Dan Bauder, the Defensive Coordinator for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, took a page out of the offensive playbook and incorporated a one-word call system into his defensive playbook. This approach, rooted in his journey through various traditional systems, reflects his belief in simplifying communication to maximize players’ speed and understanding on the field. The Journey…
Read More
We are nearing Halloween, and chasing ghosts might seem like the seasonal thing to do. Unless you are a defensive coordinator. Defensive game planning can sometimes feel like chasing ghosts. With countless offensive schemes and potential adjustments, it’s easy to get lost in the possibilities of what the opposition might do. The challenge for coaches…
Read More
We all love to come in the day after they game and fill our goal board up with check marks or decals. However, not every aspect of the game goes as planned. Sometimes, even with the best efforts, teams miss specific goals. Coaches and players regroup and refocus to get back on track. For Chris…
Read More
Sometimes as coaches, we don’t do the important things often enough. We may install something in camp and then forget to emphasize the key principles daily, or in our time crunch of the season, we might save some work for the big moments only. It’s something that two-time national champion Shane Dierking has learned to…
Read More
A good uptempo offense presents one of the toughest challenges for a defense. Coach Matt Tschetter, defensive coordinator at Wartburg College, and his staff actively use strategies to handle this fast-paced, high-pressure style of play. They focus on conditioning the defense to keep up with the tempo, simplifying communication, and drilling game-like tempo in practice….
Read More
At DePauw University, the defense isn’t just a unit—it’s a subculture within the team, driven by trust, communication, and alignment to the team’s culture. As Defensive Coordinator Ryan McElwain puts it, “Defensively, it’s a subculture of our team. We’re all wearing the same colors on Saturday, but within the defense, we push each other to…
Read More
As it has been for the last decade, the Run-Pass Option (RPO) is one of the most challenging offensive schemes for defenses to counter. Teams using RPO continue to be creative in how they stress defenders with dual responsibilities. To combat this, defenses must have precise communication, clear assignments, and above all, discipline. One innovative…
Read More
As a defensive coordinator, your primary goal is to build a relentless, disciplined, and adaptable defense. One of the most powerful tools to achieve this is the self-scout process. While it’s often overlooked or treated as a routine, a well-executed self-scout can be the difference between a defense that merely competes and one that dominates….
Read More
The smart coach knows the importance of limiting big hits in practice to preserve player health, but they still need to prepare their teams for the game’s physical demands. To address this, as a collective, we’ve gone to “thud” and “tag” in practice to limit those hits that take a toll over the course of…
Read More
Brian Vaughn, creator of the renowned Blitzology website, a treasure trove of resources for football coaches, joined us on the Accelerate Everything Series. With over a decade of collegiate coaching experience, Brian is currently the linebackers coach at West Texas A&M University. Here’s what he shared as he and Dub Maddox dove into the complexities…
Read More
Coach and Coordinator is an authoritative clearinghouse of information for the football coaching community. The Coach and Coordinator Difference begins with our service to coaches, not ourselves, and comes to life with our commitment to developing the 10% Coach at all levels of play. This process unlocks the full potential for football coaches everywhere, as well as their families, programs, and players. Our prolific content strategy, inclusive of podcasts, blogs, and courses, delivers uncommon immersive education and engagement opportunities to accelerate what’s possible for anyone willing to put in the work.
