Being simple

Marry as many techniques as possible - they may not be exactly the same, but I try to teach them in a way that emphasizes the similarities to other core things we already do.

For example, our secondary needs to be able to play several techniques for several different coverages, but we build them up to be as related as possible.

For our corners, MOD is like MEG but you will release unders. A deep 1/3 is like MOD until something crosses your face.

Similarly, for our safeties, quarters and 2-read are taught almost identically, they just need to know where their help is and is not.

I did the same thing when I coached o-line (counter is like power but the guard kicks out, half slide and full slide are the same for the C, slide-side guard, and slide-side tackle, etc)

Some things I have found over the years to keep it simple without being too simple.
Call plays by words like Power, Trap etc. I have not numbered plays in forever.
Limit the overall number of concepts in the run and pass game. You probably only need one pass pro (maybe two) in high school. We won a state title (with talent yes) with two run schemes. You either blocked the man on you, or blocked down.

On defense simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. You need to line up right and decide who will be your adjusters. I do not like to adjust with the DL or LBs so we go safety over a lot. At the level I coach at we really only need one way to line up vs 3x1 but we carry two that compliment each other.

THere are certain things in all three phases of the game that I can coach in detail but don't need to.

Right guard is the center. Strong call to the wing. Probably walk OLB up to a 6 front. Maybe not. MlB over C and T. Read them as guards. Corners 5x5 off end man LOS.

I always tried my best to keep it simple. Now, after being retired for a few years, I've gone back to reflect on what I would continue to do or what I would do different on both offense and defense. Offensively...NOTHING. I had a TIGHT package (2 TE's); an OPEN package (1 WR); and a SPREAD package (2 WR's); I moved the backs around in each package but the terminology was the same (Bear/Bull/Brown/Blue moved the B Back; Race/Lace/East/West moved the WB's). The formation package calls aligned the Ends, and Over/Flip moved them (Over-RE, Flip LE). Linemen didn't flip flop plays, but they did learn how to get into a right-handed and left handed stance if the occasion arose where they had to play on the other side of center. The Tackles determined an unbalanced line (Heavy-LT over to the Right; Jumbo-RT over to the Left).

Defensively...NOTHING. Based out of a 4-2-5. DT's alignments determined the front call. Strong side T was first alignment number; NT was second alignment number (ie: 11-22-33-31-13-50). ILB's always aligned in the opposite gap of the DT's unless we called "Stack". Next call was the DL movement (Strong-both DT's slant to strength call; Away-both DT's slant away from strength call; Wide-both DT's slant to wide side of the field; Short-both DT's slant to short side of the field; Pinch-both DT's slant to their inside gaps; Split-both DT's slant to their outside gaps. We only used slants in our 22 look. We also used a "FLIP" call for our DT's when aligned in shades. All DL moves caused the ILB's to switch gap assignments. Next call in the sequence was a blitz. We called "FIRE" for our ILB's. We could send one, or both. We used Sword/Knife for our OLB's. We used Thunder/Lightning for our FS. We used Hammer/Nail for our Corners. Last call in the defensive call sequence was the coverage. The calls would vary, but essentially we were a 3 deep, 2 deep, 2 lock, man free, or 0. During the practice week we would marry certain fronts/stunts/coverages with tags "AFC" (automatic front and cover vs. some looks). "BTF" (blitz the formation vs. other looks. During the game if we changed anything before half we would just use our basic sequences until we adjusted at halftime.

We have kill calls vs certain formations, motions or personal packages depending on the week. Will also have auto blitz calls some weeks vs a particular formation if a team is very predictable on something.

You can be simple somewhere but not simple everywhere if you want to be really good. You're simple in scheme to allow yourself to be detailed in technique and adjustments, and you're complex in scheme (relatively speaking) to allow yourself to be simple in technique.

If you're simple everywhere you're going to run into problems and not have an answer.

This is no shade at the OP, but I personally hate the term "simple." It's completely vague. What's "simple" for your kid that's been playing FB since 3rd grade is not "simple" for your kid who just started playing this year. "Simple" tends to devalue scheme or strategy, which is a part of the game. It's not all of the game, but it is part of the game. A team gaining a tactical strategy on you and whipping your a$$ with it isn't any different than a team with a cultural advantage over you or a physical advantage over you. Culture-Physicality-Strategy are the 3 main components of a football team. If you're weak in one of those areas, someone will expose you and it'll hurt. 

Create an emphasis on shrinking the picture for your guys. You'd be surprised how much a kid can learn when everything is a stimulus-response off of one guy. I hear a lot of guys say "we're gonna K.I.S.S. and run spot-drop Cover 3!" but have the most vague LB reads ever that only make a kid freeze 'cause he doesn't know what the fk he's looking at. You see spot drop coverage a ton in the NFL because it's the most instinctual, highly-aware concept you can ask of a kid. 

While complexity and volume can go hand-in-hand, they aren't always a direct correlation. Just because you have 3 different run plays doesn't mean it's automatically simple. It all goes back to how it's coached. It can't be ignorant or short-sighted. I used to say "this is how we block GT counter vs. a 3-3-5" when I coached OL, and I'd get torn to shreds when a team spammed NCAA fire zone on us from that look. I wasn't being "simple," just short-sighted and arrogant. I didn't give the kids the tools to succeed and ultimately I failed them as their coach that night. 

The reality is that it takes a lot of knowledge and experience to truly keep things "simple." You have to be masterful at communicating, teaching, and differentiating.  

Great question. I wholeheartedly agree that "culture" is the most overused, misunderstood buzzword in the world. I actually cringe typing it. But it does exist and it is a big part of the program.

I define culture in tangible and intangible ways. Tangibly, culture is how well your players execute your program's core values. Everyone's core values are more or less the same, but I'll give ours for example - Sacrifice, Pride, Energy, Accountability, Relentlessness. We have a tangible action that reflects the core value that must be followed daily (Pride = organize the equipment shed after practice, Energy = 5 dabs a day for each player, etc.). We also have 12 team socials a year, each of which places an emphasis on a certain value (example - we do a community cleanup, followed by a pizza party).

Culture can be a winning advantage when you combine the intangible manifestations with the tangible manifestations. A team with a strong culture will look a certain way. They are always ready to play. Kids are lifting a teammate when they're down, demanding effort and focus from others, and are mentally present in all situations. Never true for all kids on a team, but the vocal majority of a team looks like this when you have a strong culture.

A cultural advantage can show up on the field. If you have two roughly equal-talented football teams with similar-level football coaches, the cultural advantage can show itself. Our first-round playoff opponent last year had innovative scheme, slightly better talent, but a poor culture. We coached our tails off, kids never blinked, and we really leaned into our culture to finish the game with a 32-28 W. Like I said, cultural advantage can be shown just like a tactical or physical advantage can be shown.