My plan for getting fired

I like to plan for everything(Bill Walsh influence).... even "what to do if I am getting ready to get fired." In September of 2012, we had lost 7 games in a row(going back to 2011), and #7 was the ugliest of all. John Combs was a sophomore and I began to be concerned that I was not going to be able to be his coach all through high school because we were performing so poorly.

So, the thought went through my mind, "If I am about to get fired, how am I going out and how do I want to be remembered?"  

This is what I came up with:
1- I wanted the kids to say that I never blamed them for the losses. 
2- I wanted my players to say that I was positive and believed in them until the very last day.
3- I wanted them to say I worked like a dog to help them be the best they could be until the day I was fired. 

When I would walk into the lockerroom after loss #7, I focused on being the coach that made all of those things happen. It helped me know what I needed to do.

The Wednesday morning after loss #7 (we practiced at 6:25 am before school every Wednesday) our water system was not working, the humidity was near 100 %, and, according to John Combs, we ran at least 100 grass drills that practice. It was  rough. But, one thing about it, if you continue to do things right and hold your kids accountable, the only ones left after a 7 game losing streak are great kids who are tougher than nails. All the weak ones have jumped ship.

We finally ended the streak at 7 with a win over Harrison County. We played our tails off at Highlands the next week, but we were in over our heads. After that, we WON seven games in a row, won our district championship, and reached the state quarterfinals!  Then, in 2013, those guys became the first team in school history to go 12-0 and made it to the state quarterfinals again.

John Combs & Reese Menke in the district championship victory at Fleming, October 2012, photo by Cheri Johnson

We got things turned around because we had great kids and assistant coaches. There is no substitute for surrounding yourself with great people. But, I could have derailed their success with a poor attitude.  I was glad that I had prepared to get fired. It made me a better coach.

Rashon Nelson in Playoff Round #2, November 2012, photo by Terry Prather

One of my favorite books is Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.  In telling about his survival in a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl makes it clear that no circumstance can ever take away our ability to choose our attitude and to serve others. No one, no circumstance, can deny that freedom that we all possess.

Mason Sargent with a TD catch, Playoff  Round #2, November 2013 photo by Terry Prather

Staff Meeting, November 2013 photo by Zack Klemme

The next time you are in a tough spot, think about how you want to handle it and how you want to be remembered. Be that person. Who knows.... it may turn out alot better than you think!

"Halftime" talk, Thursday, 11/21/13, photo by Danny Weddle

Paying attention..... and say what needs to be said, NOW

From Black Shoes & White Shoestrings: Football & Life Lessons from Old Coaches

thank you to Robert Allen Yankey and his family. Robert Allen was a tremendous role model for me.  In a very short time on this earth, he impacted the people around him in a powerful and positive way.   I have tried to be the man that Robert Allen was and would have been. I have also tried to be the man that can live up to being “John’s boy”- John Buchanan’s son.   I have fallen short more times than I can count, but I am thankful that God used them to show me what a man of God looks like.

I never meant to write a book. It all started as writing a column for the Maysville Ledger Independent on old football coaches.  But,  people began to tell me, "add some pictures and make these columns a book."  At some point, the book idea became a sense of urgency to get the book done.  As I experienced this sense of urgency, the other thought going through my head would be, "Why am I writing a book and no one wants to read a book written by me!"  It was insane. I had two very different and conflicting thoughts running through my head.  

The sense of urgency to get the book done would wake me up at night. I had to get the book done. Finally, in November of 2014, the book was printed. Stephanie and I were overwhelmed when they got to the house. We had made a significant financial commitment to see this through as a self-published author.  Everyone knows this already, but I have a wonderful and supportive wife who hangs in there with me when we go through stuff like this.

No one was happier or more pleased with my book than my Dad was when it finally was published. He didn't get excited about much. But, he loved my book. I guess he should have. I tell everyone the stars of the book were my Dad and Jesus.

That winter, one night in Maysville, he and I were sitting next to each other at a family meal. He looks at me and he says,  "No, you haven't."  I say, "What are you talking about?" He says, " You have not 'fallen short' of living up to being his son."  He was referring to the quote at the top of this blog. I knew my Dad loved me and was proud of me. But, I usually got his praise 2nd hand. 20th century Dad's hold back on emotion and public praise. For him to verbalize that was different and it really made an impression on me. 

At the time my Dad made that comment, I had no idea that we had just a few months left together on this earth. My book was published in November of 2014. He died on October 1st, 2015. The sense of urgency, I finally get it.... I HAD to get that book done for my Dad.  I had no idea why it had to get done, but I knew the clock was ticking and it had to happen. 

The last Monday in September of 2015, I went to the house to take my Dad to the doctor. The plan was to stop chemo for a few days so he could bounce back and feel better at least in the short term. By that evening he could no longer speak. We would never have a conversation again. 

If you have a sense of urgency to do something, pay attention. Is it consistent with God's Word and plan for your life?  If you have something to say to someone you love, say it NOW. 

At the time I was prepping that book and in a hurry to complete it, I thought I was nuts. Today, it makes sense. Praise God.

Payback... Paris Greyhounds

Congratulations to the Paris Greyhounds basketball team on their All A State Championship!

Here is an excerpt from Black Shoes & White Shoestrings from the chapter on Raymond Webb, which has some good Paris Greyhounds stuff in in it. 

“David, what the hell did they do to you last year?” That was the first time I ever got that question from a football referee. But, this football official was Raymond Webb.  Coach Webb had been the football and wrestling coach at Frankfort High. ......

When Coach Webb became a football official, I always wanted him for our games.  He let our kids play. He wasn’t scared of kids and he wasn’t scared of teams that played a physical brand of football.   The night he asked me that question about the previous year, he told me, “Your kids keep saying, “Payback. Payback.”  Our Paris kids were talking about the 1993 Campbellsville game.  In 93, Campbellsville had been ranked number one in our  and beat us 3 TDs at their place. The 94 game was much different. Our kids played very well and were exceptionally physical.  Some times I felt like officials were scared of how hard our kids hit. With Coach Webb, I would have expected him to call me out if we did not hit. His Frankfort teams liked to hit and he was a great fit with our kids on a Friday night.

You can read more on the old Greyhounds in Black Shoes & White Shoestrings: Football & Life Lessons from Old Coaches.

Tony Dungy, Chuck Noll, & Bill Belichick

Here is an excerpt from Black Shoes & White Shoestrings on Tony Dungy, Chuck Noll, & Bill Belichick:

As a football coach, Coach Dungy stresses the concept that the key to post season success is to continue to do what you do and be who you are. He points to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots as a prime example of a team that continues to do and be what it is all through the season. According to Coach Dungy, the secret to the Patriots is Belichick’s wisdom in not adding things special for the postseason. Coach Dungy played for Chuck Noll, the Hall of Fame coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who won four Super Bowls.  Chuck Noll was the first coach he witnessed to follow that lesson- continue into the postseason to be who you are and do what you do.

Coach Dungy uses the David & Goliath story to illustrate that point in his book, Quiet Strength.  In prepping his Colts for their 2007 AFC Championship win over the Patriots, he pointed out that David rejected King Saul’s armor for the battle because he was not use to it. David went into battle doing what he always did.  Of course, David was victorious and the Colts were as well.

Before reading Coach Dungy’s book, I learned he was right the hard way.  In 1999, when we were preparing for a great opponent in Lexington Catholic, we used a formation that was too big of a change. They were the better team, but I didn’t help us by making our team uncomfortable. I had thought they were too quick up front for us to block them. I was wrong. When we settled in to doing what we could do, our kids played well on the offensive side of the ball.  We had also placed our defensive ends in an uncomfortable spot by having them drop and cover the flat from our 50 front. That was the last night that a 50 was our base defense. 

In 2003 when we were getting ready for Highlands, I had the same concern that they were too quick up front for us to block them. But, I remembered the lesson from 1999 and gave our kids a chance to block them. We didn’t win the game but we did well enough to have a chance to win and we did play the best game we have played in my seventeen seasons here.

If you want to purchase a copy of Black Shoes & White Shoestrings: Football and Life Lessons, go to the top of this blog and use the Pay Pal Buy Button.   Some of the other NFL coaches included in Black Shoes & White Shoestrings  are Bill Arnsparger, Billl Walsh, Brian Billick, Blanton Collier, & Vince Lombardi.

Financing a Football Program: Dysfunction to Normal to Good

When we got started at Mercer County in the spring of 2015,  our financial situation was not very good. There was little money to buy the extras. In fact, the QB Club had bought the footballs the season prior to my arrival. It is never good practice to depend on boosters, parents, and fundraising to pay for the basics. The potential for conflict of interest and inappropriate outside influence on a program is substantial.

In the spring of 2017, we have our house in order. Our football program receives a budget from our athletic program. We are fortunate to have an outstanding, proactive Athletic Director in Donald Smith. That budget is funded by our gate receipts and pays for basic equipment and reconditioning. Our QB Club pays for our Pr1de gear, banquet, senior night, travel, and other miscellaneous, extra items. 

And, our sponsorship program has been able to increase the funds in our school football account to the point that we have been able to make some significant purchases for our program. 

We have sponsors for the following: games, field signs, football events & players of the game. 

 These sponsorships have created a steady stream of income. Just in the past month, we have been able to buy four tackling rings and two sets of plyometric boxes.  Those purchases will immediately impact our program and help our kids improve.

We still have a long way to go, but our finances are definitely headed in the right direction. We try to have a balance of spending now for what we need, but also putting back money for when we get hit with a big ticket need... if our sled falls apart, we have to have a plan to buy a new one.

The fall of 2017 will be my 26th year as a head coach. I have had alot of practice in figuring out how to pay the bills so you can get what you need for your kids. If you would like more information on our sponsorship programs, you can email me at coachdavidbuchanan@gmail.com. 

Being a football coach is much more fun when you are on the field than when you are paying the bills. Our sponsorship program has given us an effective way to get the extras we need while keeping our focus on what happens between the white lines. 

Tackling Drill with Tackling Rings: More good drill work

Here is another great drill from Coach Brian Rowland. The inside LBs react to their key and scrape to the ball. It is a race. The frontside LB tries to get to the frontside of the ring and the backside LB tries to get to the backside of the ring... first. 

It is great that we are able to practice tackling in February without pads. We need to the work and this is a safe way to get in the reps that we need.

Good job Coach Rowland!

Building a Program & Coaching Staff: Technique Practice

Over the past few days I have talked to a couple young head coaches who are looking to build a staff. It reminded me of the conversations I had with Chuck Smith, 25 years ago, when we were young head coaches and trying to build a staff.  He was at Boyle and I was at Paris.

The issue: when you are trying to build a staff, and you are short on coaches, and possibly the ones you do have are young ones, how do you help those guys be successful?  And, how do you make sure your practices are productive as you build your program, with players & coaches that are new to your system?  And, the likelihood is that if you are taking over a program, they are struggling.

The answer we came up with was "technique practice." For one hour, the entire staff coached the same position. When that hour was over, the next position group came in and we coached them for an hour. 

Chuck & I had one major difference. He would do offensive positions one day in the morning. Then, at night, the entire team returned for team offensive practice.  The following day he would do defensive positions in the morning, and team defensive practice at night.

At Mason County, we did every position individually for four days. Our schedule ran like this, and every coach was at every practice:

8 am: defensive line
9 am: defensive ends
10 am: linebackers
11 am: defensive backs
Noon: lunch
1 pm offensive line & TEs
2 pm: WRs & TEs w/ QBs
3 pm: RBs & QBs

It was brutal! 7 hour days on the field for the coaches, often in scorching hot weather. But, it was best for our program. 

It insured that our new coaches understood what to teach and how to teach it. And, we were bad when we got started. We needed the immersion in working fundamentals for our players. The Mason County kids were athletic and good character guys, but were not initially high football IQ guys. That got much better the further we went.

I also liked the seven hour days because it demonstrated my commitment to the kids, program and the community. It helped our staff understand the level of commitment that was needed from them. And, after a staff of coaches goes through that type of preseason, they are heavily invested in making sure the team is successful.  It sent a clear message to everyone that we were willing to do whatever is necessary to help our kids enjoy success and winning.

Finally after a few years of technique practice, Shawn Thompson, our defensive coordinator at Mason County asked me, "Coach, can we all just do our own position for technique practice?  We know what needs to be done."  I agreed to it and we went to standard 3-a-days that were all technique for the first 4 days.

When we started having spring practice, I told our guys that if it went well, we would cut technique practice from 4 days to 2 days.  With the changing of preseason rules, our first two days are still technique practice but we add on some team and special teams stuff at the end of our 3 hour practice, which we only have once a day now.  It is easier to plan and organize one 3 hour practice each day in the preseason than to manage the different rules and requirements for contact, etc. And, unlike Mason County, Mercer County is a large county. It is easier for kids to get here once a day than twice a day.... although when we did 3-a-days we kept the kids there the entire day.

I am not sure I will ever need to do the 7 hour technique practices again. With the staff we have currently at Mercer, that would be counterproductive. But, I won't lie to you... I would like to do those 7 hour practices at least ONE MORE TIME before I finish coaching. Very tough days, but great days. I mean... If you love football.....YOU LOVE FOOTBALL!  

Photos from the Maysville Ledger Independent in August of 1998.

A Parent's Guide to Football Camp: This is how we did it

This time of year, parents begin to ask me about summer camps for their son. Here is how I handled it when I coached my oldest son, John Combs.

He went to three tough camps that worked him hard and helped him improve at the linebacker position. Before his freshman season, he spent 3 days at the UK camp, working with Chuck Smith. Before his sophomore season, he spent three days at the Tennessee camp, working with Sal Sunseri. Prior to his junior year, he spent three days at the Notre Dame camp with Bob Diaco.

Google those 3 names... GREAT LINEBACKER COACHES!!

He got three tough days of hard work at each place with great coaching. At Tennessee, he had to compete daily with guys that were DBs in HS but thought they were too slow for that spot at UT, therefore they were working at LB. At Notre Dame, he primarily worked with guys that thought they were too small to be defensive linemen at that level, but were trying to play LB.  John Combs had to work extremely hard to compete with those guys at camp and meet the expectations of this group of very demanding coaches. Coach Smith was tougher on him because of our friendship. At the other camps, he was just another guy... and that was good as well.  At Tennessee when they got tired, they were instructed to put their hands on their helmet and stand up. When John Combs did that at Notre Dame, Coach Diaco asked him if he was surrendering and if not, take your hands off the top of your helmet! Lol. It was a great experience for him in so many ways.

To get a great work experience at camp, you do NOT have to attend a BCS camp. Georgetown College hosts a 3 day work camp. The Tigers have an outstanding program and do a wonderful job with the kids that attend there. Trosper will likely attend their camp at some point.

John Combs in the blue helmet one morning at Notre Dame camp, June of 2013. The golden dome in the background!

Before his senior season, John Combs attended one day camps at Princeton and Yale. Princeton's interest had been significant.  Yale had shown a little interest.... and we wanted to visit Yale!

Looking back on it, I think we did it right. Spend the early part of HS working to get better. Before your senior season, and if the level of interest is significant potentially junior season as well, attend camps of the schools that are showing the most interest. If no one is showing interest, pick a school where your chances to play are the most realistic and attend their camp or camps their staff is attending before your senior season.

He also benefitted from having great position coaches at Mason County... Larry Harris, Chris Ullery, & Jonathan Thomas. He had very good defensive lines in front of him as a junior and senior. A strong defensive line is a linebacker's best friend because it makes it tough for the offensive linemen to block the linebackers.  No amount of camp experiences can diminish the team concept that drives the game of football.  Parents and players both need to remember that.

As a Dad, the trips to Notre Dame, Tennessee, Princeton, & Yale are great memories. I am really glad we did those. And, I believe that my son became the best football player he could become.   Both individually and as a team, he enjoyed a bunch of success and had a very rewarding HS football experience.

If you have specific questions about your son and summer football camps, please email me at coachdavidbuchanan@gmail.com.

Bottom line, help your son enjoy the summer camp experience and playing HS football. It is a special time that goes by way too fast.

Signs: A good one.... and spring football is on the way

My good friend Bruce Jones brought back our helmets today from the reconditioner, Capital Varsity. Bruce does a great job making sure our stuff is right when it gets back to us and I really appreciate that about him. 

As we popped open those boxes and got out our helmets, which always look new when they get back from the reconditioner, I felt like a little kid again. I am thankful that I am getting ready for another season of football. 

It always takes me back to when I was four years old and my mom took me out to see my Dad one summer afternoon at Boyle County. He and the coaches had been spray painting all of their helmets in Green Bay gold. I can still see all those helmets, freshly spray painted, on the sidewalk and grass around the back door of the HS. 

I will be 52 when we kick off in 2017. The first football season I can remember, I was 3 years old & my Dad was an assistant at Lafayette.  I am just excited about this season as any over the past 50 years.

HS football and Friday nights are special.  I have many flaws. But, one thing I am thankful for is that I am smart enough to appreciate my players & coaches and what each season means to all of us. 

I think it is a good sign that I still get excited when our stuff comes back from the reconditioner. If that ever changes, that will be an indication that it may be time for me to hang it up.

Bruce and I got to eat breakfast together this morning and I am glad for the friends that I have made through this great game. Enjoy the Super Bowl tomorrow and before you know it,  we will be passing out gear for spring practice.