Offseason Itch

I find it important to do things that don't require needless change within the program. For many, coaching football is a hobby as well as a job; when the job part during the season ends they continue to tinker to maintain the hobby portion. Usually this causes them to add a bunch of extra "stuff" for the players that ends up overloading them (ie lets add all these new defensive fronts and stunts that I was so happy to have come up with).

My advice would be to completely write out in full detail every drill you want done by each position, add in visuals and write it at aimed so that someone who has never coached before could use it to drill up players if you had to hire them to coach next year. Basically a complete drill manual for what you do. Polish off your playbook, reviewing and eliminating those things which have become ancillary and no longer needed. Breakdown all your old films and come up with a self scouting report, so you get all your own tendencies (not saying you need to change them, but good to know them). Clean out and organize equipment sheds, inventory everything. Review and streamline your offseason speed and weight program see if you can make it better and more efficient. Ditto for your DFO stuff, get your weekly checklists organized for next season; possibly review the budget.

I know this isn't the sexy hobby stuff of learning a new offense, or talking to a coach about their techniques, but this is a lot of the logistical stuff that needs to be maintained. If you take care of it during the offseason it will free you up to coach more while in season. Also, it could help stave off the problem of overloading more new stuff on your players, just because you saw someone talk about it at a clinic (we always seem to add more stuff, but rarely take away stuff). I know it doesnt seem like fun, but its as important to a football program as lots of other things.

Twitter

I try to learn about a new system I don't know about. I think this offseason I'm going to study the 3-4.

For me, scratching my Offseason itch means starting out Out-Of-Season program in Mid Jan.  I ENJOY this, and our kids look forward to it.

Football is probably the most violent of all competitive games. In no other physical activity is bodily contact so pronounced, EXPLOSIVE POWER put to such repeated use and total body power of such importance. It is a game of SPEED, STRENGTH, and AGILITY in that order of importance. 


LEG STRENGTH SHOULD, OF COURSE, RECEIVE FIRST CONSIDERATION IN FOOTBALL.

Aside from the off-season program I get into my All 22 of college teams. I have more than I ever watch, and the 2017 stuff will be rolling in in a couple of weeks here

I have already met with our staff and detailed the manner in which we will change the culture of our program.
We are going to place a great deal of emphasis upon Twitter, specifically stressing how much we love the grind!
I have assigned one Coach to stay on top of any/all buzzwords that surface at clinics and on message boards. We intend to be at the forefront of any discussion concerning possible new fads and methods of appearing to be accomplishing much more than we actually are.
I have also assigned a core group of coaches to create meaningless team-building activities, grade checks, and leadership meetings. These also achieve the aforementioned "look busy and productive but not really accomplishing much."
Gonna be a great off-season.

A big part of our offseason was always doing an in-depth self scout, followed by an analysis of all of our conference opponents and how they played us. We put this stuff in a large binder and would always keep it handy for the next season when we saw them again.

Go through your opponent's depth charts and figure out who they're gonna have next year and where they'll be a little bit weaker. Then keep that stuff in mind as you're planning any major scheme changes going into the following season. Take the time to get to know your opponents, especially the tough ones. Watching opponent film shouldn't stop after the season is over.

Practice doodling Xs and Os during staff meetings and daydreaming of new ways to melt faces