Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Champions - Starting with the End in Mind - John Perry, HC, Nixa HS (MO) Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Champions, presented by Signature Championship Rings, host Keith Grabowski interviews Nixa HS (MO) head coach John Perry about building and sustaining a championship culture in various settings. As part of the Coach and Coordinator Network, the discussion follows Coach Perry's journey from Mississippi to Missouri and spotlights the core principles behind athletic success.

Coach Perry shares his belief that "belief is transferable," and explains how clear expectations, consistent daily routines, and purposeful leadership is able to transform team culture. The conversation covers practical mental performance tools, such as the E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome) framework, to help young athletes build fortitude and accountability. From defining core team behaviors to focusing on daily progress, this interview gives coaches clear, practical guidance for building sustained excellence.

Chapters

State to State: The Journey from Mississippi to Nixa, Missouri
The Great Experiment: Testing Core Coaching Principles in a New Room
Transferable Excellence: Porting Systems and Standards to a New Culture
Unlocking Belief: Fostering Leadership and Accountability in Athletes
Systematic Culture: Creating Repeatable Daily Habits for Success
Setting the Standard: Translating Core Values into Concrete Behaviors
The Power of 1%: Small Daily Improvements That Drive Big Growth
Developing Resilience, Mental Toughness, and Learning from Failure

Presented by Signature Championship Rings

Championships are about more than wins. They're about the commitment, sacrifice, and relationships that define your program.

When it's time to celebrate your team's accomplishments, trust Signature Championship Rings to create custom championship rings that honor your players, coaches, and legacy with craftsmanship worthy of the moment.

Learn more about Signature Championship Rings and start designing a championship ring your team will be proud to wear.

https://signaturechampions.com/

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

John Perry: @jperry_nixa

Signature Championship Rings: @signaturerings

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Pursuit of Perfection and Raising Standards - John Harbaugh, HC, New York Giants Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Coach and Coordinator, host Keith Grabowski is joined by Harbaugh Coaching Academy Leadership Team member, Super Bowl champion, and veteran NFL head coach John Harbaugh, who shares a masterclass on building a sustainable championship-caliber program culture.

Coach Harbaugh reveals his core philosophy of "elegant simplicity," explaining how elite coaches turn intricate strategic concepts into clear, actionable systems. The conversation explores establishing core principles when taking over a team, meeting players where they are, and raising daily standards through relentless pursuit of perfection. From creating a "perfect day" for athletes and staff to using continuous feedback to keep teams aligned, this interview delivers a proven framework for coaches at every level who aspire to lead intentionally and build authentic, lasting relationships.

Chapters

Day One Foundations: Establishing Principles and Program Culture
Chasing Perfection: How High Standards Drive Daily Growth
The Perfect Day: Structuring Optimal Practice and Preparation Environments
Elegant Simplicity: Filtering Complex Strategies into Usable Systems
Strategic Evolution: Adapting Trends Without Losing Core Identity
Beyond the X's & O's: The Power of Relationships and Shared Experiences
Total Alignment: Masterclass in Team Communication and Feedback
Developing the Next Generation with the Harbaugh Coaching Academy

Looking to become a better coach on and off the field? Check out Harbaugh Coaching Academy—a free resource built for coaches who want to strengthen their leadership, improve team culture, and make a lasting impact on their athletes. Learn from championship coaches looking to help you grow at every stage of your coaching journey.

Visit HarbaughCoachingAcademy.org and start elevating your game today.

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: ⁠@CoachKGrabowski⁠

Harbaugh Coaching Academy: ⁠@HarbaughCoach

Story of the Season's Recruiting Profiles - Give your players better college exposure with Story of the Season's new web-based recruiting profiles. You can build a custom team recruiting page with interactive player profiles, highlights, headshots, stats, academic info, Hudl links, coach comments, and more. Set up is quick, easy, and free to try until 2027 at ⁠recruiting.storyoftheseason.com⁠.

X: ⁠@StoryTheSeason

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One Play at a Time - Teaching the Modern Player Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

I came back to coaching after a decade away and walked straight into the same problem I left: a playbook full of good information that players weren't retaining. This episode is the "why" behind everything that follows in this series — the research on how today's players actually learn, the three-tier video framework (Foundation, Reminder, Connection) we built around it with Just Play, and why NFL teams are now paying people whose only job is to make coaches better teachers. If you coach, and you've ever handed a kid two hundred pages and hoped it stuck, this one's for you.

In this episode:

The binder, the $20 bill, and what neither one ever taught our players
Why coming back to coaching in 2026 felt like starting over
The owner's-manual problem — and why install meetings still work that way
What the research says about how Gen Z players actually learn (Thomas Kane's "learning recession," the 59% YouTube stat)
Why the NFL now employs instructional designers — and what that says about the rest of us
The 7-on-7 moment that exposed the gap between knowing a play and understanding it
The three-tier framework: Foundation, Reminder, Connection — and the learning science behind each one
The analogy that ties it all together: the flight manual vs. the flight simulator
Why we explain the "why" to our players, not just the "what"

Quotable:

"We stopped asking players to adapt to our teaching, and started adapting our teaching to the player."

"The playbook was never wrong. It was incomplete."

"They knew the play. They didn't understand the play."

Mentioned in this episode:

Kevin Hoying (Just Play) staff onboarding cut-up
Custom GPT presentation

Learn more about Just Play Sports Solutions

Just Play Sports Solutions is the coaching platform we use to build, teach, and deliver our offensive system at Bay High School. Throughout this series, you'll see how we're using Just Play for installation, player learning, practice preparation, communication, quizzes, and staff collaboration.

About the series: One Play at a Time follows Keith Grabowski's return to the sidelines as Offensive Coordinator and QB coach at Bay High School after a decade away, documenting how the staff installs, teaches, and communicates the offense across a full season. This series is presented by Just Play.

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The Passing Lab - The State of the Passing Game - Caleb Corrill, OC, Georgetown College Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of The Passing Lab, host Josh Herring sits down with Caleb Corrill to examine the latest trends and developments transforming the modern passing game. The episode explains how top play-callers modify their passing strategies to tackle evolving defensive schemes.

The discussion covers the renewed focus on quick game and spacing concepts that challenge vision-based spot-drop coverages. Coach Corrill explains the tactical benefits of pre-snap motion, including its ability to influence coverages, create leverage, and cause immediate post-snap challenges for defenders. The interview also addresses the compromises between play-action and RPOs, as well as strategies for deep choice routes and protection rules, delivering valuable insights for coaches striving to develop an efficient and dynamic passing attack.

Chapters

Analyzing the Current State of the Passing Game
Speed on the Perimeter: The Resurgence of Modern Quick Game
Attacking Space: Beating Vision Spot Drop Coverages
Pre-Snap Motion: Creating Pre-Snap Leverage and Defensive Friction
Play-Action vs RPO: Balancing Run-Pass Conflicts
Evolving the Read: Creative RPO Variations and Constraints
In-Game Adjustments: Leveraging Headset Communication on Game Day
Dialing Up the Deep Ball: Protection Rules and Deep Choice Concepts
Emerging Trends and Future Directions in the Air Attack

If you're looking for practical ways to build a more efficient, more explosive passing game, the Passing Lab Smart Clinic gives you over 20 hours of instruction from coaches who do it every Friday night.

Get instant access today at: https://smartclinics.coachandcoordinator.com/thepassinglab

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

Josh Herring: @joshherring1

Caleb Corrill: @CalebCorrill

X: @StoryTheSeason

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The Turnaround - Transforming a Rebuilding Program Into a Championship Contender - Kevin Hastin, HC, Meridian HS (ID) Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Turnaround, we explore the blueprint for program transformation with Coach Hastin, revealing what it takes to resurrect a struggling football team. Part of the Coach and Coordinator Network, this episode moves beyond the X's and O's to focus on the human element of building a winning culture from the ground up.

Coach Hastin shares strategies for accelerating relationship-building with players and gaining vital administrative support for new athletic initiatives. The conversation covers implementing a unified weight room program, navigating early-season struggles, and adapting offensive systems to fit player strengths and community needs. From leading Sherwood through a challenging transition to balancing coaching demands with family life, this interview is an inspiring tutorial in program building. Coach Hastin shows how a continuous focus on daily character development, meaningful relationships, and steadfastness lays the basis for sustained championship-level success.

Chapters

The Foundation of Building Relationships and Team Culture
Alignment from the Top: Gaining Administrative Support for Your Program
Speeding Up the Process: How to Accelerate Connection with a New Roster
Navigating Early Pressures: On-Field Performance and Overcoming Initial Challenges
The Sherwood Transition: Fighting Through Early Struggles and Adversity
Flipping the Script: Practical Steps for Turning a Season Around
The Rebuild Blueprint: Managing Expectations and Restructuring Habits
Scheme Flexibility: Adapting Offensive Strategies to Fit Player Talents
Balancing Career with Family and Winning Through Character

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

Michael Echaves: @coachechaves

X: @StoryTheSeason

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The Passing Lab - Teaching Option Routes and High-Speed Crossing Packages - Colin Duling Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Passing Lab, host Josh Herring sits down with Bethel University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Colin Duling to break down the mechanics behind a high-efficiency passing game. Part of the Coach and Coordinator Network, this episode breaks down how to construct a unique, defense-straining offensive system without overwhelming your quarterback.

Coach Duling shares his blueprint for a highly evolved, yet incredibly simple RPO philosophy, highlighted by the concrete rules of the "zero read." The conversation explores the micro-mechanics of pairing pass-run concepts, teaching crossing packages, and training wide receivers to make split-second option route decisions. From leveraging unbalanced formations and ineligible blocking schemes to structuring high-efficiency tempo and adjusting sideline-to-box play-calling, this interview is an essential masterclass for coordinators looking to play fast, play clean, and keep defenses on their heels.

Chapters

Welcoming Bethel University OC Colin Dooling
System Architecture: Designing a Unique & Defense-Straining Offense
Defining the Zero Read: Simplifying RPO Philosophy for the QB
RPO Pairing: Matching Run Schemes with High-Percentage Passes
The Crossing Package: Conceptual Route Teaching & Spacing
Post-Snap Adjustments: Teaching Option Routes and Receiver Decisions
Reading the Field: Front Side vs. Backside Progression Rules
Playing with Pace: Merging Tempo, Shifts, and Practice Efficiency
QB Evaluation: Critical Mental and Physical Traits for the System
Game Day Execution: Play Calling Dynamics & Cold Weather Strategy

Get instant access today at:

https://smartclinics.coachandcoordinator.com/thepassinglab

Connect on X:

Colin Duling: @ColinDuling

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

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Art of Practice - Creating Game Urgency in Practice - Evan Karchner, HC, Maumee HS (OH) and Lucas Stanton, HC, Solon HS (IA) Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Art of Practice, presented by GoRout, host Keith Grabowski is joined by Evan Karchner, head coach at Maumee High School in Ohio, and Lucas Stanton, head coach at Solon High School in Iowa. Together, they explore how coaches can turn practice from script-running into a competitive, pressure-filled environment.

Karchner and Stanton share strategies for creating game-day urgency during Tuesday and Wednesday practices, including Purple vs. Gold situational drills, deliberate special teams competitions, and sudden-change two-minute scenarios. They also explain how keeping score through turnovers, explosive plays, and other key metrics builds accountability and reveals how players respond under pressure.

The discussion also highlights how GoRout reduces operational downtime, allowing practices to stay fast-paced, efficient, and focused. The result is an environment that keeps players mentally engaged, physically fresh, and better prepared for game day.

Chapters

The Core Essence of Competitive Practice Environments
Keeping Score: Tracking Turnovers & Metrics to Drive Accountability
Creative Compete Structures: Organizing Purple vs. Gold Periods
Sudden Change: Maximizing Two-Minute and Situational Game Scenarios
High-Stakes Third Phase: Special Teams Competitive Drills & Techniques
Special Teams Strategy: Maintaining Full-Roster Intensity & Alignment
Micro-Competitions: Implementing Pressure Points in Small Group Work
The Efficiency Audit: Eliminating Dead Script Time to Keep Players Fresh
Tech-Driven Tempo: Utilizing GoRoute to Accelerate Practice Reps

Podcast Link: Work Your Special Teams with a Kicking Scrimmage

Learn More About Our Partner - GoRout GoRout helps coaches eliminate huddles, increase reps, and maximize efficiency with their game-changing technology. Sign up using code “coordinator” for up to 50% off setup fees at https://gorout.com/podcast/

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

Evan Karchner: @CoachKarch

Lucas Stanton: @CoachStanton20

GoRout: @Go_Rout

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Football IQ - The Future of Quarterback Development - Nate Longshore, Founder, QB Method Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Football IQ, presented by American Football IQ, we explore the future of player development with former Cal QB and QB Method founder Nate Longshore. As part of the Coach and Coordinator Network, this episode shows how elite programs move past traditional film study to develop a quarterback's internal processor.

Coach Longshore shares his unique philosophy on how modern defensive coordinators use rotating middle-closed shells and simulated pressures to create chaotic, ever-changing pictures for quarterbacks. We investigate innovative coaching strategies that engage an athlete's different senses to accelerate learning, master complicated read progressions, and optimize throwing biomechanics. We also examine technology-driven player development, showing how tools like REPS VR let quarterbacks accumulate thousands of game-speed mental reps without physical wear and tear.

Chapters

Defining Football IQ as Defensive Anticipation
From the Hardwood to the Gridiron: Nate Longshore’s Journey
The Tedford Era: Lessons in Elite Quarterback Preparation at Cal
The Cognitive Leap: The Evolution of Quarterback Training & Football IQ
Silicon Valley on the Field: Integrating Advanced Technology into Practice
Whiteboards & Notebooks: The Lasting Power of Analog Learning in a Digital Age
Stealing Reps: How Virtual Reality (VR) Accelerates Processing Speeds
Decoding the Shell: Deconstructing Modern Quarterback Read Types
Kinetic Chains: Improving Arm Strength and Throwing Biomechanics
Composure Under Pressure: The Mental and Emotional Makeup of QB1

Connect on X:

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

Doug Brady: @CoachDougBrady

Nathan Longshore: @mrlongshore

Check out QB Method by Coach Longshore: https://www.qbmethod.com/

American Football IQ is a leading platform dedicated to helping players, coaches, and fans truly understand the game, not just memorize it. Through film-room style breakdowns, tactical education, and widely used training flashcards, AFIQ teaches you how to read defenses, recognize coverages, and process the game faster so you can play faster. Trusted by thousands worldwide, it is built for anyone serious about elevating their football IQ.

Learn more at https://americanfootballiq.com/

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The Passing Lab: Why Your Quarterback Nods... But Still Doesn't Know the Play Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

In this special preview episode of The Passing Lab, host Josh Herring is joined by Drew Ambrose, Pete DeWeese, Brady Walz, and Herbert Davis for a candid discussion on one of the biggest challenges in offensive football: teaching the passing game.

This episode is just one segment from a 1-hour, 45-minute roundtable where these coaches share ideas, challenge each other's thinking, and discuss how they teach quarterbacks and receivers to understand concepts, execute progressions, and play faster on Friday nights.

In this conversation, you'll hear practical ideas on:

Teaching quarterback progressions
Helping receivers understand the entire concept, not just their route
Installing your passing game more effectively
Building an offense your players can execute under pressure
Why execution always beats adding more scheme

Continue the Conversation in the Passing Lab Smart Clinic

This is only a small portion of the complete Passing Lab experience.

Inside the clinic you'll get:

The full 1-hour, 45-minute Passing Lab Roundtable
15 in-depth on-demand presentations from Josh Herring, Drew Ambrose, Pete DeWeese, Brady Walz, Herbert Davis, and more
The Passing Lab Workshop featuring additional film study, whiteboard teaching, scheme discussions, and coach Q&A
Lifetime access so you can revisit every session throughout the season

Get instant access today at

https://smartclinics.coachandcoordinator.com/thepassinglab

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The Passing Lab: Half-Field or Full-Field? Why the Answer May Be Both - Pete DeWeese, OC, Cambridge HS (GA) Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Should your passing game be built around half-field reads or full-field progression concepts?

It's a debate offensive coaches have had for years.

In this preview from The Passing Lab, Pete DeWeese shares why he believes the best passing games don't choose one or the other. Instead, they combine split-field concepts with scan tags to create quarterbacks who can process changing defensive pictures without slowing down.

Pete explains:

The strengths and weaknesses of half-field concepts
Why quarterbacks struggle when the picture changes after the snap
How scan tags create full-field answers without overwhelming your quarterback
Why teaching matters more than simply collecting concepts

This clip is just one lesson from The Passing Lab, where five high school offensive coordinators break down the systems they use to build efficient, explosive passing games.

If you're finalizing your offense for this season, this clinic will give you practical ideas you can install immediately.

The Passing Lab Interactive Session begin July 8.

Get immediate access to all 15 on-demand sessions, then join us live July 8–9 for interactive discussions with the presenters.

Register here: https://smartclinics.coachandcoordinator.com/thepassinglab

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