From the Archives: In this strange 2020 season, the things we talk about but usually don’t happen are happening. Case in point – Penn State vs. Indiana. It’s the end of the game and up 1 all Penn State has to do is get a first down and run out the clock. It’s actually not to their advantage to score. The only thing Indiana can do to have a chance is to let them score. The intricacies involved in coaching this up on either side of it come down to preparation.
Former college head coach Rob Ash and I discussed this on Coach and Coordinator Podcast. Simply stated, it’s something that needs to be practiced and there should be a mechanism in both the defense to let the offense score, and for the offense to know not to score. It could be a code word for the offense that gets tagged into the call. The defense obviously has to have a call for this as well, and the best coaches know all of it must be practiced. Rule of thumb: Never do something in a game that hasn’t been practiced!
Penn State mistakenly scored and it came down to a controversial two-point play in overtime to end it and give the Hoosier the upset.
Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is Rob Ash, director of coaching development at Championship Analytics, Inc., which helps coaches strategize through analytics. Ash spent 36 years as a head coach at the FCS and NCAA Division III levels before working as an offensive analyst at Arkansas. His coaching stops included Montana State (2007-15), Drake (1989-2006) and Juniata College (1980-88).
In the podcast, Ash and host Keith Grabowski discuss his coaching career and the ever-evolving world of football analytics.
Show Notes:
1:38 What got Ash into coaching
3:26 Learning to be a head coach at a young age
5:01 Creating a successful program at Drake
8:21 Building culture at the FCS level
10:52 Changes in recruiting and student-athlete development
13:00 Transition from head coach to offensive analyst
15:57 Future of analytics in football
21:20 Using Championship Analytics in an up-tempo offense
23:36 Analytics as part of the pre-game game plan
29:16 Using analytics on the defensive side of the ball
34:50 Practicing in-game situations within analytics coaching
39:25 The ever-changing two-point chart
42:25 Small college and high school use for CAI
43:51 Recommendations of how high school coaches can use basic analytics
Free Course: The Analytics of Two-Point Conversions (You Might Be Surprised)
