Early Season Game Planning Tips

Whether you are on the offensive, defensive, or special teams side of the ball, early season game planning has some nuances in determining exactly what to focus on. It’s a balance of taking what you know about an opponent and their personnel and, to the best of your ability, filling in the blanks with educated projections. More than anything, it is still about building on what you do best.

In this episode, we talk with Mike Judy, the four-time Delaware state champion head coach at Smyrna High School, Dan Carrel, who is Coastal Carolina’s Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach, and Dante Bartee, an Analyst at the University of Oregon to gain their insights into early season game planning. While the focus is more on the defensive side of the ball, their approach works in any phase of the game.

Mike Judy, Head Coach, Smyrna High School

• Dealing with the unknowns of an early season opponent
• What you can get out of a scrimmage film
• Working with the staff to more accurately predict what an opponent is planning on being

Dan Carrel, CO-DC/LB Coach, Coastal Carolina

• It is about what you do best
• An example where they didn’t think ahead about getting ready for things that they’d see from the offense
• Planning for the future

Dante Bartee, Analyst, University of Oregon

• Game planning for early season opponents
• Thoughts on how to work ahead in game plan preparation
• Advice for game plan prep on a smaller staff

Related Episodes:

Dante Bartee: Accelerate Everything

Dan Carrel: Complementary Football

Additional Resources:

Dante Bartee: Thoughts from a First-Time College DC

Dan Carrel: Make Sense of Your Self-Scout

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