Transitioning from Position Coach to Offensive Coordinator

This past spring I changed jobs for various reasons the most import was family time I was driving an two hours plus a day in my commute.  I also was coaching two additional sports to go along with being the offensive coordinator.  It really cut into my family time a position coaching position opened up closer to my house fifteen minute commute and no second sport and I had the Athletic Director/ Head Football coach in a couple of my Graduate School classes. So I start attending spring ball, summer seven on seven, and summer strength and conditioning.  After the 4th of July holiday the Offensive Coordinator leaves for another job and I get named the Offensive Coordinator.   Here are the steps that was taken to align our offense and make sure everybody was on the same page.

The Head Coach and I met to go over the offense during this meeting several changes were made.

• A playbook was developed I used PPT and playmaker pro so if anything happens to me car wreck, I get a head coaching job, brain injury ect. there is something out there for the next guy to build off of.
• We went to the Tony Franklin wristband system we did convert the positions and one of the colors purple to blue.  We based this off of the number of reasons: the major one being that we had a large number of busts during Spring Practice and Seven on Seven during the summer.
• Changed the pass protection scheme from Big on Big to a Man Fan protection
• Had our Offensive Linemen Vertical Set  
• We installed a screen game which included Jail Break, Slow Screen and and the Fast Screens.  
• I made sure that we did the following drills every day Noose, Pat-n-Go, Routes on Air and we had at lease 2 screen periods a day.
• Changed how we went to Trips using our Slot receivers they were better athletes than our Outside receivers and kept them only having to learn one set of routes than a different set of routes on one side
• I met with James Vint during coaching school and got a great one on one clinic about the Pistol Offense  

Things that we did keep: 

• We worked Mesh Drill every day had very few dropped balls in the option game.
• We utilized the Pistol Formation using 30 personnel 
• We kept the option element to all of our run game there are 4 options on every play (Blog explaining this coming later!) 
• We had two basic run blocking schemes a zone and a gap scheme.
• We Two Platooned everybody

Things that needed to be changed for next year

• I have to do a better job of keeping up with our players lives.
• We are going to utilize the R4 and C4  from Darren Slack
• Going to use some silencer concepts from Anthony Pratley 
• Want to install the Midline 
• Need to use Wristbands at all levels 7th grade through Varsity we only used them for Varsity and JV this year.  
• Going to use Gus Malzahn's Fire Alarm Ten Play Menu 
• Kill our Mesh Route Concept and replace with the Shallow Concept.  
• Going to install Solid and Counter Screens.  

Total Program Football 7th to Seniors Part 3

The Offensive Line

Unlike every other position on the field playing offensive line is the most unnatural position to play in football.  (it is rare that you see 8 & 9 year olds pushing cars up and down their drive ways I did but it was a Subaru and was trying to simulate the grain wheel on Conan the Barbarian)  

They are usually the worst athletes on the team and the great groups of them usually have the best work ethics.  Playing offensive line usually involves getting as close to the 10,000 hour rule as possible.

What Is the 10000 Hour Rule?

The 10000 Hour Rule is just that. This is the idea that it takes approximately 10000 hours of deliberate practice to master a skill.

For instance, it would take 10 years of practicing 3 hours a day to become a master in your subject. It would take approximately 5 years of full-time employment to become proficient in your field. Simply work out how many hours you have already achieved and calculate how many more you need to clock up before you reach 10000.

What gets your offensive linemen close to the 10,000 hour rule outside developers:

• Powerlifting*
• Joining an USA weightlifting club*
• Wrestling*
• Judo*
• Football Camps
• System Team Camps if a Client 

There is really no progression for offensive linemen they need to get reps don't spend more than 15 seconds correcting John Wooden Coaching.  The goal is to try to get 7 reps for each drill work a zone and a gap day every other day during install.  Emphasis group work on offense 7-7, inside vs barrels or hand shields, routes on air, screen drills, NASSCAR Drill.  Only work team with plays that need timing or good on good for a max of 16 reps.   

In Season Every Day Drills 

Ladder Drill (Pre-Practice) Progression: Do each twice- start with right foot down, left foot back

• 1 foot each hole
• 2 feet each hole
• Lateral
• Dance through it
• Dance through it backwards

Vertical Set Drill(5 minutes) - line them up with their back facing the field.  On cadence they are to vertical set for about 5 yards once they reach their depth they are to sit in their chair (make a z with their lower leg, thigh, and torso) once the whistle is blown they reset in their stance repeat all the way across the football field and back.   

Car Drill (5 minutes) Pair up with one in front one behind.  They Offensive linemen in back locks up with the back of the offensive linemen in front of them on the cadence with a good Z angle they drive their partner across the field with the one in front resisting.  When they get across the field they switch positions and the partner drives them back.

In Season Zone Day 

1-2-3 Drill (5 minutes) Line them up every 2 & 1/2 yards apart the 1st five across then then next 5 2 & 1/2 deep so on and so forth.  We go through all three steps one way then the other way. Do not proceeded if steps or hands are bad. 

Inside zone step Progression 

• Drop Step 6 inches keep shoulders parallel to line of scrimmage and clap hands
• Crotch Step and Shoot hands
• Finish Step 

Outside Zone Step Progression 

• Pull Step "Elbow the Donkey" Jerry Campbell
• Cross Over 
• Power and Climb

Sled Zone Progression(10 minutes) - They block from snap through the echo of the whistle Stagger 5 offensive linemen one yard away from the sled and one dummy .

• Stagger 5 offensive linemen one yard away from the sled and one dummy over they Drop Step & Clap,  Crossover, and Power and  Drive the Sled
• Stagger 5 offensive linemen 3 yards away from the sled and one dummy over they Drop Step & Clap, Crotch check, then Climb, Shoot Hands and Drive
• Stagger 5 offensive linemen one yard away from the sled and two dummies over they Pull Step, Crossover, and Power and  Drive the Sled
• Stagger 5 offensive linemen 3 yards away from the sled and two dummies over they Pull Step, Crossover, and Climb and  Drive the Sled

Pod Drill (15 Minutes) In Groups of 4 the with a Board at their heals, they rotate counter clock wise, have Multiple groups going everybody gets reps stand behind the covered and uncovered groups watching footwork if they don't step behind and over the boards(Gold line in diagrams) they are not stepping deep enough, coach fast, correct fast, gets lots of reps:

Play-side 

Back-side

Outside Zone

• Right covered play-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Power
• Right uncovered play-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Check & Climb 
• Left covered play-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Power
• Left uncovered play-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Check & Climb
• Right covered back-side Outside Zone Pull Step,Cross Over Rip and Climb
• Right uncovered back-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Scramble or Take Over
• Left covered back-side Outside Zone Pull Step,Cross Over Rip and Climb
• Left uncovered back-side Outside Zone Pull Step, Cross Over, Scramble or Take Over

Inside Zone

• Right covered play-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Power
• Right uncovered play-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Check & Climb 
• Left covered play-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Power
• Left uncovered play-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Check & Climb
• Right covered back-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch Rip and Climb
• Right uncovered back-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Scramble or Take Over
• Left covered back-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch Rip and Climb
• Left uncovered back-side Inside Zone Drop Step and Clap, Crotch Step and Punch, Scramble or Take Over

Zone Days Group Emphasis 

• Pass Pro vs Even Fronts 4-2, 4-1, Nickle and Box calls
• Inside and Outside Zone Runs vs Defense(4-1,4-2,3-2,3-3) with Hand Shield

In Season Gap Day 

1-2-3 Drill (5 minutes) Line them up every 2 & 1/2 yards apart the 1st five across then then next 5 2 & 1/2 deep so on and so forth.  We go through all three steps one way then the other way. Do not proceeded if steps or hands are bad. 

Right & Left Lead Steps

• Lead Step and Clap
• Power Step and Punch

Pull to Kick 

• Pull Step
• Cross Over "back across the line of scrimmage" 

Skip Pull

• Step with Backside Foot Directly Behind the Play-side foot
• Drop Step with Play-side Foot Gaining Width and Depth 
• Cross Over 

Sled Gap Progression(10 minutes) - They block from snap through the echo of the whistle

• Line up head up with sled Right Lead step & Clap, Punch and Drive
• Line up head up with sled Left Lead step & Clap, Punch and Drive
• Line up with Right Shoulder Pull Right and Kick out the sled 
• Line up with Left Shoulder Pull Left and Kick out the sled

Combo Drills(5 minutes)

• Tackle and Guard Combo on the Down Defensive Lineman to Back Side Linebacker
• If Linebacker Runs Through A Gap Guard takes him and Tackle stays on Defensive Lineman
• If Linebacker Goes Over the top the Tackle takes him and Guard stays on Defensive Lineman
• Center is always working on blocking back. 

Counter Kick and Log Drill (5 minutes) 

Center is always working on blocking back. 

Back Side Guard works his kick out block having to read the the Defensive End 

• If he stays where he is at or runs up field kick out the Defensive End
• If he Squeezes or wrong shoulders the kick out log the Defensive End

Bask Side Tackle Reads the Guard while eyeing the Play-side Linebacker

• If the Tackle sees the Guard's numbers after contact is made with the Defensive End then Pull-up in the hole and Block the Play-linebacker
•  If the Tackle sees the Guards numbers disappear after contact is made with the Defensive End then Pull around and Block the Play-linebacker

Skip Pull Drill (5 Minutes)

• Center Works on Blocking Back
• Tackle B Gap Hing Punch and Stun a 3 Tech then Hing for Backside Defnesive End. 
• Guard Skip Pulls :Step with Backside Foot Directly Behind the Play-side foot, Drop Step with Play-side Foot Gaining Width and Depth, Cross Over and Climbs to Play-side Linebacker.

 

Gap Days Group Emphasis 

• Pass Pro vs Odd Fronts 3-2 3-3, Nickle and Box calls
• Run Counter, Power, Power Kick Vs Barrel Defense (3-3,3-2,4-1,4-3)  

All of these Drills both Zone and Gap Days can be done with and without pads yes even the sleds! Also every drill have the Center snap a ball to the next center. Its also important to have develop an interactive power point playbook for the Offensive Linemen.   

Vertical Set?

Why vertical set?  

1. Allows you to play a lesser athlete at Offensive Linemen and also throw the ball. 
2. It is a more natural athletic movement Vertical Set vs Kick Sliding Guy Morris "You don't see corner backs kick sliding Receivers on Sundays?"  
3. In Dave Christensen's Winning Offensive Line Drills he spends 45 minutes on how to set to an defensive lineman aligned to the inside and outside.  Vertical Set saves the practice time.  
4. Reduces the the impact on the Quarterback if the Offensive Lineman get beats physically 5 yards to accelerate with the kick slide vs. 2 yards to accelerate with the vertical set.
5. All Twists and Stunts happen in front of the Offensive Linemen. 
6. The way Defensive Linemen win is to get their hips even with the Offensive Linemen hips. A vertical setting offensive lineman gets his hips away from the defensive lineman.
7. Vertical Set helps keep Offensive Linemen shoulders square to the line of scrimmage the kick slide will always cause a shoulder tilt.