Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Wallie Kuchinski, defensive coordinator at the University of St. Thomas, an NCAA Division III school in St. Paul, Minnesota. This past season, St. Thomas led Division III football in multiple categories, including total defense, third-down defense and rushing defense. On today’s episode, Kuchinski and host Keith Grabowski talk about game planning and coaching tackling fundamentals. Show Notes 1:13 Kuchinski’s background in coaching 5:50 Key lessons Kuchinski has learned through his career 8:00 Building culture 10:40 Teaching in the meeting rooms 15:10 Helping players understand the playbook 20:45 Coaching technique 22:30 Stressing tackling fundamentals 27:50 Circumstantial football 32:45 The winning edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Brian Kight, CEO of Focus 3. Brian Kight provides simple systems that produce exceptional results for teams, organizations, and individuals. This episode was recorded live at the USA Football 2018 National Conference at Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Focus 3 and USA Football have partnered to offer training to coaches as well. On this episode, Kight and host Keith Grabowski talk about the future of football and the coaching community. Show Notes 1:10 Keith and Brian talk about the USA Football National Conference 2:25 The football coaching community 5:30 Brian Kight’s mission 7:05 Experiences with football 9:25 Future of the game 12:30 “Doesn’t matter, get better” 15:20 Virtual training system 19:20 Looking ahead in 2018

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Kelley Lee, head coach at Eastern New Mexico University, an NCAA Division II school in Portales, New Mexico. This past season, Eastern New Mexico led all of Division II in rushing with 352 yards per game and time of possession. On today’s episode, Lee and host Keith Grabowski talk about making adjustments and teaching styles. Show Notes :40 Lee talks about his background in coaching 2:10 Don’t be someone you aren’t 3:05 Advice to young coaches 5:25 Importance of relaying information you players 7:00 How to maximize different teaching styles 8:30 Determining a game plan 12:25 Importance of practice 14:35 Establishing base plays and counters 17:20 Making adjustments during a game 24:05 Battling from behind 26:30 Implementing RPO offense 32:45 Stressing ownership and responsibility to players

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Troy McAllister, head coach at Phillips Academy High School in Chicago. In 2015, McAllister helped Phillips Academy become the first Chicago Public School to win an Illinois high school football state championship. This past season, Phillips Academy won its second state championship, finishing with an undefeated 14-0 season. On today’s episode, Coach McAllister and host Keith Grabowski talk about McAllister’s experience at Phillips Academy and building a program. Show Notes 1:25 McAllister’s first practice at Phillips Academy 2:45 Building culture 4:00 Building a new coaching staff 5:10 First Chicago Public School to win Illinois state football championship 6:30 Improving in weak areas 8:20 McAllister’s coaching philosophy 12:20 Balancing off-field teaching and live practice 16:20 Overthinking your system 18:20 What Coach McAllister learned this past season 19:45 Proposed ban on tackle football 23:30 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Rich Wright, head coach at North West Missouri State. This past season North West Missouri State led the nation in multiple categories including total defense, scoring defense, 3rd down conversion % defense, and punt blocks. On this episode Coach Wright and host Keith Grabowski talk about the importance of safety and being dynamic on the defensive side. Show Notes 1:20 Coach Wright’s start in coaching 4:00 Key lessons Coach Wright has learned 5:45 Building culture 8:00 Teaching in the classroom 9:20 Being dynamic and adapting based on formations 12:05 Teaching fundamentals 17:20 Importance of player safety 24:45 3rd down defense 29:45 Commitment to special teams 35:10 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Brian Hughes, offensive coordinator at LIU Post. Coach Hughes has been at LIU Post for 22 years and helped the team finish top 10 in passing offense, total offense, and scoring offense this past season. LIU Post also finished #1 in NCAA D2 in 3rd down conversion percentage. On today’s episode Coach Hughes and host Keith Grabowski talk about developing yourself as a coach and preparing your team for game day. Show Notes 1:15 Coach Hughes’ background in coaching 3:10 Lesson Coach Hughes’ has learned early in his career 6:58 Translating drills to in game play 9:30 Coaching the defensive side 11:32 A mistake Coach Hughes’ has learned from 14:00 Advice to young coaches 21:55 The culture behind the offense 29:04 Preparing the team 32:50 Evolution of the offense at LIU Post 39:45 3rd down offense 49:20 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Kyle Archer, passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut). Wesleyan led all of Division III in completion percentage with 70.7 percent and finished top 25 in passing offense. On today’s episode, Coach Archer and host Keith Grabowski talk about the passing game and game planning. Show Notes 1:00 Coach Archer’s start in coaching 4:30 Learning new ideas 6:50 Implementing new ideas in your playbook 8:30 Teaching the game 14:20 The culture at Wesleyan 15:45 Key components to a high completion percentage 21:55 Practicing the game plan 26:10 Understanding the defense 29:50 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Chad Braun, head football coach at Monmouth (Illinois) College. Last season, Monmouth finished as NCAA Division III’s No. 1 team in passing defense and No. 9 in total defense. On today’s episode, Coach Braun and host Keith Grabowski talk about game planning and off-field preparation. Show Notes 3:00 Braun’s start in coaching 6:05 Building culture 7:20 Off-field teaching 8:30 Base defense 10:00 Stopping the pass 10:52 Practicing critical downs 12:10 Stopping the RPO 14:15 Preparing for an option offense 16:05 A mistake Braun has learned from 17:20 A book Braun recommends 19:55 Work-life balance 21:05 The winning edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Terry Gambill, head coach at Allen High School (Texas). Gambill won the state championship at Allen as a defensive coordinator in 2008 and won the 2017 state championship as the head coach. On this episode, Coach Gambill and host Keith Grabowski talk about gaining experience and holding players accountable. Show Notes 1:12 Gambill’s coaching background 2:15 Transitioning from a graduate assistant to assistant coach 4:10 Experience gained from coaching other sports 5:05 Moving up the ranks of a coaching staff 5:45 A mistake Coach Gambill has learned from 7:05 Challenges with being a first-year coordinator 9:00 Taking over a program 10:45 Gambill’s coaching philosophy 12:55 Role of the coaching staff 16:35 Weekly meetings with players 17:15 Building culture 21:25 Experience of having a son on the coaching staff 24:25 Program support 26:05 Expectation of the coaching staff 28:00 Holding players accountable 30:40 Base schemes 32:15 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Chris Kappas, offensive coordinator at the University of Mount Union, an NCAA Division III school in Alliance, Ohio. Mount Union won the 2017 Division III National Championship while leading the nation in scoring offense with 50.5 points per game. On today’s episode, Kappas and host Keith Grabowski talk about developing an efficient offense and game planning. Show Notes 0:40 Kappas talks about transitioning from defensive coordinator to offensive coordinator 2:25 Kappas talks about some of his signature pieces 5:35 Using compressed formations 9:45 Finding opportunities to create plays 12:05 Allowing your QB to change a play 15:00 Game planning from the offensive perspective 17:05 Practicing screens 19:55 Keys to scoring at a high rate 24:00 Coaching both sides of the ball

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is James Vint, offensive line coach at Estacado High School in Lubbock, Texas. Vint has been an offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator at the high school and college level. This episode was recorded live at the USA Football 2018 National Conference at Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Vint and host Keith Grabowski talk about their experience at the USA Football National Conference and trying to make the game safer. Show Notes 2:23 Trying to make the game safer 7:04 Lessons learned though sport 9:46 Atmosphere of the USA Football National Conference 12:21 Getting involved with USA Football 20:01 Coach and Coordinator clinic report episodes 23:32 Creating a system for good ideas

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Richie Gray, a skills acquisition and coaching education specialist. Gray spent 12 years with the Scottish Rugby Union, where he was involved with development and education. Gray went on to work with the Miami Dolphins during the 2016 season to help with skills development and tackling. This episode was recorded live at the USA Football 2018 National Conference at Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Show Notes 1:11 Coach Gray’s background 2:41 Coach Gray’s time spent studying tackling 5:05 Importance of teaching tackling at a young age 8:10 Safety through technique 12:20 Importance of skill development 16:05 Creating standardized fundamentals 21:30 “Make it important, then measure it” 23:35 Coach Gray’s time with the Miami Dolphins 26:20 Equipment Coach Gray has developed

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Mike Leonard, head coach at Franklin (Indiana) College, an NCAA Division III school. During his 16-year coaching career at Franklin, Coach Leonard has won five Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships. On today’s episode, Leonard and host Keith Grabowski talk about building culture and continuing to learn the game. Show Notes 2:00 Leonard’s background in coaching 4:45 Coaches who have helped Leonard throughout his career 7:05 Lessons that Coach Leonard has learned 9:05 Building culture 12:40 Creating a “Champions Manual” 16:30 Preparation with players 19:20 What makes a smart player 20:45 “Treat others right” 23:25 Balancing a coaching staff’s workload 26:45 Continuing to learn the game 28:25 A book Coach Leonard recommends 30:55 Incorporating fun into a program 32:50 The winning edge Subscribe to the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast on iTunes.

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Alan Rodemaker, head coach at Valdosta (Georgia) High School. Rodemaker led Valdosta to win a state championship in 2016. This episode was recorded live at the USA Football 2018 National Conference at Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Coach Rodemaker and host Keith Grabowski talk about building culture and game-planning. Show Notes 1:10 Coach Rodemaker’s background in coaching 3:20 A mistake Coach Rodemaker has learned from 3:55 Coach Rodemaker’s coaching philosophy 5:10 Valdosta’s culture 8:40 Building culture 11:30 Best way to teach the game 12:50 Weight room organization 14:55 How concussion prevention affects coaching 16:25 Game planning throughout a week 18:35 Stopping the RPO 21:30 Special teams practice 22:15 Advice for young coaches 24:25 The winning edge

Today’s guest on this “NCAA Leaders” edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Scott Power, Defensive Coordinator at Central Washington University. In 2017 Central Washington was #1 in sacks with 61 on the season, and #1 in rushing defense only allowing 44.4 rushing yards per game. On today’s podcast Scott Power and host Keith Grabowski talk about preparing a defensive game plan. Show Notes 1:41 Coach Power talks about his start in coaching 5:00 Culture of the defensive unit 6:30 Off-field preparations for the defensive unit 9:00 Using a drone in practice 10:45 Creating sacks 12:35 How many concepts are brought to a game 15:35 Base defense formation 19:10 1 high defense 23:26 Challenges to facing RPO 25:35 Working on defending the RPO in practice 29:10 Hardest offense to defend 31:50 The winning edge Subscribe to the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast on iTunes. Contact Coach Power: twitter @Coach_Power