The day dream of an aspiring head football coach.

“Hamlet Peterson” by Luther College Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

I have often dreamed of the day far, far in the future when I will take the wheel of a program as the Head Football Coach. If that day is to ever come, I will be prepared with a a step by step plan for the principles of how I would run a football program. I have learned valuable lessons in planning, teaching, mentoring and leading athletes and I want to institute those lessons as core components of my program culture. David Hoch describes the importance of being prepared with a detailed plan to brief your potential employer. This article would serve as an outline for my presentation to an athletic director about how I will be successful as their head coach. I will continue to add to this outline as a grow and progress as a football coach.

• The one constant in this world is change. Everything in this world is in one of two states of change; growth or decay.
• The choices you make everyday determine which category you will fall into.

Athletes in this program will grow in all phases of life.

• Academics — Understanding that education is a pathway to a full life.
• 2–4 hours mandatory weekly study hall in ESSC
• Grade checks every month
• Weekly conference time with teachers. (Open hours and appointment)
• Academic performance competitions
• Goal setting and outcome planning.
• Community — Understanding the value of giving back to others and strengthening the fabric of our community.
• Regularly scheduling team activities around volunteer work
• Seek opportunities to spotlight program with local media outlets
• Mentorship opportunities with local community leaders
• Educational talks from community leaders and experts
• Athletics — Football at this level requires an immense physical and emotional commitment. This is a game of fundamental technique, effort, discipline and toughness.
• Staff comprised of mentors who are committed to acting as stewards of the future of this program and its players.
• Game relevant coaching that simulates the execution of fundamental football skills.

The schematics of our system will be delivered through teaching methods designed to accommodate all learning styles.

We will win football games as a product of our culture. My job as head football coach is to win games, my calling as a servant is to help these young athletes reach their goals in life.

Recruiting

• Media
• Collaboration with the digital arts department to create printed and digital promotional content.
• Aggressive social media strategy that promotes the tradition and appeal of this football program.
• Advertisement with local media outlets as allowed
• Outreach events

Scheduled events centered around key dates in the student athlete recruitment cycle. I.e. application/registration day, opening kickoff event, etc…

• Each coach will be assigned a local high school to make regular contact with students, administrators and coaches.
• Staff involvement
• Every coach will receive detailed training in the CCCAA bylaws of student athlete recruitment.
• Every coach will be given weekly task lists related to recruiting.
• Parent involvement
• Parents should be involved with the recruiting process from the beginning.
• Parents will be given timely and accurate information to help their children make sound decisions regarding their athletic and academic futures.

Strength and Conditioning

• Offseason
• Off season S&C will be a mandatory component of membership on this football team.
• We will institute a S&C program that is taken directly from the highest levels of college football
• Every coach and player in the program will be educated on the process and goals associated with our S&C program.
• In season
• Consistency and intensity are the two key measures of our in season S&C program
• We will lift weights and condition with great intensity that will help us to get bigger, faster and stronger as the season goes on.
• Lifting weights and conditioning are also methods we will use to recover and maintain our bodies from the physical demands of a season.
• Offseason professional development for coaches
• Coaches in our program will be required to complete 100 hours of professional development during an offseason.
• Our coaches will attend professional clinics and conferences, meet with other highly successful coaches from top division one programs and engage in interprogram professional development sessions.

Kicking game will be a point of pride for our best players. At least 3 kicking periods every practice.

• This reinforces the principle of sacrifice and selflessness.
• Our best athletes will play special teams, regardless of position or status as a starter/backup at their position.
• Our attention to the kicking game will impact the outcome of football games.

Offensive System

• We will be an up-tempo, no huddle offense.
• Formations, sets, and plays will be signaled from the sideline.
• We will line up in a multitude of personnel groups and formations
• We will be multiple in the run game and employ RPO’s
• Base runs can be tagged with any number of RPO patterns and blocking variations.
• Inside Zone
• Full Zone/Half Zone
• Swipe
• Lead
• Clean up
• T Swoop
• Outside Zone
• G Pull
• Lead
• COP
• Gap
• Power
• Grace
• Trap
• Toss
• Counter/Counter Trey
• King/Queen Fly
• QB Run
• Zone Read
• Wildcat
• QB PWR
• Veer & Inverted Veer
• Speed Option
• Draw/Sneak/Reverse
• We will attack vertically in the passing game.
• Our pass game package will vary year to year depending on personnel but will be structured around base concepts such as:
• Choice routes
• Mesh
• Curl-Flat
• X follow
• Bench
• Verticals
• Screen & Split screen game

Defensive System

• Our Defense is predicated on core principles
• Effort, Pursuit and Physicality
• Assignment sound defense
• Fundamental feet, hands & Eyes
• Multiplicity based on personnel and matchups
• We will be an Even front, base coverage defense
• Base front and coverages based on personnel
• Fronts
• Stack
• Shade
• Trojan
• Over
• Flex
• Coverage
• 2 high
• 3 high
• ⅔ high combo
• Man
• Man Free
• Blitz Packages will be installed based on personnel and matchup

Summary

• Our football program aims to win in the classroom and community first
• We will develop disciplined and committed student-athletes
• We will foster a family environment that puts the team first. Individual accountability is something every player in this program will take pride in.
• We will attract great people and skilled teachers to this program. Our staff will be expected to buy in to every aspect of this program with the same conviction as the players.
• We will install offensive and defensive football systems that can be curtailed based on personnel.
• We will work to stay on the cutting edge of the methods within our craft.
• The players success in life is the payday, not the scoreboard.