Coach Russell’s Ruminations – September
I hope everyone is off to a good start for the 2015 season. A new year is always exciting. It’s a chance to see what your incoming players bring to the program, as well as to evaluate how everything you’ve…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – August
Welcome to August, football season, and my “Camp Edition” of Coach Russell’s Ruminations. My first thought for this month is something I think far too many men in our profession struggle with. There seems to be an eternal struggle between…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – July
For college football coaches, and many high school coaches, the summer means one thing: camps. Summer football camps are not only a good way to supplement your income, but they’re also valuable for the opportunity to be exposed to high…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – June
Over the course of the last few months, we’ve been deep into the season of coaches moving to other schools, hirings, firings, etc. Usually, football coaches handle the process the right way. Unfortunately, sometimes they don’t. The entire process is something…
Make Big Decisions Now, Coach When It is Time to Coach
In my book, Black Shoes & White Shoestrings , I talk about Bill Walsh’s impact on how we run our program and the level of organization we try to incorporate. We use play scripts, job descriptions, and any necessary planning…
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…
Transition: When One of Yours Takes Over the Program
On April 2nd, a tough transition began to take place. I resigned as the head football coach at Mason County HS after 19 great years. I am returning to be the head football coach position at Mercer County Senior…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – April
Happy Spring coaches. It has finally arrived – even here in beautiful central Vermont! This month’s first thought pertains directly to the weather, and what a twisted sense of humor Mother Nature seems to have. We are heading toward our…
Teaching Methodology Ideas for Spring Football
Please find in this blog a few of the points of emphasis that we have as a staff as we begin spring football this week. Although they are not revolutionary, they do come out of some focused and concentrated work…
Coach Russell’s Ruminations – March
At Norwich University, and many similar schools, March means crunch time for recruiting. The majority of our time on the road is done, hundreds of phone calls are being made, and the all-important financial aid packages are going out. With…