In the final episode of Alignment in Action, the focus shifts from vision and identity to sustainability. With systems established and expectations set, this episode examines whether alignment holds when responsibility is fully handed off to position coaches.
Recorded during Central Michigan’s first season under head coach Matt Drinkall, the episode features extended conversations with special teams coordinator Keith Murphy and defensive line coach Tesfa Smith.
Rather than revisiting philosophy, the conversations center on daily execution, accountability, and what alignment looks like once the head coach steps out of the frame.
Episode Focus
-Whether alignment survives beyond the head coach’s direct involvement
-How standards are maintained through structure rather than supervision
-The role of clarity and ownership in sustaining culture
-What accountability looks like when trust is already established
Key Themes
-Alignment expressed through consistent behavior, not language
-Ownership of position rooms without competing authority
-Teaching standards that allow players to play fast, not fearful
-Systems designed to function without constant oversight
-Development as the foundation of accountability
Coach and Coordinator AI – Alignment in Action Companion
The Alignment in Action Companion is built entirely from the Central Michigan Alignment in Action series. It is designed to help coaches examine alignment through behavior and apply those lessons to their own environment.
This tool helps coaches identify where alignment holds and where it breaks, clarify ownership and authority, and evaluate whether standards survive when responsibility moves away from the head coach. It focuses on real decisions, real behaviors, and real pressure moments.
The companion does not add outside leadership frameworks, invent examples, or offer generic advice. It only works off of the transcripts from the Central Michigan Alignment in Action episodes.
This tool works best when coaches describe what actually happens in their program. Avoid aspirational language. Be specific about situations, decisions, and behaviors. Use it to pressure test standards, expose dependence on your presence, and build alignment that functions without constant oversight.
Related: Alignment in Action: A Behavior-Based Leadership Tool for Coaches
Coaches Featured
-Keith Murphy, Special Teams Coordinator
-Tesfa Smith, Defensive Line Coach
Connect on X:
Keith Murphy: @CoachMurphy87
Tesfa Smith: @CoachTesfa
This episode closes the series by showing alignment in its most practical form. Not as vision. Not as identity. But as work that continues when leadership steps back and trusts others to carry it forward.
What’s Next
The Alignment in Action series concludes here, but the conversations continue inside the Coach and Coordinator Network, where additional articles, breakdowns, and an AI companion tool are available to help coaches apply these lessons inside their own programs.