8 Man Academy: Recent Episodes
8 Man Academy
Coach Harriman talks about his weekly routines as Defensive Coordinator at Siloam Springs, his ties to Bear Bryant, and being the son of a coach.
Coach Bolin talks about why he has made a career of being an assistant coach, why he loves O-Line, and what it takes to maintain success at a program long term.
We head to SW Oklahoma to visit with Coach Robert Babcock. He talks to us about breaking Morrison's national winning streak, the 8man books he has written, and getting elected to the OK 8 Man Coaches Hall of Fame.
We talk with Coach Jeff Slater from Burlingame, KS. He talks to us about the coaching influence of his mom and how his goal of trying to make a football player feel special at his school changed the culture of his community.
We talk to David Kerr from Pond Creek-Hunter HS in Pond Creek, OK. Coach Kerr remembers his days at Morrison, tells us how consistency in his program has lead to 190 wins and multiple state championships over 20+ years, and walks us through his two favorite plays.
We visit with Coach Hasslestrom about the culture shift over 20 years in his school, how the local youth program and consistent coaching has led to multiple state championships.
We visit again with Head Coach James Kilian from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. We ask him if there's a place for 8Man players at the next level, he gives us a peek into how he recruits at St. Olaf, and he offers some advice to parents and what questions they should ask a college coach.
We talk to Coach Justus about their very recent transition to 8man football, running his wing-t offense out of a spread look, and growing up as a coach's son.
We talk to Coach Birks about his experience playing in a dome, why scheme is so important, and how he runs practice through the week.
Coach Fuller talks to us about the challenges of playing both an 8man and 11man schedule, how he adapted his 11man defense to 8man, and coaching at his alma mater.
We visit with Coach Adam Bishop from Regent Prep in Tulsa, Ok about finding success with small rosters, why he chooses not to punt, and the importance of teaching players multiple positions.
We visit with Coach Rob Luther in Baxter, IA. He talks about his spread offense, starting sports again, and working to bring the 8 Man coaching community together.
Coach DeLano checks in and takes us down the path of how he became an 8 man coach, why he believes you must be able to run the ball to win it all, and his 4 man front on defense.
Former 8 Man, D-I, and NFL QB, and current St. Olaf College Head Coach James Kilian talks to us about how he went from small town farm kid to the NFL.
We head back to IL to talk to Coach Craig. He tells us about how he took over a program that had been on a 22 game losing streak and went to the semifinals the next year. We also talk about the transition from 11 to 8 man and how he developed his 41 defense.
Coach Tiernan takes us behind the scenes of his program with a few funny stories. Coach Tiernan has multiple state titles, and he tells us why you should run the football and how he has moved to a zone defense.
Coach Mancuso talks to us about his journey from student assistant at Southern Miss to head coach in an 8 man football school. We talk about being a coach's son, his grinding offense, and playing with NFL talent.
We visit with Jason Smith, Director of Operations for the Sunshine State Athletic Conference in the state of Florida. We talk about the growing 8 Man football game in the state of Florida, and why Coach Smith loves option football.
We talk to Coach Alex McMillian from Madison, KS about some of the legendary coaching mentors he has had, why counter boot pass is his go to play, and what he's got coming back next year.
We head to the Pacific NW to visit Coach Matt Bragg in Yoncalla, OR. He tells us what it's like coaching in his hometown, the current state of 8 Man football in OR, and how Chip Kelly molded his early coaching philosophy.
We visit with Superior Central, MI Coach Sam Eggleston. He talks to us about the state of 8 Man football in Michigan, how he maintains relationships with his players while not at school full time, and what shapes his schemes.
We visit with Coach Corey Rickert, head coach at Oakfield HS in Oakfield, Wisconsin. We talk about the state of 8man football in Wisconsin, and Coach Rickert shares with us some of his philosophies on both sides of the ball.
We talk to Coach Ortiz about starting 8man football in Arkansas, and the importance of relationship building in a small community.
We talk to Nebraska 8 Man coach Mike Speirs about getting 9 rings 3 yards at a time, coaching a second generation of players, and a valuable lesson to any young coach.
We make a brief announcement about our upcoming clinic, then we wrap up our conversation with Coach Michel. We talk logistics of Colorado high school football, some x's and o's, and being named Denver Broncos high school Coach of the Year.
Part 1 of 2 of our interview with Coach Michel. Sedgewick County has gone 62-2 over the past 5 years with 5 consecutive Colorado 8 Man state titles.
We visit with Coach Chris Elerick about growing up a coach's son, the evolution of the Blackjack Defense, and getting the matchups you want on offense through motion.
We talk to Coach Matt Cantrell about his program at South Barber HS in Kiowa, KS. South Barber has had a high level of success over the past 20 years. Coach Cantrell talks about when their program made that turn, his motion heavy offense, and what a Rule 10 coach means in Kansas.
We visit with Coach Schanbacher about his path to coaching, winning a state title in his hometown, and why it's the little things that make the big difference.
We visit with "Coach D" Demian Vinarsky about developing young men not just into football players but also leaders in their community. He tells us about his no excuses policy and how his team has bought into his philosophy.
We talk to Coach Neptune about turning his HS program around, building his youth program, what it takes to change the culture of a team, and the state of 8 man football in Nebraska.
We visit with Coach Koy Hughes from Garber, OK about what it's like to coach in your hometown, his fast paced no huddle offense, and the value of athletes competing year round in multiple sports.
We answer some questions from Twitter about contain vs spill with DE's, developing depth with a small roster, motivation for players, and the spread run game.
We take some questions from Twitter and take our best shot answering them. We discuss the zone run game, increasing participation, and some of our favorite things about 8man.
We visit with Coach Bass from North Shelby HS about his love of 8 Man football and his coaching journey so far.
We return to Iowa to visit with Coach Miers about his program in Central City, running the single wing 8 man style, and what it's like to be a best selling author.
We visit with Coach McGee about transitioning from 11 to 8 man and growing the 8 man game in the state of Tennessee.
We tell some old playoff stories from growing up on the sidelines, playing days, coaching, or just as a fan.
Brent Hendrix talk about his experience as a player, then as a coach at Pond Creek-Hunter HS, a program that consistently won at a high level for 20+ years.
Lifelong friend and mentor Kelly Husted talks to us about lessons learned during his career and shares some stories from along the way.
We talk with Coach Jeremy Christiansen about his program at Fremont - Mills High School in Tabor, Iowa.
We talk to Coach Orange about building and sustaining his 8 Man program in Los Angeles, CA.
We talk to Hall of Fame Coach Andy Claborn about his career, building relationships, and his surprising 7 lineman offensive formation.
We talk to Coach Claflin about applying 11 man concepts to the 8 man game, the differences between Kansas and Oklahoma 8 man football, and how to attend clinics for mostly free.
We talk to HOF Coach Jack Braud about his long career in Sharon-Mutual, Oklahoma and some of the changes that he has seen along the way.
We answer some questions from Twitter including practice concepts with small numbers, and running a 3-2 defense against 10 personnel.
We talk to Coach Engle about his journey from the biggest football class in Oklahoma to the smallest, how he developed his 3-3 defense, practicing with only 2 coaches, and the joy of the 8 man PAT.
We introduce ourselves to the 8 man academy community and discuss why we love 8 man football and why we wanted to create resources for 8 man football coaches.