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.
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.
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...
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
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!
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!
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...
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!