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Post by rsmith627 on May 23, 2016 18:00:20 GMT -6
Kind of unrelated, we were doing a fun backyard football type of thing. Was out last week of the year and we were 1-8.
Anyway, I was playing qb because why wouldn't the fat line coach be the qb? Anyway, I hand it off and the kid fumbles. Being competitive I dive on it like a moron, and have about 6 padded players on top of me. Phuced my knee up real nice.
If you want an idea of how bad we were, a few plays before that I pulled it on a zone read and scampered down the field untouched for 50 yards. I'm a runner, but I am into distance. Not sprinting. I probably run a 6 second 40.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 23, 2016 17:58:19 GMT -6
No, I am cheap. I wear my old khakis that are fraying at bottom, I cut the frays off. My super wouldn't get us new coaching polos this year so I gave my asst coaches my old ones. I have enough to outfit a large staff, the only problem is they had to be a 2x like me. He is a pos. Same. I'll be damned if I'm gonna ruin nice pants being out in the rain, potentially getting cleated on a sideline, etc. Don't get me wrong, I still look good. I always look good.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 23, 2016 17:56:03 GMT -6
One of my favorite ones.
Player: coach, how hard is practice going to be?
Coach: hard son. Real hard. We are talking pedophile on a playground hard. Today is going to be harder than a priest in Sunday school.
Yes, I have coached around some real lunatics.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 23, 2016 17:53:05 GMT -6
We did a camp with 3 other teams in the area a few years back. Coach at one of the schools was an insane MFer. He had to be. His personality fit the clientele at this school. They don't respond to nice, only to f bombs.
Anyway, the kids are going through stretches and this was our third session of the day, so some of our kids and the kids from one of the other schools were sluggish. It's like 95 degrees out.
Coach flips his chit. "Do you guys like football?!"
Kids from all 4 teams: "yes sir!"
Coach: then wake the phuc up and stop acting like a bunch of cherry cu*ts"
This would come back to bite him later as he was punishing kids for stealing at the end of one of his practices. A couple went down showing symptoms of heat exhaustion. That caught some attention needless to say, and since eyes were already on him a kid who didn't like him cried about being called a cherry cu*t.
Turns out, in a heavily religious state like Utah, talking to a kid like that is frowned upon.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 21, 2016 21:06:16 GMT -6
Yet he was coaching in the game and you were watching it. He also ended up giving up close to 50 points. But, I'd have traded places with him anyway. Better to go and get embarrassed than not go. We do game day polos and khakis. I always do something slightly different like a different hat than the other guys so my QB can find me easier for the signals.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 19, 2016 18:46:05 GMT -6
I'm a former lineman and OL coach turned OC and QB coach. I teach my QB to make throws that I will never demonstrate. I won't even play catch with them because I can't throw a football for chit. I can teach them to do it though.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 10, 2016 12:35:31 GMT -6
Being an old guy, I've seen just about everything. My epiphany occurred on the sideline of a 9th grade game in 1984. We were up by 24 in the 2nd qtr and I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a dad who asked "how big a lead was enough?" My assistant (an older guy)grabbed the dad and hustled him off the field. I was about as mad and confused at the same time as you can be. The dad was right. How often does a team come back when down like that playing 10 minute quarters? Any way fast forward to now and I'm the old guy who is breaking in young fire breathers who want to pile on when we can. I tell them that story before the season and we sub when we're up by 3 TD's. Period it doesn't matter who we're playing, even jerks have kids playing for them who don't deserve humiliation. Lost a region game up 32-7 at halftime. As a matter of fact, we were up 32-7 with under 6 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. We were down 35-32 at the end of the 3rd and lost 42-39. We would have been in the state championship game if we would have won that game due to how the draws worked out. The team that beat us was in the championship game and beat a team in the semi-finals that we beat 47-0. That sucks and it does happen. Generally speaking I am not subbing until sometime in the 4th, at least not wholesale. I'll get my QB out first, then my RB sometime after. Receivers rotate in all game anyway. Last to go is the line.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 10, 2016 9:15:57 GMT -6
I haven't been on much lately but really?? Has the conversations this off season gotten to the point that we are now discussing writing utensils?? And game apparel. Up next: what type of toilet paper do you stock in the coaching office.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 8, 2016 7:17:34 GMT -6
We don't punish the scout team, because they are the scout team. Might be an incentive.... When we go team good vs good, we try to have an objective. Yesterday at the end of practice we went 1vs 1, 2 vs 2; and the scenarios were: -3rd and 4 at the 28 convert or try a FG -2nd and 8 at the 38 convert or try a FG -4th and 3 convert Each group gets a chance. Each group works a scenario and either wins or loses, best of 3. That's the scoring, win or lose. We went best vs best a few times last season and the kids loved it. Got super competitive, our DC and I were talking crap to each other. It was a great session and productive for all. I want to do more of it. I love the idea of scenarios for that too.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 7, 2016 19:31:58 GMT -6
For those of you scoring your practices to keep things competitive, how do you assign point values to the O and D?
Do you reward winners, or are bragging rights enough? Just thinking about some things going forward.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 4, 2016 20:13:32 GMT -6
Sadly out jersey number pool is very limited. We only have 31 jerseys and helmet choice is all the same. If you can fit it you can wear it. Kids don't like accessories that much around our place. They've never really had much anyway so it doesn't matter to them. Our helmets are 4 years old and shoulder pads are probably 10-15 years old. Bought our unis 3 years ago. One pair of game pants and home/away jersey. I need an idea on how to use this incentive program when we don't have the gear or flashy things that could attract more kids to the program. Do you do team meals? Could be something like "gold group" or whatever you call it eats first. The only problem there is what if they all reach your gold group?
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Post by rsmith627 on May 4, 2016 19:32:01 GMT -6
This is really cool. I love the positive praise for the young men doing what they are supposed to be doing too. Similar to PBIS in a high school.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 3, 2016 8:27:31 GMT -6
Remember those really fat pens that had like 18 different colors you could choose from by using the color sides? I change my vote to that. I actually have one of those for grading, but it's only 6 colors. Getting some of my students to do any work is enough of a struggle without getting on them about ink color, so I can just easily switch mine.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 2, 2016 14:38:09 GMT -6
Man the season needs to get here. I'm a pencil guy. I write far more legibly in pencil for whatever reason. Now I'm an Evernote guy. Forget writing by hand.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 27, 2016 19:23:51 GMT -6
mariner42 - LOL... I wish Zach. I would agree with tanavea on that list as I have loads of experience with each of them except Whittingham: Peck - He is my father's best friend from HS and my Head Coach at Cyprus for 2 years Favero - My 1st coaching job was on his staff while I was at USU helping with QB's (Riley Nelson made life easier there) Matich and his brother have been around for a while. He offered me a job on his staff when I left my HC gig Colosimo - coached my little brother to an all-state QB and won a state championship his sophomore year before concussions ended his career 3 games into his Jr year... my parents live in the house he grew up in now. Cole - Love Cole. He came to our clinic both years and is a great guy. He is at smaller level than I've coached at, so never coached with/against him, but they are good every year despite not pulling top-notch talent year in and year out Freddie wins wherever he goes. Amazing guy. His DC and I are real close ejones54 - If I ever get another HC gig, he will be offered my DC job and steal him away from Freddie if I can Eric and I are in the QB/OC group so we run into each other ALL the time. Our QB is actually a transfer from his program Larry is a legend. Played against him when I was in high school. Only other guy I would add would be Sonny Sudbury, who coached for 30+ years and is in the Utah Hall of Fame for coaches... he was my HC my senior year of HS and gave me my 1st OC job at my alma matter when I was just 24 years old (plus my first game as HC when he got tossed one game that season) Love all those guys... 90% of what I know is "borrowed" from those guys. Great group. So many others that are really good, but that group is the elites in these parts. Ya'll don't get out much, do ya? Nope. I lived there for 3 years. It's a state where most of the population lives in a pretty small area. It also has some of the best guys I have ever met, CQ included.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 25, 2016 13:28:00 GMT -6
Michigan guys, let's not forget our very own blb . He seems like he might know what he's doing, and the HOF would be a good indication.
Thanks, coach, but there have been some Friday nights where I didn't think I was the best coach in my own family, which includes my wife and two daughters.
I wouldn't put myself in the same class as some already mentioned here. Especially my friend John Herrington, the best our state has ever had.
And I'm retired, not active, now too.
Your boss, Kurt Richardson, has been underrated in my opinion.
Herrington is absolutely the best. KR is definitely underrated and should be in the discussion. I just didn't want to hype up my own program. We have all had those rough Friday nights.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 25, 2016 12:32:48 GMT -6
Michigan guys, let's not forget our very own blb. He seems like he might know what he's doing, and the HOF would be a good indication.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 25, 2016 7:39:26 GMT -6
Well the DCOHIO if the playoffs ever return to their rightful home I know where I am staying!!! Cuppy's Crib!!! I will have room. I just bought a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house. 1700 sq ft. for just me...who has enough to furniture to almost fully furnish a small 1 bedroom apartment. LOL - yea, IDK what I was thinking either. On the bright side, if the coaching thing doesn't work out in Massilon you'll have enough room to run a brothel out of your house for income.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 24, 2016 20:14:56 GMT -6
The D1 state champions in Michigan this year (Romeo) actually had co-head coaches and have for a while. That team is always super tough but those guys seem to do more with less on a regular basis.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 24, 2016 20:13:35 GMT -6
I hardly know the names of any coaches outside of our district lol Only reason I know of others is because my coaching friends know them and bring them up. I'm not social by nature, so I try to make sure I've got some social butterfly friends. Not to totally detract from he thread but I am the same way. So,Eli,Es people don't believe I am a teacher and a football coach. I can be soft spoken at times and am not always outgoing. When on the football field though, I hit a switch. To the point, only reason I know the best coaches in Michigan is because I played against them and coached against them. Left the state for five years but the names are the same at all the major schools.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 23, 2016 18:47:35 GMT -6
To Michigan I would add Mike Giannone who just left Macomb Dakota for Warren De La Salle. His DC and the new head man at Dakota is Greg Baur, the best coach I have been around period, we will see how he does as HC. Bob Lantzy who just got back into the game. He doesn't have the state titles but has made several appearances and is a great coach. Both of the above respectively built their programs from nothing. Coach Yes I would agree on Mike Giannone, where is Bob Lantzy from? Its funny even within our own state, you have regions of great coaches out there you might not know of Same conference as Coach G. He was at Utica Eisenhower for the longest time. He retired a few years back (my understanding is that the powers that be wanted a change after 30ish years and forced him out). He is heading into his first season as the HC at Rochester Stoney Creek. That MAC Red conference has to be the best in the state. All schools have great coaches. The CHSL second would be a close second or even a tie in my opinion. Those conferences are both loaded with some of the best coaches I'm the state. Our HC at Clarkston is Kurt Richardson. He has been here for over 25 years and finally won back to back state titles in 2013 and 14. He's no slouch either.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 23, 2016 18:16:57 GMT -6
To Michigan I would add Mike Giannone who just left Macomb Dakota for Warren De La Salle. His DC and the new head man at Dakota is Greg Baur, the best coach I have been around period, we will see how he does as HC.
Bob Lantzy who just got back into the game. He doesn't have the state titles but has made several appearances and is a great coach.
Both of the above respectively built their programs from nothing.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 22, 2016 7:36:16 GMT -6
I admit I didn't read all the responses but... I think in order to be successful a HC needs AT LEAST one guy on staff who himself is a HC type guy. A guy who is just as passionate and who prioritizes the program as the HC himself does. Football is a lot. Delegating small things is one thing, having someone who can do some of the big things will save the HC a lot of time, stress, etc. I will also say I think this takes time to build as a HC. Hopefully as a HC if you move from school to school you're able to take some of "your guys" with you. If not, then I think that "guy" is a must find for any HC and I think it's pretty much at just about any cost. Every staff I've ever been on this has been the make up: HC - program is a top priority Top assistant - program is a top priority - these 2 rarely schedule anything that conflicts with football, they rarely miss, all meetings, all weights, etc.
Mid-assistants 2-3 - program is important but some things are more important, like vacations. - these guys are good guys but they will miss for doctor's appointments, weddings, kid's birthdays, etc.
Low-assistants 4-6 - football knowledgeable but not program dudes. Intermittent weight room attendance. Do not even consider football when scheduling life things.Maybe it's how I've come up in my career, being that the first HC i worked for, it was his first HC job, we are the same age, so we were learning together, plus he lived an hour from the school so I handled a lot of stuff but I've always been that HC style assistant. I don't care to have the limelight, I don't want to talk to the paper and all that. I was a HC for 2 years and I took a guy with me that was that kind of an assistant. On our current staff we have 3 guys who are HC type assistants and we handle all kinds of bigger things which really takes a lot off the HC's plate. Then everyone else is mid-assistants. We don't have any low-assistants (for lack of a better term, I was just trying to illustrate program commitment level). What's the Lou Holtz saying? "if you're not fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm" THIS. Our staff looks similar. 2 Coordinators- football junkies. They both handle ALL out-of-season 7v7 stuff etc...to the point where I don't even need to be around. Always prepared, never miss..."Life" tends not to get in the way of football. Both could do my job if they wanted to deal with the managerial aspects of being a HC and the headaches. 2 Assistants- They coach in the spring, but they still find ways to be involved. Both are up and coming. Higher-level football knowledge (one was a college OL coach) and the other is a learner- always trying to find a way to get more knowledgeable. 1 Mid level- he LOVES weightroom. He's with me in there all the time. Has some young kids at home and lives pretty far away. Takes pride in wt room. Doesn't know a ton about football, but he stays in his box. Low assistants- Several guys who love football and our program, but have crazy non-teacher schedules (2 are local cops). These dudes would undoubtedly be more involved but "life" gets in their way. Retired Old Dudes- These guys are the best! One was a HC for 30 years- great resource...helps in a quality-control role; full of knowledge. The other is not a football guy, but a great man, pastor, and a grandfather figure. Serves as kicking coach! This is actually a really good staff. Coordinators SHOULD be football junkies. You definitely need the guy who loves the weight room. I've been the weight room guy. I'll get enthused for the kids but I really don't like being there. I understand it is a must for the program, but if you have a guy that is passionate about it, let that be his thing for sure. The low assistants who just don't have the best schedule to coach are more and more a reality as it is harder to get teachers in the building so that they can coach. Those guys definitely have a role to play, and it's better than having nothing. I have always loved the retired dudes. They usually step up and do whatever is needed.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 20, 2016 14:29:05 GMT -6
Someone once remarked to me, I wish I had the passion about something that you have for football..that was pretty cool My wife says that to me all of the time.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 19, 2016 18:54:58 GMT -6
Maybe that's why they are assistant coaches and not head coaches. Excellent point. Still though, most assistants make $2000 or less. Why the hell would one invest so much time into what amounts to cents per hour if they can't/won't be all in?
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 19, 2016 17:40:36 GMT -6
I don't know why anyone would want to spend their time and energy on coaching if they didn't love it. That would drive me crazy. That said, it's all relative I think. Some guys love football and coaching, but not nearly as much as you do. They may love the IDEA of coaching...but the reality of it is a different story. I tend to judge people's "love" for coaching football against mine...but most will admittedly come up short in that category. I have a phenomenal staff...but I'm not sure any of those guys are as loony as I am about coaching and details. That doesn't mean they aren't good at their jobs, though. I don't know either. I have a buddy who coaches in a pretty good program and doesn't love it anymore. He still puts in just as strong of an effort as he always has, but still isn't nearly as excited to do it as he used to be. I guess it is kind of like the classroom. Teachers are human and we all have days we are tired, but we usually don't show it and our kids don't pay the price because we didn't get that extra hour of sleep we needed. Still, not sure why he does it if he doesn't love it.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 17, 2016 7:05:56 GMT -6
For those of you who are in a school of 300-400 and have to play a catholic school the same size, that is probably really tough and I get that. Not necessarily...and that is the issue (in Louisiana at least in my opinion). There are your John Curtis and Evangels with 300 students who seem to have AT LEAST 3-4 kids every single year sign D1, avg 280+ across and are National powers, then there are a tier of state powers, who are very tough with multiple state appearances the last decade or so, and there are a whole host of small private schools that struggle to win ball games. We have those schools that struggle as well. The only ones that we would ever potentially see are the power houses.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 17, 2016 6:36:47 GMT -6
In Michigan we aren't separate. We have some good schools (Detroit Catholic Central, Brother Rice, De La Salle, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, etc.) that are all very good teams on a consistent basis. All have won state titles but the only one that is dominant instead of just really tough every year is St. Mary's.
They participate in our playoff system with the publics and it doesn't bother me. We will play anybody, anytime, and anywhere. We don't care. I'm different than some of you because enrollment wise my school is the 3rd or 4th largest in the state which allows us to compete with anybody, anytime, anywhere.
For those of you who are in a school of 300-400 and have to play a catholic school the same size, that is probably really tough and I get that.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 13, 2016 20:07:52 GMT -6
I haven't read all of the posts here but I'll usually call off the dogs a bit once we are up by 3 TDs if I feel confident in doing so. That said, we teach our kids to fight and to win always. I'm not going to throw verts at you but rpos and quicks are still on if that's what you're going to make me do.
I had a coach whine one time because we broke off a 78 yard TD run on inside zone on the final possession. We had our seconds and thirds in and it was a running back that hadn't even taken any Reps in our system. He was so far deep on the depth that he was a scout team only type guy.
It is what it is.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 13, 2016 14:36:27 GMT -6
You guys don't get lit and turn up?
Yeah, me neither.
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