Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Rob Everett, defensive coordinator at Bridgewater (Va.) College, joins today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Before Bridgewater, Everett was the defensive coordinator at Westfield (Va.) High School for five seasons, where he boasted a record of 61-8 and went 15-4 in state playoff games. He has also been a coach advisor for HigherEchelon Inc., which developed the GoArmy Edge Football App, and other companies, including Automated Sports Analytics and GameSense Sports. Show notes :52 Why Everett became a football coach 2:35 Takeaways from early years of coaching 4:50 Understanding the needs of a diverse learning community 6:24 Building culture among the players and coaches 8:24 Breaking down Everett’s defense philosophy 10:48 Defining the phrase “flush it” 11:42 Go Army Edge flips the classroom 14:48 The workflow that goes along with Go Army Edge 20:53 Using technology to simulate game situations 24:22 How coaches can set up Go Army Edge 29:50 Technology is constantly evolving 30:21 Using Go Army Edge for offense 37:37 Mistakes made as a young coach 39:06 “Be a sponge” 40:02 Everett’s advice to young coaches 41:17 Book recommendation 42:03 His takeaways from coaching clinics 47:05 Concerns for the future of football 48:55 Two-minute drills 51:23 The winning edge

Andrew Murray joins Keith Grabowski and Joe Eisenmann on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Murray serves as the Director of Performance and Sports Science at the University of Oregon. On the podcast, he gives insight on training load management. Show notes :54 What led him to sports science with Oregon 3:02 How Oregon is different from other programs 5:23 Technology to monitor QBs 8:30 How coaches can build a plan to keep QBs healthy and make them better 13:55 Concept of acute and chronic loads 16:19 Managing training loads for high school QBs 18:08 Trusting the program process 19:02 The 24-hour athlete 21:30 Coaches need to monitor loads in practice 24:04 Balancing strength with technique 25:47 Key points for high school coaches on load management

The Game Plan, a weekly podcast that is designed to help coaches learn during the season, will make its debut next week. Today, USA Football’s Keith Grabowski explains the The Game Plan, along with some preseason intangibles to help team-building and set team camaraderie expectations. Keith Grabowski compares football teams to geese in this edition of The Game Plan. 2:03 Why geese fly in a V formation 6:52 Team is as strong as the weakest link 7:17 Designing practice around the geese metaphor 8:02 Practicing celebrations 9:25 Sideline expectations 10:15 “Encouragement is expected” 13:42 Rest with your head up

Dan Hatman joins today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Hatman is the director of The Scouting Academy, which has been designed to build a foundational knowledge of football as it relates to evaluation of personnel. He also has experience as an NFL Pro scout with the Eagles, Jets and Giants. Show notes 1:26 Breaking down the Scouting Academy 3:31 The Scouting Academy curriculum 6:41 How The Scouting Academy can be beneficial for HS and college coaches 11:14 Finding the “diamond in the rough” when recruiting 13:14 How to decide when to add a player to the roster 15:05 Prioritizing what you believe in 17:36 The goals of The Scouting Academy 20:38 How The Scouting Academy prepares people who want to be scouts

Terry Shea joins Keith Grabowski on today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Shea has been a QB coach at many colleges and NFL teams. His expertise coaching QBs lead him to consulting work for future NFL draft prospects. Most recently, he worked with Robert Griffin III "RG3" (2nd overall pick 2012). He published a QB development book, Eyes Up, which he discusses in the podcast. Show notes :52 Developing relationships with the quarterbacks 3:32 How the quarterbacks deal with stressful situations 5:34 Defining the phrase “eyes up” 8:47 Challenges of being a quarterbacks coach 13:38 Technology that helps train QBs’ eyes 17:33 How to keep QBs healthy 23:35 Drills that won’t overwork QBs 27:37 The winning edge

Todd Drury is in his fourth season on the Missouri University of Science and Technology coaching staff and third as the team's defensive coordinator. Drury, who coaches the Miners' defensive line, served in that capacity during his first season on the staff in 2014. Drury played tight end at Evangel University from 2005-08 and served as a team captain during the 2008 season. He joins the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast to discuss his start in coaching, defense philosophy, and the future of football. Show notes :52 Why Drury became a football coach 1:31 Transition from a player to coach 2:27 Keys to coaching development 3:47 3 characteristic for building culture 5:21 Drury’s defense philosophy 8:18 Teaching players quickly and efficiently 11:09 Game planning starts at camp 13:23 Advantages of zone defense 17:58 Mistakes made in his early years as a coach 19:02 Best advice he’s received 23:56 Technology used day-to-day 25:42 How Drury maintains a work-life balance 27:45 Concerns for the future of football 30:04 Two-minute drills 31:58 The winning edge

Dr. Ken Clark joins Joe Eisenmann and Keith Grabowski on today’s High Performance edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Dr. Clark has a PhD in Applied Physiology and Biomechanics, researches human performance and is a strength and conditioning coach. He is also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at West Chester University. In the podcast, he discusses speed development and training. 1:32 How much of a difference a coach make in their players speed 2:46 Key components to focus on when building a speed program 5:58 Drills to help top end speed 10:02 Posture in dynamic warm-ups 13:14 Importance of recovery between sprints 15:55 Conditioning should not be mixed with speed training 16:29 The research and importance of ground reaction forces 20:14 Strength training and plyometrics to improve speed mechanics 24:38 3 take-aways for improving speed

Robert Weiner is today’s guest on USA Football’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Weiner is heading into his 14th season coaching at Plant High School (Tampa, Fl.). The Panthers are 145-27-1 and boast four state championships under Weiner. In the podcast he discusses team values, building character and how he prepares his team. Show notes 1:29 Why Weiner became a football coach 5:12 Biggest mistake as a coach 8:29 Manifesting values into the program 12:34 Rewarding players for good character 13:40 Breaking down their summer program 17:12 Mental and emotional approach of the game 22:35 Preparing the team for the season 30:10 Reducing collisions during practice 32:36 USA Football’s Practice Smart course 33:27 Two-minute drills 39:33 The winning edge

Dan Giuliani is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Giuliani is the Co-Founder & CEO of Volt Athletics and the Adjunct Professor of Sport Performance at the University of Washington. In the podcast he breaks down Volt, a performance training system. Show Notes 1:49 Transition from strength and conditioning coach to Volt CEO 4:28 How Volt can help coaches 7:48 An overview of the Volt app 17:22 Should athletes have their phones out in the weight room? 26:13 Utilizing Volt during camp 28:48 Maintaining summer gains during the season 30:10 Managing cumulative workload in multi-sport athletes

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is in a unique situation. Bill Lund joins the podcast after recently stepping down as the linebackers and special teams coach at Saginaw Valley State University. He talks with Keith on the reason he’s leaving, the importance of the coaching role, and benefits of heads up tackle. Show Notes 1:24 Why Lund stepped down from coaching 4:27 Putting family first 6:28 Setting an example as a coach 11:45 The importance of the game of football 17:05 Coaches deserve recognition 21:52 Keeping heads out of the game

Brett Bartholomew teams up with USA Football’s Joe Eisenmann and Keith Grabowski in today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Bartholomew is a strength and conditioning coach, author, consultant, and founder of the performance coaching and consulting company, Bartholomew Strength. In the podcast, he discusses his book Conscious Coaching, the importance of fundamentals, and shares ways to improve simple drills. Show notes 1:18 Bartholomew discusses his new book 3:45 Building trust within a team 5:50 How to communicate with “tough” kids 8:48 The importance of fundamentals 13:55 Improving on simple drills 26:33 Combating “copy and paste” coaching 30:29 Duties as a HS Strength coach

Abilene (Texas) Christian University head coach Adam Dorrel is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator Podcast. Dorrel, the winningest active head coach in NCAA football, was named ACU coach in December after guiding Northwest Missouri State to a 76-8 record and three NCAA Division II national titles, including the 2015 and 2016 crowns. He was voted the American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015. On the podcast, Dorrel discusses the move to Abilene Christian, his emphasis on academics and community involvement, and the importance of family and culture in his program. Show notes 0:51 The challenges of taking over a successful, tradition-rich program 2:30 Advice for coaches trying to take over a winning program 3:36 How to establish your own culture 4:40 Why you should emphasize academics 6:06 How to recruit to fit your culture 7:59 Standing firm on your principles when you get pushback 8:57 How to get your program involved in the community 10:35 The importance of community and school pride 12:26 How to cultivate physical and mental toughness 14:39 Why Dorrel left a comfortable, successful situation 16:50 How to build your on-field philosophy 18:28 The importance of character and working efficiently 21:31 Emphasizing a family feeling 22:49 What gives Dorrel’s team the winning edge

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Dr. Douglas Casa. For the past 17 years, Dr. Casa has studied and educated people on exertional heat stroke, heat-related illnesses, preventing sudden death in sport, and hydration. He also developed Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of Connecticut. The KSI serves the public to work toward preventing sudden death in sport by mean of education, advocacy, public policy, research, media outreach, and publications. Show Notes 1:16 Explaining the background and objective for the Korey Stringer Institute 2:29 Prevention strategy for heat exertion and heat stroke 4:35 Having an emergency plan in the event of a heat stroke 6:04 5 keys to preventing heat stroke 12:09 Benefits of a cold immersion tub 15:10 Why the first few days of practice our crucial

Lew Acquarulo is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. He’s been at the Division III powerhouse Trinity College (Hartford, Conn.) for 13 years, where he currently serves as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator. Under Acquarulo’s guidance, Trinity led the nation in three different defensive categories in 2011, having allowed just 63.5 rushing yards per game, 195.5 total yards per game, and 8.13 points per game. In the podcast, he discusses game planning, halftime routines, communication and team culture. Show Notes 1:05 Key things to watch for when breaking down an opponent 4:33 The importance of halftime adjustments 6:50 Using analytics in the pregame planning 10:59 How the staff communicates during a game 13:49 Combatting scripted plays 16:33 Why Acquarulo spends more time with his team watching film then on the field 18:06 Taking advantage of new technology 21:20 Alumni play a role in team culture 24:42 The winning edge

Ron Muhitch has coached many different sports throughout his career, but he’s best known for his tenure as head football coach at the Wheaton-Warrenville South (Ill.). Over the course of three decades, Muhitch has transformed Wheaton-Warrenville South into one of the state’s most successful programs. He joins the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast to discuss his start in coaching, building a winning culture and how he’s using his recently created Twitter account. Show notes :46 Why Muhitch became a football coach 2:48 Learning to work with “young people” 4:10 How to create a legacy 5:48 Traditions correlate with success 8:02 The Red Grange philosophy 12:18 Recommendation for schools who don’t have a winning tradition 19:03 Recently joining Twitter 21:34 Two-minute drill 29:33 The winning edge