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Post by Coach Bennett on May 12, 2012 9:08:53 GMT -6
For all of you truly veteran head coaches out there, how have you evolved as you've moved through your career?
Are there aspects of coaching that you perhaps put too much emphasis on in your "younger days" as compared to now?
Is there anything that seemed very important when you were just starting that in retrospect now isn't?
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Post by blb on May 12, 2012 10:00:00 GMT -6
Meetings.
And a lot of the unnecessary "busy work" associated with them.
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Post by huthuthut on May 12, 2012 15:17:14 GMT -6
Had way too much offense. Too much time on football and not enough time on character development. Too much time on plays and not enough time on fundamentals. Too much time at the office and not enough time at home (HUDL helps a lot).
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Post by Coach Bennett on May 12, 2012 15:40:48 GMT -6
blb and hut x3,
It's as if your in my brain b/c although I'm no veteran, I've been reflecting lately that perhaps I have my staff meet too much and that I try to do too much on offense. Thanks for sharing.
Anything else come to mind?
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Post by blb on May 12, 2012 16:05:00 GMT -6
Forget about the officials once the ball is in the air.
I've never yet had one tell me, "You know, you're right!" and change a call in my favor.
And I've stopped answering their Pre-Game conference question, "Anything you want us to watch for?"
Because when I've told them something I'd seen they've called it against US if at all, never the other guys.
Concentrate on what you can control, which is your calling the game-adjustments and your kid's execution-effort.
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Post by fantom on May 12, 2012 17:18:09 GMT -6
I'm not an HC but In played for the same boss for year. IMO, the biggest thing was that he learned not to treat "big" games any different than others. The boss used to get very tight, going into what we called Full Jackhammer Mode (as in, "You couldn't drive a needle up his butt with a jackhammer"). Kids pick up on that. If you're nervous, they'll be nervous and you have a problem if something goes wrong (as it always does). If you're focused but confident the kids will be, too.
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Post by blb on May 12, 2012 17:48:31 GMT -6
I'm not an HC but In played for the same boss for year. IMO, the biggest thing was that he learned not to treat "big" games any different than others. The boss used to get very tight, going into what we called Full Jackhammer Mode (as in, "You couldn't drive a needle up his butt with a jackhammer"). Kids pick up on that. If you're nervous, they'll be nervous and you have a problem if something goes wrong (as it always does). If you're focused but confident the kids will be, too. "Couldn't pull a pin out of his azz with a tractor." Now THAT'S tight. |
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Post by olsenray61 on May 12, 2012 18:17:36 GMT -6
I distribute responsibility now and not try to coach every position. I keep my emotions under control which interfered with decision making when was younger.
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Post by bigm0073 on May 13, 2012 7:10:47 GMT -6
I am going into my 9th season as a head coach.. learned a lot and still learn every year..
1. Focus on football. At times early in my career I got too caught up on fringe things (Parent, booster clubs, fundraisers, character education, meals) I would get pulled into a thousand things and not have time for FOOTBALL.
2. Focus on WHAT WILL HELP ME WIN ON FRIDAYS. Kind of like what I mentioned earlier. I would get caught up in non football stuff and often it would get in the way of what I need to do to win on Fridays.....
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3. Delegate the non football stuff to people to handle
4. Stay loose on Fridays. Did a much better job of that... Really 4-5 hours before a game how a kid acts or what he does will not win the game. Keep them loose.
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Post by Coach Bennett on May 13, 2012 7:50:20 GMT -6
Coaches,
This all great stuff. I'm going into my "junior" year as a HC and most, if not all, of what you've touched on has been creeping to the forefront of my thoughts as I reflect on the past and contemplate moving forward.
Keep'm coming!
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Post by fantom on May 13, 2012 8:07:01 GMT -6
4. Stay loose on Fridays. Did a much better job of that... Really 4-5 hours before a game how a kid acts or what he does will not win the game. Keep them loose. That was a big part of it for our boss. We played in a system where we had a silent locker room. You'd get dirty looks if you sneezed. At first he wanted our kids to be that way but eventually he realized that a lot of kids don't like that. Now, before a game, we have one room where the kids can talk and listen to music and a quiet room. The same thing happened in our office before games. Instead of silently fidgeting, speaking sparingly in hushed tones, and glancing at the clock every two minutes the boss started playing music and taking a nap. There was a down side. He was very superstitious so we played exactly the same music every week. Meantime, he'd fall asleep. Now if any song from the soundtrack of Remember the Titans comes on the radio I change the channel. |
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Post by powerfootball71 on May 13, 2012 8:45:39 GMT -6
Not a hc but similer thing with my hc as fantom talked about. The hc I work for I played for in Hs and he was fanatic about not talking before games or bus rides and woe to any player that would so much as smirk after a loss. In my first two coaching jobs I carried the same attitude about this and a lot of things. Comming from a strong Hs program the staffs i was on thought I was I littel high strung but to me that was just the way it wad done.
Coming back to work for the same man after 10 years I was kind of shocked to see how much the stance had softened on things. The pre and post game music in the locker room ,music trew the pa during practice,don't have to be clean shaven, don't condition as much, as a staff don't seem to be as load in general. As a coach who down the time away from the I had based my whole style on the hard ass disiplened style I was coached by in Hs(multiplied ten fold by college coaching) . So I ask the hc what happened? He told me players change and I just got bigger things to worry about. So I think as hc evolve so do there staff.
As far as not worrying about non football stuff I Belive of the 8 teams in the title games in our state 5 that I know of had staffs made up of none teachers ( 3 of the 8 varsity on are staff our not) so I think schools that can do that have a huge advantage.
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Post by fantom on May 13, 2012 8:49:08 GMT -6
Not a hc but similer thing with my hc as fantom talked about. The hc I work for I played for in Hs and he was fanatic about not talking before games or bus rides and woe to any player that would so much as smirk after a loss. We've loosened up before games but after a loss is definitely a different story. |
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Post by emptybackfield on May 13, 2012 9:07:51 GMT -6
Outstanding thread here fellas. I see a common theme:
Most start out doing what they've been told is the "right" way or coached the way they were coached. Then, somewhere along the lines simply asking "why? What good are we getting from this?" can change a lot of mindsets on certain things.
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Post by mrjvi on May 13, 2012 15:10:29 GMT -6
One thing I do now (last 1 1/2 years) that I should have done long ago (30 years coaching-21 as HC) is we go out much later before games. We arrive @ 45 minutes before kick-off and go out to the field @ 20 minutes before kick-off. We do our talk for @ 5 minutes before we go out and stay out. Not 100% why it is SO much better-just know for us that it is.
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Post by coachplaa on May 13, 2012 17:27:00 GMT -6
Too many X's & O's, not enough perfection of a smaller amount of scheme.
Doing what people tell you is right, but not really doing what you enjoy. I have always enjoyed throwing the ball. Spent the first 5-6 years running the ball because everyone told me that is how you win. With Coach Mumme & Coach Leach, I became braver, and now I do what I love- throw it- and I think we do it very well. I learned that no matter WHAT you run with your scheme, the only thing that matters is that you do it well, or at least better than everyone else.
Not enough player-coach communication; especially off-the-field.
I've only been coaching for 17 years, but technology has changed dramatically. So much easier to communicate now, but the personal face-to-face stuff can never be substituted for.
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Post by coach353 on May 13, 2012 17:53:52 GMT -6
This is a great, great topic. I've never head coached and am young in the game but its great to get the pointers from fellow coaches.
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Post by jgordon1 on May 13, 2012 19:04:14 GMT -6
I am going into my 9th season as a head coach.. learned a lot and still learn every year.. 1. Focus on football. At times early in my career I got too caught up on fringe things (Parent, booster clubs, fundraisers, character education, meals) I would get pulled into a thousand things and not have time for FOOTBALL. 2. Focus on WHAT WILL HELP ME WIN ON FRIDAYS. Kind of like what I mentioned earlier. I would get caught up in non football stuff and often it would get in the way of what I need to do to win on Fridays..... . 3. Delegate the non football stuff to people to handle 4. Stay loose on Fridays. Did a much better job of that... Really 4-5 hours before a game how a kid acts or what he does will not win the game. Keep them loose. Couple of questions: #1. besides X's and O's..what do you consider FOOTBALL #2 How are you keeping them loose before a game... |
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Post by jgordon1 on May 13, 2012 19:05:25 GMT -6
Not a hc but similer thing with my hc as fantom talked about. The hc I work for I played for in Hs and he was fanatic about not talking before games or bus rides and woe to any player that would so much as smirk after a loss. We've loosened up before games but after a loss is definitely a different story. Yea, that 1 loss in like 40 games would pi$$ me off too..LOL |
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Post by bigm0073 on May 13, 2012 20:02:03 GMT -6
When I say football I mean all aspects directly to the game. I run the offense so I need to watch film, game plan, organize the offense. Often I could not do that when I get pulled into a 1000 directions or when I had my hand in a 1000 different pots. Rule of thumb for me was if it helps me win on Friday Night do it...if it is just pure fluff and it cost money I do not do it...
Loose - At 2:30 after school last year we go to the game field and Have the Lineman Challenge. OL we do pat and go.... After a couple of rounds about 2/3 were out... Now you have the final 6-7 or so..Now we would say each run a slant... Now a few more drop (if they drop a pass). Maybe run a dig, curl.. Eventually it is down to 2 and the final guy wins the lineamn challenge. WR and skill players are all laughing, having fun... Kids love watching the fat guys running and catching... they love me breaking their balls and making fun of them (I am a former OL ).
Light walk thru and back in for dinner... Dinner kids talk, laugh, joke (it is 3:30 - 4:00)...Nobody is tense and everyone feels good.
Come back later to loosen up. Players are loose, feel good on the field. Playing with more confidence. I am relaxed too.
Our first game of the season we got on the bus to a game and there was music on the bus. In years past I did not allow music or talking. This time I let the music play and the kids were talking. Got to the school warmed up and players were loose.
Were we up 55-9 to start the 4th quarter. Every starter was sitting and watching. I realized this:
If your team is prepared Monday - Thursday and they put in the work we want FRIDAYS to be fun for EVERYONE! Like Fantom's coach back in the day I had a pit in my stomach all day and hated pre-game. Now we just relax and have fun. Helped us a lot this year.
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Post by Chris Clement on May 13, 2012 21:15:35 GMT -6
From the various HC's of many different experiences and qualities, and some time as an HC:
Going out too early before the game - I've worked where "specialists are out there damned near 2 hours before the game, they do their thing, they go back in, the whole team comes out, warm-up, EDD's, a teach period, timing, skelly/inside run, 12v12, special teams check, and the refs still haven't called for captains.
Superstitions - Apparently, as ST coordinator, I can't call my kicker over when it's 1st and goal on the 5, and since he starts on D, he isn't available much of the time because the DC is talking to him, so I can't ever get to him and explain where there's a hole in their kickoff return. I also can't assemble the punt team during third and long, so it's a scramble to get people out there in time.
Micromanaging/Overcoaching your coaches - If you make me your ST coordinator, and you let me picke between two punts and two KOR's, and I pick the one on the basis of it being the easiest for me to understand, teach, and troubleshoot, and I do just that, no problems in the game, why do you want me to install the KOR I told you makes no sense to me? If you give someone an area of responsibility, let him be responsible for it, give him enough rope to hang himself. Constantly nitpicking his coaching undermines you both.
Trust your players - I always want to have one player on the field that I can assign and trust to "def*ckulate" the situation. Especially special teams, early in the season, and late in games when there's been injuries or substitutions. Yesterday I had a situation where one guy forgot to go on for kickoff, so one of my players runs off the field, grabs the first jersey he sees, drags him onto the field, puts him in position and gives him a one-sentence job description. But he wouldn't have done that if I hadn't told him that he was responsible for the team inside the lines.
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Post by coachcb on May 14, 2012 9:21:12 GMT -6
I don't know that I'm a "true veteran" but here you go:
1. Find your own style of coaching. Don't try and emulate the guys that coached you or other 'idols'. Your personality should be reflected in your coaching. I was told early on in my career that I needed to fit a certain mold in my coaching style and it didn't work for me.
2. You're only as good as your staff but realize that they might not love football the same way you do. So, set realistic levels of responsibility for them. It's better to do it yourself than to than to nag someone to get it done. Dish over more duties to those guys that are self-motivated.
3. I firmly believe that you can watch too much film and spend too much time in staff meetings. Be realistic and efficient with your staff's time.
4. You're going to lose games and it's a reality. You don't have as much control as you think you do. You prepare the kids to play the game but they're still the ones that have to play. Winning and losing both have 'invisible hands' that are guiding them in some way. For example, we were tied at half 20-20 against the top team in our conference. We were losing to the worst team in our conference 21-20 a few weeks later. We lost to the top team 70-26. We beat the worst team 65-21 (it's 8-man football, the scores are higher). The difference in those games probably came down to a handful of plays.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2012 11:16:05 GMT -6
Not sure if I'm a veteran either but here goes:
1. Too much X's and O's and not enough Jimmies and Joes. Give the kids skills that will help them on Friday nights and the rest of their lives...they aren't going to remember who pulls on 31 trap 6 months after the season is over.
2. Relax. It's just a game. I get wound up still for games, but I have to do something whether it's joke around w/a kid, listen to a joke or something to loosen myself up. I still have trouble w/this one b/c football is more than a game to me (look at the name of my blog for Christ's sake).
3. You can never substitute for fundamentals. Fundamental football wins games.
4. Finding ways to "hide" conditioning. We did very good at this here in the spring, and the kids didn't even notice. Don't make kids run at practice unless it emulates a game situation.
I'm sure there are others, but I know I have changed over the years. I used to be the hard azz coach, and now I'm more laid back w/the kids. They know I work hard, and are impressed by the level of detail I put in, but I dont' expect them to do the same (like I used to).
Duece
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Post by coachklee on May 17, 2012 7:31:31 GMT -6
Trust your players - I always want to have one player on the field that I can assign and trust to "def*ckulate" the situation. Great word to describe how to work out of a cluster if they do happen... |
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Post by davishfc on May 17, 2012 16:44:31 GMT -6
Your list is right on cb. Not a veteran head coach but after 5 years, I completely agree with what you've said. This list is the most important, in my opinion, because it pertains to philosophical and mental aspects of being a head coach. It's a definite step back from tactical or technical aspects of coaching. 1. Find your own style of coaching. Don't try and emulate the guys that coached you or other 'idols'. Your personality should be reflected in your coaching. I was told early on in my career that I needed to fit a certain mold in my coaching style and it didn't work for me. This is a belief that I've had since I started coaching. Learn everything you can from every source you have at your disposal...coaching mentors, books, websites, etc. But make sure it fits your personality. If something doesn't fit, don't force a square peg into a round hole. You are who you are. This is something I have also emphasized to my assistant coaches as well. 2. You're only as good as your staff but realize that they might not love football the same way you do. So, set realistic levels of responsibility for them. It's better to do it yourself than to than to nag someone to get it done. Dish over more duties to those guys that are self-motivated. You're only as good as your staff. This couldn't be more true. Passion levels will vary. Experience levels will vary. Initiative levels will vary. More than likely, they won't love football as much as you do. So setting realistic levels of responsibility is absolutely necessary. If their passion, experience, and initiative are not appropriate for the responsibilities delegated to them, then the staff is ineffective and the teams suffers. I've heard many times that if you want to be successful, surround yourself with great people. In coaching, it's not always as simple as that statement is implied. Sometimes you have to develop who you have there to work with. Head coaches have just as much responsibility to develop their assistant coaches as they do their players. Talent is obviously the number one factor for the success of football program and a competent, effective staff is a close second. 3. I firmly believe that you can watch too much film and spend too much time in staff meetings. Be realistic and efficient with your staff's time. This is a tough one for me. You want to build a competitive program and that process is a grind. You've got to roll up your sleeves and get to work. But you can't do it alone. That's the catch. The staff needs to be prepared and organized. You can't control the level of passion, experience, and initiative that each of your staff members brings to the table. However, the levels of each of those factors will influence just how effective the staff will be. There are other factors obviously, but those are the big three, in my opinion. Your players are challenging their players on the field but you staff needs to understand that they are challenging the coaches of your opponent. If they are more experienced as a whole then we've got to close that gap somehow. Watching more film and having additional meetings if done right can be effective in decreasing a gap between opposing coaching staffs. It won't necessarily close the gap but it can help your team be more competitive. Don't coaches have a responsibility to do everything they can to help their teams compete? On the other hand, if you're meeting to meet then you're wasting everyone's time. But if the work your staff is willing to commit is only the amount of time it takes to get organized as an entire staff...what choice do you have? Of course, if you have outstanding coaches across the board who have worked together for a number of years then meeting excessively is just foolish. But coaches who aren't at that level have to get there somehow. For me, this has always been one of the toughest aspects of coaching. Back to number two, you're only as good as your staff and sometimes it will require a commitment of time to get the staff to be as good as they need to be, not for you, but for the players. If we are emphasizing that each of our players strive to be the absolute best they can be, then we need to the same ourselves otherwise we're not coaches, we're just hypocrites. 4. You're going to lose games and it's a reality. You don't have as much control as you think you do. You prepare the kids to play the game but they're still the ones that have to play. Winning and losing both have 'invisible hands' that are guiding them in some way. For example, we were tied at half 20-20 against the top team in our conference. We were losing to the worst team in our conference 21-20 a few weeks later. We lost to the top team 70-26. We beat the worst team 65-21 (it's 8-man football, the scores are higher). The difference in those games probably came down to a handful of plays. All you can do is prepare your players to the absolute best of your ability. And, yes, you need assistant coaches to do the same. Teams go out on the field and play the game. Players need to keep the mistakes to a minimum and make plays. If they do that you've got a chance. But reality will set in and you will lose games. Depending on where the program is at when you take over, you may lose a ton. So keeping those losses in perspective will be important. Don't get too far down down but don't get numb to the losing either. Dig in, stay hungry, get after it, and the wins will eventually come. |
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