CURRICULUM

Evolution of Football Strategies
Offense: This course traces the evolution of offensive football from the Single Wing formation, with its unbalanced line and power running attack; thru the T Formation, with its balanced line and balance running attack; to the Pro Formation, with the opening up of the offensive formation with two wide receivers and the passing attack. Then encompass the advent of the triple option offensives, with the Houston Veer and the Wishbone. Show how today's wide open offensives and today's Quarterback took their beginning from the Single Wing and its tailback, who, was then and is today, a threat to run or throw the ball from a variety of formations.

Defense: This course traces the beginning of early eight man line defensives like the Tight Tackle Six, Wide Tackle Six, and Split Six. These defenses were designed to stop the early power running attacks. Show how these defenses lead the way to the design of the Gap Eight Defense system, and how this system still sets the base line for defending the running game in today's football. Also, show that as offenses opened up their formations defenses evolved, like the Oklahoma 50 defenses then came the 43 defense and the variety of both Odd and Even defenses, with their multiple fronts and coverages.

Special Teams
Discuss the importance of special teams and how they make up between 20 and 25 plays in every game. Cover punt protection and coverage, punt rush and returns, PAT rush and protection, kick off, onside kick, kick off returns, onside kick return, etc.

Fundamentals of Football
Teach student athletes what their center of gravity is and how to control it. Focus is placed on teaching a low center of gravity by controlling the Power Angles (hips, knees and ankles). These concepts are the building blocks that lead to the teaching student athletes how to properly hit (Block and tackle), thus creating better players and a safer playing environment.

Program Development as a Head Coach
This topic builds on the Evolution of Football Strategies by highlighting the importance of a coach developing his own offensive, defensive and special team philosophies. Most importantly, emphasis is placed on developing a holistic philosophy for the program. This is done by instilling core values and focusing on how to develop assistant coaches so that they can best assist the program and its student athletes both on and off the field.

Maximizing Practice Time
Time management is of the utmost importance when developing in and out of-season practice schedules. This course provides the proper tools to assist coaches in scripting daily practices during the season, spring football and summer leagues. The skills provided allow coaches to maximum the time in teaching their student athletes the fundamentals of football.

Practice time is dedicated by state governing bodies. Knowledge of these rules is a must when developing a practice plan. This course will review the rules directly impacting allot practice times as well as discussing the importance of maintaining an open relationship with school officials and the parents of student athletes.

Game Planning: Developing a Scouting Report
Preparation for the game begins with video exchange and ends with the game. This course assumes games are played on Friday evenings and details the events from Saturday morning to Sunday evening in preparation for the next week of practice. It details how coaches can arrange for video exchange and when to begin game break downs as well as provides resources for scouting resources.

Reviewing Game Film
This course details how to breakdown an opponent's game film in order to provide the necessary information to develop a game plan. Example forms are reviewed in order to provide a better understanding of the detail required.

When getting into the actual game plan, coaches should have a list of basic offensive, defensive and special team tendencies to formulate their game plan. These tendencies should form the basis of video break downs. How you keep a list of tendencies are personal to each coach. However, basic offensive and defensive information is required such as formation charts, down and distance charts, field zone charts, etc. This information should translate into both offensive and defensive play calling during the game.

Roles of Assitant Coaches
The roles of assistant coaches are of the utmost importance to a program. They instill not only the football strategies but the overall philosophy of a program. It is the goal of this course to provide the tools necessary for coaches to best serve the program and most importantly the student athletes as an assistant coach. Focus will be placed on understanding the delegation of duties, continued education of coaches, time commitments, and most importantly loyalty to the program and its student athletes.

Strength and Conditioning
This is a difficult topic to discuss because there are many different views on lifting and conditioning. The goal of this course is to help coaches develop their own basic philosophy and understand the importance of a strength and conditioning program not only for the development of athleticism but most importantly the safety of their players. Emphasis will be placed on working with other athletic programs that share common athletes.

Offseason / Spring Practice
The most important aspect of setting up out-of-season programs is the understanding the governing body's rules and requirements. Information is provided on specific rules per each state governing body. Focus is then directed on building an out of season philosophy and setting goals by developing daily practice schedules in order to create a master schedule to reach stated goals. Items will focus not only on the development of student athletes but development of a staff and how to learn from the previous season.

College Placement
This course reviews important NCAA and NAIA rules and dates that govern the college football recruiting process. Focused is placed on defining roles and responsibilities of all parties involved (parents, players, coaches and counselors) while provide resources for assistance.

Clock Management
So much emphasis is placed on the X's and O's of the game that clock management and understanding the rules is at best afterthoughts. The ability to understand the flow of a game is an aspect of every great coach. This includes both understanding the time required for each phase of the game as well as the rules in which govern it. It is the goal of this course to make coaches aware these needs and provide the tools in which to continue their development.

Character Coaching
This course focuses on what it means to be a coach and our responsibilities to players, coaches, parents, school, administration and community.