Coach ,

Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing a series of emails featuring clinic talks from the Preseason Top 25. Our football staff has worked hard to put this together. Today Coach Kauffman shares insight on Wisconsin.

Coach Grabowski

Season Preview Capsule:

The Badgers come in with a new look in 2023 and majority of the focus is being placed on the offense. Fickell’s Cincinnati teams tended to feature much smaller personnel packages than that of which Badger faithful have become accustomed to in recent years. 

From what was largely considered a conservative approach to that side of the ball in previous years, expect the Badgers to spread the field, challenge the seams and get vertical in the passing game. 

Don’t be fooled by this though the Badgers are going to be a dual threat team. When looking into the Fickell Cincinnati teams we see that he largely utilized a multi faceted rushing attack seeing 3 or more backs have over 300 yards each of those seasons. 

With that said those teams were not blessed with an offensive line that was ranked #28 in run blocking and #15 in Pass Pro according to PFF. Did I mention they also average over 6’5” and 312 lbs among expected starters? Of the Offensive Line they possess 7 athletes with over 300 college snaps under their belt and we can’t forget they have the uber talented Braelon Allen running behind them. This Badger team will be dangerous expect the Big 10 West to be rattled in a hurry. 

Here’s insight into how Coach Luke Fickell thinks about building a program. 

Dominate Your Home Turf: 

When building a program everyone wants to change the culture and say these great things. But at every level the fact of the matter is you have to own where your feet are. You need two examples, check right in Ohio. Watch the clinic, Fickell can lay it out for you. Or check out Urban Meyer at OSU, he was quoted many times saying he would win the battle for anyone they wanted in Ohio. Both CFB playoff qualifiers at different times. 

Let this trickle down to your high school program. Private or public open enrollment is ramping up. You may not be a recruiter but, you sure are trying to build something that will last for years to come. 

Make it enticing, create something that develops talent and excitement in your youth programs. Sounds like a simple concept doesn’t it? But in itself it’s human nature to fight harder for something you have pride in and are excited about, where are you going to find more of that for your program than your home turf.

Make Your Style, Your Surroundings Your Brand:

Clifton style was the name of it at UC. They adopted their surroundings and the personality of the city and area they were in and used the Tough and Nasty mantra to personify it. This applies to everywhere, utilize what your city, fanbase and institution personify. 

Be creative but build a brand. If I am a school in Daytona, I am priding myself on speed and flare. Take the Nascar scene and the beaches and personify them. We are going to look sharp and play fast in an uptempo manner so that we can outrace the competition with a fast and physical nature to our offense and defense. Your environment won’t change, embrace it!

Where Are Your Weightroom Concerns:

Where is your focus, are you preaching words and numbers here plastering who you are on the walls of the weightroom? Are you preaching your message through the use of the weightroom? The attitude and the effort is promoted and permitted thoroughly through the weightroom. The strength program you utilize needs to be the central part of the attitude you are developing. Whatever is being trained and driven here needs to be an extension of the values that your coaching staff is wishing to personify. 

Video: Preach It

Are your strength coaches on board with toughness, grit, attitude and the willingness to not permit or promote laziness or any negative attribute or are they focused on developing 40 numbers, bench and squat? The numbers will be driven by the environment. 

Are your guys learning these skills and qualities that are going to push your team to the next level or are they great at the 40 and L drill and you really aren’t sure what's gonna happen when it’s 4th & 1 and the games on the line cause you aren’t quite sure how those two will apply.

Other courses from the Wisconsin Staff:

Flood Concepts in the Air Raid - Phil Longo, OC/QB

QB Drills and Techniques in the Air Raid - Phil Longo, OC/QB

Coordinating An Offense - Phil Longo, OC/QB

Strive to Succeed!

Coach Kauffman