Seeking advise

Lon,

This is a big question, and as for the college level position, I've never coached at that level, but from what I've gathered, its like anything else--get your foot in the door and work your rear off!

I'm not sure I get your first question exactly as you mean it, but football takes time. I've coached baseball as well, and it doesn't require anywhere near the amount of time that football takes. I don't know if you are married, but your wife will never understand the time it takes. She will hopefully accept it with time and realize that it is something you have to and love to do. That being said, you have to also have something else. This sport can consume you...and as appealing as that sounds at time, I think it is dangerous. Whatever it is, have something outside of football!

As for player/coach communication it is simple. First you are the coach...not their friend. That doesn't mean you can't laugh and have a good time, but it is not your job to be the players' pal. Second, be honest, but try to be positive...especially with high school kids. Now, sometimes you have to jump a team's case, but be honest above all. Kids can sniff out a coach who is giving them a line. They are also very in tune with noticing coaches that say one thing and do another. So, again, be honest--with players, coaches, parents, and yourself.

Each coach has thier own obstacles--some more than others. I wouldn't say that I've had an overly rough road to where I am today, but I can say that it has been a stressful ride at times. Without the support of people around me, I don't know if I would be where I am--I doubt it. Whatever obstacles you have, make sure there is someone else that you can lean on at times.

Film, again, is pretty individual. Personally when looking at an opponent, I am looking for play tendancies, formations, defensive alignments and assignments, etc. But also, I look for who is their best and worst players. Know your opponents strengths, but often I think coaches miss thier weaknesses. Know where you can attack them, expect where they will attack you. Film is about fimiliarization.

I don't know how much insight I gave you, but in my experience in football, these are some things I've learned. Good luck on the journey, coach. Feel free to email me with any questions, if you have them.

Ryan Kelly
kelly.fbcoach@gmail.com

I HAVE coached on the field for 42 years and retired in recent years. I will tell you that the posters above have given you solid and sound advice for the most part. I would simply add that the good Lord has a plan for your life and that you are not just a piece of flotsum and jetsum floating around out here. Be assured that HIS plan is always for YOUR best interest and not HIS. Continue to work hard toward your goals, treat everyone the way you would like to be treated and outwork those that want the same things that you want. ABOVE ALL ELSE, MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF BEING A GOOD FATHER AND FAMILY MAN
AND DO ALL WITHIN YOUR POWER TO PRESERVE A GOOD NAME. THE bIBLE TEACHES US THAT A GOOD NAME IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN SILVER AND GOLD!!! Keep your enthusiasm for this game!

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

I'll take the same stance as what greenough has said and I haven't coached for all that long, but maybe I can tell you something that helps you out.

1. I'm married to a wonderful wife and I have a 2 year old daughter. They take up a great deal of my time outside of work and football. They're the the greatest outlets I can think of away from the strain that can come from both of those places. My wife is very understanding about the time it takes to coach, but once a season so far we have gotten into a huge argument about me not being around. This year it came after 2 straight weeks where I didn't see home except for sleep from Wednesday night to Saturday afternoon. She didn't originally come from a football background, but has come around on what it takes for me to do the job right. She respects the fact that if I am going to do this, I am going to do it right and put everything I have into it. I joked at a wedding recently with the groom about the secret to marriage. I told him that the secret is for 3-4 months of the year, spend as little time with each other as possible. Other than work, football, and family there isn't much going on in my life. I guess I spend time every once in a while going out with a few friends, but my best friends are the guys I coach with so our converstations turn to football eventually.

2. I've never coached in college, but mostly whatl I've ever heard is to get a GA position first. Work hard at that and hopefully they'll keep you around and promote you. The other way that I've heard of is to coach an extremely highly skilled player, top 25 in the country type kid, and hope programs looking to recruit the kid hire you as an assistant as a draw to get that player to their school. (lol)

3. HONESTY!! I am completely 100% honest with all players from day one. They may not always like what I have to say, but most of the time they respect it because they see that honesty coming through. Kids respect an adult who will be totally honest with them because so many adults blow smoke up a kid's butt to either shield them from bad news or to not hurt their feelings. The other thing that I've found is to be able to strike a close relationship with players without losing your professional distance. jrkelly summed it up perfectly when he said that you are not their friend, you are their coach. Every season I've told kids that we can be friendly, but I'm not their friend. We can be friends after they graduate.

4. I've had more obstacles with my regular job searching than I have in my coaching searches. I've been lucky with my coaching searches. My first coaching job came from a bit of misfortune. I was forced to leave college after the fall semester of my senior year due to financial issues. My younger brother's high school coach knew I was home and wasn't in school and asked me if I wanted to coach. I told him sure. That season coaching is what snagged me and changed the entire direction of my life. I was originally in college for communication studies with aspirations of being a sportscaster. I learned that first season how rewarding working with kids can be and made up my mind that when I got back into college I was going to work to become a teacher. My current situation I got into because I was looking for a school to do observation hours (the step before student teaching) and I picked a school at random. Well, a guy I played football with in college was a Phys. Ed. teacher in that school. I did my observation hours with him. One day instead of observing classes I broke down tape for him instead. I must've done a pretty good job b/c they were going to have an opening for the next season and he asked me if I wanted to coach and put me in touch with the HC. I've been here since and love the guys I coach with. The biggest obstacle for me to get where I am was saving up the $10,000 I needed to get back into college. But, that's more of a regular job issue than coaching one.

5. I have a system that I learned from the guy I mentioned above. It's very labor intensive and takes a lot of time, but it works for me. I watch every play of every game I have on the other team. I diagram each play by hand on a sheet where I write the D&D, yardline, hashmark, and total offensive play of the game. Then I sort them first by D&D and look through them to find tendencies. Then I'll sort them by each of the others to see what I can. I usually don't have to go that far into the sorting to find everything I need to make a solid gameplan. I've never gotten all the way through all the markings. I also try to find personnel tips just from watching. Like I said, it's very labor intensive, but it's completely burned into my head by the end of the week. I barely have to look at my call sheet during a game. I know what to expect until the other team makes in game adjustments.

Hope that helped. Like I said, I'm not that experienced. Maybe there was something in there that can help you out.

Coaches,

Bill and I are not conceited idiots who think that we have all the answers. I think the main difference between the young coach and us is the fact that I dare say you are not experiencing anything that he and I have not been confronted with in our over 80 years of combined coaching experience. You guys have to put up with things in todays world that we did not, granted. We were always respected, by the fans and players for the most part and did not have to contend with the administration cow towing to parents who's kid couldn't chew gum and walk at the same time! Although, occassionaly, we faced that one too. At the risk of sounding too old school, how many coaches of todays group of well known coaches will ever attain the status of a bear Bryant, a Lombardi, Those guys left legacy's built upon principles that were never sacrificed for anything or anybody!!! The new aspiring coach would be well served, in my humble opinion, to read everything they can get their hands on that was said by the REALLY GREAT MEN OF OUR PROFESSION. Just my opinion as always.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Bear Bryant's Three Rules for Coaching:
1."Surround yourself with people who can't live without football."
2."Recognize winners. They come in all forms."
3."Have a plan for everything."


Vince Lombardi's 26 Rules: From his book: "THE LOMBARDI RULES" (order from Amazon.com)

# Ask yourself tough questions
# Look the truth straight on
# Play to your strengths
# Write your character
# Think big picture
# Be completely committed
# Work harder than anybody
# Be prepared to sacrifice (NOTE: YOU DARNED WELL BETTER HEED THIS ONE!)
# Be mentally tough
# Balance humility and pride
# Lead with intregrtity
# Build team spirit
# Explain the whys
# Strike the balance
# Build confidence
# Use your mission
# Know your stuff
# Demand autonomy
# Respect legitimate authority
# Act, don't react
# Keep it simple
# Chase perfection
# Tailor your motivation
# Motivate by degrees
# Focus on fundamentals
# Run to win

Frankly, anyone who would take the words of two coaches with 80+ years experience as conceited is falling pretty short in smarts. If you're not learning this game constantly, you will not continue to succeed as a coach.

GRIDIRON347,

So glad to hear such enthusiasm for the game! I know you will do well and wish you all the best as you progress in your career. Keep us informed of how things are going for you from time to time if you would.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Gridiron,

I'm living proof that you don't need extensive college football experience to be a "successful" coach. Just work hard and learn all you can from people who know what they are doing...hell, you can learn some things from people who don't know what they are doing, too. Just do everything you can get whatever experience you can, and then work your way up. It'll happen if you want it, but it will take time.

Thanks Coach Easton.