The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel

Every coach in the game has a “best” player on defense. They may or may not be a talent that will move on in the game. But, we all need to know how to identify who our best player is in each position group, and where to play them within that group on Friday nights. In this episode we’re talking about why you need to identify your best players, which player in each position group is really your best, and which position you should play them in depending on your overall defensive scheme. 

When it comes to learning how to coach football, we all have to start somewhere. Everyone’s starting point will be different, and for various reasons. Some of us start coaching after successful playing careers and learning comes easy, some of us haven’t touched a football in 10+ years and it feels like the lingo is in a different language. Some start with highly successful mentors that pass on their techniques, others start from scratch with nothing but a desire for self-improvement.  In this episode, we’re discussing Daniel’s start to his coaching career, why he decided to become a coach, and what methods he found useful in learning how to coach football.

How to call football plays from the sideline is one of the most asked questions from new coordinators or play callers. Everyone does it a little differently, and even if you have a way, you may be looking for a more efficient method. In this episode, we will discuss exactly that. How do we like to call plays, whether on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, and what are some pros and cons for each method we’ve tried.

Defensive line drills can be a key piece to having your big boys playing their most efficient, most effective football. They’re not the only tool you need in your toolbox, but one you need without a doubt. In this episode we’re talking ways to improve your players with defensive line drills and focusing on the fundamentals of D-Line play.

Every coach is looking for the best football fundraising ideas. It’s part of the job. Regardless of your school size, being a good steward of the program’s finances is a key to success.  Whether you’re trying to bring money in, or stop the flow of money going out, you need to be on top of the organization’s “check book” to ensure you have the finances to continuously be improving. In this episode, learn the best football fundraising ideas for your team. Find out how to get control of finances, control how much you spend, and increase money coming into your program this season. 

RPO plays have changed the game on both sides of the football. Run Pass Option offenses are not just at the college level and big high schools, though. You can use these schemes in your small school football offense. In this episode, we’re talking to back-to-back Oklahoma State Champion coach Lynn Shackelford from Cashion High School (Cashion, OK) about his evolution into RPO plays, how they helped his teams perform well above their expectations, and how he’s using them today to keep adding 1A state championships to his trophy case.

Are you still scared of playing press man coverage? Man coverages seems to be every DC’s “off” coverage, usually to compliment cover 3 or in blitzing situations. But, seemingly just as many coaches stay away from man coverage all together for their own personal reasons. On this episode, we’re speaking with Sooner legend, NFL GREAT, and Owasso Rams DB Coach Dominique Franks about how press man technique changed for him at each level of the game, and how he’s successfully coaching it now to the CBs at Owasso High School (Owasso, OK).  

As the season comes to a close, we’re all evaluating where our strengths and shortcomings were this fall. More than likely, many of us have found that there is improvement needed in the strength and speed departments of our team. In this episode we discuss the why, the what, and the how of preparing football workouts and building a successful weight room program.