Oregon Ducks Defensive Analyst Dante Bartee emphasizes the importance of methodically analyzing data to determine which plays and strategies are working and which need to be adjusted or scrapped altogether. Here are his four key steps:
- Evaluate the Frequency vs. Efficiency of Calls
- It’s not enough to look at how often a call is made—coaches must assess if it’s working as expected. For example, if a call or play was run 50 times in practice but only called three times by mid-season, its value must be reassessed. Did it underperform? Or was it not called enough despite positive results?
- Practice Relevance and Situational Use
- Some plays are designed for specific opponents or situations. If a defense prepared calls for an Air Raid team in Week 7, those shouldn’t negatively impact evaluations if not used beforehand. You must compartmentalize plays by their intended purpose.
- Simplify, Don’t Overload
- One of the most common mistakes in mid-season self-scouting is adding more plays to the call sheet. Bartee emphasizes subtraction or increased usage of existing plays, not piling on new concepts. Continuity in a playbook allows athletes to execute without hesitation, fostering faster, more instinctive play.
- Adjust Presentation, Not Content
- Instead of adding entirely new calls, Bartee suggests modifying formations, motions, and shifts to disguise familiar plays. The goal is to make the same play look different to the opponent without compromising the players’ comfort and execution.
About Coach Bartee
Dante Bartee is a defensive analyst at the University of Oregon. He is a rising star in the coaching profession, who Coach and Coordinator guest host Dub Maddox calls the “Good Will Hunting” of defensive football.
Before joining the Ducks, Bartee spent two seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Ottawa University, quickly improving the team’s defensive performance.
Before joining Ottawa, Bartee served as the lead defensive analyst for the University of Southern Mississippi’s Golden Eagles. In this role, he worked closely with the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers, focusing on game analysis and strategy.
Bartee’s coaching career also includes experience at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a graduate assistant in 2019. At Cal, he contributed to player development, working with the scout team and coaching inside linebackers. Bartee also supported recruiting efforts and provided analytics for the coaching staff.
In 2018, Bartee was an assistant coach at Upper Iowa University, where he coached both inside and outside linebackers and contributed to special teams and recruiting efforts. His work resulted in two NSIC selections at linebacker.
Bartee began his coaching career at Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, while pursuing his degree at Arizona State University. At Perry, he served as a running backs, outside linebackers, and defensive backs coach. He eventually became co-defensive coordinator and later the full-time defensive coordinator, while also overseeing special teams for four years.
A 2017 graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in justice studies. With a diverse background at every level of football, Bartee brings a wealth of experience, energy, and insight to the game.
Listen to Coach Bartee’s episode with Dub Maddox on the Accelerate Everything Series.
