Quick And Easy D.O.B. Drill
In my opinion, there are three key components to playing excellent defensive football. When I work with my linebackers, everything we do in our individual periods is explained to them as “building a house”. The most basic, fundamental skills we…
Shutting Down the Run With the Under Front in Your 4-3 Defense
I love using the 4-3 defense’s over front because it is one of the most versatile defensive fronts in the game. There are times, however, when we know that the offense wants to run the ball. In those situations, we…
Recruit and Develop
The title of this article is a phrase that I first became aware of when hearing Greg Schiano speak at the New York State High School Coaches Clinic in February of 2008. Up to that point, I can honestly say…
Finding the Right Special Teams Personnel
It is continually said that special teams is 1/3 of the game, so much so that at this point it has become something of a cliché. Despite how coaches repeat it, we can easily forget just how impactfull special teams…
2-Ball Kickoff Coverage Drill
I used this drill for the first time earlier this season so I am still working out the kinks, but it has a lot of value for a few reasons: – it reps 2 kickers and 2 returners at…
The 4 to 5-Day Installation Plan
There has been a lot of discussion lately about quicker installation plans for camp as opposed to slow schedules that allow for proper execution prior to moving on to something new. I instituted this faster plan at Aurora University a…
Defensive Guru Smith Still Has Impact on Royals
It was a morning practice in the summer of 1986. The Mercer County football team had just finished a 10-minute period of throwing pass patterns on air — no defense. Not a single completion. The night before we had scrimmaged…
High Completion Vertical Pass Route
I think that balance is the key to having great success in any offense…not just spread offenses. You need to be able to throw the ball…and not only when you have to throw it, but also when you want to…
Your First Head Coaching Job
A lot of coaches like talking Xs and Os, which is the easy part of coaching. The scheming and game planning is the chess match we all signed up for and love to do. However, as head coaches we take…
Training Modifications Due to Injury During Football Season
Football is a collision sport, and it is inevitable that your team is going to have to deal with injuries at some point during this football season. Early in my career, I was very hands off with students who had…