Effectively Disguising Coverages (Part I)
This past off-season I spent more time than normal listening to offensive coaches discuss their strategies. Not just at clinics, but also in our office because this year we had an offensive coordinator to hire. This gave me a great…
Linebacker Change of Direction Drills
The first day we taught the fundamentals of linebacker play. In building a base, we stressed playing great technique – stance, read steps, playing low, angles, reading the triangle, reacting to flow for run or pass, gap responsibilities, option responsibilities…
Long Hours, Hard Work – Do You Spend Your Time Doing What Matters the Most?
Over 20 years ago at a clinic, Sam Harp, former Danvlle High School (KY) coach with seven state titles, shared a master list of what a coach needs to do, broken down by the months of the year. That list…
When a Player Transfers, is it Okay for Him to Hand over Your Rival’s Playbook?
If a player transfers to your school, and he is from your rival school, or any school you play, is it okay for him to give you a copy of your rival’s playbook? I think anything a kid knows/remembers is…
The Night Roger Gruneisen Almost Fired Me
I heard from Coach Gruneisen today. He brought up one of the times he almost fired me! 🙂 We were at Bath County playing in the freezing cold for the region championship in November of 1989. Bath had beaten us…
Graduation Gift or Retirement Gift
Check this out. It may be the perfect gift you are looking for. It has football, wisdom, life lessons, and great stories from a collection of great old coaches. If you are looking for something that will rekindle your memories(or…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – May
May is here, Spring has sprung, and I hope everyone is able to take a few minutes to enjoy it. Here at Norwich, and at most schools playing our level of college football, the “Spring” (I put that in quotes…
Spring Ball Wrap-Up
We just completed a very successful spring football season at Cornell with our 12 practices allowed by the Ivy League. As with most things, we can attribute much of our success to diligent planning and consistent execution. What follows below…
3 Option Go-To Play
By David Machuca, Every coach has that go-to play in crunch time. As an offensive coordinator, I want our quarterback and offensive unit to feel confident and comfortable in those pressure situations. I believe I have found “that play”, at…
The Transition Plan: What are the Priorities?
Rex Lardner, the Managing Editor of American Football Monthly, is a good friend of mine. He asked me to share my transition plan on this blog. Holler at me if you have questions. Overall, I have tried to address people issues…