Be a Better Football Coach, 15 Minutes at a Time [FREE]

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Before there was the Football Coaching Podcast...In 2009, my journey on the internet began. My first website was GridironChat.com, which still exists (though nothing like its original form). You may have seen it at some point, but if not check it out – you’ll find some good clinic and video notes there.

Gridiron Chat was intended to be my ticket to fame and fortune in the football coaching world, as it was really one of the first sites of its kind. I was also among the first Football Coaches to deliver a podcast on iTunes (and have brought podcasting back with The Football Coaching Podcast). Now I want to bring those podcasts back! Keep reading to listen to my earliest Podcast attempts for free. 

How Gridiron Chat became Football-Defense.com

Throughout 2009, 44 episodes of The Gridiron Chat Podcast were created. They were just me with a head set, talking football about whatever I wanted to talk about. You can see the evolution of the site, my online businesses, and the podcasts all in one.

The original target market was people who did not know much football. I thought I would be able to teach them football! This still seems like a good idea, but a good idea for someone else to execute. For me, I quickly found I only really relate to football coaches. I can talk even the most novice football coach with the greatest of ease. But you throw a mom who wants to know that her baby is going to be okay in front of me… well I struggle.

And so, Gridiron Chat faded into the background, quickly upstaged by a little side blog I was doing – which became Football-Defense.com.

But the Podcasts?

The podcasts went through the evolution too, and I think that somewhere in the 44 episodes are some entertaining, informative moments. In fact, they have been for sale on this site. My favorite episodes of Offense and Defense were packaged up into two “Albums” for $10 each. (don’t buy them now, buy a membership if you really want to listen!)

But now I’m going to make them free to all Football-Defense.com members! And as a not-so-subtle teaser, the first 5 episodes are available below to everyone!

So you’ll find the first two episodes, Offense Basics and Defense Basics, to be pretty elementary. From there we start to pick it up. Give them a listen! (The sound quality is horrific on the early episodes, but I promise it improves!)

Episode 01 – Basic Offense

 


Episode 02 – Basic Defense

 


Episode 03 – Basic Running Plays, Part 1

 


Episode 04 – Basic Running Plays, Part 2

 


Episode 05 – Formations & Backfields

 

(Want to download the episode? Right click on the Episode Title and click Save As…)

Want to get access to all of the Gridiron Chat Podcasts, and all of the latest articles, videos and Webinars from Football-Defense.com? Get a membership to Football-Defense.com!

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Developing a Winning Defensive Game Plan

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We spend a lot of time talking about scheme, coverage, and fundamentals. But the week to week game planning and in-game adjustments are a huge part of the equation for having a winning football team as well. During the week you should be developing and honing a game plan that you will actually use.

Too often, coaches will put together a game plan that seems brilliant, only to be forced to completely abandon everything they worked for by the 2nd series of the game.

To have a great game plan, you need to look closely at what your opponent does, put down what you need to do to stop it (I’ll provide a Game Plan template for you at the end of this article), and then plan for adjustments to their adjustments! Hey, they’re game planning too, right?

Breaking Down the Opponent

The focus of this article is not in scouting or film study, but that is what your starting point needs to be. You should look at the opponent’s most recent games. I do not believe in watching 10 games worth of film on a team. I want to see their most recent game or two, and I want to see what they did against a team similar to us. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Game Planning, Members

Coaching Linebacker Run Fits in the 4-2-5 Defense

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You want your Linebackers to play fast. You need them to get downhill on the run, and to get out quickly on the pass. But in order to coach it to your players, you have to understand how to do it yourself.

Having coached in all four major fronts over the last several years, I can say that the easiest place to teach Linebacker reads is in the 4-2-5 Defense. The two Linebacker structure of the 4-2-5 and the 3-4 Defense makes for a much easier, consistent read than in the 4-3 Defense or the 3-3-5 Defense.

The alignment of the backers in the 4-2-5 gives them a clearer picture of the backs in the backfield, without leaving them so vulnerable when facing uncovered linemen in front of them (as in the 3-4 Defense). Clearer vision and better protection means your Linebackers can diagnose the play and get there faster.

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Filed Under: 4-2-5 Defense, Linebackers, Members

Keep the Offense Guessing: Prowling in the 3-3-5 Defense

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We have always taught Linebackers to bluff their blitzes occasionally, but I never made it a point to practice “bluffing” until we installed the 3-3-5 Defense, or the Odd Stack, a few years ago. At that point, teaching Linebackers to move before the snap became a key to the defense.

As a 3-3-5 Defense Linebacker Coach, you want to establish rules for your Inside and Outside Linebackers to move before the snap, and practice that movement. You can see a huge difference in our movement if we can work in a 5 minute Prowling period each day.

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Filed Under: 3-3 / 3-5 Defense, Members

Containing the Quarterback on the Bootleg with the 4-3 Defense

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Bootleg, Waggle, and Sprint Out plays can be a killer for your 4-3 Defense when facing an athletic Quarterback. Whether you are facing a Wing-T, Power-Counter, or any brand of offense, losing the contain of the Quarterback is a back breaker.

At the same time, you have to strategically choose a player to handle the Quarterback if, and usually when, he does break the pocket. Teams that are trying to get the launch point for the Quarterback outside, are usually going to find a way. You have to be ready to react.

Don’t Make it Too Easy

If you bring the wrong guy, usually the one the Offensive play caller is counting on you to bring, to contain the QB, you probably are playing into their hands. When a team bootlegs or sprints out, they want your flat defender to attack the Quarterback too soon. Then the QB has an easy opportunity to dump the ball over his head to an open receiver.

You have to find a way to challenge the Offense. Understand that the QB on the roll generally has the body position to flip the ball out to the side he is rolling. Throwing back across his body to a back side receiver is tough for even the best QBs, and darn near impossible for an average High School QB.

Defend the routes in the QB’s line of vision. Contain him with someone who is not covering those routes.

Containing the Quarterback

We teach our Mike Linebacker to be the one in charge of containing the Quarterback on Boots and Sprint Action. Part of this is that we tend to put some of our players with the best Football IQ at the position, and that is a key to reading when he needs to come up.

The Mike will be able to read the boot action, though usually late because of the run fake. He is a run first player and we expect him to bite up on the run. He should be able to read the deeper pull of the Guard, and eventually see the back fake and QB boot. He drops off late and looks for the edge outside of the DE.

If the Defensive End gets sealed, he is going to come up. As long as the DE has leverage on the QB and can force the throw, the Mike will stay in coverage.

Covering the Routes with Quarters Coverage

With our Quarters Coverage, we know we are soft on flat zones. But with the QB roll, the backside Linebacker is going to roll and replace the Mike Linebacker, getting under the Drag Route.

By rule the Safety would see the inside release of the Tight End on his drag route, and take on the inside hip of the #1 receiver, while the Corner would stay over top. But we will often tell the Safety to go ahead and jump the bootleg route if we know we are playing a boot-heavy team who rarely hits the back side post.

Covering all of the possible route combinations off Bootleg, Waggle and Sprint Passes is beyond the scope of this article, but if you contain the Quarterback, you give yourself a chance to force the QB to put the ball in the air. Against athletic QBs, the last thing you want is to let him beat you with his feet!

 

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Filed Under: 4-3 Defense, Members