Learning from State Champions - 17 total 🏆 from these 4 coaches
Dec 29, 2022 6:12 pm
Coach ,
Today’s state champions series features four coaches who have won multiple state championships over the course of their careers. As a group, they have won 17 state championships, so let’s explore what they do and learn from their success.
Let’s state in Colorado where Blair Hubbard has climbed to the top of the mountain…
Colorado 4A State Champions - Broomfield HS, Blair Hubbard, HC
What a difference a year can make. In 2021, Broomfield dropped some very close games on their way to a 5-6 record and a first-round playoff exit.
In 2022, they finished off every single game on their way to a perfect 14-0 record and a 4A football state championship.
The improvement of nine wins from one season to the next is the second-most in Colorado football history. As a result, Broomfield brought home the state championship trophy for the first time since 1984.
Coach Hubbard has a unique twist on his wing-t offense. It comes from how the offense begins its attack by stressing the perimeter of the defense faster than other jet or fly sweep teams can.
With the Jet/Fly the ball reaches the perimeter in 1.8 seconds while his gun rocket sweep reaches the perimeter in 1.4 seconds.
That stretch and reaction distorts the defense in a way that it opens up other things inside as well. He explains the difference here (click on image for video):
Coach Hubbard has an entire system available on this offensive attack.
Georgia Private A State Champions- Prince Avenue Christian Academy, Greg Vandagriff - HC
Prince Avenue Christian School won the Single-A Division-1 Football State Championship on Thursday night in Atlanta.
The Wolverines claimed their second State Championship in three seasons. Coach Greg Vandagriff last won the Championship in 2020 with his son and current Georgia Bulldogs backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff.
Coach Vandagriff has a program that came from his “outside the box” thinking in how he developed an intern program that is a benefit to young coaches as well as to his program.
He explains it here
Another advantage he’s identified is how they think about their personnel. This works well in his small school situation but would work at big schools as well.
Tennessee D1 6A - Oakland HS, Kevin Creasy, HC
Kevin Creasy has won five state championships including three in a row at Oakland High School.
He believes in a philosophy that is said so much that it is cliche…you need to get the ball to your best players!
No matter what level of football you are playing the worst thing an Offensive coach can do is, take the ball out of the hands of their best players.
Coach Kevin Creasy explains how they move their players around to get their players to different positions to make sure you get the best players the touches. This is a useful strategy when they need to account for situations like injuries.
In this video Coach Creasy explains how he has used 3 different offensive Ideologies to achieve this goal. His offense may at times look like a multiple I-formation. It may morph into a spread, or line up in the wing-t.
Coach doesn’t make it about the structure (formation) first, he makes it about his playmakers.
He explains how necessity brought about this methodology and a simple change to terminology to make it work in this video (click on image for video):
Video: Moving Play Makers Around
The best way to explain how this all works on the field is to show it on game film. In the video below, Coach Creasy shows how they utilize a wing-t staple known as “Wing-back Sally” from multiple formations. This is a play that you will see some NFL teams utilizing from their own formations as well. The Cleveland Browns have used it frequently to get their star playmaker Jarvis Landry the ball. A good play is a good play, regardless of the level. The creativity comes in how you can dress it up and attack the defense in different ways. (click on image for video):
Coach Creasy’s method isn't new as he has mentioned, but he certainly has shown some creativity in finding ways to get his best players the ball within the framework of his offense.
South Dakota 11AA - Riggs HS, Steve Steele, HC
Steve Steele has won six straight state championships at Riggs High School in South Dakota.
He builds his culture to create wins but that’s not what he has the team focus on. He explains in this video from his clinic “Winning Comes Last” of how they take care of “psychological nutrition” with his team.
Video: Psychological Nutrition
That’s a lot of winning and certainly some valuable insight from these coaches.
We will finish up our state championship series next week.
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski