The “Jake” LB Stunt – Simple and Effective
Here is information on an effective stunt we have used in multiple fronts over the years. Credit for the stunt goes to Lincoln North Star (NE) DC and long time friend, Doug Nielson. The “Jake” stunt involves an inside LB…
Linebacker Fundamentals – Day 1
Last week we held our first annual senior high football camp. Our campers wore their helmets during the camp. It reminded me of my days recently in high school when we were required by the state of Florida to go…
Defensive Weapons
At the University of Sioux Falls, we use three simple words to describe what we call our defensive weapons – EYES, HANDS, and FEET. When you watch football on television or coach football at any level, and you see players…
3 Quick Drills for LBs – Zone Coverage
June is upon us, and I hope you all get a chance to catch your breath. This month, I will continue with my 3 Quick Drills series. For June, I’d like to share drills I use to work on to…
Hands Drills For the D-line
DEFENSIVE LINE HANDS DRILLS In this article I am going to focus on the multiple ways a defensive lineman can use his hands to defeat blockers. The drills that I am going to breakdown focus on teaching defensive linemen…
Summer Defensive Line Drills
What follows is a SAMPLE from the DRILL MENU for the summer. Most of these drills are, of course, also used in the spring and fall but these are what the guys get for their summer work wherever they are….
Being a Defensive Coordinator by Calling Offense (The “What If” Factor of Coaching)
I had always fancied myself as being a so-called “defensive guy”. Coming out of college, I thought I knew defense. I had grown up in a family were football, especially defense, was king. My dad, Ned Panfile Sr., was the…
Simple Tips for an Effective Pass Rush
In coaching defensive linemen and linebackers in a base pass rush, there are several tips and points of emphasis that can extract maximum value from a one-on-one match-up. When coaching the outside cage rusher in particular, the key coaching point…
Teaching Pass Rush Moves Fundamentally
What I am going to break down is nothing brand new and has probably been said or done over and over again in some form or fashion. The focus of this article is not so much on the specific pass…
3 Quick Drills for LBs – Run Fits/Techniques
Happy May, Coaches! The end of the school year is right around the corner…hang in there! This month, I’d like to move on with my “3 Quick Drills” – this time focusing on some things I use to work on…