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!
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!)
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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…
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
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
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…
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.
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!
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!
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 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...
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.
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...
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!
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.
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.