Philosophies (pffensive and Defensive)

[outlawzheadcoach]

I know that as a coach I ahve to develope a philosophy for what I want to do. Do any of you guys here ahave any advice or care to share your philosophy so I can see what exactly one really looks like and help me get off on the right foot for developing my own.

[saintrad]

you need to sit down and look at how YOU think an offense or defense should be run. I would suggest staying with things you know, coached already, or played in. THis means how you call your plays, alingments, zone/mtm/comb/blitz, personnel useage, what woudl you do when backed up against your own endline? Have the opposition pinned against thier own end line? When and where to punt to? Far catch or not fair catch? Run a counter scheme versus a power scheme? how does your philospohy and playcalling change when near the goal line? mid field? backed up? how do you run a practice for an individual, group, team, or varsity practice for a practice/week/season?

THese are just a few of the questions you must ask yourself. PM me if you need more help.

[dgs]

I am a high school D-Coordinator and have coached since 1982. Here are some of the basics ideas of my defensive philosophy:
1.) Run a defense that allows you to take advantage of the different types of players you have from year to year and defend the various offenses you will see throughout the season. For most of my years that defense has been a 4-4/4-2. I believe it is very flexible and adjusts easily to other fronts. But the defense front you run is the least important decision. Just make sure it is a sound defense and that you thoroughly understand it.
2.) Stress Alignment and Assignment. It is amazing how well a defense plays if ALL the players are aligned properly and know what their responsibility is.
3.) Stress Tackling and Position Fundamentals daily.
4.) Stress relentless Pursuit. We never want to give up a big play. Many offenses will implode if they are forced to drive the field.
5.) Be Physical.
6.) Take away the offense's 6 best run plays and 3 best pass plays. Make them do what they don't do best.
Hope this is what type of information you were looking for. By the way, my offensive philosophy is to have our offense score on every possession and use 8 minutes on every drive.

[aztec]

After 3 years of being a DC I can say we want our guys to fly around on the field. And inorder to do that you can't be too complex or have to many pre snap checks. We rep the hell out what we do (and we do alot) and work on pursuit. We do pursuit everyday. My / Our philosophy is attack, attack, attack and we do it by blitzing a ton and running games up front and locking up man to man. Each guy know his number will be called at some point to blitz and that excites guys. Our Scheme might be tweaked from year to year based upon what I have and what is in the pipeline. I have gone from a 4-3 zone blitz guy to a 3-3 man blitz (and some zone blitz) guy. Our personnel is much smaller and I didn't have the size or types of guys I had two years ago. Result was a trip to our Sectional Finals with my least talented group on defense, but who played with great emotion and heart.

[Coach Huey]

get the ball as many times as possible to players who can score

[DLine06]

dgs said:

I am a high school D-Coordinator and have coached since 1982. Here are some of the basics ideas of my defensive philosophy:
1.) Run a defense that allows you to take advantage of the different types of players you have from year to year and defend the various offenses you will see throughout the season. For most of my years that defense has been a 4-4/4-2. I believe it is very flexible and adjusts easily to other fronts. But the defense front you run is the least important decision. Just make sure it is a sound defense and that you thoroughly understand it.
2.) Stress Alignment and Assignment. It is amazing how well a defense plays if ALL the players are aligned properly and know what their responsibility is.
3.) Stress Tackling and Position Fundamentals daily.
4.) Stress relentless Pursuit. We never want to give up a big play. Many offenses will implode if they are forced to drive the field.
5.) Be Physical.
6.) Take away the offense's 6 best run plays and 3 best pass plays. Make them do what they don't do best.
Hope this is what type of information you were looking for. By the way, my offensive philosophy is to have our offense score on every possession and use 8 minutes on every drive.

Coach, wish to learn more on that philosophy defensively.

[wildcat]

After a horrendous 1-8 season (I'm not the HC), I have thought long and hard about what we need to do to get better.

I've come to the conclusion that it is better to have athletes than to not have athletes. So, rather than spending my offseason working on Xs and Os, I'm spending my time reading everything I can lay my hands on about improving the athleticism of our players.

The FACT is that Xs and Os are pretty overrated...If you have big, tough, physical kids who can run, you are probably going to win a lot of games. If your kids are small, weak, and slow, it won't matter if you have Charlie Weis and Bud Carson calling your O and D. You're gonna lose alot!

It's funny...I know coaches who will drive 300 miles roundtrip to learn how to run the spread option, but they won't take an hour to read an article on strength and speed training.

Xs and Os are certainly important and you have to know the game. But honestly, I really believe that whether or not a program has a successful season is determined well before August rolls around.

[outlawzheadcoach]

dgs said:

I am a high school D-Coordinator and have coached since 1982. Here are some of the basics ideas of my defensive philosophy:
1.) Run a defense that allows you to take advantage of the different types of players you have from year to year and defend the various offenses you will see throughout the season. For most of my years that defense has been a 4-4/4-2. I believe it is very flexible and adjusts easily to other fronts. But the defense front you run is the least important decision. Just make sure it is a sound defense and that you thoroughly understand it.
2.) Stress Alignment and Assignment. It is amazing how well a defense plays if ALL the players are aligned properly and know what their responsibility is.
3.) Stress Tackling and Position Fundamentals daily.
4.) Stress relentless Pursuit. We never want to give up a big play. Many offenses will implode if they are forced to drive the field.
5.) Be Physical.
6.) Take away the offense's 6 best run plays and 3 best pass plays. Make them do what they don't do best.
Hope this is what type of information you were looking for. By the way, my offensive philosophy is to have our offense score on every possession and use 8 minutes on every drive.

I too am interested in hearing more. What is it that you use to setermine their best 6 runs and 3 best passes?

[dgs]

We use our computer scouting program to determine their primary plays. The number of plays (6 running & 3 passing) that you focus on isn't the main thing. But I have found, and repeatedly relearn that if you try to take everything away from an offense, you end up taking nothing away. I would also like to say that I agree 100% with Wildcat. Player development is much more important than x & o's. We had a poor defense this past season. But I know more x & o's today than years ago when we had outstanding defenses. Of course the biggest difference in those seasons are the players. Being a public school, we play what we get. Therefore, the primary way to improve is to make our kids stronger, faster, and smarter players.

[coachcalande]

simple philosophy....

rule number one - put the kids in a postion to be successful given their age and physical ability and with consideration to practice time.

rule number two- be prepared and be the best at whatever it is you decide to do. you play like you practice.

rule number three- offense is "get the ball, keep it until you score", defense is "get the ball back as fast as possible"

rule number four- block and tackle well, never fumble and avoid interceptions, holding and sacks.


now, looking at those things...

what we do is run an offense that lets us get alot of 4 yard plays. we play "keep away" with the ball and rest our kids while wearing down theirs. we do lots of double teaming, trapping, great angles and more bodies at the point of attack. we build our offense around "one play" just like vince lombardi or woody hayes or any other great coach...and build the rest of our attack around plays that compliment that one play....

you might want to read "introduction to the double wing " under the running game section below.

_

[senatorblutarsky]

<sub>The FACT is that Xs and Os are pretty overrated...If you have big, tough, physical kids who can run, you are probably going to win a lot of games. If your kids are small, weak, and slow, it won't matter if you have Charlie Weis and Bud Carson calling your O and D. You're gonna lose alot!

It's funny...I know coaches who will drive 300 miles roundtrip to learn how to run the spread option, but they won't take an hour to read an article on strength and speed training.</sub>

Wildcat/dgs, I agree 100%- but here in small public high schools, we can't recruit... so we'd better make chicken salad out of chicken**** if need be. That being said, we are much like coachcal in terms of philosophy. We do not have great athletes... a lot of times they are not good. BUT- it they LIFT, run, do agilities, plyometrics, LIFT more, eat right, work, and learn- they are convinced that they can beat most of the teams on our schedule because we outwork them. I don't know if we do or not, but our players think we outwork everybody... that is a big boost.
Scheme wise, we are probably easy to scout- and will run the same play 11 times in a row. Simple, ball control offense- and KNOW YOUR JOB.
Defensively we are similar- KNOW scouting report, don't do too much (2 fronts total) and fly to the ball. We emphasize your best plays (top 8), but also address "what else might they do in this formation?".
Special teams basically don't screw it up for the O (by turning it over) or D (by giving field position). We are very conservative here.

[outlawzheadcoach]

dgs,
what is the name of your scouting program?

[brophy]

agree with dgs 100% on everything - great summation.

I believe the 'identity' / attitude is something that must be preached to the kids. Some may think it's hokey, but it's not about rah-rah stuff, it's about defining PURPOSE for the kids.

We tell our defense that they are there for one reason: SCORE ON DEFENSE.
Everything we do is predicated to getting the ball back and not allowing the opponent to maintain possession.

We approach our punt return package as the "Defense's Main 'Offensive' Play for a Touchdown".

On every play we must have hustle and rabid pursuit. We scold heavily for any "loafs" on the field no matter where they occur before the whistle.

[dgs]

We use Proscout.....here is the site.......http://www.proscoutvideo.com/........gives me more information than I know what to do with.

[outlawzheadcoach]

is it pretty easy to use?

[ac]

wildcat said:

After a horrendous 1-8 season (I'm not the HC), I have thought long and hard about what we need to do to get better.

I've come to the conclusion that it is better to have athletes than to not have athletes. So, rather than spending my offseason working on Xs and Os, I'm spending my time reading everything I can lay my hands on about improving the athleticism of our players.

The FACT is that Xs and Os are pretty overrated...If you have big, tough, physical kids who can run, you are probably going to win a lot of games. If your kids are small, weak, and slow, it won't matter if you have Charlie Weis and Bud Carson calling your O and D. You're gonna lose alot!

It's funny...I know coaches who will drive 300 miles roundtrip to learn how to run the spread option, but they won't take an hour to read an article on strength and speed training.

Xs and Os are certainly important and you have to know the game. But honestly, I really believe that whether or not a program has a successful season is determined well before August rolls around.

This I believe deserves its own thread. I think that coaches need to be careful of this thought process. I do believe that you have to put a focused effort on developing your kids in the offseason. BUT, I do believe that giving your kids the right scheme and strong base of fundamentals on the field will put you in position to be a winner.

I have seen teams that have more talent then the whole state wide division, and they don't win it all. I think that it is so many different things. Off-season work, offensive and defensive schemes, and the motivation that drives the kids to play.

[dgs]

The Pro Scout program is relatively easy. Download the game onto the computer. Cut every play and link descriptions with it. Then retrieve the information by categories.

[outlawzheadcoach]

Hey DGS,
Will this program work with VHS and DVD both or only dvd?

[wildcat]

ac said:

BUT, I do believe that giving your kids the right scheme and strong base of fundamentals on the field will put you in position to be a winner.

Like I said, schemes and fundamentals are important, but slow, weak, and small kids are simply not going to win many games no matter how well coached and fundamentally sound they are.

ac said:

I have seen teams that have more talent then the whole state wide division, and they don't win it all.

Well, in most states, there is only a handful of state champions! In Illinois, almost 300 teams participate in the playoffs. Only 8 will "win it all". With that being said, I would rather make a run with kids who are good athletes instead of kids who are average athletes. Typically, teams that win state championships have lots of GREAT athletes. I don't think that is a coincidence...

ac said:

I think that it is so many different things. Off-season work, offensive and defensive schemes, and the motivation that drives the kids to play.

Of course! However, the game is won and lost by players, not coaches. Chances are VERY good that you will win if your players are better athletes than the other team's players. Of course there are exceptions, but great athletes beat good coaching MOST days of the week!

[outlawzheadcoach]

I agree with ya wildcat, players need to be strong and be able to hold their own as far as playing is concerned. And yes they also need good fundamentals and such, so I guess what we need are some strong and fundamentally sound players and we will have contenders!!!

[ac]

What is funny is that I think that we are somewhat on the same page with this philosophy. I know that in AZ as most states you are not recruiting your kids into your program, so you have to play with what you got. I agree that you are going to want to play with the best athletes, because your chances for winning the championship are a lot better.

I want to know if I understand you wildcat. Are you saying that you must work to make them better athletes in the off-season? So that you walk on to the field with better athletes?

[dgs]

outlaw, we can download either vhs or digital.

[outlawzheadcoach]

Thats good, with the advancing of technology you never know though. Does anyone have any good I-formation plays? How about Shotgun stuff for passing?

[wildcat]

ac said:

I want to know if I understand you wildcat. Are you saying that you must work to make them better athletes in the off-season? So that you walk on to the field with better athletes?

Yes, that's what I'm saying...coaching is a heck of a lot easier and a lot more fun when you have great athletes.

[optioncoach]

I agree...unless the great athletes are a bunch of terds. I'd rather lose with great kids who work their butt off than win with jerks. Let me add a question to this discussion: As a coach, if you had to choose, would you rather play poorly and win, or play perfectly and lose? What is your goal as a coach...to win or get your kids to play to their maximum potential?

[coachdawhip]

wildcat says it all, nees to be bigger, faster & stronger first then worry about x's & o's

[wildcat]

optioncoach said:

What is your goal as a coach...to win or get your kids to play to their maximum potential?

By getting them bigger, faster, stronger, and tougher, you are doing both!

[senatorblutarsky]

_{What is your goal as a coach...to win or get your kids to play to their maximum potential?}

Week 1 2 years ago we lost to a perennial power on the last play of the game and I was very pleased with our effort.
Week 1 this year we won 44-6 against a doormat and I was furious with our lack of intensity.

But by playoff time... I'll take getting out-yarded, out played and out-coached and win by 1 on a lucky bounce of the ball... I've been on the wrong side of that equation and can't console myself with our "good play". To answer that question- it really depends on where you are at in the season- and where you are at as a program.

[outlawzheadcoach]

Senator, I like you approach to the game. Great philosophy.

[sls]

I will put a plug in for Pro Scout, very economical and gets the job done.