Coach and Coordinator Podcast

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Tony Donatelli, systems engineer at Army Game Studio and the lead designer of the GoArmy Edge football app. It was designed to help football athletes and coaches learn and work through their team’s playbooks during practice sessions. Using tools like real-time simulations and virtual reality, GoArmy Edge gives coaches a new and advanced way to teach players their game plan. GoArmy Edge comes with built-in playbooks that give coaches the ability to draw their own plays, and can show those plays live in 3D on the app. These features are shareable through the app and utilized differently from coach to coach. The app launched to the public in 2015. High school, college and professional teams across the country have utilized GoArmy Edge, including the Indianapolis Colts. The app is free for coaches to use and works with Windows, IOS, Android and the standard internet browser. In today’s podcast, Donatelli and host Keith Grabowski talk about the implementation of the GoArmy EDGE app, how it has evolved over time, and features coming soon. Show Notes 1:01 Using Army technologies with football 5:33 New features in the GoArmy Edge app 13:21 Different perspectives for coaching, open to suggestions 14:50 Unique uses of the technology 17:38 Athletes communicating while within virtual reality 20:44 Mentally preparing athletes with the app 21:43 What’s next for GoArmy Edge 23:33 Creating more exposure of the app internationally

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Middle Tennessee State University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tony Franklin. Franklin is in his third season with the Blue Raiders and has led their offense to become one of the best in the nation. In 2016, Middle Tennessee was ranked eighth in FBS in total offense and set single-season records for yards per game, points scored, touchdowns and several other statistical categories. Franklin’s coaching career has taken him across the country, including stops at colleges such as California, Louisiana Tech, Auburn, Troy and Kentucky. At every coaching stop, he has created a high-powered offense and mostly specialized with mentoring the team’s quarterbacks. Notable players who played under Franklin were quarterbacks Tim Couch at UK and Jared Goff at Cal, both being No.1 overall picks in the NFL Draft. Along with coaching, Franklin has run a seminar for teaching football coaches named “The Tony Franklin System.” He has toured across the nation delivering seminars and providing written works of his teachings. Several college and high school coaches use the practices taught in Franklin’s seminars in their everyday coaching. In the podcast, Franklin and host Keith Grabowski discuss The Tony Franklin System, how that has affected his coaching style today, and what he brings to coaching Middle Tennessee. Show Notes 1:15 Upcoming season for Middle Tennessee 2:30 Adapting formation and trying to not lose the game 6:12 Balancing offense, defense and special teams at a program 9:10 Creating and changing schemes based on personnel 13:20 The history of the Tony Franklin System 18:15 Importance of designing a solid practice, the Perfect Drill 22:58 Tips in building an effective practice, Manning-Goff Feet 29:25 Instructing coaches to pay attention to detail within practice 32:03 Using Peyton Manning’s fundamentals and footwork 37:05 Teaching quarterbacks the RPO 43:42 Routes on air, getting the most out of receiver drills 45:44 The Winning Edge

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast features University of Toledo head coach Jason Candle. Candle enters his third full season as the Rockets’ coach, and he’s been with the program since 2009. He started as a receivers coach in his first years at Toledo, moving to offensive coordinator and associate head coach during the 2014-15 seasons. Last year, Candle led the Rockets to their first Mid-American Conference Championship in 13 years with an 11-3 record. Prior to Toledo, Candle coached at his alma mater Mount Union, an NCAA Division III football power in Alliance, Ohio. Candle worked with the receivers from 2002-06, then was the offensive coordinator from 2007-08. Mount Union won three national championships while Candle was on the staff and accumulated an 83-4 record over the six years Candle was there. Candle was able to play for and coach alongside head coach Larry Kehres, an 11-time national champion-winning coach at Mount Union. Throughout his coaching career, Candle has coached several current NFL players, including wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts at Mount Union, along with Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt while at Toledo. In the podcast, Candle talks with host Keith Grabowski about his experience at Mount Union with Coach Kehres, as well as Candle’s coaching philosophy and style. Show Notes 1:13 Transition from being a player to a coach at the same school 3:59 Influence from Coach Kehres into Candle’s philosophy 6:31 Impact of former Toledo coach Matt Campbell from playing to coaching 8:27 Creating the culture of the Toledo coaching staff 10:19 Expectations of Candle’s staff at Toledo 12:14 Keys to having success with recruiting 14:51 Tips to promoting football at the high school level 17:42 How Candle built a culture leading to a MAC championship 20:50 What differentiates Candle’s coaching style from others. 23:18 Developing a dynamic offense at Toledo 25:53 Balancing a coach’s scheme and the players 27:10 Focusing on the student-athletes 27:51 The Winning Edge

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Nunzio Campanile, running backs coach at Rutgers University. Campanile just took the Rutgers job, coming off an eight-year run as head coach at Bergen Catholic in Oradell, New Jersey. Campanile posted a 60-28 record as head coach of the Crusaders and finished by going 10-2 and winning a state championship in 2017. Campanile developed one of the top offenses in the state. In its state finals victory, Bergen Catholic scored 44 points and compiled over 400 yards of total offense in a blowout win. This was a common trend throughout his head-coaching tenure. During his eight seasons, Campanile-led teams averaged 35 points per game offensively. During his tenure at Bergen Catholic, Campanile was selected by USA Football to join the coaching staff for the U.S. U-19 National Team, which competed in the International Bowl. In the podcast, Campanile and host Keith Grabowski talk about his transition from coaching high school to college and how his experience is preparing him for the big stage at a young age. Show Notes 1:12 What brought Campanile to Rutgers 2:15 How Campanile got into coaching 4:00 Key factor to Campanile’s early advancement 6:01 Relationships with coaches/players 7:02 First days at Rutgers 8:47 Transition from being head coach to position coach 10:11 Tips to being a great recruiter 12:50 How to create success with small market/limited resources 14:55 Experience with USA Football and the U.S. National Team 16:22 How Don Bosco’s offense was so dominant 17:39 Key to state title run at Bergen Catholic in 2017 19:24 Building a strong running back core at Rutgers 20:54 Utilizing individual practice with running backs 22:19 Importance in making coaching staff better 23:56 The Winning Edge

Alan Hensell is the guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Hensell is in his fourth season as tight ends coach at the University of Buffalo. In two of his three seasons at Buffalo, the Bulls have produced an All-Mid-American Conference tight end. In 2016, Mason Schreck was a second-team All-MAC selection after leading the Bulls with 59 catches for 651 yards. His receiving yard total was the most in school history by a tight end. Schreck was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft , becoming the first Buffalo tight end ever drafted. In 2015, Hensell coached Matt Weiser, who had arguably the best season by a tight end in school history. Weiser set the school record for receptions by a tight end with 63 en route to earning All-MAC first-team honors. Weiser also became the first player in Buffalo’s FBS era to be named an Academic All-American. Hensell came to Buffalo after spending the previous two seasons with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team as its wide receivers coach. The Warhawks went 15-0 in 2014 and won the Stagg Bowl, the D-III championship, for the sixth time in eight years. Hensell came to UWW from D1-AA (FCS) member Gardner-Webb (North Carolina) University, where he was the offensive line coach. During the 2012 season, he helped produce three All-Big South Conference selections, including left guard Jamie Dunaway, who received third-team All–America honors. A total of four players have garnered All–America honors while being tutored by Hensell. A New Carlisle, Indiana native, Hensell spent time at the University of Connecticut as an offensive quality control coach in February 2012 before joining the Gardner-Webb staff. Hensell spent the previous five seasons in the Southeastern Conference, including the 2011 season as assistant offensive line coach and offensive graduate assistant at Ole Miss. In 2010, Hensell served as assistant offensive line coach and offensive intern at the University of Tennessee, where he had the opportunity to coach center James Stone, who earned freshman All-America honors for the Vols. Tennessee was selected to play in the Music City Bowl following the regular season. Hensell worked his first stint at Ole Miss from 2007-09, working as assistant offensive line coach in 2008 and 2009. The Rebels were 9-4 in each of those seasons, finishing the seasons with AP ranks of Nos. 14 and 20, respectively, and won a pair of Cotton Bowls. In 2008, Ole Miss averaged 407.6 yards of total offense per game and 186.5 yards per game on the ground. Left tackle Michael Oher earned first-team All-America honors and was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Hensell began his college coaching career at his alma mater, coaching outside linebackers at Franklin (Indiana) College in 2004. Hensell graduated from Franklin in 2005 with a B.A. in physical education and a minor in health education. He earned a master's degree in science and education from Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2015. In the podcast, Hensell and host Keith Grabowski talk about his background, the specifics about the tight end position and more. Show notes 1:22 How the tight end position has evolved 2:11 Hansell's background and journey to Buffalo 3:34 Hansell's experience working with Ed Orgeron at Ole Miss 4:10 Relationship-building is the foundation of his career 5:27 Bringing Wisconsin-Whitewater to a national championship level 7:31 Transition from D-III to D-I recruiting 8:35 The Type of offense Buffalo uses 9:25 Knowing how and when to use tight ends 14:12 Organization and quality of coaching tight ends 15:08 Practice structure 17:37 How to recruit tight ends 25:20 The dynamic role of tight ends 30:54 The Winning edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Scott Peters, a former NFL player who originated the USA Football Tip of the Spear Contact System. Peters played for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers. After his playing career ended, he began studying Brazilian jiu jitsu and other mixed martial arts disciplines to rebuild strength and mobility in his ankle while recovering from an injury, and he continued training following his NFL career. A two-time world champion in submission grappling, Peters has combined his football and MMA knowledge to create a revolutionary program that assists players in improving performance while building blocking, tackling and block defeating fundamentals. In today’s podcast, Peters and host Keith Grabowski talk about how Tip of the Spear developed, how it works and more. Show notes 1:35 Peters’ background and how Tip of the Spear developed 6:30 How the system is applicable at almost every position 9:40 Why the technical aspect of blocking is so important 14:00 How the name “Tip of the Spear” applies to the system 18:30 Examples of how Tip of the Spear has been effective 21:55 How taking the head out of the contact makes the game more physical 25:50 How every part of each drill has a purpose 29:30 Peters’ current training schedule

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Jason Mangone, head coach at The College at Brockport, an NCAA Division III school in New York. Last season, Brockport was named the AFCA D-III Coach of the Year after guiding the Golden Eagles to a 13-1 record, the best in school history, and a berth in the national semifinals. Twenty Brockport players earned all-conference honors, and four were named all-americans. Mangone has been on the Brockport coaching staff since 1999. He became offensive coordinator in 2004 and was named head coach in 2013. On today’s podcast, Mangone and host Keith Grabowski talk about keeping things simple, efficiency and more. Show notes 1:00 Mangone’s journey to become a football coach 3:20 Mangone’s thoughts on New York’s proposed state legislation to ban tackle football below age 14 5:00 Why parents should decide if youths should play tackle football instead of lawmakers 7:05 How Brockport’s program has improved 9:45 How the team blends competition with fun 11:10 How the coaching staff creates work/life balance 13:20 Why Brockport’s coaching staff doesn’t try to spend too much time in meetings 15:00 How Brockport uses technology to coach and game-plan 17:00 How much time Mangone expects players to spend on video 18:10 Why simpler is better 20:40 How a smaller game plan can be more successful 23:00 How best to add wrinkles to the game plan 26:15 Examples of wasting time with the game plan 30:05 The difference between calling plays and being a coordinator 32:05 Brockport’s go-to play 35:15 The five “S’s” of success 38:30 The winning edge

Martinsburg (West Virginia) High School coach Dave Walker joins host Keith Grabowski on today's Coach and Coordinator podcast. Walker has six state championships to his credit, and was named National Federation of High Schools coach of the year following the 2016 season, in which Martinsburg went 14-0 and outscored its postseason opposition 203-7. Walker discusses his head coaching career that started at just 23, and building a program into one of the state's best. Show notes :50: Transition from player to head coach at 23 years old 2:10: Consistencies in high school football through the years 3:10: Building foundation as a young coach 4:49: Turning alumni into good assistant coaches 6:25: Core program philosophy 8:45: Results through in-house competition 10:21: Coaching today’s athletes 14:35: Evolution in offensive attack 18:00: Utilizing the shoulder block 18:45: RPO use 22:49: The winning edge

Today’s guests on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast are Hal Mumme, a 27-year coaching veteran who’s currently the offensive coordinator at Jackson State University, and A.J. Smith, Jackson State quarterbacks coach. Mumme, who took the Jackson State job last fall, has coached at several levels of college football, including Kentucky, where in 1998 he became the first coach to take the Wildcats to a New Year’s Day bowl game since Bear Bryant did it in 1951. He might be best known for developing the “Air Raid” offense. In today’s podcast, Mumme, Smith and host Keith Grabowski talk about using virtual reality, the Air Raid offense and more. Show notes 1:10 Why Mumme went the switch from head coaching to being a coordinator 2:05 How Mumme is installing the offense 3:05 Smith talks about his relationship with Mumme 4:05 How Smith is using virtual reality technology to teach the offense 5:40 How the players have received the technology 6:30 “The Rule of Six” 9:00 How they teach and practice the offense 11:30 How the technology Smith uses has evolved 13:15 How virtual reality is more relatable to players than traditional game film 14:45 The next step in using the technology 17:40 How you apply this technology to any sport 19:15 How the Air Raid offense has evolved 22:30 How other coaches can use similar technology to run a more efficient practice 25:05 How Jackson State uses the RPO 26:15 The One Back Clinic

On today's Coach and Coordinator podcast, ten-time state champion and 47-year coach Herb Brogan of Lumen Christi Catholic School (Jackson, Michigan) joins host Keith Grabowski. Brogan discusses what's kept him at one place for so long, how he dealt with the toughest of circumstances and his keys to sustained success. Show notes 0:55: What got Brogan into education and coaching 1:40: Things Brogan realized he needed to succeed 4:08: Spending nearly a half-century at one school 6:55: Creating an environment that keeps assistant coaches long-term 8:35: Difficult circumstances in how Brogan took over the program 11:06: Offseason dedication 14:35: The program’s explosive running offense 17:25: Spending time on younger kids, non-skill positions 21:28: Pushing players to excel in today's society 25:10: The future of the game 30:10: The winning edge

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is Phil Longo, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Mississippi. Longo has been at Ole Miss for one season in that position. Before arriving there, he was the offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State for three seasons, helping the Bearkats to the FCS playoffs all three seasons and overseeing the No. 1 total offense in the nation (547.3 yards per game) in 2016. He began his coaching career at Parsippany Hills (New Jersey) High School (1996-1999), then had stops at William Paterson University (2000-2001), La Salle as head coach (2004-2005), Minnesota-Duluth (2006-2007), Southern Illinois (2008-2009), Youngstown State (2010) and Slippery Rock (2012-2013). In the podcast, Longo and host Keith Grabowski talk about the Rebels’ up-tempo offense, communication within that offense and more. Show notes 1:00 How Longo feels about his first year at Ole Miss 2:05 What’s different about coaching in the SEC compared to everywhere else 4:15 Asking Longo about a specific offensive formation he frequently uses 5:45 What Longo likes to do on the first play of a possession 6:30 Why Longo’s offense isn’t running as many plays at Ole Miss as it did at Sam Houston State 7:55 How to communicate within the “Don’t Blink Offense” 10:30 How to work around officials’ placing of the ball in the up-tempo offense 12:00 Advice for training players within the up-tempo 14:50 How the communication process works from coaches to players 16:15 How to be as efficient as possible in practice 19:00 Teaching tools the coaching staff uses

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Andy Sims, head coach at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Sims just completed his fourth season at North, and he guided the Mustangs to a 6A state championship last fall, the first in school history. He’s also coached at several nearby high schools and served as an assistant at Central Missouri, where he also starred as a player. On today’s podcast, Sims and host Keith Grabowski talk about turning around struggling programs, Sims’ offensive philosophies and more. Show notes 1:00 Sims’ background turning around struggling programs 4:30 The motivation of turning around a program 6:00 What Sims commonly sees at programs with losing records 8:40 The first thing Sims does upon arriving at a job where the team has struggled 10:45 Selling yourself to a new team 15:00 The importance of delegating 17:30 The pillars of culture that Sims tries to install 20:45 How to mesh the hard work and fun 23:40 What’s unique about North’s offense 27:45 How North determines its offensive scheme 29:45 A play that North uses in its pass offense 34:45 How many passing concepts are in North’s playbook 36:15 How North practices its offensive scheme 41:15 Preparing for any scenario 44:25 The winning edge

On today's Coach and Coordinator podcast, offensive line coach Jonathan Himebauch with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League joins host Keith Grabowski. The Connecticut native, and former USC and pro football player, has 20 years of coaching experience. That includes seven years in both the CFL and NCAA, with stops at Nevada, Wake Forest, San Diego State and UNLV. Himebauch discusses his extensive coaching career, player relations and more. Show notes 1:15: Himebauch’s football journey, from coach’s kid on up 9:45: Engagement and communication with students 12:30: Learning what players will respond to 17:40: Process for player learning and evaluation 25:50: Players have to believe in you and what you’re teaching 31:55: Offensive line culture 38:30: Key difference between American and Canadian football 41:30: Advice for coaches at any level 44:45: The winning edge

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Chris Ash, head coach at Rutgers. Ash, who just completed his second season as the Scarlet Knights’ head coach, and is the first Big 10 coach to appear on the podcast. Before coming to Rutgers, Ash served as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and Ohio State, and was part of the staff on the Buckeyes’ 2014 College Football Playoff championship team. Ash and host Keith Grabowski talks about culture, building a staff, recruiting and more. Show notes 1:30 How Ash’s career trajectory brought him to the Big 10 coaching ranks 3:30 What Ash had to learn along the way 5:30 Some of the big names in football who have influenced Ash 9:30 The importance of culture within a program 12:30 How Ash has built the culture, and where the Scarlet Knights stand in their three-year plan 15:45 How Ash built the Rutgers defense based on his past experience as a defensive coach 17:55 Recruiting at Rutgers 20:40 Ash’s system for evaluating players 23:00 The formula for building a coaching staff upon taking the Rutgers job 24:30 How Jerry Kill helped Ash during his time at Rutgers 27:00 How Nunzio Campanile has helped the coaching staff 29:15 What Ash looks for in a recruit 31:20 The winning edge

Best of Defense Pt 2 Today on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast we have the newest installment of our “Best Of” series with the Best of Defensive Coordinators, Part 2. We look back at all the great defensive coordinators that we have had on the show and pick out some of the best ideas and concepts shared on the show. In part 2 we focus on strategies and tactics for defensive success. 1:01 John Steger: Strategy for stopping today’s dynamic offenses 4:58 Bob Trott: Key to having a consistent defense with today’s modern offense 7:46 Chris Wolfe: How Wolfe stops the run 9:37 Rob Hinson Changing the scheme to stop the run 10:32 Rick Streiff Utilizing free safety in the run game 11:44 Allan Moore 4I defensive alignment 13:04 Chad Braun Preparing for an option offense 14:37 Mike Fox Creating sacks 16:47 Mike Fox Creating interceptions 18:35 Chad Braun Stopping the pass 19:38 John Loose Adjustments made in practice to stop the pass 20:59 John Steger Emphasizing turnovers in practice 26:05 Chris Kappas Creating turnovers 29:17 Mike Fox Red zone defense 31:57 Rich Wright 3rd down defense 34:39 Rob Everett Money downs 39:26 Chad Braun Practicing critical downs 40:51 Wallie Kuchinski Circumstantial football 45:10 Van Malone Taking away the RPO 48:29 Chad Braun Stopping the RPO 49:07 Kirk Fridrich Defending the RPO 50:49 Alan Rodemaker Stopping RPO 51:49 Scott Power Challenges to facing the RPO and practicing defending the RPO 57:05 Dave McFarland Defending the RPO 58:09 Strait Herron Stopping the RPO 1:01:37 John Loose Defending the RPO 1:04:22 Mark Bruns Creating a defensive system and the need to make adjustments quickly 1:06:37 John Steger Number of calls Steger brings 1:10:05 Joey Didier Breaking down D week to week 1:13:51 Joey Didier Game calling responsibility 1:15:06 Grant Caserta How players communicate during the game 1:17:01 Scott Boyle Game planning, stopping the run, and practicing situational football 1:23:02 Rob Everett How to train and teach players to adjust in game