7 Coaches from Small College Playoff Teams Share Insight For Developing Your Defense
Nov 15, 2023 5:01 pm
Coach ,
Small college football wrapped up the regular season this past weekend and this Saturday will begin the road to the national championship for NCAA D2 & D3 and the NAIA.
We’ve had a number of coaches present on the defensive side of the ball who represent playoff teams. Let’s take a look at coaching points, schemes and philosophies from the coaches who are striving to help win their team a national championship.
Division II Playoff Qualifiers
Make a Wall at the LOS - Ferris State, Grant Caserta, LB Coach
Ferris State LB Coach Grant Caserta like to build a wall with the front and overhang players. It starts with two 5 techs and two 2i techs. The DL has the A and B Gaps and the Overhangs set the edge. Their unique twist on the 4-3 has helped them to a National Championship in 2022 and they begin their defense of it against this weekend. Coach Caserta covers their front and respnsibilities in detail in this video:
Video: DL and Perimeter Run Fits
Field Pressure - Shepherd, Josh Kline, DC
Shepherd has had a ton of success. Since taking over in 2018, Head Coach Ernie McCook is 51-11 including NCAA D2 nationalsemi-finalist finishes in 2021 and 2022. The Rams look to get beyond the semi-finals in 2023.
On the defensive side, the Rams like to utilize various pressures, but field pressure is the favorite of Defensive Coordinator Josh Kline. He explains the pressure he calls “Saints” here:
Division III Playoff Qualifier
Manipulate Gaps - North Central Shane Dierking, DC
North Central enters the playoffs as the #1 ranked team and defending national champs.
Defensive Coordinator Shane Dierking utilizes four main techniques to manipulate gaps: gap cancellation, gap call, stunts, and bumping. These tools are crucial for linebackers, Nickel, Mike, and Qill to communicate with the defensive line, and can be based on offense tendencies or game plan by formation.
By mastering these techniques, a defense can effectively manipulate gap fits in the run game and gap cancel tools, allowing them to be more multiple in coverage and keep the offense on their toes.
Here’s Coach Dierking discussing “Why Gap Manipulation?” in his clinic talk:
NAIA Playoff Qualifiers
To 5 Skills to Develop an LB Beast - Morningside, Casey Jacobsen, Co-DC
Morningside is another program perenially at the top of the NAIA. Co-DC Casey Jacobsen has been a Football Scoop Co-Coordinator of the Year and does a great job in developing linebackers that are beasts!
For Coach Jacobsen he builds his development of the position around what he identifies as the Top 5 Skills for Linebackers. He drills and practices these every single day. He explains those in this video:
LB Fundamentals - Developing an LBeast
Using Bear Front vs 12 Personnel - Lindsey Wilson, Phil Kleckler, HC
Many offenses look to 12 or 21 personnel to defeat the tight front. Lindsey Wilson Head Coach Phil Kleckler want his defense to keep principles the same against two 3 man surfaces. He wants his defense to play fast, so the Nickel will do the adjusting. He explains it with game film here:
Zone Blitz with 2 or 3 Under #18 St Xavier - Bill McKeon, DC
As a former offensive coach, St. Xavier DC Bill McKeon wanted something that allowed them to get lined up quick, be able to disguise, and play fast. He explains why he feels the zone blitz fits perfectly in his philosophy and allow them to adjust quickly.
Be a Multiple Front Defense - Ottawa, Nick Davis, HC
While offensive lines have become very good at communicating and adapting to multiple fronts. The multiplicity of the defensive fronts forces them to think and not get comfortable with blocking one front.
Having superior talent on defense is always a great answer. There are few of us who can boast of that week in and week out. We have to create a situation where our players have the upper hand.
Ottawa University Head Coach Nick Davis sees benefits of being a multiple-front defense like forcing the offense to block more people and looks at practice. This uses up their practice time and decreases the amount of stress they can present because they have to limit their playbook. For the defense, it allows for highlighting a great player or hiding a weaker one.
Nick Davis explains how being a multiple-front defense provides advantages in this video.
The playoffs are fun to watch because you are able to see teams excel with a diverse range of fronts, pressures, coverages and strategies. It shows that it’s about having something you believe in and then going out and coaching it well.
Congratulations to all of these coaches on doing their part to help their team make it to the post season and best of luck to everyone in the playoffs this weekend.
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski