33 Coaching Points from Over 30 coaches on O/D/K
Dec 15, 2022 5:22 pm
Coach ,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Bowl Season. I have to admit that the names are so much more complicated and ever-changing since I was growing up. Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl…it was easy.
Some of the names I have to pause and ask “Is that a real thing?”
Like this one:
The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
The answer is YES! It’s real. We will talk about that one later.
It’s always fun to play the “create your own bowl game.” Let me know if you come up with a good one. I’ll pass it along to the bowl committee. Joe Thomas if you are reading this I expect a good one from you!
This first week of bowl season is loaded with coaches who have presented at our clinics. There may be some changes in here as we have noted, but we are listing the coaches who finished the season with these teams as well as a coaching point from each.
Here’s the week 1 line-up:
Friday, Dec 16, 2022
Miami (OH) @ UAB HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bow
Head Coach at Miami of Ohio Chuck Martin is known for having strong defenses. The one high structure provides them advantages.
The Redhawks take the approach that they will make an offense 1 dimensional while taking away conflict from their own defenders.
Here coach shares how their alignments take away conflict because they cover down (click on image for video):
#25 UTSA @ #24 Troy Duluth Trading Cure Bowl
Building a culture isn’t as easy as it seems. It’s more than painting some cool words on a wall or printing them on a t-shirt. We have to get that into the players’ hearts. Coach Traylor shares that idea here: (click on image for video)
Video: Words on a Wall vs. Words on our Heart
As the third part of the triangle of toughness, special teams play a major role in UTSA’s success. The Road Runners’ special teams coordinator Tommy Perry points out that the great coaches in the game like Bill Parcells, Bill Belichik, and Nick Saban love special teams. In this video he shares what he learned from Coach Parcells:
(click on image for video)
Video: Parcells, Belichick and Saban Love Special Teams
Will Stein is moving on to be the offensive coordinator for the Oregon Ducks but he helped produce a top 25 offense for the Road Runners in 2022.
Coach Stein’s approach is to take simple concepts that appear in many playbooks and coach the finest details. You can see that in how he teaches spacing in this video:
Saturday, Dec 17, 2022
Cincinnati @ Louisville Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Coach Fickell has moved on to the Big Ten and Wisconsin, but this team is still a reflection of him and the “Clifton Style” he created.
This is an approach I love and I feel is not done enough. Too many times the focus is on what we plan to do or have instead of who we are and what that means. I’ve shared this before but it’s worth another watch.
Cincinnati embraces the environment and specifically looks for players who embody the Clifton style of football. As an offensive and defensive line-driven program, the Bearcats will have a major advantage in the trenches. That’s Clifton baby! Coach Fickell explains it in this video:
(Click on image for full video)
Pin and Pull is a big concept for many teams as it provides angles and numbers to get the ball to the perimeter. From the basics of the pin and pull scheme to the techniques used up front, Mike Cummings covered all aspects of teaching this perimeter run play in his clinic. In this video, he discusses the play against various fronts and illustrates the coaching points with drill, practice, and game film. This was one of the top-rated talks of the 2021 clinic season. (click on image for video):
Walter Stewart did the first live on-field virtual clinic for us when he was at Temple, demonstrating the drills and fielding questions as well. Here he is sharing two of the drills which he likes to use with his linemen (click on image for video):
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SMU @ BYU New Mexico Bowl
SMU Head Coach Rhett Lashlee made a name for himself running an uptempo explosive offense, and a key to it is being able to go fast and run the same plays over and over.
In this example, the combination of extremely fast tempo (you will see the chains aren’t even set), formation into the boundary which forces the defense to put numbers in one place and expose another, and the stretch play which is a staple in their offense work together synergistically to create an explosive run (click on image for video):
On the BYU defensive side, the Cougars look to be stingy starting with a great front led by Defensive Line Coach Preston Hadley. He shares how he develops DL Skills and Fundamentals in this clinic.
In keeping it simple, he talks about how it’s about hands, hips, and feet for the defensive line. He talks about each in this video (click on image for video):
Washington St @ Fresno State Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
AJ Cooper is moving on to Arizona State because he did an excellent job coaching the edges. We shared one of his coaching points earlier this week. Here’s another one - drills used to teach near hip, near number level.
Video: No Step, 1 step, 2 steps, shuffle/sprint/chase (With hand Shield)
Saga Tuitele is joining him at ASU. We shared a coaching point earlier in the week from his as well. Here’s another from Coach Tuitele on inside zone landmarks:
Rice @ Southern Miss DC LendingTree Bowl
Rice Head Coach Mike Bloomgren is an offensive line coach at heart and he loves to preach “intellectual brutality.” It’s their brand. The want to be physical and it reflects in the type of offense they use. He explains “intellectual brutality” here:
Rice TE oach Jim Jackson likes to use the tight ends often, and one concept they use to protect the edge is Zone “extra” which allows them to block the 4th defender. He explains the concept in this video (click on image for video):
Sander Davis is the OL Coach for the Owls. He made his way to Rice because he believes i and loves this style of play as well. In this video, he shares their windback play which is another example of a physical run.
Defensive Coordinator for Southern Miss will be tasked with stopping this power running game. Having served under Coach Roberts at Lousiana, it’s no surprise that simulated pressures are part of Coach Armstrong’s defensive package.
For any concept, defining when it will be used helps create understanding for the players and streamlines the game planning process. Here is Coach Armstrong defining when he likes to use a simulated pressure (click image for video):
North Texas at Boise State Frisco Bowl
Seth Litrell was part of the Mike Leach coaching tree. He is moving on from North Texas, but he’s done a solid job for the Mean Green.
With gaps and angles created, the pin and pull is an outstanding play from a bunched set. North Texas Head Coach Seth Litrell illustrates the concept in this video:
Florida @ #14 Oregon State Cookus SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
Year one for Head Coach Billy Napier has been a successful one. A tool he uses for demonstrating the performance that is being worked toward for each position is through the use of what Coach Napier calls “Ignition Reels.”
These are cut-ups of some of the best in the game doing things right. This idea can be adapted at every level. It could be as simple as going through past season’s film and pulling clips of some of your best players as well as creating some aspirational videos of players from high levels. Coach Napier explains how they use “Ignition Reels” in this video (Click on image for video):
Patrick Toney likes press man coverage to disrupt the timing of routes, tighten up windows and limit the effectiveness of the RPO game.
He likes to use the inch back technique in press man. It allows his corners to stay in a good position and give ground grudgingly as they cover the receiver tightly. He explains the drill here:
At Lauren's First and Goal Clinic, LB Coach Jay Bateman explained the how he likes to attack protections. The combination of a shutdown secondary with an attacking front can prove to be a deadly combination for opposing offenses. He explains his strategy here (click on image for video):
Monday
Marshall @ UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl
John Marinelli completed his first season as U Conn’s Tight Ends Coach. In this video he shares how the QB reads surfaces:
Tuesday
Eastern Michigan @ San Jose St Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Alonzo Carter has worked his way from HS to the FBS level and he spoke at the Arizona Football Coaches Clinic about professional development. He shares some great advice in how to network this off season.
Video: Professional Development
Liberty @ Toledo RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Mike Hallett OL/OC at Toledo has done an excellent job wherever he’s been and that applies to Toledo this year. In this short video he shares his coaching points on movement and getting his linemen to move along 8 planes.
Thursday
Baylor @ Air Force Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
At Lauren’s First and Goal, Coach Aranda his ideas of the Lessons of a First-Year Head Coach. This is a valuable talk for those of you going into a new head coaching job or reflecting on your first year.
He talks about his learning over the last two years and how that applies to developing the culture of Baylor Football in this video (click on image for video):
OL Coach Jeff Grimes shared the philosophy and design of how they created the Baylor offense which is powered by the base Wide Zone play. He includes how they incorporate Fly for misdirection as well as play-action and RPO components.
For Coach Grimes, the design is about understanding complementary plays. He equated his young days as a coach to coming to a “potluck” dinner and ending up with a bunch of things that don’t fit together. He explains it here (click on image for video):
Video: Complimentary Play Design
In order to run an effective offense, you have to get it done upfront. Offensive Line Coach Eric Mateos details the Baylor Wide Zone Play and their 5-Man Protection.
He had a realization about their run game including RPO and what he felt was missing. He shares what he believes to be the three most important components of the Wide Zone play here (click on image for video):
Dave Aranda made his name on the defensive side of the ball. In this clinic presentation, he shares his thoughts on defending the spread offense.
He explains how they use “Nail” and Red Hammer” coverage to defend quick, RPO, and downfield throws as well as defending power read in this video (click on image for video):
Ron Roberts is off to Auburn (not coaching the bowl game) and of course is known for his multiple defense as well as Creepers. He shares their base 3-4 and adjustments plus his Creepers Peyton and Carr in this clinic.
In his presentation at Lauren’s First & Goal he explains how they determine who the aggressor and the protector are against the Pistol set. This can’t be determined until they see flow (click on image for video):
Friday
Louisiana @ Houston Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Houston Head Coach Dana Holgorsen runs an efficient, high percentage play offense, leaning on Air Raid concepts like the Mesh.
His goal is to get 5-6 yards a play, paired with their larger receiving core and hybrid tight ends to open up the passing game. Coach Holgorsen dives into the QB read progression in the video below (click image for video).
Video: Return of the Mesh -Dana Holgorsen
Coach Holgorsen shows an 11 personnel 2x2 Mesh against tight man coverage in this video:
Wake Forest @ Missouri Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Head Coach Dave Clawson presented their offense at New York State HS Coaches Association Clinic. Wake Forest went to this system in 2017 and the results of the change were dramatic as seen below:
Explosive plays help the Deacons put points on the board quickly. One way they do that is with RPO with Routes Behind, which Coach Clawson points out that in some ways replace play action. He illustrates these plays in this video:
Coach John Hunter shares the progression he uses to train his running bcks to play in the Demon Deacons RPO offense. With a slow mesh and third level RPO's the backs execute roles which make them important beyond carrying the ball.
They are needed in pass protection and often become lead blockers on the run as the QB decides to keep and add a hat to the run game on the fly. Coach Hunter illustrates the teaching in drill video and then how that translates on game video. Here is the RB Lead Block in drills and on game film in this video:
On the Defensive Side, the Deacons need to get it done upfront. DL Coach Dave Cohen likes to run double 3 techniques and he teaches them using the 3 C’s: Closing, Condensing and Cutbacks.
The Stretch or Wide Zone play is something every defense must prepare for. The ‘Get Reached’ technique is helpful in allowing his guys to win in their situations. He explains the technique in this video (click on image for video):
On the back end, DB Coach Paul Williams’ guys will be tasked with providing shutdown coverage and great run support. The Creep Tackle is one of the first things he teaches. He explains how they teach technique without beating up the bodies of the DBs. (click on image for video):
That’s it for week one of Bowl Season…a lot of crazy names, fun match-ups and great coaching points from the coaches in the post season.
Enjoy the game and keep learning!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski