"K.I.S.S." or "K.I.L.L."

This is one of the reason I like to map out all our practices and drills before the season, and stick to that. Sure you may have to make some adjustments here or there, but it really keeps you inline in regards to not overdoing it. 

If we need another front/stunt, blitz, coverage, or whatever else to stop an offense, we’ll add it. I’ve learned over the years that we don’t need to do a lot to stop the offenses we see. I’m sure it’s different around the country, but we see a lot of the same things each week so we don’t need to run many things. However, we’ll add more if we need to.

I'll chime in...

Before I start, please understand WE fortunately have shutout people and I have been unfortunate to give up 50 more than once, including winning records and losing records at the end of the year. *Please notice how prefaced the we & shutout vs. I & 50.* Although there might have been a difference in the score, there was zero difference in the approach to the game and preparation, including offseason work. This is just my .02, but as coach, I have always been under the impression that I/we can install anything and everything. Reasons for this...

1. I believe in my abilities to learn something and decipher, "Does this fit us?" - If the answer is yes, then we will install/implement something, rep it, and make it work.
2. Although I believe football IQ varies from program to program and kid to kid, I believe that if a coach learns and studies the game, he can coach a kid the "same as" approach, which in turn allows for more scheme, even though the player believes he has only been taught one or two "same as" ideas.
3. Kids don't know what is "KISS" and what is "KILL" - Kids can learn what you teach them. No doubt, that it takes a little bit longer for certain kids to grasp the concept, but that is why they call you coach.
4. I never want to go into a game or after a game and say, "I wish we had more bullets in the gun." For me, this goes hand and hand with being able to have enough adjustments throughout the game. In my opinion, a simple game and simple install has few adjustments, and I have never been anywhere, where we can consistently just be better than our opponent.
5. Here comes the "Jimmies & Joes" talk - It's my job to not allow Jimmy & Joe to make plays, it's my job to limit Jimmy & Joe, and make John beat us. I want to make the OC prepare for me and also get in game and completely take away the section of his call that is devoted to Jimmy & Joe.
6. No, I do not have all the answers and never will. However, because of the addiction to this game and the quest for more knowledge, I want to study the newest and latest trends of how to stop someone defensively or score more points offensively. ***Yes, I know some guy on here will say he has run the same defense for the past 30 years and hasn't changed, and that is great.*** Which leads me to...
7. I believe "K.I.S.S." is a cop out a/k/a - Coach saying he doesn't really want to learn, or my favorite, "It's not what I know, it's what the kids know." Again, I understand KISS may work for you, but again, my belief of the KISS principle is merely the, "This looks complicated, so I'm not going to teach it" as opposed to this mindset, "This benefits one program, why can it not benefit us."
8. K.I.S.S. might win you some games, but KISS will also get your ass beat. Once had a night, where I called 13 different 3x1 checks. Yes, 13. Why...We had to! We had to stop two FBS Wide Receivers and also the FBS RB, and yes we won the game. My point, we installed all those coverages in spring ball, summer, and two a days, so when it came game time, our kids were able to execute all 13 coverages that night. If we only had 3 coverages that night, we would have got beat and you can't convince me otherwise. All about how you approach the install and when you will need it!

Again, this is just my .02. Have had some great seasons and have had some bad seasons, but through every season, my approach has always been the same as it relates to install. If I can teach and coach the install at one place, I can teach and coach the install at another place.