Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Paul Golla sits down with Keith Grabowski on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Golla is the head coach at Bakersfield High School (Calif.) where he led the Drillers 11-3 this season. Bakersfield is perennially one of the state's top teams and even went undefeated in the 2011 season. In the podcast, Golla discusses how he instills character in his players, his Triple Option offense and how he utilizes technology. Show notes :34   Why Golla became a football coach 2:20   Maslow's hierarchy of needs to instill character 6:25   Why Golla and his staff read books together 8:01   His 12 monthly phases of football philosophy 10:13   Breaking down the triple-option offense 12:44 Alternating between Midline, Veer and  Load schemes. 18:32 Why Option is the only selfless offense 20:56 Keys to developing QBs for Triple Option 22:55 Improvements in technology 23:58 Experimenting with virtual reality 26:31 Two-minute drill 28:31 The winning edge

In today’s episode of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast, Brent Dearmon returns to the show to go into detail about his Run/Pass Option (RPO) game. He discusses pre-snap reads, integrating Power and RPO, and the three questions he asks about every new scheme or concept. Show notes 1:26 Evolving the RPO 3:08 Keeping a downhill rushing mentality while opening up to the pass more 5:11 Doing RPOs in a sound way, while protecting the QB 7:17 The Hot Gap 8:52 Pre-snap reads 10:45 The benefits of Power built into RPO 11:47 The Counter game 13:30 Turning Buck Sweep into RPO 18:20 The 3 questions Dearmon asks for every concept 20:39 RPO and practice 23:41 Coaches need to ask, "Who do you say you are?"

Jake Gilbert is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Gilbert, the head coach of Westfield (Ind.), breaks down his approach to summer camp and team building. He discusses why he keeps his freshmen players up with the varsity program as much as possible and how he uses mental toughness training to gain an edge on opponents. Show notes :53 Day one of camp 2:02 Teaching culture in an engaging way 3:25 Blind-folded canoe races 4:43 Ropes courses 6:55 Senior and leadership are different 8:18 Process for picking captains 9:25 Approach to summer sessions 13:17 Gilbert's mental training circuit 16:15 The champion's manual and mentor program 19:06 Caring for freshmen within a varsity program 20:47 Running a successful intrasquad scrimmage 24:17 The winning edge

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast shares a unique story. Rocky Seto, opens about his transition as the Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach to pastoral ministry. He was also a walk-on player at USC and worked his way up to defensive coordinator before transitioning to the NFL. He also discusses USA Football’s Shoulder Tackling and how he utilized it at USC and with the Seahawks. Show notes :50 Transition from a coach to pastor 4:02 Similarities between coaching and ministry 5:27 Evolving from a college walk-on to an NFL coach 9:27 Building a “genuine” culture 11:16 The use of shoulder tackling at USC and with the Seattle Seahawks 17:56 The Seahawks’ use of shoulder tackling drills 21:46 Finding what “defines you” shapes work-life balance 31:38 Lessons learned from John Wooden 34:18 The winning edge

Former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Plummer, an Idaho native, starred at Arizona State before enjoying a decade-long career in the NFL. He discusses accountability through preparation and how smart playbooks can be hugely beneficial to both players and coaches. He also offers his three tips for coaches to become better teachers Show notes :34 Post-playing career 3:04 Playbooks and learning during Plummer's career 6:30 Accountability and giving players the opportunity to go the extra mile 9:17 What causes a player to hesitate? Not knowing what they're supposed to do 11:24 The benefit of smart playbooks for coaches 13:47 Accountability through preparation, and how it builds culture 15:31 Different learning styles 17:48 Different types of quizzes 20:15 3 tips for being a better teacher 23:15 The winning edge

Scott Girolmo joins today’s episode of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Girolmo is the head coach at Lee High School (Staunton, Va.). Girolmo discusses why high school football coaches need to think like marketers by establishing a brand and attracting players. He also hits on the importance of empowering assistant coaches and how it can be a challenge to keep up with the latest coaching technology. 1:06 Lessons learned early on 6:22 Building a brand at a new program 10:50 The marketing aspects of being a football coach 13:54 Empowering assistants 24:29 Leveraging the power of technology 31:49 The winning edge

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Elmer Britton. Britton is a retired coach that has been inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame for his achievements. Over the course of four decades of coaching experience, he amassed an overall record of 244-162-2. Britton also coached ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden. In the podcast, he discusses his path to coaching, the semi-option offense and how he develops players. Show notes :26 His path to becoming a football coach :50 Developing a coaching philosophy 5:06 Learning to change plays due to bad weather 8:49 Breaking down his semi-option offense 10:37 How to determine splits 12:16 The advantages of zone blocking 13:34 Britton’s go-to play 19:04 Seeing his players as more than just football players 20:57 How to create a positive team culture 23:50 Recovering from coaching mistakes 31:58 Advice to a young coach 34:18 Not letting the job become “all-consuming” 36:30 Two-minute drill 38:30 The winning edge

Jordan Neal joins the podcast today to discuss his prodigious offense at Hendrix College (Conway, Ark.). Neal, the program’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, pulls back the curtain on his offense that averaged more than 600 yards per game in 2016. He describes his one-word play calls, his 10-10-100 drill and the one simple metric that is a great barometer of team success. Show notes :56 An offense that averaged 600+ yards/game 2:47 Being process-driven and outcome-oriented  6:00 Building ball security into program culture  9:31 Importance of doing homework as a coach 13:37 One-word play calls 17:58 Manipulating the defense with reads 22:50 Third down play calling 25:15 This simple metric is a great barometer of success 27:41 "If you can't block, you can't play" 30:23 Making adjustments on film vs. keeping practice tempo 32:50 10-10-100 drill  36:16 Two-minute drill  40:08 The winning edge

Apopka (Fla.) head coach Rick Darlington is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Darlington has built Apopka into one of the top programs in the state of Florida through his mastery of the single wing offense. He discusses his program’s 6 core values, how programs can overcome talent deficits and how he handles the process of interviewing potential assistant coaches Show notes :37 Rebounding from a playoff upset and Apopka's 6 core values 4:01 Offseason program 6:03 Handling problem players 7:29 Getting an entire staff on board 9:03 The art of the interview process 11:53 Inside Darlington's "1907 Pop Warner" offense 15:08 Base plays in single wing 16:12 In-game adjustments 17:14 RPO in the single wing 21:53 The winning edge

Dan Tudor joins Keith on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Tudor is a recruiting guru, and has a company devoted to it. Tudor Collegiate Strategies focus is to develop unique communication strategies for college coaches, athletic departments and admissions departments. In the podcast, Tudor discusses the importance of recruiting in all levels of football, how to create a “story” and how coaches should leverage the power of social media. Show notes 2:25 The importance of recruiting in all levels of football 6:12 Creating consistency in your team message 11:12 Coaches are marketers 14:25 Tips on creating a strong team message 19:31 Coaches can benefit from using social media 24:38 How making a “sale” can equal wins 30:54 Connecting with Dan

Shane Fogarty, assistant coach at Fordham University, is today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast. At Fordham, Fogarty oversees the special teams units and the running backs. In the podcast he discusses Fordham’s “HIT” technique, building special teams culture and running back drills. Show notes :31 Why Fogarty became a football coach 1:30 How his personal education played a role in coaching 3:24 Building culture within the special teams unit 5:40 Defining the “HIT” technique 10:23 Working solely as a return unit 11:15 What Fogarty looks for in recruiting players for special teams 15:26 Practice drills for punt return 17:40 Why he prefers shorter practice times 20:14 Emphasizing pass protection with the running backs 29:18 Best coaching advice he’s received 30:39 Creating balance in life 32:28 Two-minute drills 35:03 The winning edge

USA Football’s own, Aaron Ingram, joins Keith on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast. Ingram is the USA Football Senior Manager of Football. He discusses his pathway to USA Football and what sets the U.S. National Team camp program apart. He also dives into the unique challenge of getting ready for international competition, how the Master Trainer program works and how experience with the National Team can benefit coaches too. Show Notes 1:02 The path to USA Football 2:25 What sets the National Team program apart 4:29 Takeaways players bring back to their high schools 6:02 Teaching coaches 7:16 Overview of the Master Trainer program 8:58 USA Football National Conference 10:12 How players can become a part of the National Team 11:39 Coaching experiences on the National Team 12:51 Developing a team culture in a short period of time 16:43 Game-planning for international competition 17:33 RPOs helping the team offensively 20:32 National Team Alumni looking back at their experience 22:19 Two-minute drill 24:29 The winning edge

George Penree, the defensive coordinator at St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minn.), is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. He discusses his “PAC” approach to developing leadership: Process-oriented, Accountable for actions and Consistent. He also explains his 3-3 stack defense and why he thinks it’s important to simulate stressful situations for players to prepare them for game day. Show notes 1:10 St. Scholastica 2:23 Start as a football coach 4:19 "Everything you do should be about making your kids better." 5:27 Establishing leadership skills in players 7:12 Building culture in the team defense 10:11 Getting your kids to be solution-oriented 12:58 Behind the curtain of Penree's 3-3 stack defense 15:41 Benefits of 3-3 stack 17:27 Adding 4-2-5 elements and keeping consistent with terminology 19:23 Stopping what the offense does best and dictating what they do 22:07 Flipped Classroom 25:34 Keys to running a great walkthrough practice 28:01 As a young coach, not doing enough listening 30:44 Creating balance 33:15 Two-minute drill 34:35 The winning edge

Scott Donaldson is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. Donaldson is the head coach at Heidelberg University (Ohio). Donaldson climbed the ladder from grad assistant, to positional coach, to defensive coordinator to head coach—all at the same school. He discusses his journey as well as the need for coaches to establish boundaries in professional relationships. Donaldson also explains his Dog Soldiers concept and dives into all things special teams-related. Show notes :42 Start as a football coach 1:45 Lessons learned as a young coach 2:42 Transition from grad assistant --> position coach --> coordinator --> head coach 9:09 Continuing to build on team culture as a head coach 11:20 Donaldson's "Dog Soldiers" 15:41 Handling special teams as a head coach 20:02 The week-long focus on special teams 24:05 Efficiency in special teams reps (since they often require lots of running) 26:25 Making an entire special teams plan cohesive 31:05 The mistake of not being yourself as a young coach 35:07 Creating balance for yourself...and your staff 36:45 Two-minute drill

Today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast is Buddy Blevins, offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Blevins shines light on his simple naming conventions that help players align correctly. He also discusses why he believes that coaching in the film room is no replacement for coaching on the field, as well as his transition from arena football to traditional outdoor football. Show notes :46 Start in the coaching profession 1:49 Key lessons learned 2:41 Rules for routes out of different formations 4:21 A simple naming system that makes sense 6:57 Juggling new installations with old, reliable plays 10:14 The transition from arena league to outdoor football 15:02 Keys to success: Technique, effort and discipline 22:49 Balance can come in cycles 24:52 Two-minute drill 26:45 The winning edge