, Coach Brooks will be hosting a JDFB Insider exclusive Web Clinic on the Wing-T Buck Series. Insiders can log in and sign up.
Not a JDFB Insider yet? You should be. Click here to learn more.
This week on The Football Coaching Podcast it’s all about going fast. Our guest is Coach Bill Legg, the Offensive Coordinator at Marshall University since 2010 under Head Coach Doc Holliday.
I’ve seen Coach Legg speak at Glazier Clinics on two different occasions. He has a great football mind. He’s also incredibly willing to share and help other coaches.
We’ll talk about the role of an Offensive Coordinator in staff meetings. How to utilize the talent and knowledge of every coach in the room.
Then we get into Tempo. How to play fast.
How does using the hurry up, no huddle system change your offensive play calling?
How can you, as a play caller, prepare yourself to call plays so fast?
How do you get the play calls into your players?
In JDFB Insiders, we have a module all about how to go fast, and use the hurry up tempo with our Pistol Power Offense System. You can get all the information here
Have questions or feedback? Post a comment here!
Coach Bill Weiss is has been the Head Football Coach at Chisago Lakes High School in Minnesota for 19 seasons. His teams won their 2013 and 2014 Conference Championships.
Coach Weiss joins us to talk about putting together a successful program on both sides of the ball. On April 27, 2016 at 9:00pm ET he’ll be talking Defensive Line Technique on a JDFB Insider Exclusive Web Clinic.
Coach Weiss talks about his Triple Option Offense and 4-3 Defense and why consistency has been important. He also shares how to adjust your playbook for your players each year.
His passion is on the Defensive Line, though. And that’s where we’ll focus in on philosophy and technique for playing tough up front.
Check out this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast – and JDFB Insider subscribers don’t miss that Defensive Line Web Clinic!
This week’s episode is nothing but a rant. Seriously. I was set off by one comment from a coach I don’t even know.
The comment was by new Georgia Tech head basketball coach Josh Pastner. I read about it in an article on football scoop (read it here).
The whole thing is ridiculous. If you want to be the guy who works 100 hours a week or more, great. Sometimes I am too, but it’s not because I want to be.
I’m sure not making anyone else do it, either.
So I turned on the microphone and went on a rant for Episode 157 of The Football Coaching Podcast.
Let me be clear. I don’t care about Josh Pastner, or Georgia Tech Basketball. He may be a great person. The comments may be out of context.
The article really just clicked a little something that I hear all of the time. From coaches, from business men, from teachers. From everyone.
You do not need to work yourself to death, neglecting your family and your health. You certainly don’t need to wear it as a badge of honor.
Some guys love the “grind.” Working from 4am to midnight.
Sleeping just long enough to keep from stumbling through the day. Mumbling something about brains.
This podcast is a message to the guys who are not that guy. You don’t have to be.
For the guy who wants to be… do you, bro. Just know that there are other ways to succeed.
In this episode, I also mentioned The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey. Here’s the link
Are you using empty formations in your offense? If not, you need to listen to this episode.
Incorporating empty formations into your offense is easy. You should do it without actually changing what you do or who you are.
The advantage is that we’re either getting Cover 0, or a really clean look inside the box. I like either one.
For many defensive coordinators, myself included, the first answer to empty formations is to load the box. Bring heat. Make you get the ball out in a hurry.
But the truth is, once you burn them… decisions have to be made. Stay in Cover 0 and risk getting roasted again? Or give the offense a 3-2 box or a 4-1 box.
Those 5 man boxes are so clean. You’ve got hats on hats. They are respecting your receivers.
To an athletic Quarterback, this is a dream. You can really open up your running game now!
Get all the details on how to use empty formations in your offense. Listen to this week’s episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
You know how important leadership is to your football team. If you don’t have it, you really know how important leadership is.
When coaches are trying to change the path that a program is on, leadership is the first place we look. No one knows that better than Coach Chris Zablocki.
Following a string of 9 straight playoff appearances at Cedar Grove-Belgium High School (WI), Coach Zablocki was ready for a new challenge.
He found that challenge at Sheboygan North High School (WI). Chris took over in 2015 after the team struggled through a winless season the year before.
Changing a culture and turning a program around are not an easy task. But Coach Zablocki has a plan. One he’s used before.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, you get details about the foundation of Coach Zablocki’s plan to change a football program. And it starts with building leadership.
JDFB Insiders will get a much deeper look into Chris Zablocki’s plan for establishing leadership and turning a program around. On April 14, 2016 at 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific, Chris will be presenting an exclusive web clinic for JDFB Insiders.
Want to be a part of that event? Click here for all the details on how to become a JDFB Insider right now.
You might not think you can learn much from a soccer guy. We're football coaches.
Once you listen to my interview with Coach John O'Sullivan today, you'll realize you were wrong. There's a lot to learn.
Of course, John O'Sullivan is much more than a soccer coach. John's website at Changing The Game Project website will tell you that quickly.
He is a best selling author and speaker on how coaches and parents can make our sport - any sport - a great experience for the people that matter.
Who matters? The players, of course.
We lose sight of that. Adults ruin everything.
I met John about a year ago. He has studied the single topic that matters the most. How to get your players to perform their best.
Schemes don't matter. X's and O's don't matter. Not when your kids are not giving their all. Not when they don't love to play the game.
That's what John is all about.
In the interview we talk about some really important topics including...
- How to keep your players from jumping to other sports instead of football
- How to give your kids more confidence in their ability
- How to coach when you have lots of kids on different ability levels
- How to build your program so that parents aren't the problem
You'll never eliminate all of the problems, of course. Humans do not allow for problem-free environments.
But you can take some serious steps to eliminate the issues.
In this episode, we also talk about the upcoming conference on changing your team's culture, July 8-10, 2016 in Boulder, CO. Click here for more information
Jump into Episode 154 of The Football Coaching Podcast and listen to my interview with Coach John O'Sullivan, right now!
Coaches like to talk about empowering your players. But when is the right time? What should they have power over?
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're looking at how much pull your kids should have in the decisions we make.
Can they decide when practice starts? When it ends?
Should you let your players pick team captains?
Do players get to decide where they're going to play?
How much input should your players have in play calling decisions?
Do the players have any input in playing time?
Can your kids help you decide what to do in the weight room?
How much should you listen to your players regarding injuries?
And do your players get to have a say in the design of your playbook?
I'll go over each of these topics and how you should handle player's input on each.
RPO's are the hot topic at clinics all over the country this year. But almost everyone is talking using run-pass options from a Spread formation.
So we're bringing in Coach Justin Dottavio for a little JDFB Insider exclusive Web Clinic to talk RPO's in his Pistol Wing-T Offense. Something a little different.
Coach Dottavio is the Head Football Coach, among other titles, at Cornerstone Charter Academy in Belle Isle, Florida.
At a small school, you need to find the offense that fits your players. Justin and his staff came to the Pistol Wing-T Offense. Then they added in to RPOs.
We also talk about the defense, the special teams, and Wrestlemania. Important topics.
Want to be a part of Coach Dottavio's Insider Web Clinic on March 15, 2016 at 8:00pm Eastern, 5:00pm Pacific? Click here to become a JDFB Insider now
Putting together your Offensive Playbook for the upcoming season? Here's a checklist.
What do you need to have to make sure your playbook is complete for your football team? It's not as easy as it seems.
Well you'll need to know how you plan to call your formations. Can you get into all the looks you want to show? And you need to be able to do it easily.
Then there's your motions and shifts. Who can you move, where can you move them.
Now the important stuff. Your base run play. Nothing is more critical.
You'll want a counter play off of that. And a way to get the football in the air with the Play Action Pass off that base run.
How about some screens and draws when the Defensive Line is breathing down your neck? Better add those in.
Get the ball out to the perimeter with your quick game passing. Then be able to go down the field if you're falling behind (or if that's just what you do).
What if the game is on the line and time is running out? Do you have a 2 Minute Offense plan?
Don't forget that the field is severely shrunken inside the 5 yard line. What's your special plan on the Goal Line?
Finally, your playbook needs a Plan B. And Plan C. Got it?
It's all detailed in this week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast!
I listen to a lot of different podcasts and audiobooks. Usually not about football.
But I get a lot of the ideas for The Football Coaching Podcast episodes from those other places. And this episode is a great example.
Dan Sullivan and Joe Polish host a podcast for entrepreneurs called the 10x Talk Podcast. It's one I've been listening to a lot, lately.
And in that podcast, I heard a great way to categorize our kids.
This is all about deciding how to manage your kids. How to work with your kids. Who you need to put more of your energy into, and who you don't.
It has nothing to do with talent. It has to do with people.
If your kids aren't bringing the energy, the motivation, and the enthusiasm to the game like you need them to, then Episode 150 is for you!
Episode 149 is based on a discussion from our private JDFB Insider forum. Michael asked for advice heading into his first year as a Defensive Coordinator.
It sounded like a great topic to me. I sent my own response, flipped through the advice from other coaches, and started making a list.
I was shooting for 8 tips for 1st year coordinators. Either side of the ball, let's not limit it.
Instead I ended up with 15 before I stopped myself and turned the microphone on. It is Super Bowl Sunday afterall, I don't need to be doing this all day.
And here it is. 15 tips for 1st year coordinators. And head coaches. And assistant coaches.
OK, these are tips any football coach should probably pay attention to.
Today we're getting a little deep. Some off the field stuff.
And I'll travel back to 1937 for some help.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is one of my favorite books. It's not some get rich quick garbage like the title might make it sound.
It's a book every football coach should read. Every person, really.
We're looking specifically at the 10 Causes of Failure of Leadership from Chapter 6 in the book.
This is a book I come back to over and over again, and you should really look into it if you've never read it. Here it is on Amazon.
All football coaches are in a leadership role. Whether you are the head coach, coordinator, or position coach, you are leading.
We lead other coaches, and more important we lead our players. Pay close attention to these points from many years ago, and see how they fit into your football coaching today.
It's the off season. And the centerpiece of your off season is the weight room.
Don't get carried away with X's and O's. That's a lot of fun. But remember one thing...
Jimmy's and Joe's matter more. A lot more.
And you can make massive improvements for your guys in the weight room this season. A lot more than you can make on paper.
So what does it take to run a great weight program?
You don't need a ton of equipment. And you don't have to be a full time strength coach.
You need to know enough about the lifts to teach them, and teach the lifts safely. Safety is above-all-else the most important aspect of coaching weight training.
You've got to have enthusiasm. Believe that the weight room is important. Show your players that.
And you need a plan. A path to follow. Where does the off season in the weight room start? What's the end game?
How do you get there?
Check out this episode for some ideas on building your championship weight room!
And click here to join us on January 14, 2016 at 9pm ET, 6pm PT for the Critical Keys To Running A Championship Weight Room Web Clinic.
Defending the Double Wing is always a fun topic. It's a great offense for exposing your defense.
The fact is, this is a tough task no matter what you run. It's a great argument against balance.
I've been working on our 3-4 Defense eCourse and this is a topic that's sure to come up. So I'm preparing myself.
Episode 146 is a collection of my ideas on defending the Double Wing Offense. It's not the end all, not the solution forever. Just ideas.
Hopefully it gets your wheels turning as we head into the off-season!
There is no 'right' way. The sooner you learn that, the better your coaching career goes.
It's not easy to accept, of course. I wish there was a right way. I wish there was one single scheme that would beat everyone else every day.
As long as no one else knew about it, of course.
But there is not. Every scheme can work. Offense, Defense, Special Teams. If it's sound and it fits your players (and you can teach it), you can win with it.
And every football team is different. Your players are probably different from week to week - and even day to day.
How your scheme gels together... how you turn 11 individuals into one unit... that is going to change every day.
That requires you to be a flexible football coach. To have a toolbox of answers waiting.
Knowing when you use them? How to teach them? That separates good coaches from great coaches.
Check out Episode 145 of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how you can be a Flexible Football Coach!
When the season's over, the next one begins. Post-season evaluation is a major part of that process.
These are 9 key points that your staff needs to discuss during the off-season. Address them, you get better. Ignore them, you get disaster.
Why do you coach?
Is it because you like football? Well of course.
Maybe you're really competitive. Wins and losses.
On Thursday night, before our last game, I was reminded of why I coach football.
We have a tradition called the Senior Speeches. And it's an annual reminder to me, and the rest of our staff, of why this is all worth it.
In Episode 143 of The Football Coaching Podcast, I'll tell you what our players say that reminds us that coaching is an important profession.
One of the most important professions, honestly.
Listen to Episode 143 on Why We Coach Football now, and give yourself a reminder why all the blood, sweat, tears and time are all worth it!
The weather is getting colder. The sun goes down a lot earlier.
Football season is winding down.
And that's when the really important stuff happens!
Rivalry games. Playoffs. BIG things.
But kids don't always see all of that as a reason to work. A reason to continue to grind.
As a coach, you have the ability to change how your football players approach their craft. Even this late in the season.
One way is to shake up your practice. Try some new ideas. Do something out of the ordinary.
Listen to Episode 142 for some great ideas on how to shake up your football practice this fall!
It's happened to every coach. Some of your kids are checked out.
Football is a long season. A grind. Not everyone has the focus and tenacity to push all the way through.
At least not with a little help. And that's where you come in.
When the wheels seem to be coming off, and you need to re-focus your players to finish strong, there are things you can do.
But it all comes down to you as a football coach. What will you do to get your players back on track?
Finish strong. Listen to Episode 141 of The Football Coaching Podcast. And stop wishing the season would end!
They come up at the worst time. Those special situations you forgot.
The game is in hand, then something happens. You know you should have worked on it... but you just didn't.
I've worked to put together a complete list of special situations for your football team. I know it isn't complete because - well, it never is. But this is a start.
I've also included the spreadsheet I made in our JDFB Insider Forum .
You can add more situations that your football team works on - or needs to work on - in the forum. We'll compile a big list and have it ready for 2015.
As it stands, there are a ton of situations that come up in a football game that you have to be prepared for. Listen to Episode 140 of The Football Coaching Podcast to make sure you've got these big one's checked off!
We all dream of that day. Giving the halftime speech that wins the big game.
Seriously, as I dreamed of becoming a Head Football Coach, this was what I thought about. It's like the iconic moment of coaching football.
It just doesn't happen that way, though. Not very often.
So when the moment comes... are you going to miss it? Are you going to deliver the halftime speech that wins the game for your team?
Or might it be the speech that loses the game? Highly unlikely, but it could. You might be going about this all wrong.
In Episode 139 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're talking about the 6 keys to delivering a great halftime speech. I'll even tell you the best speech I ever heard.
I also want to hear your favorite halftime speeches. You can leave them in the comments below here, or go to our JDFB Insider Forum to share.
Our job as football coaches goes way beyond X's and O's. And it goes far beyond drills, too.
One of the biggest obstacles to success is player motivation. Getting kids to buy in. To play hard. To just want to.
But motivation is not some mystical concept that we either have or do not. It's something that coaches can cultivate.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're talking about how to motivate your football players. I'll give you 7 tips that can help you start increasing your player's motivation on the field.
And you can start right now.
The season is under way. And everything may not be going exactly as planned.
You're a problem solver. A fixer. When something isn't working... you do something about it.
But here in the world of football coaching, we tend to do too much. To over react.
The best thing you can do, often times, is to stay the course. Constant change means your kids will never get good at anything.
They can lose confidence in themselves as players. In the technique you teach. And in you as a coach.
That's never what we want. We want our kids to believe that they can do it. All they need to do, is do their jobs.
You spent a whole off season putting this playbook together. Researching drills. Studying the talent you had coming along...
And when you did that, your mind was clear. You were sane.
Now it's football season. You're amped up. Sleep deprived. Maybe a little panicked.
Can we all agree that clear headed you is a little more sane, a little smarter, than amped up, sleep deprived, panicked you? I thought so.
So stay the course. Keep with the plan. Focus on fixing the problems, not changing the plan entirely.
What's the hottest new concept in Offensive Football Coaching this season? That's easy.
Run-Pass Option plays. RPO's.
OK they're not exactly new. But you might be seeing more RPO's now, than ever before.
What is a Run-Pass Option? Why have they exploded in popularity in recent years? And how can you incorporate RPO's into your Offensive Playbook?
In Episode 136 of The Football Coaching Podcast, I'll take a look at all of these questions. Plus, what are some of the issues with RPO's that you need to be prepared for, if you decide to incorporate them into your offense?
You've got those really cool blitzes in your package. And you love to bring the heat.
But when is the right time? Or is there a right time?
Rather than just calling your blitzes at random, how about using some reason and logic behind them?
In Episode 135 of The Football Coaching Podcast, I'll tell you my 7 top reasons to use a blitz when calling a game.
Game Planning gets this mystic wonder attached to it. Fans often confuse a team being better at executing, with a coach having a great game plan.
The truth is that game plans rarely will win you the football game. And the pursuit of the perfect game plan can help you coach yourself right out of a victory.
So what should you be looking for? What do you need to do to prepare the perfect game plan?
This month I am releasing The Game Planning eCourse for JDFB Insider Members. We'll look at every aspect of preparing a great game plan.
In this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we scratch the surface of preparing your Offensive game plan.
Coach Simple. Play Fast. Win.
That's the message with Joe Daniel Football. But how does it apply to the field?
This year I've been working harder than ever to simplify. To give our kids the bare essentials of instruction that produce the results.
Kind of 80/20 approach. 80% of the results are produced by 20% of the coaching that we give our kids.
So why not cut out the other 80% of verbiage, drills, and detail? All the stuff that is clouding up our football player's heads.
In Episode 133, I'll share 5 tips that are helping us to keep it simpler during the 2015 Football Season.
At the time I recorded this, we were less than 24 hours removed from the first scrimmage. And while it wasn't great, we are far ahead of last season.
The first day of practice is almost here. And in Virginia, that means 3 days with just helmets. 2 days in helments and shoulder pads.
How can we get the most out of the opening of camp? I used to think those first 3 days were a waste. They're not.
Football practice without pads can be a huge benefit for your team. You can get your playbook installed, but there's even more.
Focus on footwork. Teach attack angles. Learn how to practice fast, without contact.
But safety is still your number one concern. I'll give you some pointers on staying safe during your pads-free practice, too.
In 2004, I was captivated by the idea of throwing on every down. Chris Hatcher had me hooked.
The Air Raid is absolutely brilliant. With just a handful of passing concepts, a simplistic running game, and a few screens and draws, you can make sure the defense is never right.
Like every other scheme in football, it doesn't always turn out that way on the field. But it sure is a cool idea.
While the offense is still being used, it's not as revered as it once was.
You can look back to the '90s, when Kentucky's passing offense took the SEC by storm. Hatcher's teams that dominated Division II Football. And of course, Mike Leach throwing the ball all over the lot at Texas Tech.
Not to mention, Tony Franklin System teams were dominating High School Football.
When we look at the landscape today, it doesn't look quite as bright for the Air Raid. Leach and Kliff Klingsbury have struggled recently, as has Hatcher.
(for what it's worth, I'm not a TFS member so I can't say for sure - but Tony seems to have evolved...)
That doesn't mean it's not fun to talk about! So sit back and listen to Episode 131 of The Football Coaching Podcast. We're talking Mesh, Y-Shallow, Y-Stick, and just generally chucking the football all over the field!
You need to be prepared for anything, and that goes far beyond X's and O's. These are 8 important parts of your program that need to be addressed before practice starts.
How you install your defense shouldn't be scary. There's no right way to do it - but there's a lot of wrong ways.
Coaches are often concerned way too much with how much to install, how fast. That's not the big issue.
If you install too much, too fast, it's because you have too much in your playbook. It's a whole different issue - but one that I'll address in this podcast too.
No, your bigger conern is not how much or how fast. The question is, is your focus in the right place?
When you start installing all kinds of whacky defensive fronts and blitzes, your focus is no longer on the kids. Your focus is now on the X's and O's. That doesn't win football games.
Listen to Episode 129 of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how you can keep your focus where it needs to be when you install your defense this season.
I love the Wing-T Offense. So here's what I think about it.
I'll tell you a basic overview of how I view the Wing-T Offense. It's incredibly versatile, but there are some basic rules.
Then I'm going to give what I see as the advantages and disadvantages of running this type of scheme.
If you're a Wing-T Guru, maybe you'll hear some things you agree with and some things you don't.
For coaches who may not know a whole lot about the Wing-T, I hope this will spark you to learn a little more.
There's a lot of myths about tackling. But the truth of coaching better tackling is much simpler.
I always hear coaches talking about violence. There's some misguided idea that if you don't lay the lumber you can't play defense. In reality, the whole goal of tackling is to get the man with the football on to the ground.
He doesn't need to be hurt. We don't need cracked ribs, or snot bubbles (yes, a The Program reference). We just need him down on the ground, not gaining any more yards.
How do you make that happen? It's not some special sauce. You don't need to hire some tackling guru. I do like what I've seen of USA Football by the way, I just don't believe that alone could fix your tackling woes.
The key to better tackling is to coach specifically what you want from your kids in a tackle. Build confidence in their own abilities to make a tackle. And then get some help for them.
1 on 1 tackling is always going to be a tough job. The kids who carry the football are usually the best athletes on the field. If they weren't... well, they'd play more defense. But 3 on 1 is always good odds.
By pursuing to the football, defeating blocks, and getting better with our reads and keys, tackling will automatically improve. More guys to the football means more chances to finish the tackle.
It's a huge Mail Bag episode today! Plus a short interview with Coach Ricky Coon from Southeast Missouri State.
Here's what's on the menu...
- What are some key tips for a first year Head Coach?
- How should I adjust my practice plan for Junior High football?
- What adjustments do we make to the practice plan schedule for Training Camp?
- How do you align your corners for Cover 3?
- What are the 5 Defenses every coach should study?
- How do you hold the Linebackers on the Jet Sweep?
Big mailbag show. Dive in and find some good stuff.
Are you getting all you can out of your practice time? Practices need to be geared toward winning football games.
Not looking at your practices that way? You're leaving something on the field.
Listen to Episode 125 to find out...
- How to plan a practice with a purpose
- What drills you should be using and what drills you don't need
- How to progress your players through a practice to learn a skill set they need for the next game (or needed last game!)
- How to create a competitive atmosphere while still accomplishing game planning goals
- How to know if you should install a new play or leave it out
And you'll learn about the latest Live Web Clinic from Joe Daniel Football!
Questions & Answers * What coverage should we use on the Goal Line with our 4-2-5 Defense? * Do you use a 6-Technique Strong End or a 30 technique Will Linebacker in your 4-3 Defense?
Show Links * To sign up for the May 19, 2015 Web Clinic, 15 Critical Keys To Planning Perfect Practices For Your Football Team Every Week This Season, visit http://joedanielfootball.com/ppwc * What A Real 4-3 Defense Should Look Like * For more detail on the 5 Minute Rule, listen to Episode 83 of The Football Coaching Podcast.
Coach Rob Patterson sat in with me for The Football Coaching Podcast in this episode. He's currently the JV Coach for Southern Lee High School in Sanford, NC.
Coach Patterson has been on a path a lot of coaches want to know how to follow. He started coaching youth football when his son was playing. And he fell in love with it.
After many years of coaching, he's moved to the Middle School and now High School coaching ranks. And he's winning.
Rob is a Joe Daniel Football Insider member as well as a member of the 4-3 Defense eCourse. His youth team won their Pop Warner championship. He took his defense to the Middle School level and allowed just 8 ppg.
Currently, he is coaching with the Junior Varsity at Southern Lee and also working in the box and as Quality Control for the Linebackers on the Varsity.
Special Bonus: How To Build A Whiteboard, or... Why I Cannot Drive My Truck Right Now.
Episode 123 of The Football Coaching Podcast is the start of something new. This is our first Success Stories interview with members of Joe Daniel Football.
Coach Donnie McDonough returned to his alma mater after college, and took over as the head coach at Western Wayne High School in 2013.
After a rocky start, the team finished 6-4 in 2014. Their first winning season, and first playoff appearance, in 20 years.
Coach McDonough is a member of The 4-3 Defense eCourse, and a Joe Daniel Football Insiders member.
Hear how his football team made the turnaround in this episode!
Earlier in the week I wrote an article about the true nature of the 4-3 Defense. The way I see it, anyway.
The 4-3 Defense has certain rules. A few years ago I wrote about the 8 Laws of The 4-3 Defense.
Block down, step down. Spill the football.
7 Man Front. Mike Linebacker has to be a 2-gap player.
I know a lot of people don't see the 4-3 Defense this way. That's OK for them. For me, the Miami 4-3 Defense as it was designed by Jimmy Johnson and his staff at The "U" is where it's at.
And it is still one of the best defenses in football. So sit back and listen to How To Coach The 4-3 Defense!
Show Links * My interview with Shap Boyd on Quarters Coverage (includes the link for his video, assuming it's still available) * Download my Defensive Installation Manual * Want to learn more about the 4-3 Defense? Check out my eBook, Installing Football's 4-3 Over Defensive Front.
There's more to getting ready for a football season than printing out a pretty playbook. Your football team has to execute fundamentals if they're going to win.
That means you need to have your drills ready. And this week, we're looking at how to build your defensive drill package for the upcoming season.
Follow this 5 step process to decide how you're going to put your drills together. And know that your package will be a forever growing and changing entity.
If you are going to follow these steps, you need to get Step 1 nailed down first. And that means you need the Defensive Installation Manual.
I get a lot of emails asking about the Install Schedule. There's more to it than that.
While most of my eCourses give an in-depth look at the install schedule for the scheme, there's a key. Those courses include why you install each piece.
That is why I'm not real excited to email you a spreadsheet of our install schedule. It changes every year.
So check out episode 120 of The Football Coaching Podcast to see the 4 questions you need to ask when setting up your install schedule.
I look at this specifically from the standpoint of Spring Practice, because it is April here as I record the podcast. But you should apply the same logic in the Fall as well.
One last note. I just moved into a new office with it's own little studio. I recorded this without thinking - I knew there'd be an echo, just not how bad it would be.
I'll hang up some blankets and put a couple books on the shelf before the next episode. But I thought this episode was too good from a content standpoint to just throw out (they're never as good the second time).
Question & Answer * When using Robber Coverage, which side is the Read Side against 11 personnel formations (1 TE, 1 RB)? * Do you call your strength against a 12 personnel formation (2 TE's, 1 RB)
Show Notes [02:45] Spring Practice Schedule
[04:30] Why I don't sent out install schedules
[07:07] Step 1 - What do you need to get good at?
[10:04] Step 2 - What do you need to find out?
[14:10] Step 3 - What do you install in the first 2 weeks of the season?
[18:56] What coaches should be doing in Spring Practice
[23:55] Step 4 - Ask yourself why.
[33:40] Question: Which side is the Read Side in Robber Coverage against 11 Personnel?
[39:30] Question: How do you call your strength alignment to 12 personnel formations?
Our coaching staff is considering a two platoon system for the 2015 season. That's not unusual, since it comes up every year. We just may be closer to it this season.
It's time to look over the pro's and con's of the two platoon system in Episode 119 of The Football Coaching Podcast.. On the surface most coaches view the concept as being either "The Solution" or a complete impossibility. We have to dig deeper before we make the decision one way or another.
Here's the hardest part. Once you make the decision you have to stick to your guns. You'll be tempted to play a lot of guys both ways. Two Platooning only the kids who are not good enough to start, however, won't change much.
And then you have to be ready to play kids both ways when it's absolutely necessary, or the right decision for your football team. See the fine line?
I'd love to hear your experiences with coaching a Two Platoon football team at the High School level. Post it in the comments!
Show Notes
The Football Coaching Podcast, Episode 80 - there's only 4 types of defense. http://joedanielfootball.com/80
[00:27] Announcement on open enrollment for Joe Daniel Football
[02:30] Coaching a Two Platoon Football Team: Pro's and Con's
[23:55] How To Defend Tight End Trips (Trey Formation) in the 3-3 Stack Defense
[29:30] Can You Use The 3-2-6 Defense For Passing Downs Or As A Change-Up?
It's been used as a dirty word. A "system" guy.
Quarterbacks lose draft position. Coaches get dismissed as being uncreative or unoriginal.
They're probably not too upset. After all, you don't get labeled as a "system" guy until you start winning football games.
I've just released my video series this week on The Pistol Power Offense System. You can check out the first free video here: http://joedanielfootball.com/pistolpower
As I was putting it together, I thought about what it means to run a "system".
It means you believe it what you do. You have a playbook, not a stack of plays.
You know how you want the job done. Your players learn exactly what the job is. They gain confidence. They play faster.
System coaches win more games.
And you don't have to BUY a system. You can systematize your own offense. You SHOULD.
Socheck out The Football Coaching Podcast Episode 118 to find out how you can turn your football offense into a SYSTEM.
Tons of new stuff on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. Among those, this is the first episode coming from directly from Joe Daniel Football.
I'll announce some of the changes that are taking place and explain - for the first time - why I made the switch from three sites down to just one. And some of the behind the scenes that made this change so... errr, exciting.
Ranting? Yes there is a rant or two. Specifically, what not to ask when you have the chance to meet an offensive guru. Or any genius, for that matter.
And finally, I'll dive into the mailbag for a few questions:
- What do you think about the Hawk Tackle (rugby style) of Pete Carroll versus the USA Football tackling style?
- How do you coach press man technique for defensive backs?
All that is this week on The Football Coaching Podcast!
Back to the mailbag! Well actually, the voicemail bag. I’ll be answering a couple questions that came in from our voicemail line – the best way to get your questions answered on the podcast. First, we’ll look at how to coach the hand-off for the Zone Read, and also for the Power Read or Inverted […]
We’re back this week with MORE of your questions on Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense! This all surrounds the release of 3 free 4-2-5 Defense videos I’ve put out this past week – and are available for a very limited time (like, if you’re reading this a couple weeks later, they’re gone). You can get […]
This week is devoted to answering your questions on coaching football’s 4-2-5 Defense. With thousands of copies of my Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense eBook sold, I’m kind of a self-made expert in the thing. Not to mention that in 2014 we had 107 coaching staffs join up with the 4-2-5 Defense eCourse. In total, there […]
I’ll keep this really short. This podcast is all about one thing… The 10 Best Football Coaching Books I’ve Ever Read I make no claims that these are the best ever. I’m open to suggestions. So put those in the comments! Listen to Episode 113 here… These are my favorite Football Coaching Books. They have influenced […]
We’re continuing on with our off-season in preparation for the 2015 Football Season. Yeah it’s early, but time’s wasting away! Today it’s time to talk about your offense. Do you have the right scheme or is it time for a change? The answer isn’t always easy. I’m not a big advocate of constantly changing your […]
This is the short, short Thanksgiving version of a post! I’m only putting this up so that the audio gets into the ear buds and iPhones of you guys that are travelling this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! Want to hear your question on The Football Coaching Podcast? Click the “Send Voicemail” tab on the right and […]
One season ends and almost immediately, another one begins. Hopefully you took my advice in the last episode and took a little break. Feel rested now? Great! Get back to work! It’s time to evaluate the season. What went good, what went bad. In this episode we’re looking at 4 areas of your football program […]
So the season is coming to a close… ours is over. You feel a certain emptiness. And a certain freedom. Is that free time? Nah, can’t be! Look, don’t jump right back into football mode. Take an off-season. Even if it’s only for a few days. Coaches, we need to unwind. We need to step […]
Most of our seasons are winding down. It either ends unceremoniously at the end of the regular season, or better yet – in the playoffs. Even better, you’re holding a big trophy. But in any of those scenarios, it still could be time to move on. This is a tough time of year for some […]
The Football Coaching Podcast is back with Episode 107. The season is winding down, but we’re still working. Today’s focus is on the Game Day coaching jobs. What are all those guy wearing khakis on the sidelines actually doing? More importantly, what are they supposed to be doing! It’s not uncommon to have a few […]
This one just had to get out. My recordings have gone to crap on my computer, and after a long bout of fiddling with it, I just recorded. If the sound quality is unacceptable… well, I apologize. In this episode, we’re hitting up the listener feedback questions… Question & Answer Tips for running the Muddle […]
It’s that sinking feeling in your stomach. Oh No! You’ve got a dude, that player who is the man… lying on the ground, clutching his [insert terrible injury here]. Now what? Fly into a panic? Cry? Scream? Quit? Next man up! The biggest key to dealing with injuries and other events where you’ve lost a player, […]
I know you’re busy. We all are. But we can’t use that as an excuse. Football coaches are well known for letting our health slip during the season. Our blood pressure gets up, we work ridiculously long hours, and we forget to eat – or resort to eating fast food. The first step is to […]
You are looking LIVE! Today was the first day of the LIVE Football Coaching Podcast recording. I’ll have more information on how you can watch the live podcast, and the recording, later. But I’m planning on doing next week’s on Wednesday at 10:00AM. I’m not sure how that will work though, there’s some cool possibilities […]
Every player on your defense has 5 things they do. That’s all. Maybe in different ways. But there’s just 5. I sent an email out to our Football-Defense.com subscribers this past week detailing the 5 Families. It’s also becoming a pretty consistent theme for the message Insider Members are getting… Tackle Defeat a Block Read […]
My football season is in full swing, with this podcast being recorded on the day of our first scrimmage. To say the least, I’m scrambling. This Episode’s Topics So what did we talk about? Using your iPhone to record practice film Defending Trap plays and pulling guards Defending Trips and Quads formations Preparing your Special […]
Football Coaching Podcast #100 has no special fan fare, we’re in season! I’ll dive into the mailbag for… Coaching your 4-2-5 Defense to defend a Hurry Up, No Huddle offense Should you run your Hurry Up, No Huddle offense in a jamboree or scrimmage setting? How do you decide which way to set your protection […]
The long awaited Episode 99 of The Football Coaching Podcast. It’s a mailbag show with 4 questions from the audience… I’m a young coach at the High School level. What should I do to move up to college and beyond? I’m moving from Sweden, where I’ve been coaching football, to the United States. I want […]
You’re getting ready to start the season. The playbook is set. This group looks good… Now you just have to get the playbook, into their heads. We’re talking install schedule today on The Football Coaching Podcast… How much can I install on Day 1? What should we install first? How do I plan the teaching […]
Looking for ways to twiddle your thumbs but feel really productive? Football coaches have been doing that for years. Granted, just because it made the list doesn’t mean it never did, or doesn’t now, have a purpose. We should just know better. I do some of these things myself, to be honest. I’ve probably done […]
Last time we talked defense, today we’re talking offense! What are the things your players have to be able to do? We look at Every Day Drills for each position in today’s episode… Wide Receivers: Catch balls! Running routes, both get-off’s and the top of the route, blocking Running Backs: Ball handling & Ball security, […]
Announcements The 4-3 Defense eCourse is up and ready – still posting the drills, and going to be adding more on the Press check for Quarters. http://the43defense.com On Wednesday July 9 in Atlanta, Georgia (down by the airport), Shane Sams and I will be holding a defensive coaching clinic. It’s not a clinic, it’s more than a clinic. […]
It’s a mailbag week and I’m out the door… I’ll add more later but if you’ve got a road trip you can give it a listen! Question & Answer Re-routes and Wall technique for Inside Linebackers in Zone Coverage Adjusting your Quarters Coverage for Empty Formations – can you still use the Survivor Check? How […]
It’s hard for football coaches to remember what it was like when we were players. We forget. We remember the good times. Big hits. Touchdowns. Time with the guys. And the girls… chicks dig football players, you know. We sometimes forget hating going through summer conditioning. Or the ringing headaches that lasted all of Spring Practice […]
OK, this one was a struggle. I may sound like I’m under water. And I may have had too many over-the-counter remedies for the common cold to be podcasting. But we got it done. In today’s episode, we have some listener emails… In This Episode Plenty of listener emails. Well, 3 listener emails. But they […]
We’re talking Summer Football Workouts. Summer is about a month away but the heat outside got me thinking ahead! How can you get the most out of your Summer workouts? Use your time wisely. PLAN your practice time. Vacations are a GOOD thing. For players and coaches. Give them a reason to leave the pool. […]
Question & Answer How to adjust the 4-2-5 Defense for head up alignments required by Youth Football Leagues rules? Gap blocking vs. Zone Blocking, which is easier to teach with better results? Can you use Press Corner technique in your Quarters Coverage in High School? Getting the Most From Your Practice with Tempo Teach Tempo […]
In episode 85 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we will answer the question “How one term can describe so many looks? Question & Answer How to run the Jet Sweep off of my Inside Zone play? What are the main differences between a run blitz vs. a pass blitz? Lists of Points The origins of […]
Question & Answer What coverages from the 4-2-5 do you utilize against trips and doubles formations? When does gap responsibility get tossed out the door? Why do you shade your N on the center instead of a traditional 1 technique? The difference between the Miami 4-3 Defense Linebacker fits and other 4-3 Defenses? Do you […]
In Episode 86 of Football Coaching Podcast, we talk about 3 plays you can base an offense around. Improve your playbook by focusing on a centerpiece for your offense. This is about being great at one play that gives you Identity. Question & Answer How do you decide which play calls to use, and when […]
In episode 85 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we talk about becoming a football coach. This is for coaches who are trying to get their foot in the door. It is a list of stuff the other coaches don’t want to do. Question & Answer We are pattern reading in Quarters. How can you stop […]
Episode 84 of The Football Coachign Podcast focuses on two big topics. First, we’re talking some more advanced coverage topics. Fiddle and Banjo, to be specific. Fiddle is used for 2 on 1 coverage. That can help us erase a mismatch. Banjo is for 2 on 2. We use that with bunched or stacked receivers. […]
Big thanks to Coach Mike O’Donnell from Rush City High School (MN) for the inspiration for this podcast. He sent me an email on the 5 Minute Plan that he’s been using for the last decade. The 5 Minute Plan is all about making sure that you stay true to your scheme. This short version […]
Earlier this week I hosted a free Web Clinic on Zone Coverage for Defensive Football Coaches. It’s not a sexy topic. But we had close to 200 football coaches who wanted to get better. Those are coaches who get it – they aren’t looking for the next hot gimmick. They know that sound football wins a lot […]
On Episode 81 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we are looking back at the past. Back to the days when I was a first-year football coach who knew it all! We’ve probably all been there. You simultaneously know everything, and nothing. On Football-Offense.com, I recently posted a huge list – 53 Things I Wish I […]
There are only 4 types of defenses in football. That is a fact. Non-negotiable. Your defensive scheme is based in one of these 4 boxes… It doesn’t matter what you run or what you call your defense. There are a limited number of gaps down there, anyway. Listen to Episode 80 of the Football Coaching […]
This week on The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re taking a look at the offensive side of the ball. More specifically, we’re talking about the Spread Offense. There’s nothing new about the Spread Offense. It has been a big part of High School Football for well over a decade now. We are even seeing a shift […]
There are tons of things you can do to help your football team – at least it seems that way. But they don’t do you much good in February. Most of us are trapped in our weight rooms until Spring Break. Whether by choice, by weather, or by state regulations, we are limited. In Episode […]
Chris Fore from CoachFore.org joins us again on this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. Coach Fore is an expert in helping coaches improve their resume, apply and interview for Coaching and Athletic Director positions. This week we’re talking about the time between sending in your resume, and actually getting that first interview. The job […]
As I recorded Episode 76 of The Football Coaching Podcast, I was packing up for my first football clinic of the 2014 Clinic Season. I’m really excited, as always, get out and hear what other coaches are doing – and what they learned from the season that just passed. Clinics are an experience every football […]
Tons of stuff in Episode 75 for your Even Front Defense. I’ve been doing a ton of work on the 4-2-5 Defense lately so that’s where the questions are going. I would LOVE for you to send in a question or two on Offense. But for now, we’re the least offensive podcast on the internet. […]
We’ve got some great questions this week on The Football Coaching Podcast. Lots of 4-2-5 Defense topics have been coming up, and that’s only appropriate! Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense eBook has been my top selling eBook over the last year. Not only that, in January I’ll be doing the 4-2-5 Defense eCourse to even more in […]
In Episode 73 of The Football Coaching Podcast we’re answering more listener questions from Email and the Football-Defense.com Forum. Some good topics this week including: Defending the Zone Read Play with your 4-2-5 Defense Making adjustments during the game Working with players who are playing both ways and helping them transition from one side of […]
In Episode 72 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ve got a new segment for you! Chris Fore from CoachFore.org joins us to talk about the professional side of coaching. This week we’re looking at how to handle knowing it’s time to go when there’s still time on the clock! We’re also talking… 4-2-5 Defense vs. 4-3 Defense, […]
The 2013 Football Season is moving right along and we’re back with another episode of The Football Coaching Podcast! Lots of fun stuff is going on and we’re talking about it all on this week. The first question this week hit really close to home. How do you build a winning tradition? There is nothing […]
Another very defense heavy episode. “Dark Siders” only! In Episode 70 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re talking about defending everything from Empty Formations to Double Wing and Goal Line Defense. What do you do with your defense when you want to keep 6 defenders in the box against Empty Formations? Today’s Empty Formation teams are not […]
We’re getting further into the start of the 2013 Football Season this week on The Football Coaching Podcast! We have a lot of Defensive Line questions including… Spilling a kick-out block versus squeezing the block What are “Pressure” and “Visual” keys for the Defensive Line Advantages and disadvantages of playing a 2i technique in your […]
A brief show this week, but some really interesting questions to listen to! Check out Episode 68 of The Football Coaching Podcast. We’re talking about Cover 3 and the 4-2-5 Defense, discussing route tags in the Air Raid system, and looking at the advantages of Half-Slide Pass Protection over Full Slide or BOB Protections. If […]
This episode is going up a little late, so I’ll add the show notes and everything later! But we are going to be talking about moving from Triple Option under center to the Shotgun Triple Option. Is Zone Read the only way to go? And when you’re seeing nothing but teams that pound the football, […]
After a week off, the Football Coaching Podcast is back! This week we get to talk a little Offense with the Power O Play. Is it a must have for your playbook? (is anything?) We also get some good defensive questions and we have an official winding-down point for 7 on 7 Discussion! Check it […]
Here we are again! The topics are all defense… at this point, I’m assuming we have run everyone who coaches offense out of the audience. Here’s the feature of this week’s podcast: my stuffed up nose, and probable occasional snort or sniffle. I didn’t do a lot of editing because I was heading out of […]
We have a mixed bag on Episode 64 of The Football Coaching Podcast. We’re answering your questions on everything under the sun. Remember that you can submit your questions by using our Contact Button at the top left. Offense, Defense or Special Teams – I just want to talk ball! In This Episode… Can you […]
In Episode 63 of The Football Coaching Podcast we have a range of topics to cover. We start with 2 and 3 sport athletes in your football program. They’re missing weight room time, 7 on 7 and team bonding experiences. Should we worry? I want to hear your thoughts on those multi-sport athletes. More specifically, […]
Back in the mailbag this week! Thanks to everyone for the flood of positive support on the podcast, and also for plenty of great ideas on how to make the podcast even better. The new format for the podcast got some overwhelming support. I promise we will be having some guests on in the future, […]
There’s a new format to The Football Coaching Podcast! Give it a listen as I’ll dip into the ol’ mail bag today. After 60 episodes of the podcast, including over 40 interviews, I decided that it was time for a change. I never set out to be a radio show host. I’m a football coach. […]
The hottest topic in Offensive football circles right now is the Pistol Offense. We have a coach who knows a thing or two about it on the Football Coaching Podcast. Keith Grabowski is the Offensive Coordinator for Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio. He has also been a regular columnist for American Football Monthly. Coach Grabowski writes […]
This week on The Football Coaching Podcast, we’re talking Multiple Front Defense with Jamelle Byrd. Coach Byrd is the Defensive Coordinator at Hough High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since helping to get the program off the ground in 2010, Coach Byrd has risen through the ranks. He helped Hough to their most successful season […]
One of our most important jobs as football coaches is to help develop our players into strong young men when they go out into society in the future. We can never lose sight of this, even though sometimes we get blinded by the Wins & Losses. Shawn Copeland and Darrick Ware realized this need. They […]
Coach Eric Scammons took over as the Head Football Coach at South Hadley High School in Massachusetts in 2011. But this was not his first job in South Hadley. Coach Scammons was a long time assistant, and a player at South Hadley prior to taking over. He has quickly built the team up, playing for […]
Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida has a won 6 State Championships and 2 National Championships under Coach Bill Castle. This week on the Football Coaching Podcast we have John Flath, who has been coaching the Offensive Line at Lakeland since 2006. Besides working with Coach Castle for the last 8 years, he also played […]
Shane Sams is the Defensive Coordinator for a 5A School in Southeast Kentucky. He is also the author of 3-5-3defense.com. Coach Sams joins us on The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about his 3-5-3 Defense. Not all 30 Stack fronts are created the same. Some coaches are gamblers. Some guys are conservative. Coach Sams has […]
Jason Thomas has resurrected the program at Burr & Burton Academy in Manchester, Vermont. And a big part of that change has been his Hurry Up, No Huddle style of offense. What got him started on the No Huddle Offense? How about working with Chip Kelly at the University of New Hampshire? That’s a start. […]
There are unique challenges in every program around the country. No two teams are the same, and no two staffs are the same. But there are certain challenges that coaches at small schools face, that the rest of us have never experienced. Justin Dottavio is the Head Football Coach at Cornerstone Charter Academy in Belle […]
Chris Fore is Athletic Director and Assistant Football Coach at Excelsior High School in California, where he helped the football team finish 2012 with a #1 ranking in the state. He is also a former Head Football Coach. Chris now holds an additional distinction: The first return interview for The Football Coaching Podcast! Coach Fore, […]
The Wishbone Offense may seem like a piece of offensive football history, but it’s alive and well at North Bullitt High School in Kentucky. Brett Newton has recently put out a new book on Coaching the Wishbone Offense through CoachesChoice.com. This week he’s joining us on The Football Coaching Podcast. Coach Newton’s Wishbone Offense over the last […]
We’ve made it all the way to Episode 50 of The Football Coaching Podcast, and Nate Albaugh from ChiefPigskin.com is back to celebrate with us! Well, celebrate and talk about tackling technique. There’s probably not a more controversial topic in football – and there’s certainly not one more important. Both from a safety standpoint and […]
Chris Rusiewicz is the Head Football Coach at Division III Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and he’s our guest this week on The Football Coaching Podcast. Coach Rusiewicz has a unique take on the 4-2-5 Defense and he’s giving us all the details in this interview. We’ll go position by position looking at a […]
On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast we’re interviewing Coach Steve Shaughnessy, Defensive Coordinator of the Butler High School Bulldogs in Matthews, North Carolina. Butler has enjoyed amazing success in recent years including winning the 2012 State Championship, their 3rd in the last 4 years. Coach Shaughnessy’s 3-4 Defense has been a big part […]
The Linebackers are the heart and soul of your defense, and they deserve plenty of special attention. Are you doing everything necessary to build great Linebackers? Joe Dishun is the Head Football Coach for W.T. Woodson High School (VA) and former Defensive Coordinator at Lake Braddock High School (VA). Linebacker movements, defeating blocks, tackling and […]
The 4-2-5 Defense is one of the hottest defenses in High School and College Football today, and everyone is looking to run Quarters Coverage with. Coach Aaron Segedi from Trenton High School (MI) is talking to us about that exact combination today. Coach Segedi tells us how to run Quarters with your 4-2-5 Defense, setting […]
This is a really exciting episode of The Football Coaching Podcast for me. We’re talking Coaching Character in our young men this week with Bob Lord. Coach Lord has over 50 years of experience in coaching football, and certainly knows a thing or two about the role of coaches in developing men of great character. […]
It’s always a popular topic among coaches: When I was a player, it wasn’t like this! So sometimes it’s just a way to vent a little steam. But the truth is, we really do have to do with some different challenges today. Joe and Nate are talking about what affect our media has on our […]
If there’s one thing we all could use on our Football Team, it’s more speed. Speed can win games and championships for you. No one knows that better than Adam Szabo. Adam is an Assistant Football Coach and Speed & Conditioning Coach for Anderson High School (OH). He also runs Speed Application, LLC where he […]
In 2012, Gainesville High School limped into the Georgia State Playoffs at 7-3, then went on a winning streak that culminated in the AAAAA Georgia State Championship. Coach Bruce Miller’s team used a combination of Zone, Gap and Option schemes from Spread Formations to get the job done. This week on The Football Coaching Podcast, […]
Art Walker continued his run of success in Pennsylvania High School Football this season with a PIAA State Championship. Then he was generous enough to get on the phone and talk football just a couple days later. We are taking a look at the powerful offense of North Allegheny Senior High School this week. In […]
This week we take a look at the College of William & Mary’s 4-3 Defense and particularly the Cover 2 Package, with Defensive Assistant Trey Henderson. Coach Henderson breaks down each position’s alignment, keys and reads. We also get into the basics of the 4-3 Defense, matching coverages to your front, and Coach Henderson’s favorite […]
Coach Pete Mutascio is the Head Football Coach at Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia. He is also one of the coaches who helped bring the 3-5-3 Defense into the spotlight in the state of Virginia when his team started running it 10 years ago. We sat down to talk about why he chose the […]
We’re talking defense again, and this time it’s with Kenny Sanchez, Defensive Coordinator at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fresh off a 4th consecutive Nevada State Championship, Coach Sanchez is going to talk to us about his 4-3 Defense and some specifics of the Cover 2 coverage they use behind it. Find […]
We’re back to talking football, and getting on the field. Between all of our sites we receive a lot of questions. In this episode we’re going to answer some of those questions. Our topics include… Adjusting your coverage to motion Spilling the football using wrong arm techniques Running Power against the 3-5-3 Defense 1 High […]
Nate is back with us this week and we’re sitting down to evaluate our 2012 Football Seasons. Most of us have some things we would have liked to change about each season. We also have some lessons we know we never want to forget. At least ours will be recorded for next season. We both […]
Who’s the man behind the curtain? CoachHuey.com is the largest social site for coaches on the internet today. Since 2005, over 30,000 of us have become better coaches through the forum. Now meet Brandon Houston, the man who started it all. From Youth to College, from 1st year to 40th year and beyond. There is […]
Looking to improve your passing game? Check out this interview with Dub Maddox, co-author of From Headset To Helmet with Darin Slack. Coach Maddox is also the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for Jenks High School in Jenks, Oklahoma. Listen in to get an introduction to the R4 System, a great system for communicating to your […]
One topic that there just isn’t much out there on is 8 Man Football. While it seems to be growing across the country, the amount of resources available for 8 Man Football coaches is not keeping up. So we sat down with Chris Fore of CoachFore.org and Excelsior High School in California. Coach Fore will […]
Anyone who’s running the Wing-T Offense should know Dennis Creehan, and this week we talk to the current Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Alderson-Broaddus College (WV). Coach Creehan has authored several books and videos on the subject. We focus on Game Planning this week. How do you build your package for your Wing-T […]
This is the second half of my interview with Coach Hugh Wyatt of CoachWyatt.com. A long time High School Football Coach, with experience at all levels, Coach Wyatt gives us a ton of great insight as we talk about his career. Hugh Wyatt is a well known Double Wing guru, and you can learn more […]
This week’s interview is too good to give a single topic, and too big to give a single episode. Hugh Wyatt is a Double Wing expert and experienced High School, College and Professional football coach. My opening question, the obligatory “Tell us about your career,” wound up taking almost two hours and through all kinds […]
We’re fortunate to have Coach Tony DeMeo on The Football Coaching Podcast. Coach DeMeo talks about his Offensive Philosophy with us, including the 4 stats that matter – and the stats that do not matter! It may change the way you look at the game. Coach DeMeo will also talk about his Triple Gun Option […]
Joe Daniel and Nate Albaugh sit down once again to talk football. This week we are looking at the right adjustments to make during the season. We share some of the changes that we have made during the early part of the 2012 Season, as well. The overall theme for this episode is, do not […]
This weekend on The Football Coaching Podcast, we get to talk a little bit of everything in coaching football with Matthew Brophy of Cripes! Get Back to Fundamentals… blog. Brophy gives us insight on topics including how to get into coaching football when you’re not a classroom teacher, how football is different in the South, and the […]
Anyone who is familiar with Football-Defense.com has probably read some of Coach Daniel’s writings or watched videos about using Quarters Coverage. You probably also know that everything is stolen from somebody in Football. Shap Boyd is the Defensive Coordinator at Muskingum University, author of Quarters Coverage Made Simple, and the person that version of Quarters […]
Coach Anthony Pratley from pistolspreadoption.com joins us on The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about the Pistol Offense. Coach Pratley has a system that is incredibly multiple, while at the same time being simple and easy to install. We talk about the reasons for installing the Pistol Spread Option, and the ease of installation for […]
Coach Stan Zweifel, Head Coach at University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, joins us this week to talk about running the football in the Zone Offense. Coach Zweifel is one of the true masters of the Zone running game, with 2 Division III National Championships to his credit while coordinating the Offense for the University […]
3-4 Defense guys here’s one for you! Chuck Morrell is the Head Coach at Montana Tech University, a member of the NAIA. He is also the author of the Championship Productions video series, Dominating with the 3-4 Defense. This 2 video series features Run Pressures and Pass Pressures, and we talked to Coach Morrell about his […]
The Pistol Option is the hottest offense in the nation today and we have one of the top coaches giving us a clinic on it in this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast. James Vint from Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas. Coach Vint has authored several books and videos on everything from running the […]
Our guest on The Football Coaching Podcast this week is Tim Murphy of Clayton Valley High School. Coach Murphy has had an incredible run at Clovis East High School and Ygnacio Valley in California running his Double Wing Offense. Nate and Joe will pick Coach Murphy’s brain about installing the Double Wing and the adjustments […]
A great interview with Jerry Gordon, author of Coaching the Under Front Defense. The book was so good, I had to talk to the author. And it was definitely worth it. The big message here is to keep the defense simple, so that your kids understand and play with confidence. Coach Gordon brings plenty of experience […]
Coach Daniel and Coach Albaugh are back with a new podcast discussing a very sensitive topic, Coaching Ethics. What is right and what is wrong in coaching? Some coaches seem to approach the game with a “Win at All Costs” mindset, don’t they? But when you step back and look at coaching closely, it seems […]
Our guest this week on The Football Coaching Podcast is Chris Rubio of Rubio Long Snapping. After a successful career snapping for UCLA, Chis has worked with over 400 college long snappers and 6 long snappers in the NFL. In short, he knows his stuff. We talk about what the ideal build for a long […]
In part 2 of our discussion on how to make your Off-Season the best one yet, Coach Daniel and Coach Albaugh talk about staff commitment during the off-season, how much of your playbook should be put together in the off-season, and we both give a general outline of our off-season plan. The season is right […]