Coach and Coordinator Podcast Tackling, the Tush Push, and More, From Rugby Roots to Football Results with Richie Gray
At AFCA 2026, Keith Grabowski talks with Richie Gray to explore how contact training, tackling methodology, and innovation have reshaped modern football.
Richie shares lessons from his rugby background, his work with USA Football and the NFL, and his belief that better technique and better tools lead to safer, more effective play. The conversation focuses on accuracy, realism, and solving problems through coaching rather than rule changes.
The discussion also touches on the quarterback sneak and tush push. Richie explains how his insight contributed to the play’s early development and why its success comes from timing, personnel, and repetition rather than gimmickry. He emphasizes that defenses must solve the play through coaching detail and structure instead of relying on rule changes.
• How rugby principles influenced modern football tackling • The evolution of the Five Fights tackling system • Why simplicity drives better teaching and execution • Designing tackling equipment that creates realistic contact • Why many common training tools fail to improve accuracy • Early influences behind the quarterback sneak and tush push • Personnel and coaching details that make short-yardage plays work • How defenses should approach solving new offensive trends • Improving late-game lateral and pitch situations • Measuring coaching success by long-term player health
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