Getting out of your own little world

Some times it is good being the dumbest guy in the room. This was my second day visiting Centre College spring practice. I got to sit in on a defensive meeting, team meeting, QB meeting, and watch practice. I especially enjoyed the kick off return drill work they did today.

Football programs have their own language and verbiage. It is healthy for me to hear a different approach to the game. Football is football. But, the ways we can attack problems and teach the game can have multiple methods. I always think it makes me better when I see and hear a coach teach something in a different way and with different terminology.   It helps me grow as a coach.  It is a great reminder for me that even after 25 years as a head coach, there is a lot I don't know and I still have much to learn.  Experiences like this keep the game fresh for me and keep me on my toes.

Every chance I get, I try to visit quality programs that allow me access to their practices. At Mason County,  I went to Fort Thomas Highlands. Since moving back to Mercer County, I enjoy visiting Centre & Boyle County.  Adding Boyle to the schedule may affect that one a little, but being this close to Centre and the quality of their program is a gold mine for me.   Coach Frye may begin charging me admission to practice! When the day comes that learning & improving are no longer a priority, I will do my team a favor and give up coaching.  But for now, every chance I can get to learn and get better, I am going to take it. 

Leadership Building Block #5

Centre College Spring Practice

I enjoyed watching the Centre Colonels practice yesterday. Great energy and tempo.  Coach Andy Frye is one of the best in the business. It was an honor for me to get to speak to his players after practice.... that does not happen often to the worst Division III scout team quarterback in the history of football.  😀  🏈  This is an elite football program that "Pursues Excellence with a Vengeance!"

https://twitter.com/ChiefSmoke10/status/846838544958148609

Joe McDaniel Field at Farris Stadium, photo by Centre.edu

Leadership Building Blocks #2, #3, & #4

Courage & Change: Emma

Last night Emma completed her last performance of the school play at Mercer County Senior HS.  It is tough to change schools between your sophomore and junior year. My Dad did it, moving from London, Ky to Lawrenceville, IL. Emma did the same thing going from Mason County to Mercer County.

Understandably, she did not want to move from the only place she had known the first 16 years of her life. She was leaving wonderful friends, teachers, and coaches. And, when we moved, it got tougher. My Dad's cancer returned and he died in less than three months after we returned. Our 0-5 start in 2015 was rough on everyone.  At Mason County, she had cheered in a state basketball tournament and the state football quarterfinals. Losing was different and difficult.

With the help of her wonderful friends, teachers, and coaches, Emma has excelled in this move.  She has enjoyed success in the classroom, FCCLA, the choir, and cheerleading. Fortunately, the 2015 football season turned around and we finished strong. She has enjoyed cheering in three state tournaments in basketball, and in one state quarterfinal game in football.  Our cheerleaders won the 12th region her senior year and placed 2nd at the girls state tournament... and got to cheer for the state basketball champion Lady Titans! We are all thankful that we were closer to my Dad in his last days, although it was a very difficult time.

I am very proud of Emma. She has had to fight through a very tough time but handled it extremely well. She and I both are thankful for the tremendous friends, coaches, and teachers that have been absolutely wonderful to her.   Her mom has been the rock for all of us through this transition as well.  It is alot easier to fight through tough times surrounded by extraordinary people. I am thankful for those wonderful people and very proud of my daughter!

The Making of a Titan: Emma Buchanan

Old City School Football..... Nick & George Yeast

If you are around old city school football, you never know who you will run into. One day at Paris, I noticed a car parked near our practice field at Garrard Park.  As I walk closer to the car, I realize that Bill Arnsparger has come to watch our practice!

Tonight, D Smith(UK) & Tyus Short(Ky State U)  announced where they will play college football.  They are both part of the Yeast family and one of the highlights for me tonight was visiting with Nick & George Yeast!

George, me , Nick

Nick & George played against my Dad's Mercer teams in the mid 70s. They were very good players at Harrodsburg HS. Nick went on to a great career at EKU.  George and I have crossed paths several times on Friday nights. George was a part of Bernie Jenkins officiating crew (one of the top crews in Kentucky) and did some of our games when I coached at  both Paris & Mason County. George was an outstanding official, although I did tell him that everyone in Mason County still believes that Corey Jett scored a Touchdown, right at the end of the 1st half, against Rockcastle that night he did our playoff game in 2005!

Nick in 1977, photo by Larry Vaught

George in 1975, photo by Larry Vaught

It's hard for a 51 year old man to feel like a little kid again. But, tonight, standing between George & Nick Yeast, I felt like a 10 year old, and yes, it was even a Friday night!

*After my Dad died, I found all of his old newspaper articles. Trosper organized them into scrapbooks.  I am very thankful for those. I can remember looking forward to getting the Danville Advocate Messenger on Saturday night and reading Larry Vaught's stories on Friday night HS football in our area. HS football is special around here and that was a great era.

Why We Do What We Do..... the timing of Spring Practice

When the KHSAA allowed football coaches to move their spring practice window to later in the spring, many programs chose to move their practice dates to April or May.  That gives them better weather and allows college coaches to visit and watch practice. We have continued to do ours immediately after basketball and here is why:

1- if there are injuries, we have more time to recover before the season begins.  By going early, we get the most opportunities for live contact. I think live contact is very beneficial, but it is tough to get live full-speed reps, and take the ball carrier to the ground, once you get to August. In preseason and inseason, we try to go live but stay on our feet. But, I think we do benefit by TACKLING to the ground in the spring.  I like the extra recovery time that our bodies have available.

2-By going early, our track guys can get back to track immediately. And, they can do both. If it were later in the spring, they could not do both. And, some kids would pick spring football over track... I don't want that to happen. We went early last year at Mercer and our guys went on to win a state title in track.   And, this is still HS. We want our guys to do everything while they can. 

3- It breaks up the offseason best. Outside of the weightroom and Perfection workouts, our guys have a good break from football and their bodies recover until July 10th. They also have time and the opportunity to watch Hudl and review what was new to them in the spring. We can hit those problem areas as needed between now and July 10th and have more flexibility in doing so.

4- Even though college coaches miss our spring practice, they can still come during the evaluation period and watch our guys run routes, throw, do drill work, etc.  Most of the time, they can still see what they want to see. 

5- Our high profile basketball athletes have a very active spring in April on the AAU circuit. I do NOT want them to have to pick between spring football and AAU basketball if I can help it. Basketball is important to them and I get that. You can be great in both, and I am good with working with a kid that wants to do both at a high level. We have a Mr. Basketball candidate on our team that has been to every single spring practice, worked hard, and had a great attitude. I am thankful we have him and I am going to work with him. 

We finish tomorrow with our spring scrimmage. We are banged up a little bit and we have had some very cold days. But, overall our time has been productive and we have had some very much needed live reps, 11 vs. 11.   Besides, it is spring time in Kentucky.  Some times March weather is better than April weather.  It is suppose to be cold!

Fun is good.... Purpose and Service are Better

Coaching HS football is FUN! If that were not the case, we wouldn't do it. Friday night victories, being with our players & coaches, enjoying a productive practice are all times we enjoy.

But, what about the tough times?  How do we navigate those? We have a bunch of tough times when we are coaching football. 

I would argue that everyday that is not enjoyable is actually an exceptional OPPORTUNITY for living out our purpose and serving others. 

The toughest thing I have ever witnessed a coach go through was when Robert Allen Yankey drown on a Friday morning after a football game, 9/25/70.  My Dad was the head coach at Boyle County at that time and Robert Allen was his QB.  That was an awful time and I still remember it very well even though I was only 5 years old. 

Robert Allen & my Dad, October 10, 1969
photo by the Danville Advocate Messenger

Through coming home and also my Dad's death in October of 2015, I have been able to renew friendships with some of my Dad's players both at Boyle and Mercer. One thing that stands out to me in conversations with those old Rebels from 1969 and 1970 is their love for Robert Allen and my Dad. I don't bring it up.... they do. 

There are alot of things I don't understand. But one thing I BELIEVE with all my heart is that my Dad was called to coach those kids and take care of them through a heartbreaking experience.  I can't imagine what it was like to look at those kid's faces and be with those kids on a daily basis in dealing with such an overwhelming tragedy. But, I believe he was the guy to do it.

When a team is going through a tough season, that is when your kids need you the most. When a coach is battling entitlement, lack of discipline/accountability and all the other things that can destroy kids & a school or athletic program, that is when the kids need you the most. I have a very good friend that is fighting these battles on a pretty large scale right now. But, he gets it. He feels prepared for the battle, he loves those kids and his school. He has a fire in his belly to serve with a purpose on a daily basis.

We have spring football today. I hope we do well and I hope it is enjoyable. That would be good. But,  for all of us that coach, a bell should go off in our heads when the tough times hit. Those tough times are when you are at your best as a servant and living out your purpose.  When those tough circumstances attack, hit them with everything you have, and know that you are doing EXACTLY what you were called to do.

Leadership Building Block # 1

Toughness versus Entitlement

We finished our first 5 days of spring practice this morning. We are making progress and showing improvement. I would also add that there have been times that we have looked absolutely ugly.... which is to be expected with a young team in its first few spring practices.

I think the football parts will work themselves out and we will have an opportunity to have a good team. Two things that make me feel good about our team and reinforce to me that I am coaching great kids:

1- Our practice on Tuesday was for 2 hours and the wind chill was 23 degrees. It was cold and even tough for me. Normally, hot or cold, if I am coaching football, I don't pay much attention to the weather. If our kids complained, I never heard it. We struggled in spots, but overall the effort and attitude were very good. I thought our kids showed some toughness during that practice. Kids don't get many opportunities to be tough. Maybe they are tougher than we give them credit. But, Tuesday showed me that our kids are certainly capable of being tough and I was very pleased with them.

2- We had donuts, juice, & chocolate milk for our guys before practice this morning. With out telling them to do so, I think almost every young man said thank you. I did not tell them to clean up. But, there was no mess or trash when we were done today. That is how it should be, but I don't see that much. These guys were appreciative. No signs of entitlement. I HATE entitlement. If we can keep entitlement out of our lockerroom, we will have a much more enjoyable season.

I am old school. I believe if we are tougher, and we are not dealing with entitlement, that we will be a better football team and we will win more games. I think it is difficult to be a winner on the field and a loser off the field. For me, it is either you  are a champion or you are not. I am excited. I think we have some guys that can be champions.

Stealing Reps, Utilizing Quality Coaches, 21st century reality

We had our first day of spring football today and it was a very good start. For the first time, I am not coaching a position. I will continue to call the offense. But, with Trosper, my son, on the way as a QB, I don't need to be his position coach. And, we have a highly qualified, former college QB and former HS head coach on staff in Graham Heasley who is doing a great job with that position. 

Practice flowed much smoother without me worrying about coaching the QBs. It also freed me up to interact with all positions, coaches, and kids. I really liked that part the best. When I coached the QBs, I didn't have that opportunity.

Our incoming freshmen are not allowed to practice with us, but we let them wear sweats and watch. When we can make a coach available, we send them as a group with that coach. Today our incoming frosh were able to run the ropes, use the tackling ring, work on a base block on the 2-man sled, do footwork with bags, work tackling with the tackling dummy, and get some basic installation done in our passing game. 

When we worked punt protection, we pulled our starting QB and four receivers to work some of our basic routes. Ball placement is a major point of emphasis for this spring. And, it is not just on the QB. Our route running must improve and become more consistent. Our protection must improve as well. 

Coach Brian Rowland, our LB coach and DC continues to be more creative in his use of tackling rings. He did some really good stuff with those today during the LB read period.

We transitioned to defensive fundamentals after punt protection. After initial fundamental work, we pulled our kicker, QB and Free Safety.   Our kicker worked PAT & kickoff with his square toe shoe. He will try it out this spring and we will decide what to do going forward.  

Our Free Safety is a Mr. Basketball candidate for next season.  Our QB is also a very talented basketball player. These guys just completed their basketball season this past Tuesday in the region finals.  They got no break between football and basketball season. I really appreciate them being there today.

When I pulled them after some basic defensive fundamental reps in the secondary, they had more time to work on routes together. They have to be on the same page.  That timing will help them and help our team. I told them today, I know you both have a bunch of options and could be doing other things. I will never waste your time.

That is the difference in coaching today's football player, especially the good athletes.  We can't waste their time. We can't waste the talented guy's time. But, we can't waste the time of the incoming freshmen. We can't waste any player's time. We have to be creative & organized when we coach. The faster the tempo the better. We have to keep our guys engaged. If we don't, they have other choices competing for their time.  In the old days, alot of guys played football because that is what was expected and we just did it.  There are still places where that is the culture.  But, those cultures also know what quality coaching/practice look like.  Being a good football coach requires more these days.  I saw a bunch of good assistant football coaches today, keeping kids engaged, and using their time in a constructive & positive way.  I will be the first to admit that we have alot of room for improvement and a long way to go. But, I like the direction we are going. 

Spring Practice 2017

Practice field marked & ready to start spring football

We will begin our spring practice on Monday (3/13). We can adjust from day to day, but every practice schedule is completed and reviewed by our staff before we begin. All offensive period & some scout offensive scripts are done ahead of time as well. The planning ahead makes sure that we get everything covered and we don't leave anything out. 

Our first two days are almost exclusively individual/fundamental work by position and special teams.  The 3rd day we will go 11 on 11 scrimmage. Regardless of how many days we go, the first scrimmage is usually rough and ugly. I like to get that done and start building on the mistakes/corrections ASAP. We have good video to help us get started on what needs to be addressed. 

We will practice from 3:30-5:30 Monday through Thursday this week, Monday through Wednesday the following week.  We will practice Friday morning, 9 am - 11 am because there is no school that day (3/17).  Our spring scrimmage will be on Thursday, 3/23 at 3:30 pm. We are cutting it to 9 days instead of 10 because our track guys need to get back to practice on the 24th, with a meet on the 25th.  Spring practice is the time that our guys will get the most live reps. It is an important time for us. But, we also want our guys to run track. It helps them in football, we have a great track program/coach, and this is their time to be a kid. 

Any HS coach that wants to visit a practice is welcome to attend.  If you see something that will make us better, that helps us. If you want to come by practice, email me at david.buchanan@mercer.kyschools.us.

Golden Lion Great: Jeff Hester

After seeing two former players, I heard a familiar voice coming from the bleachers at the regional basketball tournament. It was my very good friend Coach Jeff Hester! He was a Garrard County Golden Lion back in the day, and a very good one at that.  Our teams played each other in the first game to open the 1982 season in Lancaster.  We were both Captains. Don't ask me who won.

One of the best parts of getting back home is seeing old friends more often. I know we play the Rebels in 2017, but as long as they let me, I will visit their staff and go to practices. I always learn something, but the best part is getting to see and visit with great people.

2016

1982- Jeff is #41 with the old school neck roll

You probably notice from the pictures that Jeff and I have lost some hair and gained some weight since 1982.  I think Coach French and Coach Burke would move us to the offensive line at our current weight.  We may be old, but I think we still got a few Friday nights left in us. And, this time I don't have to worry about him planting his facemask in my ribs.

2 Ts & a JG

Trosper, Jordan Gilbert, old coach, Tee Commodore

Excuse the ridiculous look on my face, but I was really excited to see these guys tonight.  Before there was a T or TD (Trosper) Buchanan, there was a Tee Commodore. Tee was an outstanding WR and DB on my Mason County teams from 1998 to 2001. He was Harry Lewis' back up at QB,,,, and when we put him in, he always did a great job. Jordan was  a great WR, DB & Kicker for us from 2007 through 2010.

Tee Commodore, 2001 photo  by Terry Prather

Tee is now an assistant coach for the EKU men's basketball program. Jordan is an assistant basketball coach at Mercer County. I left that part out.... these guys could play some basketball as well and were very successful!

Jordan Gilbert, 2010 photo by Terry Prather

In the region semifinals tonight, we had a bunch of football guys on the floor. I appreciate coaches that support kids doing multiple sports and our basketball coach, Kurt Young, is one of those coaches.  It reminded me of when Kelly Wells coached Tee and when Chris O'Hearn coached Jordan.

Tee is #2 in Mason County Football history in  career interceptions.  Jordan is #2 in receiving yards. #1 in both categories is Chris Lofton. He was a pretty good basketball/football player also.

I am not crazy about getting old, but tonight was a great night to be an old coach because of these two guys!

High Positive

Yesterday in church, I saw Coach Phil Morse who was the Defensive Coordinator at Centre College for Coach McDaniel back in the mid 80s. 30 years ago, I was in a Sunday School class with Phil, my dad, and Steele Harmon. I learned alot about Jesus and coaching football.

Coach Morse always said there were 4 types of coaches:

High (intensity) Positive

Low Positive

High Negative

Low Negative

He always said High Positive is best. Low negative is the worst. Of all the coaches I have been around, Chuck Smith(Boyle County) was the most intense & Dale Mueller (Highlands) was the most positive.

I don't know anyone that enjoys being around negative people. Kids, athletes, etc. are drawn to positive people. They want to be around them.  You can have high standards AND be positive!