Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Keeping Your Strength and Speed Gains - Micah Kurtz, NSCA National Strength Coach of the Year (2018) Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Coach and Coordinator Podcast, we welcome back to the show, Micah Kurtz, the 2018 NSCA National Strength Coach of the Year. Currently the Director of Sports Performance and Assistant Athletic Director at Windermere Prep School in Orlando, Florida and also the Strength and Conditioning Consultant Coach to the nine-time high school basketball national champion Oak Hill Academy, Micah Kurtz has been an integral part of his community. Tune in and learn how you can help maintain strength, speed, and flexibility of your players during the extended offseason.

Show Notes:

1:59 Intro

3:02 Staying in shape

7:21 Maintaining strength

10:08 Keeping up speed and power

16:53 Working on flexibility

19:04 Mobility drills

20:11 Handling the unknown

23:33 Closing

You can follow Micah Kurtz on Instagram and Twitter @KurtzM3.

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Teaching the Stretch Play - Brian Callahan, Offensive Line Coach, University of Minnesota Mar 15, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Coach and Coordinator Podcast, your host Keith Grabowski caught up with the University of Minnesota's offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Brian Callahan, at USA Football's 2020 National Conference.

Hear how Coach Callahan teaches his zone blocking scheme, and in particular the stretch play. Also learn about how the Minnesota Gophers utilize six offensive linemen throughout the game and in certain formations.

Show Notes:

1:57 Intro

2:51 Coach Callahan’s background

5:46 Culture at Minnesota

7:54 Developing Offensive Line

15:38 Utilizing six offensive linemen

20:36 Outside zone

22:39 Blocks and combos

24:06 Fit and aiming point

25:57 Eliminate negative plays

27:14 Zone vs man reaching

29:41 Communication

30:22 Combination blocks

33:26 Stretch plays

37:19 Simplicity and reads

38:02 Backside blocks

38:44 Patience of running backs

41:12 Helping players understand scheme

42:37 Winning edge

You can follow Coach Callahan on Twitter @CallyBrian.

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Engaging Players During Spring - John Brewer, Senior Analyst, University of Miami Mar 14, 2020

Show notes

Today on Coach and Coordinator Podcast, your host Keith Grabowski spoke with coach John Brewer, a senior analyst at the University of Miami. During this episode, Coach Brewer describes his coaching journey and how he took on any task he could to help improve his knowledge about the game. He also reveals the apps and technology that Miami uses to help educate their players during the offseason and for game prep during the season.

Show Notes:

1:57 Intro

2:47 Moving up the coaching tree

5:13 Getting position as college coach

6:49 Coach Brewer’s mindset

10:16 Mental reps from practice footage

14:16 Just Play App

23:54 Testing your players on game plan

26:54 Coaches utilizing Just Play App

You can follow Coach Brewer on Twitter @CoachBrehaw.

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Small Wins Equal Big Gains - John Pennington, Head Coach, West Virginia State University Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

Today on tCoach and Coordinator Podcast, your host Keith Grabowski speaks with West Virginia State University's head coach, John Pennington. Coach Pennington has written a book dubbed Small Wins Equal Big Gains. A former three-year lettermen wide receiver a West Virginia University, Coach Pennington worked his way up the coaching ladder as he served as a special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator, and as a quarterbacks coach for West Virginia State before eventually being named head coach.

On this episode, learn how to implement a complete step-by-step goal-setting system to help you stay focused, take action, and stay disciplined so you can live your best life.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

1:40 Inspiration behind the book

3:35 Trial and error as a coach

4:42 Academic playbooks

6:46 S.M.A.R.T.E.R

9:34 Morning and night routines

12:18 Goal setting

15:54 Results with players

18:39 Teaching intentionality

21:10 Developing habits

27:05 Avoiding being burnt out

28:20 S.A.V.E.R.S

30:57 Trusting the plan

34:25 Closing

You can follow Coach Pennington on Twitter @CoachPenn.

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Tempo, Offensive Design, and Organization - Matt Drinkall, Tight Ends Coach, Army West Point (Part 2) Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Today on Coach and Coordinator Podcast, we continue part two of our discussion with Army West Point’s tight ends coach, Matt Drinkall. Formerly the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, Coach Drinkall continues to learn different concepts on how to design your offense. Your host, Keith Grabowski caught up with Coach Drinkall at USA Football’s 2020 National Conference, and they discussed the details of designing offenses, utilizing tempo, and the organization of your team.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

1:28 Assembly line workers

1:55 Army v. Navy game

4:42 Dwight Schrute and football

7:40 Dangerous usage of words

9:59 Designing your offense

9:14 Comparing offensive systems

14:02 Tempo

25:43 Rules, huddles, and tempo

26:54 Setting your offense up for success

33:44 Organization

46:36 Closing

You can follow Coach Drinkall on Twitter @DrinkallCoach.

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Structuring Your Offense - Matt Drinkall, Tight Ends Coach, Army West Point (Part 1) Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Today on Coach and Cooridnator Podcast, we welcome back Coach Matt Drinkall to the show. Previously the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University, Coach Drinkall is now the tight ends coach at Army West Point. Your host, Keith Grabowski caught up with Coach Drinkall at USA Football’s 2020 National Conference, and they discussed the details of structuring an offense.

Hear how you can use motion in your offence, the intricacies of the triple option, and a breakdown of Coach Drinkall’s three-tier progression system.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

0:54 Coaching at Army

1:55 Army v. Navy game

3:56 Learning the triple option

6:49 Changing procedural habits

8:30 Military aspect as a coach

9:14 Comparing offensive systems

16:30 Implementing a new scheme

19:55 Three tier progression system

26:54 Setting your offense up for success

34:36 Looking in the mirror

45:06 Utilizing motion

You can follow Coach Drinkall on Twitter @DrinkallCoach.

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Head Coach and Coordinator Dynamic - Robert Pomazak and Brian Flynn, St. Charles North High School (IL) Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

At USA Football’s 2020 National Conference, your host Keith Grabowski caught up with recurring guest Robert Pomazak, the head coach of St. Charles North High School.

Joining Coach Pomazak was his offensive coordinator, Brian Flynn. On this episode of Coach and Coordinator Podcast, we hear from both Coach Pomazak and Coach Flynn about how they cooperate to help lead their team. Learn what conversations go on in meetings during game week all the way to in-game adjustments made on the sidelines.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

1:31 Dynamic between Pomazak and Flynn

3:24 Coaching relationship in year one

4:56 Earning trust as an offensive coordinator

7:20 United approach to the season

9:04 Offensive evaluation

12:14 Working for the players

14:28 Game week preparation

16:05 Communication among the staff

18:35 Advice from the head coach

20:05 Cooperating on gameday

22:38 In-game adjustments process

24:14 Closing

You can follow Coach Pomazak on Twitter @RobertPomazak.

You can also follow Coach Flynn on Twitter @Flynn_BD.

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Decisions, Distractions, and Pressure for Quarterbacks - Will Hewlett, Quarterback Collective Academy Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

Today on Coach and Coordinator Podcast, we welcome back Will Hewlett onto the show. Hewlett has coached over 40 Division I prospects and current quarterbacks. He has conducted NFL Draft prep and has coached several Arena League quarterbacks.

A member of the Quarterback Collective Academy, Coach Hewlett helps instruct the next generation of quarterbacks, utilizing drills designed to enhance decision making, facing distractions, and reaction time to pressure. Tune in to hear your host, Keith Grabowski, catch up with Coach Hewlett at the USA Football 2020 National Conference.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

1:56 Evolution of Quarterback Collective Academy

3:05 Elite coaching

5:57 Hewlett’s evolution as a coach

7:41 Be wary of some advice

9:30 Quarterback Collective Method

11:42 Modernizing quarterback individual period

15:07 Stimulus within drives

16:15 Decision, distraction, and pressure drills

21:21 Reasoning behind your actions

22:31 Quarterback warmups

24:27 Quarterback warmup drills

27:03 Professional development

27:59 Closing

You can follow Coach Hewlett on Twitter @WillHewlett.

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Home Team Podcast - Doug Samuels, Head Coach, Comstock Park High School (MI) Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

We continue our “Home Team” series on this edition of Coach and Coordinator Podcast. Our guest host Joel Nellis invites Doug Samuels onto the show. As the new head coach at Comstock Park High School and an editor at footballscoop.com, Coach Samuels has developed a unique schedule to help balance family and football.

Tune in to learn how Coach Samuels has utilized technology to help give him and his coaches more time with their families on the weekend without sacrificing production.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

1:36 Stars of home team

4:33 Coach Samuel’s kids

6:56 Weekends at home for coaches

13:00 Expectations for working at home

16:43 Schedule during game weeks

20:28 Adjusting to technology

22:06 Results of the process

24:35 Recommendations for implementation

27:27 Victory Formation

29:41 Closing

You can follow Coach Samuels on Twitter @CoachSamz.

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C- and D-Gap RPOs - Brent Dearmon, Offensive Coordinator, University of Kansas Mar 07, 2020

Show notes

Preparation is always crucial because when opportunities arise, you must be ready to take them. On this episode of Coach and Coordinator Podcast, we invited back coach Brent Dearmon. Originally an offensive consultant, Coach Dearmon was promoted by Kansas Jayhawks head coach Les Miles to serve as the program’s new offensive coordinator on October 6, 2019.

Due to his previous experience as an offensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech, head coach at Bethel University (TN), and analyst at Auburn University, Coach Dearmon was able to handle the task of taking over as Kansas’ offensive coordinator mid-season. Learn about Coach Dearmon’s experiences on this episode and also how he helps incorporate C- and D-Gap RPOs into his offense.

Show Notes:

0:20 Intro

2:33 Taking over as Kansas’ offensive coordinator

5:56 Evolving your offense

7:55 Changing the way you teach

9:19 Paying it forward

12:22 C- and D-Gap RPOs

14:50 Example of C-Gap RPOs

16:44 What is the aim point on different paths?

17:31 Avoiding ineligible man downfield penalties

20:49 Avoiding penalties on the fullback

22:19 Duties of X-receiver