Usa Football Coach And Coordinator Podcast

Today’s episode from our archives is with Matt Drinkall, currently Co-offensive Coordinator at Army and former head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University.  Coach Drinkall was hired as the Head Coach at Kansas Wesleyan in 2014 to rebuild all aspects of the program. When he was hired, he was the second-youngest head coach in college football at the time. In just his second season, the Coyotes went 10-1. Over the last four seasons of his tenure, Kansas Wesleyan won 40 games which was the best four-year run in school history. Coach Drinkall left the program as the 2018 Coach of The Year while holding the fourth-highest win total for the University.  In his final season as Head Coach, the 2018 Coyotes posted the best season in school and conference history. Kansas Wesleyan won its first Conference Championship since 2002, after posting a 10-0 overall record to advance to the semifinals of the national playoffs finishing the season at a 13-1 record, while shattering school, conference, and NAIA records in the process

On today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast, host Keith Grabowski talks with Tyler Walker, who when he first joined us on the podcast was defensive backs coach, special team coordinator, and recruiting coordinator at Muskingum University (Ohio). He is now the Tight Ends Coach for FCS powerhouse Montana State, Prior to arriving at Muskingum, Walker was an assistant coach at Catholic Central High School (Mich.), where he worked primarily with the receivers and helped lead the Shamrocks to a 14-0 overall record that was capped off by a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 4 state championship.  On today’s podcast, Coach Walker shares his philosophy on playing the best 11, teaching and coaching multiple skill sets, developing an unselfish unit culture, and utilizing the hybrid tight end in all phases of the offense. Today’s game is becoming more and more about athleticism and players don’t necessarily fit perfectly into the profile of the position they play, and that can be a good thing if you know h

Chili Davis is the special teams coordinator for Florida A&M. His previous experience includes quality control analyst for special teams at the University of Washington, assistant special teams, and tight ends for New Mexico State,  Before his time at Washington, Davis coached the inside receivers, served as the assistant special teams coordinator, and oversaw the tight ends at New Mexico State, cornerbacks coach at Fordham University, graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech, and assistant coach at Campbell University which is his alma mater. In this episode, we gain insight into how he is leading and developing the special teams at FAMU including his methods, drills, and practice methods.  Show Notes:  Special teams has been good to me Aligning everyone involved with special teams Group chats Year round situational development Returner school Kobe Drills Developing a universal language together Be genuine Winning Edge Learn more about TeachTapes: Teachtapes.org Twitter: @TeachTapes @CoachKGrabowski

Today’s episode is from our archives, a discussion with Troy McAllister, head coach at Phillips Academy High School in Chicago at the time of the recording. In 2015, McAllister helped Phillips Academy become the first Chicago Public School to win an Illinois high school football state championship. In 2017, Phillips Academy won its second state championship, finishing with an undefeated 14-0 season.  Coach McAllister talked about his experience at Phillips Academy and building a program from nothing. What comes through in this conversation that applies to any program at any level is that to reach the top, the focus must be on the right aspects of the program and on developing the players that are a part of it.   Show Notes: McAllister’s first practice at Phillips Academy Building culture Building a new coaching staff First Chicago Public School to win Illinois state football championship Improving in weak areas McAllister’s coaching philosophy Balancing off-field teaching and live practice Overthink

On today’s episode, from our archives, long-time coach at both the high school and college levels as well as offense consultant Dan Gonzalez discusses taking a holistic approach to protecting the passer. Too often, protection is seen as the responsibility of the offensive line, or the line and quarterback, but this discussion highlights that protecting the passer is not only a shared responsibility of all position groups, but it is a key focus of the coaching staff as well. Every facet of the offensive plan, from protection principles, to route design, to formations should have the idea of protection as a key consideration. The information boom in the last three years put every great idea in front of us. There are Twitter accounts with thousands of followers liking and retweeting new ideas. The adaptation of new ideas and concepts as well as the creativity of coaches has skyrocketed. As coaches, we have to consciously fight what Bodie Reeder, UNI offensive coordinator, calls the “YouTube install” meaning that

In this episode, the next installment in our “Teachable Moments” series, Bodie Reeder draws out the importance of happiness as a coach pursues professional goals. We learn from Coach Reeder’s journey in how to approach taking over an offense versus being able to adapt your own, growing through setbacks, advancing from entry-level roles, and adjusting to new situations. Show Notes:  Football = Family Don’t Mess with Happiness Problem Solver vs. Taskmaster Mold to Your Situation as a Coordinator Established QB? What Does He Know? What Is He Comfortable With? Most Growth as a Coach The 3 Mikes: Learning from Gundy, Yurcich, Bobo What You See on Sundays with a Saturday Flair Do What You Know… No “YouTube Install” Being the Youngest Guy on the Staff GA Work He Can’t Give Up A Young Coach Who Has “It” It’s Gonna Be Alright – Get to the Other Side Follow Bodie Reeder on Twitter @CoachBodie4. In the “Teachable Moments” series, guest host Steve Hauser, the founder of TEACHtapes, sits down with coaches

Today’s episode is from the 3rd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic talk from Dalton Hilliard, Defensive Backs Coach at UConn. Dalton Hilliard joined Jim Mora’s coaching staff after spending the 2021 season as the secondary coach at Arkansas State. Coach Hilliard worked as a defensive graduate assistant at UCLA while Mora was the head coach there, and then served on Chip Kelly’s staff in 2018 as a defensive and special teams analyst. Prior to his time at UCLA, Hilliard spent a year as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at the high school level in Hawaii. In this portion of his talk, titled “DB Culture, Classroom, and Technique,” Coach Hilliard shares how he implements a growth mindset and builds the culture with his position. He also details how he utilizes the classroom, technology, and content to build culture, leadership, communication, and football intelligence with his players. The entire talk, including the second part devoted to developing the critical factors in defensive back p

On today’s podcast, we focus on putting together drills that translate to game day success as well as setting up a room built on trust and accountability to each other. Juwan Lewis begins his first season at Alabama State after serving two seasons as the running backs coach and high school recruiting coordinator at Davenport University. Lewis came to DU after a stint at the University of Findlay. Prior to Findlay, Lewis mentored running backs, H-backs, and tight ends at the Division III level at Hiram College and D3 powerhouse Mount Union. As a high school athlete, Lewis participated in the Army All-American Bowl before a college career at Eastern Michigan University, where he was mentored by Ron English and Chris Creighton, as well as Ferris State University. He earned workouts with NFL and CFL teams before landing a spot in the Arena Football League. His experiences have led him to develop his coaching philosophy of the running back position that creates players who are prepared for the next level, while th

In this episode, the first in our “Teachable Moments” series, Taylor Mouser recalls those early days of stuffing envelopes and the journey taken as a young coach to now leading his own room. Show Notes: Stuffing envelopes Proving you are about it Moving with a staff you know Staying on after being a graduate assistant Taking an old-school approach to recruiting The “boom boom” room Building relationships Having real juice and staying fresh with it Navigating the hard times It doesn’t take having your own room to get the experience Having the big picture in mind In the “Teachable Moments” series, guest host Steve Hauser sits down with coaches who have made the journey from the bottom to establishing themselves in the coaching profession. Get all of the videos and drill clips you need at TEACHtapes.org. On May 2nd, listeners of Coach and Coordinator Podcast will be eligible to skip the waitlist, join AIM7, and benefit from the life-changing lessons that AIM7 will teach you. Sign up for this exclu

On today’s podcast, we discuss the process of evolving an offense with flexibility by design and an openness to creativity. We discuss how teaching is central to this process and the workflow and tools coaches have at their disposal to teach players in a way that is most relevant to them. Scott Lemn, head coach at Bridgewater College, joins the podcast to dig into this process of offensive development. Before being named head coach at Bridgewater, Coach Lemn was an assistant with the Eagles for 11 years, including two as offensive coordinator. He directed the offensive line for eight seasons after coaching the defensive line in 2010. Lemn began his coaching career at conference rival Randolph-Macon. Prior to his time with the Yellow Jackets, he was a first team All-American at James Madison in 2008 (AP, The Sports Network, Walter Camp Foundation, College Sporting News) and was the Rimington Award winner as the nation's top center while aiding the Dukes to a FCS semifinal appearance and a number-one ranking fo

Today’s podcast is from the 2nd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic in which Ron Roberts, now the defensive coordinator at Auburn, talked about multiple defenses and the different pressures they utilize. He started the presentation by talking about the three things required to play great defense, his philosophy, defensive goals, determining what you need to develop in each position, the analytics of scoring, and dealing with difficult formations. This segment encapsulates what any defense should focus on to excel on the field. In an era where we have become inundated with information, Coach Roberts cuts right to the core of leading a top-performing defense. It’s something that he’s been able to pass on to other coaches. He has an impressive coaching tree, including Dave Aranda, Patrick Toney, who made the jump from being co-DC at Florida to the NFL as secondary coach with the Arizona Cardinals, Austin Armstrong, who at 29 is the youngest Power 5 coordinator at Florida replacing Toney, and Pete Golding, who

On today’s episode, we give support to youth football across the country, and especially in California, where the state legislature will soon vote on a bill that, if passed, would ban youth football. The answer should not be to remove youth tackle football and focus on flag. While flag football is a precursor to tackle, it is not the same as tackle football. Tackle football embraces all body types. Nothing can replace the vehicle of tackle football. To see flag football as an answer is short-sighted. The answer is to create a better, safer game. The game is under attack, and coaches from every level must continue to support football from youth, to high school, to college and pro.  Today, we share insights from three coaches who are creating a methodology to create a better, safer game, especially as it relates to blocking and defeating blocks. To do so, we pulled segments from archived episodes with Scott Peters, Mike Pollak, and Bob Wylie. On May 2nd, listeners of Coach and Coordinator Podcast will be eligi

I met Coach DiGaetano in 2017, and I talk about the game and coaching with him often. He’s been a repeat guest on the podcast (see links below). And currently, he is an assistant coach at Fordham University. He has an intense passion for tackling and studies it better than anyone I know. I feel comfortable calling him the foremost expert on tackling. However, Coach DiGaetano also has incredible ideas outside of the tackling realm, and in this episode from the archives, he share the ideas he implemented as the head coach of SUNY Maritime when he took over the program just five days before fall camp opened. His work, his staff, and his players resulted in Maritime having a successful season in spite of the extreme circumstances of a last-minute coaching change. I want to point out that Coach DiGaetano accomplished this result while also holding down his day job of being a principal of multiple schools in the Bronx. Coach DiGaetano was forced to take a coach-on-the-fly approach, but the extreme situation led him

Lee Rose is now a defensive analyst for the University of North Carolina. But Coach Rose got his start in Poland. He learned very quickly how to work with limited resources and to make his teaching and coaching clear and concise because his players spoke English as a second language. Since that experience, he has been on a quest for best practices in teaching and coaching, especially as they relate to the classroom portion of coaching. Today, Coach Rose shares what he puts together in a tip sheet for players to have information boiled down to the essentials, as well as how he would do it if he were back in Poland or at a lower level. In addition, we dive into a discussion of how different technology can be integrated into a smooth workflow. Show Notes: Start in coaching in Poland with a laptop, PowerPoint, and Hudl Being concise in teaching Benefits of the experience as a teacher of the game Move to the FBS Power 5 level to learn best practices Example of creating a tip sheet at UNC How he would apply

Today’s episode is from the 3rd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic to benefit pediatric brain tumor research and cancer services. In his talk, Lew Caralla, Director of Strength and Conditioning at Charlotte, delivered 39 ideas on coaching. All are straight to the point and cover ideas directed to both players and coaches. We pulled out 11 of those ideas more focused on the coach, and how a coach can network, lead, and positively impact players and others through this incredible platform we have as coaches. While this episode is short, its messages paint a picture of what an elite coach must do to excel in this profession. Show Notes: Coaching experience provides the platform The message Absent during the struggle Intelligence creates followers The coaching ego You are not allowed to give up I didn’t know how close I was Coached by you Your platform Be an example through your journey The secret Follow Lew Caralla on Twitter @LewisCaralla. Coach Caralla’s Entire Presentation: Leadership Perspe

Today’s episode is from our archives. It was recorded with Dub Maddox five years ago, pre-pandemic and at the start of what proved to be a rapid evolution of today’s defenses. Interestingly, the concepts Coach Maddox talks about may be more relevant now than when he shared those ideas originally on the podcast. Dub is one of the great thinkers and great football minds in the game. I have picked up a ton from him over the years. A trip I took to sit down and talk ball with him for a couple of days in 2010 stands out as highly productive. That visit helped me solidify how I thought about the passing game and how we could bring our receivers and protections together with our quarterback progressions to improve our passing game. In this episode, Coach Maddox shares insights from studying the U.S. Military that he applies to football. If you listened to this episode five years ago, you will want to sit down and listen again, and bring a pen and notebook. Be sure to listen to our winning edge takeaways and ideas fo

We reached out to today’s guest after we confirmed some eye-popping stats from his 2022 season. 62 touchdowns, 3,204 passing yards, and 1,805 rushing yards, in sum producing an average of 500.9 yards per game and 48 points per game. All at the high school level with 12-minute quarters and a running clock after a 30-point differential. Those numbers screamed “high-level execution”, and we wanted to dig into the what, how, and why behind it. Meet Mike Peck, offensive coordinator at Burley High School in Burley, ID. Show Notes: Spread the field and attack horizontally and vertically Based out of 10 personnel and empty, but highlight personnel year-to-year Hang your hat on runs and passes for the base offense Two factors that create execution: installation and practice The players understanding of why Install as a year-round activity leading up to the season Front loading for better learning Quarterback school The quarterback should be out on the field teaching it with you  Tools used to teach in the c

Ben Kotwica has 17 years of coaching experience, including 15 seasons in the NFL. Most recently, Kotwica served as the assistant special teams coach for Minnesota in 2022 and was part of a coaching staff that helped the team to the NFC North Division title. A graduate of Army West Point, where he was a linebacker and team captain, he went on to serve as a helicopter pilot, reaching the rank of Captain and serving in the Iraq War, as well as in Bosnia and Korea. He began his coaching career at the US Military Academy Prep School as a defensive coordinator before jumping to the NFL as a special teams coach or coordinator for the New York Jets, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and now the Denver Broncos under head coach Sean Payton. On today’s episode, he shares his influences and the importance of our roles as coaches, developing a leadership style, innovation, and the use of technology in teaching and developing players. Show Notes: Early influences Coaches saw ability that translate

Football is in Lance Zierlein’s blood. He is the son of retired NFL Coach Larry Zierlein and an analyst for NFL.com since 2015. His opinions on the best players in the game are highly respected across the industry. Today, he joins us to share his involvement in the Joe Moore Award, shed light on the process for determining the award's winning unit, and reveal the characteristics of the highest-performing offensive line units in the country. Through the conversation, both the physical and mental aspects of elite offensive line play show through, and he shares the common characteristics displayed by the coaches leading these top units. Show Notes: How he became involved with JMA The process is a funnel Our watchlist is everybody Duke Manyweather - LSU five-man protections in 2019 Three phases of the block Learning about how OL play evolves from his dad - NFL Coach Larry Zierlein Evaluating pass protection of the unit The true sign of teamwork in pass pro Run schemes that lend themselves to teamwork A

Adam Cushing is the run game coordinator at Duke and also coaches the offensive line. Prior to serving on the Blue Devils staff, he spent three years as the head coach at Eastern Illinois University. Coach Cushing spent 15 seasons in a variety of roles at Northwestern University, including ten seasons as the offensive line coach. He also coached the super backs, tight ends, and H-backs, after starting as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line. Cushing had recruiting coordinator responsibilities as well, twice earning national recognition as one of the Big Ten’s top recruiters. Coach Cushing got his start in coaching as an assistant coach at the University of La Verne. In this segment from the 3rd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic, Coach Cushing focuses on what it takes to create a consistent player. While he gives examples with the offensive line, what he describes applies to all position groups, units, and the team. He establishes that consistency is the hallmark of greatness. His discussio