Coach and Coordinator Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Defeating the Tite Front - Matt Drinkall, Co-OC, OL Coach, Army West Point Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

We will be re-publishing some episodes from our archives as we have moved to a new platform. Our old platform limited us to the 500 most current episodes, and there is just too much good stuff from our past guests to leave off of our feed.

Today’s episode is a prime example of that. This podcast with Matt Drinkall is from 2019 after he joined the Army staff as the TE Coach. He’s been named the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach in 2023, and we are excited about the style he will bring to the Army offense because he is not an “option guy.”

The tite front has gained popularity across all levels of football, and in today’s episode, Coach Drinkall shares a plan for defeating it. There are a ton of takeaways from this one, so get your pen and notebook ready to capture some of these ideas.

He also has a playlist that we will publish from him. Coach Drinkall always delivers great information on our podcast.

From the Archives:

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast’s “All In On Offense” segment is Matt Drinkall, current offensive assistant at Army West Point and former head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University. Drinkall was selected to be a participant in the 2018 American Football Coaches Association 35 under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. This program is designed to identify and develop premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. Drinkall goes all in today on how he has gone about defeating the tite front, including some of his go-to plays.

Show Notes:

When Coach noticed the tite front becoming more prevalent
Difference between NFL and college tite fronts
Keys to the tite front for defense
Starting point for attacking the tite front and base plays
Where the runs should hit
Coaching the players vs. the tite
Preparing your backside tackle
Dart read
Dart, jet, and fly sweep responsibilities
Play-action vs. tite
In-game coaching
How Coach determines if a new play is worth it
Connecting with Coach

Connect with Coach on Twitter @DrinkallCoach.

Watch Coach Drinkall's RPO Course: https://bit.ly/3EvQ1wj

Attend Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic: Lfgf2023.coachesclinic.com

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A Family Affair - Anthony DeMatteo, Somers High School, New York Class A State Champions Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

After being an assistant at Somers High School (NY) under his father since 2008, Anthony DeMatteo took over as new varsity head football coach on May 25. It was something he dreamed of since he was a child.

Coach DeMatteo was part of a state title, three Section 1 crowns, and a regional bowl title during his 12 seasons coaching under his father. He also played at Somers under his father and graduated in 2003.

His father retired after the 2020 season after 22 seasons with Somers and 52 seasons overall. He was Section 1’s winningest coach, finishing with 360 career wins, just four short of the New York State record.

We sat down with Coach Anthony DeMatteo at the NYSHSFCA Clinic and talked about the aspects of the program that helped them to a state title.

Show Notes:

Growing up in a football family
Aspects of their culture that led to a championship
Mentorship programs with players
It starts with the youth program
Varsity players serving as youth coaches
Clinics for youth coaches
Mentorship program within the high school
Offseason short focus on throwing the ball
Spring installation was passing
Teaching the game in the classroom
Hitting all learning styles
Adding sophistication to the offense
Focus in practice
Coaching cues
Maximizing practice time
Using music to pace the practice
Winning edge: a family feel
Goals after winning a state title

NYSHSFCA Clinic Presentations: https://bit.ly/3XPzElb

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Coaching Innovations - Technology for on the Field Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode, which is the last in a series that we shared over the last month, we focus on Coaching Innovations that help your players on the field.

While we were at AFCA, our team walked around the exhibit hall to look at some of the most innovative products in the market. We identified a dozen that we feel help make a coach more efficient, enhance player development, and ultimately add to the win column.

Please take note that none of these companies paid to be on the podcast. This episode is purely for our research and for your benefit as a listener.

You may have heard of some of these companies, but some are brand new to the market. All are innovative in their approach to helping you as a coach.

Each organization was asked four questions:

How does this product/service make me more efficient as a coach?
How does it help me develop my players?
How does it help me win?
What’s the feature that coaches like the most?

The objective is to provide a glimpse into these companies and what they can do for you as a coach as well as your players to help create a better game.

Go Rout:

First up is Go Rout. You have heard us talk about Go Rout before on this podcast, and the Founder and CEO Mike Rolih has been a guest. Go Rout allows you to run a more efficient practice, and it has been used to help run installs, 7 on 7s, and a number of different purposes as Mike will share.

4-Second Football:

We have talked on the podcast about the importance of calibrating the passing game. As as coach, the tool our host Keith Grabowski used was a stopwatch. The idea was to give the quarterback feedback on how long he was taking to release the ball. It was a daily process in both practice and game film evaluation and had to be done by hand, timing each rep, and recording the results. 4-Second Football makes that workflow much easier and provides the QB and coach feedback in practice.

We are always on the lookout for tools and technology that can help create a better game. If there are any you love, please let us know. DM Keith on Twitter @CoachKGrabowski.

Learn more about Go Rout: https://www.gorout.com/

Learn more about 4 Second Football: https://4secondfootball.com/

Follow all we are doing on CoachandCoordinator.com.

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Get to Sack City - Siddiq Haynes, DL Coach, UTSA Shares How He Builds Their Plan Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode is taken from a presentation at Lauren’s First and Goal Coaches Clinic. UTSA Defensive Line Coach Siddiq Haynes lays out his process for putting his players in a position to get to the quarterback, or as he calls it, “Sack City.”

The 3rd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Virtual Clinic (Lfgf2023.coachesclinic.com) is March 9th-11th, and we need your help! This event is a chance for you to learn all aspects of the game from college and pro coaches, while helping children and families in need.

This clinic benefits families who have a child undergoing cancer treatment as well as pediatric brain tumor research. Lauren's First and Goal is not a pass-through organization. All of the proceeds go to those who need it, and there are plenty. Marianne Loose and her team of volunteers work directly with those families.

Bring your entire staff to this clinic, and please make other coaches aware of this opportunity to learn and help others.

Show Notes:

Background
Overview
Stats: Evaluating who you are based on the numbers
Having “a guy” to build around
Versatility to be able to play multiple spots
Play to the ability of who you have on the roster
Pass rush mentality
Can the QB run?
Will he force a throw?
Who is he under pressure?
As an offense, when will they throw?
What types of passes do they throw?
Playlist of the OL
You need to know their OL in order to attack them
Can we get there with four?
Understanding situational football
The QB Window: Who is the QB?
Four different windows

Full Siddiq Haynes Presentation: https://bit.ly/3ILgZmw

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Mindset and Focus to Create Success - Maurice Linguist, Head Coach, University of Buffalo Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

We sat down with Maurice Linguist, Head Coach of the University of Buffalo, at the New York State High School Football Coaching Association Clinic and talked about leadership.

In becoming the new head coach at Buffalo, Coach Linguist was tasked with taking over a program with 100 days until kickoff. He talks about what they focused on and how they met the challenges presented by today’s football landscape. We also discuss mindset, relationships, leadership, accountability, and how to successfully lead a program.

Whether you are a head coach or a position coach, there are plenty of takeaways in this conversation. Also see the links below to a segment of Coach Linguist's talk from the 2022 clinic, as well as to full presentations from 2021 and 2022.

Show Notes:

The changing landscape of college football
What it means to take over a program
Latest takeover in the history of college football
It’s all about getting it done
Mindset - begin with the end in mind
Key to getting focused and getting started quickly
Finding and identifying the right people
Why do you do what you do?
Relationships are critical
One-on-ones with players
Cross-over position groups to build as many relationships as possible
February is a contact period for us in our locker room
If you cannot communicate and connect, you will fail as a leader
Learning from PJ Fleck
Leadership training is 365 days a year
Moving players along to a leadership role
Two parts to leadership - the leader and the receiver
Doing accountability right
Learning what accountability looks like while in the NFL
Watching film as a program
Complementary football
Format of team meeting

Related Maurice Linguist Episode:

How We Teach and Implement: https://spoti.fi/3XTuZyU

Full Maurice Linguist Presentations:

Building a Championship Foundation for Sustained Success: https://bit.ly/3YMJ0iT

Ethics - Building a Man: https://bit.ly/3IDomfo

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Making Special Teams Self-Scout Actionable for Improvement - Garrett McLaughlin, Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Ends Coach, New Hampshire Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

We sat down with Garrett McLaughlin, Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Ends Coach at New Hampshire, to discuss special teams self-scout and how it can be used to improve scheme and technique. This episode was recorded at the New York State Football Coaches Association Clinic.

Garrett McLaughlin is in his second season with UNH, coordinating the special teams and coaching the defensive ends. In 2021, both starting defensive ends coached by McLaughlin earned All-Conference honors. The Wildcats finished second overall in the CAA in sacks for the season.

Show Notes:

Overview of offseason special teams evaluation
Drive start average
Hidden yards
Calculating drive start average
A complementary football number
Making it actionable
Calculating hidden yardage
Goals +75 on hidden yardage, +1 X-play, no penalties
Charting the punt returner
Using the info to help improve the returner
Kickoff placement
Understanding how to work on things to improve the numbers
Adjustments to punts and punt coverage
Evolving and growing as a coach
Jammer play

NYSHSFCA Channel on CoachTube: https://bit.ly/3lDXPpf

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Making the Most of Resources Plus 3-Back Stack RPO - David Moskowitz, Head Coach, James I. O'Neill High School, NY State Champs Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

David Moskowitz is the Head Coach at James I. O’Neill High School. They won a state championship in 2022, and Coach Moskowitz shares some of what they did with their culture and leadership, in the classroom, offseason, and practice that helped bring their team to the top. He also shares their three-back stacked RPO package.

Show Notes:

Changing from I formation to fitting the personnel
A three-year process on culture
Building trust
Using 7 on 7 to teach competition
Incentives in the weight room
Using Sunday’s to meet on Zoom in offseason
Keeping multi-sport kids at a small school connected to football
Interactive meetings no longer than 45 minutes
Getting it done with a three man staff
Keeping all players involved
Pass rush period for offensive line
Watching where players eyes are focused
Leadership council
Three-back stacked RPO

Coach Mentioned in This Episode:

Matt Drinkall - Coaching Cues in the Classroom, on the Field, and In-Game: https://apple.co/3XCrdti

Additional Episodes Recorded at the New York State High School Football Association Clinic:

Curt Fitzpatrick, Head Coach, SUNY Cortland: https://apple.co/3S6YLin
Andrew Jackson, Defensive Line Coach, West Virginia: https://apple.co/3S4k43S
Joe Gerbino, Offensive Coordinator, Utica College: https://apple.co/3xtpsnN
Nate Milne, Head Coach, Muhlenberg College: https://apple.co/3XCFiqH
Michael Toerper, Head Coach, Ithaca College: https://apple.co/3lKyXMz

Follow Us:

Twitter: @CoachKGrabowski and @10PercentCoach
Email: hello@coachandcoordinator.com
Web: www.CoachandCoordinator.com

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Being Multiple and the Process of Evolving an Offense - Curt Fitzpatrick, Head Coach, SUNY Cortland Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Curt Fitzpatrick was named SUNY Cortland’s Head Coach in February 2020. Due to COVID-19, the Red Dragons didn't compete that fall, but in his first season on the field in 2021, Coach Fitzpatrick led Cortland to one of the best seasons in school history. Cortland finished 11-1 to tie a school record for wins in a season. That mark included the Red Dragons' first 10-0 season since 1988, capped by a win over Ithaca in the annual Cortaca Jug game. Coach Fitzpatrick followed that campaign up by leading the Dragons to a 9-2 season in 2022 and a bid to the NCAA playoffs.

Before Cortland, Coach Fitzpatrick was at the helm of SUNY Morrisville. During his 7-year tenure, he guided SUNY Morrisville to four winning seasons, one conference championship, and three postseason ECAC bowl appearances.

Hear from Coach Fitzpatrick as he details what culture he wants to establish, his offensive philosophy, and what he’s looking forward to the most.

Show Notes:

Being multiple
Advantages of niche offenses
Defining multiplicity
Approach to researching ideas
There are many ways to coach one play: Find the one that fits best
Approach to evolving an offense
Looking at it from an opponent's point of view
Finding a new play isn’t always the answer
Grounding things in your identity
Building complements around the base play
Exercise to figure out if you are attacking the whole defense
Finding the discipline to know what fits your identity is the magic
Embracing new ideas but figuring out how they fit you
Ability to execute is the filter
Andy Kotelnicki: Making the game finite

Additional Curt Fitzpatrick Episode:

Devotion Leads to Promotion

Additional Episodes Recorded at the New York State High School Football Association Clinic:

Follow Us:

Twitter: @CoachKGrabowski and @10PercentCoach
Email: hello@coachandcoordinator.com
Web: www.CoachandCoordinator.com

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A Personal and Personnel Approach to Coaching Defensive Line - Andrew Jackson, DL Coach, West Virginia Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Andrew Jackson is in his second year as the Defensive Line Coach at West Virginia. Jackson came to Morgantown after serving as the Defensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Defense at Old Dominion for the 2020 season. He enjoyed prior stops at James Madison as the Defensive Tackles Coach, Mississippi State as the Defensive Quality Control Coach, Fordham as the Defensive Line Coach, Penn State as a Graduate Assistant with the defensive line, as well as Stony Brook as a GA, and Assistant Defensive Line Coach.

Coach Jackson joined the podcast at the NYSHSFCA Coaches Clinic to discuss his approach to coaching the defensive line.

Show Notes:

Start in coaching
Influences
Being real with your players
Scientific approach to coaching
Playing more guys in a game
Not a cookie-cutter approach
Understanding learning styles
Matching personnel vs. each opponent
Fitting the scheme to personnel
The meeting room
Watching practice and game film with players
Growing the relationships outside of football
Interactive walkthrough
Five trash cans are not productive
Doing the little things right as a young coach
Gaining an appreciation for everyone’s role in a program

Additional Content:

Coach Jackson’s presentation at Lauren’s First & Goal

Support a great cause and learn from 120+ College and Pro Coaches: Lfgf2023.coachesclinic.com

Follow on Twitter:

@CoachJaxDL

@CoachKGrabowski

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Utilizing Personnel - Joe Gerbino, Offensive Coordinator, Utica College Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

2022 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Joe Gerbino, Offensive Coordinator at Utica College, sat down with us at the New York State High School Football Association Clinic to discuss how they play as many players as they can on offense, building around skill sets, and building relationships.

Show Notes:

Becoming a coach
Influences
An “our” system
“A hundred starters”
Ivy League package
When your best players are your best leaders
Using a dynamic slot
Challenges of playing a lot of players
Determining who fits in personnel packages
KYP - Know your personnel
Sharing knowledge and developing professionally
Absorb what applies
Winning edge - be elite at building relationships

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