Is It Wrong to Be Happy Kentucky Lost?

So is it bad of to be happy that Kentucky lost this weekend?  I don't have any real hatred of Kentucky from the past but I am just glad that they lost and I feel that there is justice in the world.  

So why am I happy that they lost?  It has all to do with their coach John Calipari.  Why the coach you might ask?  I feel that John Calipari has gotten away with too much as a college coach.  Here is a guy who led two programs to Final Four appearances only to have them vacated for violations.  Each time the NCAA found that there was no wrong-doing by Coach Calipari but you have to be kidding.  You are telling me that the head coach of a Division 1 program didn't know all that was happening with his program?  One time maybe but twice?  C'mon there is a pattern there of doing what it takes to win.  

I'm sorry but this is one of the reasons people believe college sports is a problem and that the NCAA is weak.  Coach Calipari in my opinion needs to receive some form of punishment.  Why can a coach leave a program in shambles and nothing happens to him?  However I doubt it will come until maybe Kentucky is found with violations??

Let's compare him to Bobby Knight, the maligned former Head Coach of Indiana and Texas Tech.  Sure Bobby was a jerk on the court.  I am not saying to anyone to follow his coaching style as I don't agree with it.  But let's take count of how many kids he graduated from college?  How many NCAA violations did he have as a coach?  But people seem to have more of a problem with him than they do with Calipari who is getting schools in trouble.

Well these are my thoughts, I know as a coach I really shouldn't blast anyone else but I think that coaches need to start cleaning up their ranks.

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Ready for Football Season

With all the colleges having their spring practices I am itching for football to get going.  I just want to be able to get out there with the kids and start running drills.  Uggh I am just driving myself crazy thinking about it.  Well I just wanted to write this quick note.  Football season is coming oh yeah!!!

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A-11 Safer to Prevent Concussions??

So there is a new article on Rivals High about the A-11 offense claiming to offer safer benefits.  Why do they claim this?

The creators of the A-11 football offense have seen their new-age style of play both lauded and loathed in recent years. 

This winter - while talk of concussions, head trauma and overall safety is being examined at all levels of play - they are joining the discussion. Instead of selling the merits of a fast-paced everyone-eligible game based on skills instead of size, they are promoting a different aspect. 

It may be safer. 

Kurt Bryan, a co-creator of the offense and its biggest advocate, says his offense has inherent benefits that help minimize concussions and other injuries. 

"It is either a lucky coincidence or there are clear and defined benefits of running the A-11," Bryan said. 

His team, Piedmont (Calif.) High, has run the A-11 offense for 33 games but has yet to have a single major injury - as defined by an injury that causes a player to miss 21 days or more.

Wow that sure is proof.  33 games and no major injury.   That seals it, we better go to the A-11.  Nevermind that our most major injury from the last few seasons occurred with our DE chasing down a player from behind after he caught a screen pass from a spread offense.  Wait if the A-11 is more spread and out safe how did that happen to our player?
Then you have a football guru on the internet who has a quote attributed to him that pissed off many coaches I know.

John T. Reed, who has authored 18 books on sports, including the widely respected "Football Clock Management", spoke on behalf of the A-11 at a recent meeting to ban the offense by the California Interscholastic Federation. 

Reed, who has his criticisms of the offense, does see health-conscious reasons for running the uniquely spread-out attack. 

"I think the health benefits outweigh the criticisms of the offense," Reed said. "It is a moral outrage for football coaches to get kids to violate medical advices."

 Well I have never put a player back into a game without talking to a trainer first.  In fact none of our coaches have.  I've had players come up to me and say they are clear to go back in and instead go check with the trainer before I let the kid in the game don't generalize me John.  I have my own feelings about the A-11 and I just think coaches are tired of the constant marketing by Kurt Bryan about this offense.  But this article about the A-11 being safer is a load of crap to me, but that is just my own thoughts.

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Congrats to Timpview Basketball State Champs 2010

State Champions in 4A for the State of Utah!!!  They won 55-43 to clinch a title in the same year as the football team.  Proud of those players and yeah 3 of the starters return next year.  Next year will be a very interesting season!!!

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Timpview vs Mountain Crest for State Basketball 2010

Well Christian Covey (starting QB next year) hit the game winning 3 last night with no time left in the game to send Timpview on to the state championship vs Mountain Crest.  Should be an interesting game and hope my T-Birds win but we will see what happens.

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Timpview Men's Basketball in State Semifinals Tonight

Even though I just coach football for right now, many of our players from the State Championship football team are playing in the game tonight.  They play Highland of SLC in the semifinals and if they win could play our crosstown rivals Provo in the state championship game.  I am really proud of this team, they have made this run without Bronson Kaufusi (lost to injury) who could be a D-1 basketball player in addition to football.  I will be watching the game tonight and wish these players the best.

Go THUNDERBIRDS.

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Speed on Defense

One thing that I really like about our defense is that we go more for speed on defense.  To play on our defense you have to be a runner never stopping till the play is over.  Other coaches that have seen our game film are impressed with our defense all being by the ball as the play ends.  We drill that with our defense like crazy, they all have to run to the ball.

Some look at our defensive line especially this last season and you might have thought how are these guys stopping the run game?  We weren't super big up front but we used proper technique and were faster than opposing lines allowing us to get off the ball quicker and control the line.

Many times we would play teams that had big huge guys on the line but weren't quick to the ball.  You would see on our offense where our team would run away from these players that if they were quicker would have been able to stop a big play from happening.

Were I to take over a defense the first rule is find those that are able to be fast on defense and run to the ball. If you want to play on the defensive side of the ball for me, then you need to be persistent in running to the ball at all times.

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3 Best Run Plays

If someone were to ask me what our three best run plays are I would say inside zone, outside zone, and counter.  Personally I love when we run QB counter, it's probably one of our best plays and fun to watch when run correctly.

I already posted about the inside zone so I figured I should talk about the outside zone and counter.  Here is a 5 minute video regarding running the outside zone and counter.  The video quality isn't the best, but watch how the O-line does with the double teams and getting their hips around in front of the blocker.  Unfortunately you can't hear the sound of the coaching points.



I hope that the first thing you notice is how there are a lot of cutback lanes with the outside zone.  This is because the defense starts to run hard to the outside allowing there to be cutback lanes.  The most important blocks for this play to succeed is the Guard/Tackle combo play side.  As they take their steps it is important that the O-line take a nice lateral step to try and hook around the defender to open the outside for the back.  If the defender has beaten them to the outside, then the line will just push the defender to the sideline.

Play side OG and OT work in combination to block both the play side DE and LB in the play.  As they both step together whatever the DE does will tell them who is coming off to backer.  The clip shows various times where the OG steps over and bumps the OT off to the backer; while the OT takes the DE out and the OG steps up to the LB in other clips.  The aiming point for the back is the butt of the tackle.  Our RB coach teaches the backs that as they are running this play if he sees opposing helmet on the outside of the OT then he cuts up.  If opposing helmet is inside of OT then take it to the outside.

Another key to successful OZ is getting the defensive players to run with you.  Staying engaged and having them run actually will open up those running lanes that will allow your back to find a lane and hit it hard.  As you see in the video there were times when even pro players over ran the zone allowing for more yards to be gained.  From what I have heard a lot of teams prefer to run outside zone first then go to inside zone once they have the defense over pursuing.

As you watch the counter, notice that the pulling players are trying to get to outside of the line and lead up for the back.  However also notice that the pulling players don't allow a defensive player to cross their face.  You have plays where the pulling players don't make it to the end of the line but pick up the opposing player to allow the back to run.

Key to this play is that the back follow the second pulling player through the hole.  Once through the hole, the back then leaves the tackle and runs to daylight.  We don't run counter exactly the way it is shown in the video but I will write more about that later.

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