Q's when interviewing experienced coach

I wouldn't ask as many questions as I would want him to explain to me THOSE THINGS that he feels are responsible for the success of HIS program. Be a good LISTENER!

Such things to US are outlined below. You would be primarily interested in how HE feels in these areas:

FOOTBALL PHILOSOPHY (“TOP 10”)

#1 THERE ARE 4 PARTS TO A FOOTBALL PROGRAM. LISTED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE THEY ARE:

A) MORALE (CONTROLS THE “WHO”, “HOW”, & “WHAT”)
B) PERSONNEL (“WHO”)
C) TECHNIQUE (“HOW”) *IF YOU HAVE A & B, C & D WILL COME EASY!
D) STRATEGY (“WHAT”)

#2 3 THINGS YOU MUST TEACH YOUR PLAYERS IF YOU ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL:

A) WORK ETHIC (HOW TO WORK)
B) NEVER GIVE UP ATTITUDE
C) TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES

#3 THEMES: “WILL OVER SKILL” – “ATTITUDE OVER ABILITY”! “PERFORMANCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FORM”! “TOUGHNESS IS CONTAGIOUS”!

#4 CHARACTER IS HIGHER THAN INTELLECT

#5 A FOOTBALL GAME IS DIVIDED INTO 3 PARTS (OFFENSE; DEFENSE; KICKING). YOU MUST CONTROL AT LEAST 2 OF THESE (ANY 2) IN ORDER TO WIN!

#6 BE SURE YOUR TERMINOLOGY JELLS (OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE SIDE OF BALL SHOULD USE SAME TERMINOLOGY). WHAT A QB READS AS “COVER 3” SHOULD BE THE SAME AS WHAT YOUR SECONDARY COACH CALLS “COVER 3”, ETC.

#7 BALANCE IS NOT DOING SOMETHING 50% OF THE TIME (SUCH AS RUN), AND DOING SOMETHING ELSE 50% OF THE TIME (SUCH AS PASS). THIS WOULD INDICATE PREDICTABITY RATHER THAN BALANCE. BALANCE IS BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU NEED TO DO IT!

#8 TITLES DO NOT AN ASSISTANT MAKE! HAVING OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS STIFLES THE CREATIVITY OF THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS!

#9 THREE FACTORS WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE THE MOST TO YOUR SUCCESS (FROM A POLL OF GREAT COACHES):

A) TRADITION
B) GOOD ASSISTANTS (LOYAL; WITH AN APPETITE FOR THE GAME)
C) TALENT

#10 DON’T RELAX DISCIPLINE – IT PRECEDES MORALE! (DISCIPLINE STARTS WITH ALWAYS BEING ON TIME)! REMEMBER – TEAM RIGHTS ALWAYS SUPERCEDE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS!!!!!

In HS ball I make all the practice plans. Actually - I make them about a year in advance. For example: I can tell you TODAY what my QB Coach will be doing on the field at 4:00 PM on the third Tuesday next September (assuming we go out at 3:30). For example - an offensive practice on TUESDAY: At 4 PM we will be into Small Group Period #1 - which has the QB's thowing rotes for timing to X & Z!

1. Warm Ups
2. Individual Period - 20 minutes
3. Small Group Period #1 (20 minutes)
4. Small Group Period #2 (20 minutes)
5. Large Group Period (25 minutes)
6. TEAM (30 minutes)
7. Whatever TEAM Kicking Game you let your offense handle = 20 minutes

NOTE: Of course, X-PT & FG kickers, punters, kickoff men, etc., work throughout practice on their SPECIALTIES. So do snappers & holders.


If this is of interest - PHONE (804-740-4479). It would talke too much time to explain via typing.

We are going to run MY OFFENSE & MY DEFENSE. I call the "O". I WILL let a D-Asst. CALL the D, but he & I (with input from the D-position coaches) agree on what is GOING to be called no later than Sunday. He is NORMALLY allowed FOUR CALLS. We AGREE by D&D which of these four calls he will make. It COULD be (just for 1 example) something like this:

1 & 10 - Max PRESSURE to try to put them in a "6 yd. situation" (2nd & 12)

2nd down might be a "BASE" call.

3rd & long would be EITHER: Max Pressure vs. a GOOD passer, or perhaps just "base" & let the poor passer throw,

3 rd & short man be Max Pressure as a "run blitz", or a GL package inside "red zone" just "tightening up" our base defense.!

GL is the tightened up version of our base defense, playing it either Base OR same Max Pressure packege as in regular defense.

Thru a disguise - all these may look the same.

ET-ETC-ETC

MBK COACH is on this site (& coaches in this area), & he has seen our plans.

PS: I NEVER had an "OC". Late in my career - I had 2 "DC's" (1 - Jim Garrett - coached at Georgia Tech with Bud Carson & Jerry Glanville; the other - Jim Hall - coached at Tennessee with John Majors). I let them run the defense because we agreed BEFORE they were hired exactly what we were going to run, AND, they were both GOOD!