How often do you as coaches meet?

you are not out of your mind

this is not common
at least round these parts

hold on there tog - I wouldn't say that it is uncommon around these parts. I too, am amazed at how little we meet and I am from the same state you are.

I know that guy and that is the truth!!!

In the offseason we usually go to a few coaches clinics and keep in touch via phone calls. During the season, we meet M-W after practice for 5-10 minutes to discuss anything we need to work on the next day. On Sunday we get together at the school and have a film session/chalk talk that usually lasts about 6 hours (Fri night game and last three of this week's opponnent plus chalk talk).

If you don't meet as often as it takes to have everything installed, chalked, and "what if'd" (against every possible motion, trade, formation, front, coverage, blitz, stunt ) before you ever introduce it to the kids, than you are doing yourself a disservice.


If you haven't met enough that your RB's coach can tell you what the OL is going to do when they see potentially 4 weak coming on a 5 step drop...you are doing yourself a disservice.

IF you haven't talked it, chalked it, and walked it (if allowed) with all possible kids before you hit the field for spring (if allowed) you are doing yourself a disservice.

I think THIS is what separates the "professional coaches" from those who just don't get it (in my opinion.

Usually not enough. Now I had one coach who coached at a JC where the HC was just going through a divorce. He said they met so much and for stupid reasons, mainly because the guy was bored.

My feeling is this regarding meetings.
1) should be scheduled
2) each coach needs to have something to bring to the meeting (task)
3) structure the meeting so that all tasks are accounted for and it's business.
4) leave the last part open.

Meetings to "go over stuff" usually end up being just that and you leave with little accomplished.

Have a plan, have each coach responsible for a part of the meeting. this makes sure the homework is done prior to the meeting.

Obviously I got an issue with this one.
Good question!

In the off season we meet as an offensive staff usually once a week from Feb to April. We go over the play book, talk about ideas we got from the clinics, share new things we may want to try, etc. Our philosophy is that if we don't put it in the offseason, its not going in the regular season. Seems rigid, but every coach on the staff knows the playbook and if I make a change, want to emphasize a play we haven't run yet, at least all the coaches are familiar with it. We break April and May and will meet a few times as an entire staff before spring ball starts. During the summer we meet informally after workouts, and will have a few scheduled staff meetings.

For the HC's...
I would love to meet with my staff more often. However, we only have 5 coaches on staff and 2 of them are freshman focused. They don't find time to work football in the off season. So as HC I call the D and i have a very good OC. We work together all the time and talk football every day. But that's only two coaches, not the rest.

I live in a town of 2000 people so there isn't a lot to choose from. The teaching staff is only 30. What do you do in this situation?

I'd love to say, "thanks but we'll find someone else", but it's damn near impossible to find someone else or to find someone else who will be here on a yearly basis. It's also nearly impossible to find someone in the community that is willing to come on as a freshman coach. At least the coaches we have will be here every year and they have a good relationship with the kids so kids want to play as freshmen and generally stay out for football after their freshman year.

Just looking for your thoughts. Remember, it's not as easy as just hiring someone else, because although we've been somewhat successful we don't really have people beating down our door to coach here.

As a HC we met "formally" when we would all stay in the same or nearby rooms at a football clinic. Usually have a staff meeting after the last speaker. Informally we would talk in the wt room or on the phone and stay in contact via email too. This is the example I followed from being on a highly organized staff as an assistant.

D: I call this "giggle-proofing" my schemes. If it doesn't pass the giggle test, it doesn't go in.

During the Season we Meet:

Sunday night 6pm - 10pm breakdown film and gameplan
Monday night after practice two or three O or D coaches
Tuesday night after practice one or two O or D coaches

During the OFF-season we Meet:

Clinics and various coaches go to different sessions
Then beginning in late Feb or March, we will meet on a Sunday night as a whole staff. Each coach must bring his dayplanner/calendar, and we will then set the dates/times for all of our upcoming meetings through Spring Football, which is late May and First week of June.

Leading up to Spring football, we will meet usually 4 or 5 times to review new O/D & ST schemes and to plan out Spring ball, so the coaches understand it and can trade ideas, etc.

In the Summer, Prior to Double Days:

We will have several meetings to map things out, and then beginning the week before Double Days, our Weekly Sunday night meetings begin and carry on throughout the season.

* Anytime a Coach wants to present an idea in detail, he must bring enough copies for each coach to have in hand when he gives his presentation.

KB

I was on a staff once back in the 90's that put in prior years offense on the monday of the first playoff game..Needless to say we go smoked 30 something to zip. (Also my last year on the staff.)