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Post by coachdstrong on Aug 10, 2005 13:16:35 GMT -6
Hey Coaches,
I have a situation that I would like to here some other opinions on the discussion. I am going to be taking over as Offensive Coordinator for a small school (under 250 students in grades 9-12) this year as thier Head coach approached me and asked me to do in the off season. The HC wants me to install an option offense with some power, counters, and toss/sweeps for running plays. The team was 2-7 last year and had a very young team. I think they only lost 4 or 5 seniors that started on either offense or defense. My question is at the quaterback position. The player there last year was a Junior and he struggled because they started 3 sophmores on the O-line. He is alos a great basketball player and thier basketball team went to the state final gour this past year. He did not work out with the football team at all this summer but he played basketball four days a week. He says he is not sure if he is playing football because he has tendinitous in his knees and doesnt know if he wants to play or not. I have only met the kid once over the summer so I do not really know who he is or what he is like as a player. I know he was a great QB last year and could help us greatly but his attitude and commitment over the summer has me questioning his passion for football. My only other option at QB is a young sophmore but he worked hard all summer and didnt miss any workouts.
My question is should I give the senior a chance to come out and tell him the position is his to lose or if he comes out tell both players that the QB positon is open for ever shows me the most during camp?
I am really stuck because I am really unhappy with the seniors leadership abilities this summer and if I start him will the other guys belive in him since they know he didnt do anything all summer long in the weightroom?
Just want to get some other coaches thoughts on the matter. Thanks.
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Post by tog on Aug 10, 2005 13:25:35 GMT -6
talk to him, show him some of the stuff you are doing to get him excited about it some
tell him it will be an open tryout, but "son, if you think you are the best qb out here, then you have to show it"
then let it be known it is an open qb position
all positions are open going into training camp
always
at least when you aren't paying those jokers
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Post by coachdstrong on Aug 10, 2005 13:33:40 GMT -6
Tog,
Thanks for your opinion. I was hoping to talk to the kid all summer and introduce him to our offense but he was never there. The first time I met him was in the spring when I went to the school for the interview and I wasnt given the job yet at that time. All the other kids said that he has been saying all summer that he wasnt going to play. I think someone talked to him ater his basketball season last year and told him he could get a scholarship to a college if he worked on basketball all summer. He was getting looked at by some football colleges as well but I guess he likes basketball more. I think he has a better chance in football than basketball has he is only 5'10 or so.
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Post by tog on Aug 10, 2005 13:57:57 GMT -6
i can't stand that
basketball coaches are doing their kids a disservice when they do that crap
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Post by shortyardage on Aug 10, 2005 16:25:00 GMT -6
No wonder the team was 2-7 last year. This QB is a prima donna. The Sophomore QB is my guy. You're installing a new offense and last year's QB wasn't there. Last year's QB has tendinitis in his knees and he's playing basketball. So what if you had three young offensive linemen last year.
The basketball team went to state last year and the football team went 2-7. No one had to talk to the kid for him to make his choice, he went with the more successful program. I'ts pretty obvious that he made his choice, let him live with it. Your job now is to help build a successful program. I'm sure that your head coach has a plan. Has he articulated that to you? Why hasn't the head coach talked with the QB? It's his job to do things like that, not an assistant coach.
I'd go with the kid who was there everyday, I can count on him and as a coach I want him to be able to count on me. I don't want to have anything to do with a kid or person who would string me along like last year's QB did.
I've been at small schools before, it's important that coaches share the athletes, but the athletes and the parents don't always see it that way. As a coach, I never wanted other athletes/potential team members to think that I was hostile towards other sports or other coaches or athletes who played other sports. I wanted them to know that they were always welcome to try out for the team. Pick your battles and know which principles to stand by.
It's your decision, and I'm sure that there are other circumstances surrounding the situation, but since you asked, my recommendation is to look at the long term health of your program.
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Post by coachdstrong on Aug 10, 2005 20:03:30 GMT -6
Hey Shortyardage,
Thanks for your advice. I appreciate it. The HC did trya nd talk to the kid throughout the summer. My question is if his knees are that bad why was he playing basketball all summer and in a summer league. This was a problem for us this summer. The basketball coach was an assistant football coach last year but his wife asked him to coach only one sport this year because he was gone so much doing both football and basketball last season. He decided to take a majority of our players every Mondays and WEdnesday to a basketball league all summer. This hurt us in terms of all of our athletic kids went to those games rather than coming to our lfting and running program. Since we are a small school its not like we can not play these kids for not coming to the workouts.
The senior quaterback is a good athlete but I just think someone got in his head after the basketball season. He actually came tonight and I talked to him and he seems like he is ready to play but I am definitely going to try and mold the sophmore this year. I am planning on getting him into every game at QB.
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Post by tog on Aug 10, 2005 20:09:22 GMT -6
who is the AD?
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smd
Sophomore Member
Posts: 211 
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Post by smd on Aug 11, 2005 6:02:23 GMT -6
this reminds me of a story of an old timer along time ago, when he was hired at his new school as the head coach and ad, the first thing he did was go to school and punctured a hole in every basketball there. when school started he told the kids that they could play b-ball all the balls had holes in them and the budget didn't have money to buy anymore. so they were going to work on football year round.
i used to have this problem at our school, now we have a better relationship with the new guy. our biggest problem with basketbal is the AAU coaches.
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Post by brophy on Aug 11, 2005 6:27:48 GMT -6
Sounds like you coach at my HS.....
Give the your reps to the kid that put in work, if the BB player can beat him, then fine.
My opinion, the first thing you need at QB is TOUGHNESS. If a kid is worried about getting hurt and has a thousand excuses why he can't do this or do that, he's not tough. If a kid is making lifting sessions all the time in the off-season, THAT's tough. The mental toughness is developed in the weight room.
We've been stung by the last two QBs who were basketball players, who were probably the fastest most skilled athletes on their teams....problem was, they weren't 'tough' (mentally). We went with a kid who is REALLY a defensive end and runs like a wounded bear, but he is tougher than rabid skunk. Kids in the huddle pick up on this, and it inspires confidence.
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coachkd
Sophomore Member
Posts: 101
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Post by coachkd on Aug 11, 2005 13:34:18 GMT -6
I like what tog said, but I would make plans without him. You got to have the kid buy in at that position, if he is going to be flaky then you gotta move on without him. If he isn't excited about playing and he doesn't have a desire to earn the position then I don't think there is much you can do to get him that way. Sorry coach, I have been there and it usually doesn't work out with a kid like that.
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Post by gulfcoastoffense on Aug 11, 2005 22:29:10 GMT -6
If his heart isn't in it now, then whats to say his heart will be in it halfway into the season? I don't know where you are located and what your association allows you to do, but in Alabama, we've been in practice 9 days already.
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Post by coachjd on Aug 12, 2005 6:33:41 GMT -6
Coach,
Get the kid ready who wants to be there. Whats the BB player going to do for the team when its 4th and 1? You want a kid in there who wants to be there. Will the 1oth grader takes some lumps and make mistakes, yes but at least when you coach him up he will listen and learn and grow into a good player for you down the road.
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kakavian
Sophomore Member
Where's the ball, boy? Find the ball.
Posts: 175
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Post by kakavian on Aug 12, 2005 8:02:03 GMT -6
Dstrong-
I think I fall into the "take the sophomore very seriously" school of thought. If you have any sway over the head coach, then yes, play the sophomore as much as you can. Not only does he sound better for your team, he is the FUTURE of your team.
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Post by coachdstrong on Aug 12, 2005 11:44:21 GMT -6
Thanks to all you coaches who responded to my situation.
We start practice Next Monday and I finally got to talk to the Senior and I guess he had a bad experince with playing last year under the old OC and wasnt sure if he wanted to be the QB. He told me he was thinking of trying out for HB instead. He is a tremendous athlete and I am considering alowing him to be HB in stead and allow the Sophmore to learn the QB positiona nd makes his mistakes but by the time he is a Senior he will be awsome in our offense. The Senior now would fill a roll because we do not have a HB either. There is another sophmore kid at HB now and another senior who is not relieble either. I am leaning towards using the Senior QB and the sophmore HB in the backfield together to give each other blows and allow the Sophmore QB more reps to learn the offense as the starting QB witht he senior as a backup just in case. Either way we are going to be young in our backfield as our team will be starting a sophmore FB as well because the FB from last year we are moving to wingback and will be a Senior. three or four of our starting offensive lineman are going to be juniors as well. I am really excited for the season to begin and for our future as well. Once again thanks to all coaches who offered thier opinions. I like to hear about other coaches with similiar situation and how it worked out for them. We are a very small town and I think everyone in the town expects to see the Senior play this year as he is a great athlete but they do not see what goes on in practice or in the off season.
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Post by carson101 on Aug 21, 2005 0:21:42 GMT -6
If the Senior thinks he will do better as a bb player wish him luck the sophmore has a three yr future play him till he pukes. Good Luck Coach
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