Human Computer Post of the Week

School has begun, the season is underway, and my spare time has all but disappeared. Still, this is why I started this blog, so that it would force me to sit down for a minute (even if its at 1:00am) and reflect on what is important.

FAITH:  "Lord, when I am wrong, make me willing to change; when I am right, make me easy to live with. So strengthen me that the power of my example will far exceed the authority of my rank."
                                                                 The Supervisor's Prayer

              "...to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example."
                                                              2 Thessalonians 3:9

FAMILY:  "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
                        Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss)

FOOTBALL:   "Anyone can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not within everyone's power and that is not easy."
                      Aristotle
Wow, just wow....as a coach who oftentimes wears his heart on his sleeve, I am sometimes conflicted about whether I am doing things the right way. Do I yell too much? Do I show too much frustration? I am still not sure if I am doing things right, but this quote really helped me self-reflect.

Game Preparation: Breaking Down Our Opponent

As I prepare for my 16th straight season opener as a coach and my 11th as a Defensive Coordinator, I have once again started to think about how I break down opponents. I can honestly say that I have never done it the exact same way in any two seasons. There has always been some new idea from a book, or some nugget from a clinic, or some hard lesson taught to me by a good opposing coach that has caused me to change things from year to year. Over the last few years,the changes have become fewer as I have become more experienced and more comfortable with my own philosophy as a coach. I have developed a framework that works for me and the coaches that I work with. Like most things in any coaching philosophy, this framework is a collection of ideas poached, borrowed, and inspired by other coaches.

Offensive Complexity

We like to determine the complexity of an opponent’s offense. We base this on how much of their attack includes any of the following concepts:

•        TRICK PLAYS or GIMMICKS

•        EMPTY Formations

•        FULL HOUSE Formations

•        OVERLOADED Formations

•        SCREENS

We will then break down the opponent film in the following order:

•        Split RUN Plays & PASS Plays

•        Group plays by FORMATIONS

•        Determine TRUE RUN GAME

•        Determine TRUE PASSING GAME

Running Game

We want to find out the opponent’s TRUE RUNS. To do this, we break down all offensive plays into Run or Pass. We will then evaluate the run plays and throw out the following:

•        Goal – Line Runs

•        QB Scrambles

•        Trick Runs (Wildcat, Reverse, etc)

•        Runs w/ 1 yd to go

•        Runs w/ 3 TD lead (game by game)

•        Runs in the 4th quarter (game by game)

What we are left with is the core of the opponent’s run game.We will then match these with formations and core surfaces to see what we need to stop.

Passing Game

When we analyze the passing game, we will first classify the pass plays by the QB action:

QUICK = 3 step from under / 1 step from gun

DROPBACK = 5 step from under / 3 step from gun

SPRINT = rolling movement of the QB to a side

PLAY ACTION = coordinated QB ball fake & RB action

After we have divided the plays this way, we will attempt to match up protections with the QB action. We try to group Pass Protections into one of three categories: FULL SLIDE, BOB, or HINGE.

Pass Routes & Combinations

We want to draw each pass play that we see on film. Then we want to look at the favorite routes broken down by position in the formation (#1 WR, #2 TE, etc).

•        We want to be able to tell the CB what the top three routes he will see from #1 are.

•        We need to tell the Safety & Spurs what the top 3 routes from #2 are.

•        We need to tell the LBs what the favorite RB routes are & what routes attack the low hole.

We will then also look at the combinations between the receivers on a side. We want to identify the favorite 2 man combination & the favorite 3 man combination.

Surfaces

We want to evaluate how offenses are attacking towards certain surfaces in their formations. To do this we will identify the formational surfaces used by an offense & what plays they run to that surface. We classify surfaces by the following eight labels:

•        OPEN = 1 split WR

•        PRO = an attached TE & 1 split WR

•        TWINS = 2 split WRs

•        TRIPS = 3 split WRs

•        TREY = an attached TE & 2 split WRs

•        NUB = an attached TE

•        WING  = an attached TE & a WB

•        WING OPEN = a WB & 1 split WR

All other surfaces, such as QUADS or OVERLOAD, are regarded as Exotics

Field Zone / Down & Distance Breakdowns

      We compile all of the formation & play information so that we can feel secure in knowing our opponent’s “identity” on offense. We then turn our attention to compiling Down & Distance info in search of a clear picture of the opponent’s tactics. We break down the following categories into percentages & favorite plays:

•        1ST PLAY OF A DRIVE

•        1ST & 10 AFTER A RUN

•        1ST & 10 AFTER A PASS

•        2ND & LONG AFTER A RUN

•        2ND & LONG AFTER A PASS

•        2ND & MEDIUM

•        2ND & SHORT

•        3RD & MEDIUM

•        3RD & SHORT

•        3RD & LONG

We will then examine each Down & Distance category both as a whole & divided into Field Zones.

Putting It All Together

Now, the next question is, Do I type all this up & give it to the players? The answer is HECK NO! One of the biggest problems that I faced as a younger coach was PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS. That means that I would compile so much information that I was unable to put it into a form that it was useful for the players. As I have matured as a coach, the amount of stuff that I give to my players becomes smaller, simpler, and more clearly-defined each year. Now the coaching staff will use all of the information at hand to compile a game plan, and we will use the information to gain a familiarity with our opponent that will enable us to hopefully call a better game. But everything doesn't necessarily need to be shared with the players.

           Case in point: We have broken down 150 snaps of an opponent. Earlier in the year, they ran a tailback pass one time and it was successful for a TD. All of our coaches need to be aware that if the game is tight, we might need to be on the lookout for this. However, we do not need to run it against our defense 10 times that week in practice or give it a whole page in the scouting report. I am more worried about stopping the trap that they have run 38 times.

I will also spend a great deal of time looking at formations & backfield sets. I am looking for some common denominator that can tell me Run or Pass. ( For me to consider something a tendency that I will share with the players, it has to be 70% or more.) I can remember attending a clinic a few years ago and listening to a young college coach talk playing this defense against the run and another defense against the pass. Someone asked him," How do you know if it going to be a run or a pass?" The speaker got a funny look on his face and kind of stuttered and said,"Well, we just know." I almost fell out of my chair. If anyone out there can help me with that special method of just knowing whether it will be a Run or a Pass, please let me know.

In summary, what we usually give to our players consist of the following:

• a one page summary of the opponent's season and their offensive identity
• their top 3 run plays
• their top 3 passes
• any formation tendency (for example: any formation with 2 TEs is 80% bootleg pass)
• The LBs must know the top RB and the top run play most likely to threaten their position
• The DBs must know the top individual pass routes that they will see
• The DL must know the best OL and the best blocking scheme
• a final page outlining 3 key Defensive goals for this game

This framework has worked for us but as I said, it changes every year. I am very interested to hear what other coaches do so feel free to share. Thanks!

Human Computer Post of the Week

Putting this in my head every day this week:

FAITH:
    "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise man grows it under his feet."
                                                                                     James Oppenheim
         I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
                                                                              Philippians 4:11

FAMILY:
      "Children learn to smile from their parents."
                                           Shinichi Suzuki (Japanese Violinist & Instructor)
With two children under 3 in the house, I really need to keep this in mind. They are like sponges, watching everything my wife and I do.

PHILOSOPHY:
                                   Make Full Use of What Happens To You
    Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths. Remember to turn inward and ask what resources you have for dealing with the problem.
                                                                     Epictetus

FOOTBALL:
           Two key points to motivating kids:

• They have to know you care.
• They have to be getting better at what they are doing.

      

John Maxwell's Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: The Law of Respect

THE LAW OF RESPECT
       People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves
If you want to influence others you need to be respected as a leader. "The Leader must know, must know he knows, and must be able to make it abundantly clear to those around him that he knows." When a group gathers for the first time, leaders tend to look to go their own way. They begin to think in terms of where they want to go and who they want to take with them. Soon people change direction to follow the strongest leaders. People naturally align and follow leaders stronger than themselves.
The Top Ways Leaders Gain Others' Respect:

• Natural Leadership Ability

      --But one of the greatest pitfalls for natural leaders is relying on talent alone.

• Respect For Others

      --When people show respect for others, especially for people who have less power or a lower position than theirs, they gain respect from others.

• Courage

      --Good leaders do what's right, even at the risk of failure, in the face of great danger, and under the brunt of relentless criticism.

• Success

      --When leaders are successful at their own endeavors, people respect them.

• Loyalty

      --When leaders stick with a team until the job is done, remain loyal to the organization when the going gets rough, and look out for followers even when it hurts them, people respect them and their actions

• Value Added To Others

      --One measure of leadership is the calibur of people who choose to follow you. The second measure is see how people respond when you ask for commitment or change.

"Success is having the people who know me the best, respect me the most."
                                                                     John Maxwell

Coaching Knowledge Project #3 Chuck Knox

Over the last few summers, I have started taking notes on some of the coaching biographies and books that I have read. One problem that I have had over the years is that I read so much and look at so much different info that I don't ever retain the knowledge for future use. I will read about a drill or a philosophy and I will think "Hey, that fits pretty good with my guys. I wanna use that this year." Then I will lay the book or the info to the side and forget all about it.
             Earlier this year, I began to compile & organize these notes & axioms into a single document. Ideally I would like to eventually have a notebook that I could add to each offseason and look at again each pre-season as I reevaluate my program. I thought that as part of this blog and my compilation efforts, I would share some of the things that I've found.
           These are quotes about coaches, quotes from coaches about their influences, and outside observations on coaches and their programs. Some of these are Hall of Fame coaches, some have losing records, and some are career assistants; all have good things to offer.

Today, I am going to follow up Chuck Knoll of the Steelers with notes, quotes, & comments from and about Chuck Knox of the Seattle Seahawks. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League (NFL) teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with the latter team over more than two decades.

CHUCK KNOX

·         When you talk to him about an upcoming game, he lights up.

·         If it was bad, we don’t want to repeat it. If it was good, we want to see if we can improve on it.

·         The game never stands still. It takes a great amount of time and study during the offseason to keep up with the changes.

·         Players must feel secure in what they are doing, secure in the knowledge that what they are doing is for their own good and the good of the team.

·         It starts with the head coach and the price he is willing to pay.

·         You build on skills that exist.

·         There isn’t a day I’m on the job that I don’t get my plan together and get in touch with myself.

·         We stress the sense of pride but I tell  my coaches and players that pride is not like a coat; it is not something that you lay down for two or three days and then decide when you get up some morning that you’ll have pride that day and put it on. It must be there everyday and it takes constant work to achieve it, to keep it.

·         The pride factor involves coming out every day and trying to be a little better football player than you were yesterday.

·         The greatest feeling a team can have is to be in a locker room on gameday with each player knowing that everybody else worked as hard as he did that week, that everybody else on the team is ready to play. You know its true because you saw them in the meeting when coaches asked them a question and they responded correctly. You saw them make a mistake in practice, the mistake was corrected and they didn’t make it again. You saw the QB take home films. You know that he looked at them because you rode to practice with him and he talked to you about what he saw the previous night.

·         If they see that you and your coaches know what you are talking about; if you treat them like men with no emotional highs and lows; and if they feel they can talk with you and feel comfortable with you, then the respect will come.

·         When everyone knows what must be done, they are with you.

·         Principles of Coaching

1)      To Inspire Learning

2)      Concentration

3)      Belief

4)      Demand it be done

5)      Evaluate

6)      Never forget the Basics

7)      Sell Skill

8)      Don’t Demonstrate

9)      Teach, don’t holler

·         He follows his own example by simplifying the technical instruction

·         Motivation begins with the coach’s attitude towards practice

·         I want my coaches going out there everyday with specific objectives in mind.

·         Methods he feels are most successful:

1)      Knowledge of football & belief in what is being taught

2)      Knowing people

·         Winning Edge:

1)      Build confidence by playing the percentages

2)      Be basic in your approach to the game

3)      Don’t coach caution into good players

4)      Nothing is accomplished without enthusiasm

5)      Look for and recognize mistakes

6)      Little things are done by winners

7)      Having a good time just gives you a chance to win

8)      A coach must be himself

9)      A coach must be alert

10)  Prepare for the psychological ups & downs : I always know what I am going to say if we win, or if we lose. I know what I’ll do if we win or if we lose. All this affects the individual player and the moment you say or do the wrong thing, it is too late to erase it.

11)  A coach must have a plan and believe in it.

·         A player cannot have dedication unless he is in good physical condition. His body simply will not let his mind do what it wants because he can’t concentrate if he is tired. Then all his mind is thinking about is survival, and practice or playing a game becomes nothing more than an endurance test.

·         He feels the OL coach should have the most to say about the running game.

·         He believes strongly that a defensive backfield coach cannot handle the overall defensive coordination because of the importance of his work with the secondary.

·         He has a method of making his assistants sell their ideas to him and back them up with sound, logical football sense. He tells his coaches not to be discouraged if he turns them down.

·         He stresses each season that his coaches return to page 1 in their books and begin with the most basic fundamentals.

·         4 objectives each summer:

1)      Develop a winning attitude

2)      Sound base of fundamentals

3)      Well- conditioned

4)      Finish all experimenting

·         Each week, draw up a checklist that tells them what kind of game they can plan on. They lay out key elements such as establishing the run, field position, substitutions, communication, when to be conservative and when not to be.

·         This outline keeps us on top of the so-called little things because I firmly believe those are the things that really win for you.

·         The key for us is that practice without improvement is meaningless.

·         His blocking system – he will look for a point of isolation along the line where one defensive man is put on an island by cutting off the other defensive people. The they block that one man square up, right in the middle of his face, and whichever side he decides to take, we run the other side.

·         The defense is not burdened by too many details. Everything has been made so concise.

 

Human Computer Post of the Week

Stuff That I'm Gonna Try To Think About This Week:

FAITH:    "Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money."
               A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
                                                                                                  Luke 12:15

LEADERSHIP: The Law of Solid Ground - Trust Is The Foundation of Leadership
No leader can break trust with his people and expect to keep influencing others. Character makes trust possible. And trust makes leadership possible.

• Character Communicates Consistency - Leaders can be counted on to perform day after day.

         "You can't get too much done in life if you only work on the days that you feel good."
                                                                             NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West

• Character Communicates Potential - Weak character is limiting.

         "No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character."
                                                                        John Morley

• Character Communicates Respect - Respect is essential for lasting leadership.

   "The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried is the character of a man. This is true. What a man is survives him. It can never be buried."
                                                                           JR Miller



PHILOSOPHY: A few nuggets that I found from Bruce Lee (yes, the martial arts guy) concerning adversity

• "Adversity leads us to think properly of our state, and so is beneficial to us."

• "It is not a shame to be knocked down by other people. The important thing is to reflect on why you are being knocked down, and see if can you change it."

• "To be able to do the things we want sometimes requires the performance of a few we don't"

• "Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is concentrated strength."

• With adversity, you are shocked to higher levels, much like a rainstorm that is so violent, but yet afterwards all plants grow."

FAMILY: "There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the dominating virtues of human society, are created strengthened and maintained."
                                                                             Winston Churchill

FOOTBALL / COACHING:
"He will never be a tough competitor; he doesn't know how to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
                                                                                           Lou Piniella
I found this quote to be very interesting & shared it with my players. Can you be comfortable being uncomfortable? Can you handle criticism? Can you handle being put into pressure situations in practice? Can you adjust to different environments and adverse situations? We try to sell our kids on how good it is to be coachable and that, if we are animated and tough on them in practice, it will allow them to see actual games as being easier.

Treat Goal-Line Defense as a Special Team

A good friend of mine, Coach Hoover, asked me to expound a little on an axiom I included in my last posting. (By the way, Coach H has a terrific post breaking down Manny Diaz on his website...check it out at www.coachhoover.blogspot.com/ ) I am going to share some info on our Goal-Line philosophy, as well as my thought process considering it a Special Team.

      We consider Goal-Line defense a special team for a few different reasons. First, no one is off-limits to this unit personnel-wise. If I need the starting TB at a corner and I need the starting QB coming off of the edge, then I get them. Most of our normal defensive package is based on speed, quickness, & multiplicity, but we are different in Goal-Line.  By making our Goal-Line unit a completely separate group, I can add the size that we would sometimes like to get in there in short yardage and I can add other athletes whose skill sets fit what we want to accomplish. Second, we can create a separate mindset specifically for that unit. We really push being great on the Goal-Line as being a key to our program. We attach a great deal of pride to getting on this unit, and players on both sides of the ball want to play on this unit. And lastly, if we are in Goal-Line, it usually means that things have not gone so great defensively. By running a separate unit onto the field (even if 7 or 8 of the players are on 1st Defense anyway), it creates a little bit of a "fresh start" mentality and gives us a confidence boost.
    We want to be extremely simple in Goal-Line for two reasons. One, we are subbing in players who may not be on defense fulltime and who may not be expecting to enter the game at that moment. If we have a turnover inside our own 10 and I need to call Goal Line D unexpectedly, our scheme is simple enough that the players know what to do even if they are surprised. The other reason we are simple is to build confidence. If we are simple, then the players always know exactly where to line up. If they know exactly where they should be, then they play faster and more confidently.
        Our scheme is a mix of several things the coaching staff has encountered, but a large base of the scheme comes from Bellevue High School in Washington. They are the team that broke De La Salle's winning streak. These are the positions and what we look for to fill them:

• Two NOSEGUARDS - Quickness is a top priority. Wrestlers, RBs, Strong Safeties.......

• Two ENDs - Preferably our two best DL.....size & strength needs to be a little more of a factor here

• Two EDGEs - The two best athletes on the team. Option QB, point guard on BB team, Change of direction ability is huge. Speed is important, size is not

• Two LBs - the best two LBs, at least one must be able to cover man to man

• Three DBs - must be able to lock up Man for at least 2 seconds

                 We call our Goal-Line package GORILLA (as in 800lb Gorilla). Since we went to this package three seasons ago, we have made 15 successful stands in 28 opportunities. These are our alignments in GORILLA:

• Both NGs align in a 2i technique. They are penetrating A gap at the snap. If the ball is inside the 3 yd line or closer, there is a danger of a QB sneak.So inside the 3, the NGs align in shades on the Center (almost touching each other) and drive the Center backward at the snap. (Diagram 1 & 2)

• Both DEs use the fornation to tell them how to align. If there is a TE to the DE's side, we line up in a 4i alignment and use a Ricochet technique (Ricochet = attack out into the down block then bounce back inside and find work. If there is no down block, then Penetrate!) If there is no TE, then the DE moves to a tilted 5 technique outside the OT. At the snap, the tilted 5 tech attcks off of the hip of the OT. If the OT blocks down, the 5 tech should come right off his butt, almost flat down the line. (Diagram 3)

• The EDGE players align on the line if scrimmage 2 yds outside the OT or the TE. Their aiming point is the hip oif the deepest / nearest back. At the snap, they are coming full speed, setting a hard edge. They will keep outside arm & leg free, and they have a Pitch/Peel Rule. Pitch/Peel says that nothing can cross their face. If the RB flares, the EDGE peels and covers him. If the RB releases underneath the EDGE, the LB has him. (Diagram 4)

• Both LBs align in 40 techniques, head-up on the OT. Vs pass, they have Man to Man on the RB to their side. Against 1 RB formations, one LB must displace & cover a WR. Vs Run, they have no gap and are free to the football. (Diagram 5)

• The three remaining DBs are in press man coverage with an inside alignment. If the receiver is attached to the formation (TE), then the DB aligns with an inside shade on the line of scrimmage (C gap). Our reason for this is as follows: If it is a run play & the DB is off, then the TE will block the LB and the DB will have a one on one tackle. If the DB is on the line, the TE is forced to block him & the unblocked one on one player becomes our LB, who is usually stronger & a better tackler. (Diagram 6)

• Diagrams 7-10 show how our GORILLA package lines up against various sets. One thing that you may notice is an apparent bubble in B gap when our DE takes a tilted 5 alignment. The key to this is the DE must come flat down the line. If the OT releases on the LB, which he often will, the DE comes screaming untouched into the backfield, staying flat so that nothing hits underneath him. The EDGE must also come hard and set the force without creating a seam betweel the DE & himself. Because of this, when the DE & EDGE line up vs no TE, it will look like they are too close. Their feet should be right next to each other.

Our kids learn all the rules in camp and the set never changes during the season. Because of this our young men play this package with great speed & confidence.