Coach and Coordinator Podcast

The guest on today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Tod Creneti, head coach of St. Stephen’s Episcopal High School in Bradenton, Florida. Creneti is in his eighth season at the helm at St. Stephen’s. Creneti has helped the Falcons to their first two state championships in 2016 and 2017. He was also named a state coach of the year after the 2017 season. During his tenure as head coach, Creneti has totaled a 48-28 record in seven full seasons with four straight eight-plus-win seasons. Last year, St. Stephen’s averaged 48.1 points per game while only allowing an average of 7.3 points per game defensively. Creneti has been in coaching for 27 years since coming out of college. Prior to St. Stephen’s, Creneti worked as a head coach and assistant athletic director at St. Petersburg Catholic High School (Florida) for four seasons. Creneti also has experience at the FCS level with two years at Georgetown University. In college, Creneti played quarterback at NCAA Division III school Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania). Outside of football, Creneti is also the founder of Foundation Coaching, a personal development organization using ideas and lessons from sports and applying them to life. Creneti is also involved with a similar organization called the Positive Coaching Alliance, helping young athletes develop. On today’s podcast, Creneti and host Keith Grabowski discuss transforming into a winning culture, developing player relationships and running the quick game offense. Show Notes 1:07 Growing up around football and coaching 2:13 Transition from playing football to coaching 2:59 Lessons learned in coaching journey 4:49 Building a championship-winning program 6:31 Strategies for drawing players to a program 7:55 Showing a positive culture outside of wins and losses 9:24 Guiding coaching staff toward a winning culture 11:27 Best things his coaching staff does for the team 13:13 Philosophy of the quick-game offense 16:39 Adjusting quick-game to the defense 19:15 Quarterback reading the defense and finding the “key defender” 19:54 Adjusting for the ability of your offensive line 21:17 Balancing the run game into a quick passing game 22:47 Helping young coaches invest in player relationships 24:59 Working with Foundation Coaching 27:11 The Winning Edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Andy Ryland, senior manager in education and training at USA Football. While working at USA Football, he has helped develop the Heads Up Football and Master Trainer programs. Ryland has also worked in improving tackling techniques in football. Before coming to USA Football, Ryland spent time playing for the U.S. men’s rugby team. He played linebacker in college at Penn State University. In a series of articles on the USA Football website, Ryland has talked about the “vision-decision-action” cycle in football. This involves players analyzing situations happening in-game and reacting effectively. This builds on the training done in practice, where players can apply decision-making and situational analysis they have learned in real time. Ryland discusses this topic in three different articles found below: Space, time and numbers in American football drills Decision in the VDA cycle: How quick decision-making creates quicker athletes The Vision-Decision-Action Cycle and American football drills On today’s podcast, Ryland and host Keith Grabowski talk about using practice to prepare players for in-game situations, adapting to unique decisions and the Vision-Decision-Action cycle. Show Notes 1:22 Training effective decision-making by players 5:23 Adapting drills to teach more dynamic skills 9:18 Teaching players how to handle chaos on the field 15:54 Moving the starting point in drills to give players different angles 21:11 Creating game-like environments in team period practice 26:08 How to use scout teams to replicate game situations 34:37 Making drills in practice more realistic to the game

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Lane Kirkland, head coach at Carey High School (Idaho). Carey High School is an 8-man football school in Idaho. Kirkland starts his 18th season as a head coach at Carey, coming off a 13-0 record and a state championship last season. Over the course of his tenure at Carey, Kirkland holds a 147-36 record as a coach. This includes winning a total of four state championships in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2017. Over the past 13 seasons, Kirkland has amassed a 123-25 record while at Carey. Kirkland took over the head-coaching position at Carey after his father, Heber Kirkland, retired from the same position. Heber Kirkland won two state championships while he was the head coach. Prior to coming to Carey, Lane Kirkland spent one season in Oakley, Idaho teaching and coaching football. Along with coaching football at Carey, Kirkland also teaches history and helps coach the basketball and track and field teams. On today’s show, Kirkland and host Keith Grabowski talk about 8-man high school football, having consistency in your program and the creative uses of sandbags. Show Notes 0:58 How football is different in Idaho 2:11 Building teamwork and pride within the community 3:27 Pillars he builds his program around 4:57 Working hard and having energy at practice 6:42 Using sandbags to build strength and conditioning 9:24 Maintaining consistency within the program 11:24 Newly popular concepts and schemes in 8-man football 12:31 Incorporating RPOs in practice 14:11 Changes in 8-man football to promote safety 15:57 Excitement and intensity being affected by rule changes 16:56 The Winning Edge

This is the weekly recap of this past week’s Coach and Coordinator podcasts! Host Keith Grabowski was joined by two recent high school state champions, a successful high school head coach from Ohio, an FCS offensive line coach and several coaches talking about freshman participation in high school. On the daily shows were Jermaine Smith, Geoff Marcone, Dan Reardon and Matt Jones. On the new “Your Call” show was Brad Burchfield, Aaron Chantler, Tim Rogers, Eric Kasperowicz, Todd Fox, Mike Kuchar and Blaine Powell. Listen in to hear a preview of each show!

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Matt Jones, offensive line coach at Texas Southern University. Jones is in his second season at Texas Southern coaching the o-line. Last year, Jones helped Texas Southern to a rushing average of 126.5 yards per game and only allowed 15 sacks in 11 games. Jones came to TSU after spending one year in the same position at Jackson State University. Prior to Jackson State, Jones spent two seasons in the FBS with Tulane University. Jones coached at Villanova University for one season before moving to Tulane. Jones began his coaching career at the NAIA level with Avila University in Missouri. While an offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Avila set 16 program records including fewest sacks allowed, rushing yards in a season and rushing touchdowns. Before going to Avila, Jones coached offensive line and tight ends at the University of Saint Francis in Illinois. Jones started in coaching as a student assistant while at Eastern Illinois University and then Lincoln-Way Central High School (Illinois) after graduating from Eastern Illinois. On today’s show, Jones and host Keith Grabowski talk about his philosophy coaching the offensive line, safe blocking techniques and his social media presence with #LinemanLunch. Show Notes 1:08 The use and beginning of #LinemanLunch 3:56 Using visuals in improving coaching 4:41 Beginnings of his coaching journey 6:00 Advice to coaches who want to advance to the college level 7:42 Mentors throughout his coaching journey 11:38 Being prepared to test your knowledge of your position 14:19 Promoting learning and teaching in your program 16:10 Developing a culture within your position team 19:55 How offensive line techniques have changed and will adapt 24:26 Teaching safe techniques and fundamentals 26:15 Using techniques from other sports into football 28:44 Balancing building skills and learning schemes in practice 32:19 Being efficient with teaching formation 34:50 Having the coordinators all on the same page 38:50 Creating confidence with play-call decision making 40:37 Benefits of using the Duo play on the offensive line 43:54 Deciding between blocking schemes based on offensive formation 45:04 The Winning Edge

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast features a variety of high school football coaches across the nation. They all join today’s show to share their thoughts on including freshman players in practices with the varsity team. Several years prior, this would not be a topic of debate as players were always separated into their varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams. But some coaches today have started to go against the norm and include all those players together. Today’s show features a total of seven guests in to talk with host Keith Grabowski about freshman integration. Brad Burchfield - Head Coach, Bishop Hartley High School (OH) - Twitter: @brad_burchfield Aaron Chantler - Head Coach, Auburn High School (WA) - Twitter: @coach_achantler Tim Rogers - Head Coach, Forest Hills Central (Michigan) - Twitter: @Cochtimrogers Eric Kasperowicz - Head Coach, Pine-Richland High School (PA) - Twitter: @CoachKasper Todd Fox, Head Coach, Norwalk High School (OH) - Twitter: @foxtodd77 Mike Kuchar - Defensive Coordinator, Rahway High School (NJ) - Twitter: @MikekKuchar Blaine Powell - Head Coach, Sullivan High School (IN) - Twitter: @coachpowell91 On today’s podcast, host Keith Grabowski talks with all seven guests about their approach to including freshman with their varsity players and how that has impacted their players and their program. Show Notes 3:53 Brad Burchfield talks about the advantage of incorporating freshman 6:05 BB: Keys to bringing in freshman to a championship team 7:20 BB: How playing time is a factor to all players 12:49 Aaron Chantler shares why it is important to involve freshman with the varsity 18:05 AC: Coordinating between different team’s schedules 23:48 AC: Benefits of having coaches align culture with whole team 27:10 Tim Rogers discusses developing staff to assist players from freshman year on 30:07 TR: Being able to develop players early in the process 33:16 TR: How freshman integration builds the overall team culture 37:03 Eric Kasperowicz gives a different look at setting practice 41:00 Todd Fox shares the importance of involve freshman regardless of program size 44:20 TF: Players having primary and secondary positions on the team 48:39 TF: Balancing freshman playing with and competing against upperclassmen 51:15 TF: Avoiding hazing and unfair treatment of freshman within the team 53:45 Mike Kuchar discusses practicing freshman with varsity players 55:06 MK: Building a program’s culture and keeping freshman on the team 1:01:32 MK: Avoiding matching up freshman with upperclassmen in practice 1:03:11 MK: The 21-Hour Program 1:08:08 Blaine Powell looks at incorporating incoming freshman in the off-season 1:11:53 BP: Addressing the safety of freshman in drills 1:13:46 BP: Key to keeping a player in the program for all four years 1:16:11 BP: Building a culture of respect to all players on the team

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Dan Reardon, head football coach at Canton McKinley High School in Ohio. Reardon is in his fourth season at the helm at McKinley. In three full seasons, Reardon has amassed a 22-12 record and three appearances in the Ohio state playoffs. Prior to coaching at McKinley, Reardon was a head coach in Colorado at Wheat Ridge High School for a year and Poudre High School for two years. Reardon began his head coaching career at Youngstown Ursuline High School in 2004. During his eight years at the helm, Reardon had a 72-29 record. Ursuline appeared in four state championship games, winning three in a row from 2008-10. Before becoming a head coach, Reardon was an assistant coach at Warren Harding High School (Ohio) from 1998-2003. Reardon’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Youngstown State University with head coach Jim Tressel, then at Indiana University with head coach Cam Cameron. On today’s podcast, Reardon and host Keith Grabowski talk about learning from prominent coaches, making players competitive in the off-season and the significance of their rivalry game. Show Notes 0:51 Journey to current head coach position 3:36 Lessons learned in early years of coaching 6:13 Responding to a down season after years of success 9:16 Tracking players within competition in the off-season 13:04 Tasking the players to come up with new drills and plays 14:13 Staying accurate with the accounting of ranking players 15:26 Accompanying for multi-sport athletes 17:28 Examples of off-season competitions 19:34 Making formation decisions based on personnel 23:27 Changing the defensive formation without confusing the players 24:53 Coaching in a historic rivalry game 27:49 First three games decided by less than three points 29:06 Mentally recovering after the game is over 31:14 The Winning Edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator is Geoff Marcone, head coach at La Salle Academy (Providence, Rhode Island). Marcone is beginning his 15th season as the head coach of the Rams. Throughout his tenure, Marcone has led La Salle to two state titles and six appearances in the state championship game. La Salle has made an appearance in the state finals game in each of the last four years, winning in 2017. Marcone boasts a 127-40 record as a head coach, with six double-digit win seasons. Marcone was hired as the head coach at La Salle in 2004 after serving four years as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Rams. During that time, La Salle won back-to-back state championships in 2000-01. On today’s show, Marcone and host Keith Grabowski talk about Marcone’s influence from his father in coaching, setting up efficient practices and building team unity every season. Show Notes 0:46 Growing up the son of a football coach 1:27 When Marcone knew he wanted to be a coach 2:19 Having your dad on your coaching staff 3:27 Building relationships within the team 4:48 The impact of an off-campus preseason camp 6:03 Creating team unity naturally with different activities 7:43 Integrating new players in the team 9:18 Ensuring the unity continues after camp and into the season 12:08 Running a quick and efficient practice 13:54 Breaking down a quick practice into segments 15:11 Practicing the no-huddle and getting several reps in 16:01 Quarterback’s decision-making influencing practice speed 17:10 Setting up the scout team to play against an up-tempo offense 18:21 Signaling in plays from the sideline 19:42 Drilling decision-making in the RPO 21:28 Favorite RPO to run and quarterback reads 23:51 Evaluating the team and reflection at the end of the season 26:06 Trusting the coaching staff to develop and teach players 27:38 The Winning Edge

The guest on today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Jermaine Smith, head coach at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia. Smith is beginning his sixth season as the head coach. He took over as head coach in 2013 after working as an offensive coordinator for Cedar Grove. As head coach, Smith has compiled a 53-13-1 record. The last three seasons, Smith has led Cedar Grove to three semi-state appearances and a state title in 2016. Before coming to Cedar Grove, Smith spent time as an assistant coach at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, South Carolina. Smith, prior to coaching, played four years of college football at Tennessee State. Along with coaching football, Smith is also the track and field coach at Cedar Grove. Smith has won a state championship in 2017 with the track team. In today’s podcast, Smith and host Keith Grabowski talk about playing with speed, developing young men and preparing them for the future after football. Show Notes 0:54 Journey to becoming a head football coach 1:40 Merging coaching football and track and field 2:47 Creating trust within the players and coaching staff 3:53 Making the football program feel like a family 5:01 Putting in extra hours working to make a difference with a team 6:05 Structured workouts and activities in the summer 7:33 Goal for players going through the program 7:14 Players developing into young men 10:22 Using football to find success outside of athletics 11:42 Game planning to highlight the team’s speed 12:24 Formation setting up the offense 13:04 Emphasizing the importance of every player on the team 13:55 Developing leadership within the players 14:56 Keys to winning a state championship 15:58 The Winning Edge 17:16 Players responding to a tragedy during the season

This is the weekly recap of this week’s Coach and Coordinator podcasts! Host Keith Grabowski was joined by an FBS offensive line coach, former college football head coach of over 35 years, two state championship winning high school football coaches and an expert in football analytics. On the shows were Rob Ash, Tony DeMeo, Chad Neal, Mike Judy and Bill Bedenbaugh. Listen in to hear a preview of each show!

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Bill Bedenbaugh, co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma. Bedenbaugh is in his fifth year at Oklahoma working with the offensive line. Under his direction, several offensive linemen have had successful college careers that turned into pro careers in the NFL. These include Daryl Williams of the Carolina Panthers and Orlando Brown who was just drafted in 2018 by the Baltimore Ravens. Brown was also an All-American during his time with Bedenbaugh at Oklahoma. Before coming to Oklahoma, Bedenbaugh had several stops across the FBS. He was the offensive line coach at West Virginia for two seasons, worked in the same position as an offensive coordinator at Arizona for four seasons, and spent time at Texas Tech coaching offensive line and running backs. Prior to that, Bedenbaugh worked as an offensive line coach at NCAA Division II school Ferris State (Michigan), two years at Central Michigan as a graduate assistant and a year at Valdosta State (Georgia) coaching offensive line. At Ferris State, Bedenbaugh was named the Division II Coordinator of the Year in 1999. After graduating and playing four years at Iowa Wesleyan, Bedenbaugh began coaching as an offensive line coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State. In today’s podcast, Bedenbaugh and host Keith Grabowski talk about teaching blocking technique, developing younger players, and Bedenbaugh’s experience with Scott Peters and the Tip of the Spear contact system. Show Notes 0:46 Coaching solid players to success 2:08 Sticking with fundamentals in different offenses 4:16 Changes in technique to promote safety 5:52 Preparing playing against elite athletes 7:42 Adjusting practice to different kinds of players 9:00 Developing players with limited practice time 10:39 Working on blocking technique in-season 11:29 Evaluating players throughout the season 12:46 Making adjustments to make players better 14:36 Building a bond within the players you coach 16:27 Expectations for the season 18:25 Improving movement skills through strength and conditioning 20:26 Working on the skills of contact with the time given 22:08 Upperclassmen helping develop younger players 23:42 Advice to moving up in the coaching world 26:07 Keys to solid recruiting 28:35 Leading blocking technique with the hands 29:44 The Winning Edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Mike Judy, head coach at Smyrna High School (Delaware). Judy is beginning his fifth season as head coach at Smyrna. After going 5-5 in his first year, Judy has led the Eagles to three straight state championships, their first three football championships in school history. He has compiled a 39-8 record in four years as the head coach. Judy worked as an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for eight seasons at Smyrna before taking over as the head coach. Prior to Smyrna, Judy worked in coaching at Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia) as an offensive line coach and eventually offensive coordinator. Judy also worked as a strength coach for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. Before he got into coaching, Judy was a three-year starter at Wesley College (Delaware) from 1997-2000. He previously graduated from Dover High School in Delaware. Along with coaching football, Judy is an assistant lacrosse coach and teaches physical education at Smyrna. On today’s podcast, Judy and host Keith Grabowski talk about using a two-platoon system in high school, wearing teams down and promoting having fun while playing football. Show Notes 0:54 Reasons for getting into coaching 2:54 Early lessons as a young coach 4:30 Advice in turning a football program around 9:02 Getting the team to buy in to unconventional football 11:56 Making a two-platoon system work in high school football 19:06 Developing players within the two-platoon system 26:21 Making an offense simple to learn, complex to defend 32:44 The Winning Edge

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Chad Neal, head football coach at Killingly (Connecticut) High School. Neal is in his 15th season as the head coach at Killingly and comes off last year going undefeated and capturing a state championship. It is the first state championship in Neal’s coaching career and Killingly’s first undefeated season since 1953. At Killingly, Neal has compiled a 67-83 record, but has brought his team to at least the state semifinals each of the last three seasons. Prior to coming to Killingly, Neal worked eight seasons at Putnam High School. He was promoted to head coach in his last season at Putnam before moving to Killingly. As an assistant coach, Neal worked as a defensive coordinator, special teams coach and freshman coach throughout seven seasons. Neal graduated from Nichols College (Massachusetts) with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration before getting a master’s degree in Education from Sacred Heart University (Connecticut). On today’s podcast, Neal and host Keith Grabowski talk about how Neal brings his players together, uses a unique offense and is prepared for every situation. Show Notes 0:54 Journey into coaching 1:52 Early lessons as a coach 3:05 Promoting leadership and bringing the team together 6:40 Using the leadership council to connect to the team 7:42 Different techniques in determining team captains 9:52 Combining vocal leaders and leaders by example 12:32 Building friendships with fellow teammates 14:46 More important for players to lead team than coaches 16:00 Running an up-tempo offense with a power running game 18:38 How their up-tempo offense has been officiated 19:25 The scheme to run with a power running game 21:53 Change in setting up a defensive formation 23:31 Adjusting their offense slightly when trailing in a game 25:17 Remaining with your formation in pressure situations 26:38 Preparing players for in-game situations 31:34 Players being prepared and confident for certain situations 33:00 The Winning Edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Tony DeMeo, retired college head coach, most recently at the University of Charleston (West Virginia). His coaching career spanned 37 years and 12 college teams. This included stops at the FBS, FCS and NCAA Division II levels. DeMeo was the head coach at Charleston for six seasons before stepping down in 2010. He held a 43-23 record with the Golden Eagles and had them ranked as high as tenth in NCAA Division II back in 2009. In his career, DeMeo worked as a head coach at four schools, offensive coordinator at three and assistant coach at five schools. He compiled a 137-108-4 record as a head coach starting at Charleston from 2005-10, Washburn University (Kansas) from 1994-2001, Mercyhurst University (Erie, Pennsylvania) from 1981-87 and his alma mater Iona College (New York) from 1975-78. His other coaching stops include the University of Richmond, Murray State, James Madison University, Temple, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Delaware, University of Massachusetts and Pace University (New York). DeMeo graduated from Iona in 1971 and was a four-year player at running back for the Gaels. On today’s podcast, DeMeo and host Keith Grabowski talk about DeMeo’s “Disaster Plan,” which applies to coming back from a large deficit, and how his experience prepared him for those situations. Show Notes 1:10 Creating the “Disaster Plan” in football 6:23 Making stops on defense and shifting momentum 10:58 How to practice coming back when trailing 12:43 Reasoning for being close with six minutes to go 17:28 Playing with a lead and not losing it 22:20 Preparing players in close-game scenarios 26:16 Using unconventional strategy to win the game 30:31 Best way to give up a safety and take a knee at the end of the game 31:58 Having your players ready for the unexpected

Today's Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is Rob Ash, director of coaching development at Championship Analytics, Inc., which helps coaches strategize through analytics. Ash spent 36 years as a head coach at the FCS and NCAA Division III levels before working as an offensive analyst at Arkansas. His coaching stops included Montana State (2007-15), Drake (1989-2006) and Juniata College (1980-88). In the podcast, Ash and host Keith Grabowski discusses his coaching career and the ever-evolving world of football analytics. Show Notes 1:38 What got Ash into coaching 3:26 Learning to be a head coach at a young age 5:01 Creating a successful program at Drake 8:21 Building culture at the FCS level 10:52 Changes in recruiting and student-athlete development 13:00 Transition from head coach to offensive analyst 15:57 Future of analytics in football 21:20 Using Championship Analytics in an up-tempo offense 23:36 Analytics as part of the pre-game game plan 29:16 Using analytics on the defensive side of the ball 34:50 Practicing in-game situations within analytics coaching 39:25 The ever-changing two-point chart 42:25 Small college and high school use for CAI 43:51 Recommendations of how high school coaches can use basic analytics