Blanton Collier: Coaching the Eyes In His Words

Kay Collier Mclaughlin was kind enough to share some of her family treasures with me and my family. Part of the deal is that I share this with others. I am honored to do so. What a wonderful privilege.

If you love football, teaching, coaching, & attention to detail this document is for you. It is an insight into the genius of Blanton Collier. He took his military training in WW 2 and turned those lessons into becoming one of the most innovative minds in the game of football.

"Coaching the eyes" was a foundation of his coaching. It is an area often neglected, but the good ones are deliberate. Coach Bill Curry put a single stripe on the UK football helmets to help his staff coach the eyes... they could tell what their players were watching.

Hope you enjoy this. Please share it. If you are like me, you love this stuff and will appreciate. And, it is handwritten. Very cool.

#CaptainGeorge

Gameplanning : Stealing Ideas from the Greats and Building a System that Works

 

The workload on a Saturday morning is substantial, especially when you got very little sleep the night before. My goal is to be in bed by 2 am after a ball game. The next day it is time to get up and start working on the next game. This game plan procedure has been tweaked over 30 years of being a head coach. It has been efficient and effective. 

This plan has roots in much better coaches than myself. The biggest influencers:

1- Bill Walsh’s Finding the Winning Edge- best book for organizing a football program.

2- Brian Billick’s Developing an Offensive Gameplan- the foundation of how we build our script and gameplan each week. Completely changed how we prepare our offense on a weekly basis.

3- Chuck Smith- UK LB Coach & six-time HS state champion. We coached together when he was the DC at Mercer. His LB’s always called the play the scout team was about to run. Our process tries to eliminate that for our opponent as much as possible. 

4- Roger Gruneisen & Jim Kennedy- our offense is an evolved version of their offense, from the late 60’s and early 70’s at Trinity HS in Louisville. The basis is that you can run a small number of plays but from a large variety of looks and formations. 

5- Homer Smith -Manuals on Football- best source ever on offensive football, gameplanning, attacking a defense, etc. 

Here are the steps to building our offensive gameplan:

1- Offseason Scouting Report on Hudl: Before Christmas vacation -for every team on our schedule for the next season, we will have a scouting report on their defense. In Hudl, it will be labeled under “Opponent Scout” as….”Henry  Co. Defense: 2021 Prep.”

If we have played them the previous season, that is the foundation for this prep work. If it is a new opponent, we try to get video on opponents similar to us, and as late in the season as possible.  I will look for top returning players for the next season. 

A key component to all scouting reports, offseason and in season is the NOTES column we have added for HUDL. This column helps us organize the information and put the scouting report in the order we want our team to watch it. 

       

Some of the info in the NOTES column is self-explanatory.  Every playlist will contain the following:

3/4 & SH: 3rd & 4th Down, short yardage

4/3 & LONG: 3rd & 4th Down, long yardage

RZ: Red Zone

GL: Goalline

1MC means it is their first snap against us. In the example provided, it is their first snap vs. CAL(1CAL). 

Stunts, secondary coverages, exceptional players…. Anything you want can be identified in the NOTES column. For me, this is more efficient than entering data into every field.  I can go to exactly what I think our guys need to see. 

In the NOTES column and in the Hudl notes themselves, I will highlight the BEST defenders. 

Some coaches love to build a gameplan around attacking weaker personnel. That has a place. If you are playing a really good team that is winning, they probably won’t change much and you are probably OK. But, for sure, the good ones are going to be where they should be and you better be prepared for that. You can prep for the bad players, attacking a weakness, your offense takes the field…. And the bad player is on the bench!

After a big playoff upset one November, the opposing coach…. Multiple state titles and hall of fame coach, told me that I had really screwed up his offensive gameplan because I had replaced our weakest defender. My response was that we had needed the bodies through the season, but I knew against his team in that game, he would be a huge weakness and they would exploit him. Our good defenders…. They were right where they had been all season. That part rarely changes for any team. 

I highlight the BEST defenders because you can’t focus on everything. I want to make sure our guys know who we must block to win. And, it builds a healthy respect for your opponent. Focusing on the weak links will set your guys up to be over confident.  No matter the record, EVERY team has a best defender. That can really help your team get the right mindset. 

2- Pre Saturday Prep: Two Wednesdays before we Play- We practice before school every Wednesday.  After that practice, I will do a preliminary scouting report/ playlist for the opponent after this Friday’s game. I will use the same NOTES column to be organized. One timesaver is to get on the KHSAA webpage…. Who is leading the team in tackles, interceptions and fumbles?  That is great head start to looking for the best players. Because there is little time, I start with two filters:

1. 3rd & 4th down 2) YL: between the 1 and 20 (Goalline & RedZone)

If I have enough time, I will add Hudl notes and to the plays that have been filtered. If I don’t have time, I just add the right term in the NOTES column so I can find it on Saturday morning. 

Also, for many defensive coaches, who they are on 3rd/4th down, who they are in the RedZone…. That is who they are! The best video on any coach…. What does he do when the game is on the line…. Especially a game they must win to advance in the postseason.  

Also on Wednesday, I will do a skeleton of the practice schedules for the following week as well as set up the game script format, including pregame itinerary, so that again, it is ready to go on Saturday. One of the biggest takeaway’s from Bill Walsh’s book is that anything you can do ahead of time, do it.  Saturday morning, I am operating on very little sleep. If I can have part of the work for that week already complete, it makes me much more effective, not to mention a huge morale boost. 

3- Building the Scouting Report on HUDL: Saturday Morning- When I get to the office on Saturday morning, the previous game should be over for me. Our position coaches do a great job with feedback for our kids. My number one job with postgame video…. If something did not work, what was the problem?  That gives me a laser focus on what is most important.  Once I have answered that question and begun to work on solutions to those problems, it is time to prepare for the next game. 

I will also take a sharpie and mark through the plays on our script that we actually ran in the game. If there are plays left over that will work versus this defense, that is a great head start. Many of our special situation scripts, we can go several weeks, practice those situations, but never need them. When we do need them, we are glad to have them and glad for the large practice reps for a critical situation. 

By now, I should have the last two games on our next opponent. This part is archaic. After entering ODK, I go through it, play by play, and begin to put info into the NOTES column. I can do that faster than I can send it to HUDL assist. 

Once I have been through all of the video available, I will do a filter of every game or playlist with our opponent’s defense. Now, the only filter I need is NOTES…. That will incorporate everything I want our guys to see. I really like to have a scouting report playlist under 20 plays, but it can grow to 40 or more… which is great for me, but not what I want for our kids.  

Once the playlist is built, I put it in order. The list begins with their 1st snap and base defense from the games scouted. All the following are listed together: 3rd / 4th & Short; 3rd / 4th & Long; RedZone and Goalline. Those four groups go at the very end of the playlist scouting report. We do not use paper scouting reports. My goal is to send our team that scouting report by Noon on Saturday. 

By the time I send the scouting report, I have a good idea of what we are facing defensively. Homer Smith says that conventional names for defenses (4-3 for example) are a poor ways to look at a defense. We look for spacing and the technique played by the front, in addition to the fundamentals and techniques of the other defenders. One 3-5 you can attack like it is an old 5-3. Another 3-5 will turn into a Bear front when the ball is snapped. 

One thing I have to watch…. The older I get, I prefer running certain plays vs. certain surfaces, schemes & techniques. When I was younger, we basically ran everything we had vs. any look with few exceptions. We can still do that, but not really what I want to do.

Also, if your opponent is switching defensive schemes, take advantage of the tougher parts of the scheme they may struggle with executing. For example, if a team switches to standard Cover 2, try to get a WR outside and in the hole between the Corner and Safety.

4- Self Scout-Hudl & Excel: Saturday, post sending out Scouting Report- Once the scouting report is sent out, I download our offensive data from the games that I anticipate our opponent’s DC will breakdown. That data is organized into three sheets:

1. Formations 2) Plays 3) 3rd & 4th- Short/Long

If we are run heavy in some sets, we need to make sure we throw from that set this week. And, the reverse is true as well. We also look at … what sets can we eliminate?  Are there sets we can make them prepare for that we can then make sure they never see in our game?  Also, what sets have they not seen that could give them problems?

Ideally, we would like them to have to prep 10 or more sets they will never see in our game. We would like to give them at least five sets in our game they have never seen or at least it has been a long time.  In a minimum of two games, we would like to give your opponent’s DC 40-50 sets. The way our offense is set up, that is easy for our kids to do on offense.  If I can make the DC’s wife mad at him by Sunday night because he has his hands full breaking down 50 sets, that is a great start to the week …. For US!

In 2020, I almost had to play against my former staff. It fell through because of COVID. But in their preparation, their head coach, Jonathan Thomas, who played for me and is family in every sense, told his staff, “You know these tendencies are meaningless. You know he is going to make it all look different.” That is what we are after. 

On the sheet broken down by plays…. Of our best plays….. how can we run them from different sets that they have never seen?  One of the best moments of the 2020 season, Mike Johnson, a brand new coach on our staff, was really getting the hang of how our offense works. We had put in a new way to run off-tackle that we had never run before, even though it is our most run play over the past 29 years.  Just outside the RedZone, he is fired up and tells me to run that play with the new wrinkle. Great call… TD! We had practiced that new wrinkle several times through the week. Easy for us, but looked very different for our opponent. It was a play we have run a million times, but it had never looked like that before. Coach Gruneisen and Kennedy would have been proud!

Usually, the self-scout sheets, I will take home with me on Saturday when I leave to eat lunch with my family.  While we are hanging out at home, watching college football, etc. that is when the gameplan will begin to take shape. Out to the side of the sheets, I write down the plays I want to script. In addition, by Sunday morning, our QB coach, Graham Heasley, will send me script & concept ideas. Graham is a former head coach and offensive guru. He can look at a defense in a different way, take our offense, and find ways to attack that I will miss. Graham’s help has significantly improved our offense. 

5- Building the Script: Sunday morning- Before church, I will go to the office and begin to physically enter the script. I am using the skeleton I prepped on the previous Wednesday. During this time, I will draw a bunch of this up on the board to make sure what I am visualizing and anticipating is what we will get. We do a bunch of anticipating an adjustment. If it is a new set, we draw up how we think they will adjust. During the game, if we get that adjustment, we keep rolling. If it is not what we expected, we attack where they are not. Very simple approach. 

We have scripts for 3rd/4th Short, Medium & Long. If a play gets used from that script, it is eliminated, previous plays are bumped up, and we add new ones.

For 3rd/4th & Long, we like to mix it up, week to week. One week may be Trips, the next week is 2 X 2, and the next week may be empty. We may change up routes…. One week, the #1 WR runs a certain route…. The next week, the #3 WR runs that route. If possible, when the opposing DC breaks us down, we want something to seem different to his kids when we play. 

6- Final Script & QB Meeting: Sunday afternoon- Once the script is finalized, our QB will come in to meet with me at 1 pm. We will go through the script, any new wrinkles or adjustments. By now, he has seen the scouting report and it should make sense to him. If it does not, we go over it. Due to COVID, we did all staff meetings through email, text, phone calls, etc. It was frustrating but we made it work. My QB was also my son, so COVID didn’t matter since we lived in the same house. 

Here is what the script will look like:

The Script Key:

Blue Letters- Inside Drill: E (everyday), M(onday), T(uesday), W(ednesday)

Red Letters- Outside Drill: E (everyday), M(onday), T(uesday), W(ednesday)

White Letters in Blue Blocks : TEAM OFFENSE

Green N: November Drill- practiced vs. Blitz in Red Zone, every Tuesday , last part of practice. 

White Letters in Red Blocks : Thursday Scripted offensive plays on air…. Usually special plays, etc.

Conclusion:

As much as you can, make this a ritual and embrace the workload.  In the middle of the 2012 season, we ended a 7 game losing streak and went on to win out district and reach the state quarterfinals. Around that time, I started listening to music while I worked every Saturday and Sunday. I start with the same old song every Saturday morning since that season. On Sundays, I listen to music from old NFL Films. 

Don’t copy me…. make your own rituals and traditions. 

This method, being multiple with our formations, is a ton of work. But, it takes no talent to line up properly and it gives us a significant advantage by doing so. My goal is this… do 100% of what can help us win, do 0% of what will not help us win. 

If you have questions, suggestions to make our process better, email me at coachdavidbuchanan@gmail.com. 

Homer Smith said we owe it to our players to burn the midnight oil and give our guys the absolute, best opportunity to win. Go be that coach!

Remembering Homecoming 1974.....Starting the Week with GRATITUDE

photos from Kentucky Advocate

I made it. 

Friday was a tough day. It had been six years since my Dad passed away, October 1st, 2015. We were getting ready to play our Homecoming Game against a Western Hills team that would FINALLY be able to put all of their good players on the field in this crazy year two of Covid. I knew Don Miller would have his guys ready and  they absolutely got after us in a tough ball game. 

After getting our tails kicked at CAL, we had a good week of practice, but one filled with distractions and we were admittedly a little rattled. I wasn't really sure who would play and who would not play until 5:15 pm Friday night.... and has it turned out, we had some pretty good players that would not play.  We were thin, and some of our best players that were playing were banged up.  

In one of those moments, where God is telling you He loves you, I am walking in the complex Friday night to get ready for the game and someone yells, "David!" Nobody calls me David anymore so I keep going and hear it again. This time I look to see who is yelling and it is Lynn Harmon...a wonderful family/church/FCA friend going back to when I was four years old... really more family than friend. I am thinking she has come to check on me because it is the day that Dad has died. But, she has no idea. She does say that Steele (her husband, and one my Dad's best friends) is waiting on me in the office. Sure enough, Steele is there visiting with my coaches. We have fun hearing some old stories and it is a great visit that I really needed. Steele is one of those special people that when he is there, it seems like my Dad is in the room.  Not surprisingly, I get a little emotional as he walks out the door, but thankful for the visit and the very real manifestation of God's love that I have just experienced. 

Our game goes down to the wire and we are fortunate to win. It was a great combination of being happy for our kids and a huge relief that we have survived one of those weeks and one of those nights that not much had seemed to go our way. 

Saturday night as I drove by the HS, and saw all the cars for the dance, I remembered my very first Homecoming at Mercer County in October of 1974. The Scotties had won and were having a really good season, on our way to what would be the first winning season in school history. I was with my Dad after that Friday night game, up at the HS. I think we were working on video or maybe washing uniforms... not sure. The homecoming dance, I think, was taking place. I am not sure how, but I think we found some country ham biscuits that were awful good.  I say, "I THINK" because I was 9 years old. I definitely remember the night, but some details are a little foggy. I am sure of this, my Dad was very happy, and everyone we bumped into that night was awful excited about the win and the football season.  And, although I was very young, I was able to realize something really cool about what was going on.... the Mercer County people really appreciated my Dad. Football had been awful tough at Mercer County. My Dad's team was having unprecedented success. The Mercer folks appreciated my Dad, not just because they were winning more than ever before, but because they knew he loved those young men he was coaching. 

I have always been very thankful for the Mercer people and my Dad's experience there. Robert Allen's death at Boyle took a huge toll on him. And, things got awful tough on the field from 1970 until he left after the 1973 season. Even at only eight years old, I remember well my Dad's last home game at Boyle against Garrard. I remember being behind the home bleachers, on the end away from the elementary school, watching the game, and thinking..."we are getting better and we are going to be really good next year."  Somewhat of a strange thought for an 8 year old, but I had been around enough football and it was important enough to me that I could tell the Rebels were getting better and our best days were ahead of us.  My Dad didn't get to be there to enjoy those good days that were ahead for Boyle, but he loved his Mercer County experience and the people there sure made him feel appreciated... and I was thankful for him and that he had that time.  And, now for almost 50 years, I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for those old Mercer folks from the mid 70's. They made my Dad feel appreciated and wanted. I can never repay or thank them enough for doing so and that gratitude has stayed with me the rest of my life. 

As I get ready for this week, gratitude sounds like a great perspective. I think about another old coach that I love dearly, Alvis Johnson, who has gone out of his way to support me and our program as we work to build something that our community can be proud of and will help our kids. I am thankful for Coach Johnson who has been there for me, going back to 1982 when I was on the opposite sideline. I am thankful for parents that get their kids to practice at 5:30 am every Wednesday. I am thankful for coaches that work like crazy to give our guys their best chance to win. I am thankful for the greatest and most unselfish wife in the world who has supported me for 30 years of marriage and being a head coach through a bunch of great times, but an awful lot of tough ones as well. I am thankful for a community that supports Titan football and our kids. I am thankful for old friends that check on me during tough times, celebrate with me on the good days, and help me be a better person, coach & follower of Christ. I am thankful for administrators, volunteers, officials, concession workers, video guys, radio people, and custodians who make Friday nights happen. I am thankful for old guys that once wore gold, red, white, black, or blue helmets who are still family and keep in touch. I can keep going, but you get the idea. 

It's hard to be unhappy when you are thankful. It is tough to be selfish when you count your blessings. 

Go have a great week.

#GRATITUDE

The Annual Talk from an Attorney: Helping our guys make good decisions

One night after an away game, I get off the bus to go in my office and I have an unexpected visitor, who had followed our busses home.  It was the mom of a female student from the HS of our opponent.  She was not happy with one of my players and began to make threats. A good friend of mine was an attorney in town. So I called him, around midnight, to get advice on the best way to proceed. 

Fortunately, there was nothing for her to pursue and my player had done nothing wrong. I can speculate as to why she made that trip. But, from the incident, we began an annual meeting with this attorney and my players. He said he didn't want any more midnight phone calls!

So, first at Mason County, and now at Mercer County, once during our preseason "camp" an attorney will come in during lunch and talk to our kids about what types of stuff will get them in trouble. It usually gets real quiet. You can tell by the looks on their faces that they are often surprised at what choices can lead to problems. 

Of course there is no way to know for sure, but my guess is that these annual meetings have kept a bunch of guys out of trouble. It is one of the best things we have done to prevent problems. As a Dad, I am glad that my sons have sat through three of these meetings, each. It never hurts to be reminded that there are serious consequences for poor decisions. And, those consequences can be life-changing and longterm.

At Mercer County, Richie Bottoms gave us or talk this year and has done so, going back to 2016. He is the Commonwealth Attorney and played for my Dad, in the early 70's at Boyle County HS. My Dad was very proud of Richie and it is always good to see him. 

This annual meeting is done to protect our kids now and in the future. It is a great way to communicate to them that we care about them and their well-being, off the field. However, it also has a very practical part that can impact on the field success and winning.  Players getting in trouble, the distractions, and even being removed from the team can most certainly impact the success for that particular season. Yes, we care about our kids AND we want to win!

Entering season 30 as a head coach, this is one of the best things we have done to help our kids. I would certainly encourage head coaches to do something similar for their student-athletes. 

Trosper w/ Richie Bottoms 

Good Friends, Wise Friends... when to speak up and when to shut up

Love going to the beach. Never heard a crab or pelican say one bad word about any of my friends. 

"Coach, I don't care what everyone else says, I still like you."  Wow.... NOW I'm feeling good! Lol

Heard a good story the other day about a school superintendent.... That Superintendent was getting phone calls/complaints,  EVERY DAY about his head football coach.  That Superintendent chose to support his coach, but he did not tell his coach about the calls.  He could have gone to see his coach... ."I get complaints on you constantly!"  But, he chose not to do that. 

AFTER the coach had built a championship program... THEN he told the coach about those phone calls. But, during that time, he kept those calls to himself. The reasoning, he didn't want the coach to worry about the complaints and he didn't want the coach to lose focus on what he was trying to accomplish in building that football program.  Today.... that football program is elite. That was a WISE decision made by the Superintendent. 

Do other people come to you and bad mouth your friends?  Hopefully it doesn't happen often, but it can happen. 

Here's a thought... don't tell your friend. Defend them, but you don't have to tell them something that is negative. Now, if it is constructive feedback, that 's different. If the person blasting your friend is someone they have to trust, you can tell them that also.  But, if there is no good that will come from sharing that exchange, don't tell them. It can just cause problems down the road. 

Some of my best friends... they have got edgy personalities. It seems like some of the edgiest personalities are also very successful.  And, usually when someone is bad mouthing a successful person, it often comes down to jealousy. 

The next time your "friend" is telling you about others that have been talking bad about you... be careful. Is this really someone that you can trust?  Is this someone that has your best interests at heart?

James 1:19 is full of wisdom...be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. 

When I was younger, I was very naive. Since my intentions were good, I believed that as long as I explained myself, others would agree and see things my way. The older I get, the more I realize, the less said the better, in many situations. But, if people ask and want to talk, honesty and transparency are the route to go. That will never change. 

Along those lines, be a trusted person so your friends can vent to you. I've got a handful of guys, they vent to me. Some times when they call, it seems like a contest..."how many curse words can you fit into one sentence?"  They are furious! One time, a good friend was on the speaker phone. Scared my dog to death. She ran upstairs and hid under the bed. 

I call them to vent as well... and hopefully fewer cuss words. On a good day, zero. But, we need those friends so we can vent and get stuff off our chest.  The best part after those exchanges, the good friend never repeats a word that was said. 

If you can listen and then keep your mouth shut, you have an opportunity to be a GREAT friend. 

A fun alternative... next time one of your friends is getting bad mouthed, tell the person.... "Well, I know where he is. Let's go see him and tell him to his face!"  Those conversations always end pretty quick! 

When in doubt, keep your mouth shut. It will benefit everyone, most of the time. 

Dr. King, Bluto & General Eisenhower....what they might have in common

 I love Bluto's speech at the end of Animal House when he mocks his fraternity brothers for being scared. 

Over the years, in several situations, I've had friends, well-meaning, caution me about what I say and who I say it to. I appreciate them looking out for me.  And, there have been times their wisdom was needed. 

But,  I always hate to see how we can fear influential people. Or, we can fear speaking out for what is right.  In those times, I always imagine telling General Dwight Eisenhower before he launched the D-Day invasion, what we are "scared" of. I think he would get a chuckle. Or, telling Dr. Martin Luther King in the heart of the civil rights struggle, what we are scared to say.  Would he smile?  Roll his eyes? Or, maybe think..."Good grief... I wish that was all I was facing."

The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10) Sometimes, we don't fear Him enough. I might make the argument.... maybe we are scared of the wrong things.  But, this fear of speaking up for what is right to the establishment... I want no part of it and I sure don't want us to pass that on to the future generations. 

Tomorrow, go be you. Don't be stupid. But, don't be scared. If you do get scared, just imagine Bluto teasing you, or having to explain to the greatest general and greatest civil rights leader of all time, what you fear.  Let me know how that conversation goes! :)

Head Football Coach: Reality Check

McDonald's in Maysville

Very much a bittersweet time. Jonathan Thomas has been family for 25 years. He has just resigned as the HFC at Mason County HS  to take over head of transportation. Congratulations to Jonathan! He was a freshman my first season at Mason County in 1996. We then coached together. We have been through much together over the past quarter century.  And, he did a super job as their head football coach. I am very appreciative of all that he has poured into that program for so many years. I am also incredibly proud of him.

His resignation reminded me of a story:

About a day after I resigned at Mason County, I was standing in line at McDonalds. 

Keep in mind, this has been 19 years of pouring your soul and guts into a program, community and kids. It is where you have raised your family. I was excited to go to Mercer County, but leaving such a wonderful place that I loved dearly, with great people, I was really struggling with all of the emotions.

So, in McDonalds, someone recognizes me, turns around, and says, "How will the football team look this season?"  My response, " I think they'll be pretty good, but I am going to Mercer County."  Their reply, "Who do you think the next coach will be?"

Wow! Not, "sorry to see you leave", "thanks for working like a dog for 19 years", "good luck at Mercer", etc. Who's the next guy?..... Are you kidding me!!

It hurt. In less than 24 hours, at least to some folks, I really didn't matter anymore. 

Don't feel sorry for me. That is absolutely not the point. God has blessed me and I have had an incredible life and journey. My reaction was wrong. I was being sensitive and weak. 

My point... all you head coaches.... you better take care of your family and closest friends. When it is all said and done, they will be the ones that are there for you.  Your value does not come from what you do. Your value does not come from the public's evaluation of you as a head football coach.  It comes from who created you. Don't forget, you have an audience of ONE, Jesus Christ.

Jonathan is going to do great as head of transportation. This is a wonderful opportunity for him and his family. But, over the next few weeks, some people are going to say some dumb things!   That's ok. This is just a heads up to other head football coaches.... don't get wrapped up in the wrong things & start thinking your value comes from a scoreboard or the opinion of others. It does not. 

Make sure you are investing in your wife and children. Invest in those that will be with you, no matter what you do or how much success you enjoy. 

And, on a positive note, all those people that hate your guts and think you stink as a coach.... when you are done coaching, they won't be around either.   :) 

Who Likes You? ..... Who Cares!

 

Talked to my old Coach this week. I know this, he's got my back and will be there whenever I need him. 

Interesting Conversation this past weekend. 

Someone said to me... "It is so hard to tell who likes you and who doesn't. People are two-faced." 

Being "liked" is incredibly overrated. And, it is fleeting and fickle. The people that like you on Monday, by Thursday their opinion may be totally different.  Being a head coach(and many other leadership roles)  can be  much like Holy Week.... on Monday you are the hero. By the end of the week, you are enemy #1. 

Colossians 3:23 makes it clear. We have an audience of One. Trying to please people is impossible, futile, and even when successful... temporary at best. Serve God, do what is right, and let the chips fall where they may. 

Quit worrying about who likes you or trying to figure it out. It is a huge waste of time and energy. And, really, why care? It is useless information that means nothing. 

What we need to figure out... 

1- Who can I trust?

2- Who has my back when times are tough?

That is going to be a small number. And, that is ok. If you are at "ONE", you are blessed and fortunate. 

In fact, maybe this should be our frame of mind.....

Am I trust worthy?  The people that need me and depend on me, do I have their back when times are tough?

Now we're talking!  

Have a great week and go be that person that others trust and they can count on during the toughest times!

Chris Lofton Stories: Wings, Panthers, FTS and One Bloody Chin (Trosper's)

It could be the region tournament in the Fieldhouse, the finals at Rupp Arena, or even Putnam Stadium.... all of those places, Chris Lofton was HOME. 

Chris was a 1st Team All State WR at Mason County HS. It was so much fun coaching him. Hard to believe but 100% true... as great of a basketball player he is, he is an even better person.  A few good stories or info on Chris:

1- He kept me torn up that he was going to Fleming County. When he was little and we would do summer camps, we would divide up and play touch football at the end. He would always say, "We are the Panthers!"  I think even then, his sense of humor and how smart he is, he was just needling me to get me going. It worked.  In HS, he would do his conditioning test in June before leaving on his AAU circuit in July. I would give him a ride home. His house was on the Mason-Fleming line. Good grief I was shook. Thank goodness he stayed in blue and white!

Photo by theguru, BluegrassPreps

2- Knowing it was unusual for a high profile shooter to play HS football, I won't lie to you... as discreetly as I could do it, I tried hard to keep him happy.  Chris loves to eat. He would say, "Coach, what are we having during three a days?" My response would be, "What do you want?" That's what we got. We sunk some money into those meals.... but it paid off. He was a strong student. His Mom & Dad ran a tight ship. He loved the wings from Greg's Pizza. Occasionally, we would get wings for the guys that had all A's and B's... and I knew that would always include Chris, and he would like that. Whenever he would say to me, "Coach, when are we getting wings again?" My response would be , "Tomorrow!"

3- Usually Chris would miss some late July practices because of basketball. That was fine with me. I was always just glad that he came back and was playing football.  His first week back of his senior year, August, we are getting ready to play the defending state champs, Breathitt County, in the Recreation Bowl. Coach Ullery is working some other guys because Chris has not been there. We look awful. I get frustrated. Finally, I say, "Coach, can we put Chris in?  He is going to play against Breathitt." Coach Ullery points at him and puts him in at WR. C-Lo says to Coach Ullery, "It's ok coach. I just like to watch him yell at you."  :)

4- In the Rec Bowl that season, we played at 5 pm and it was hot. About middle of the 2nd quarter, Chris comes to me and says, "Am I going to rotate?" I said, "Yes. We are taking you out at halftime. When halftime is over, you are going back in."  

5- Chris shot basketball... EVERYDAY, including football season. That did not bother me at all. What Chris did, playing both basketball and football at a high level, is tough. It takes a high character guy to pull it off. Chris has ELITE character. I trusted him. He was a GREAT teammate. He was not going to get hurt during football season, shooting basketball, unless it was something crazy. Because he is such a good person, he knew getting hurt would let his teammates down. He loved those guys and wanted to do all he could to help them win championships.  Besides, I knew his dream was to play big time college basketball. My role was to HELP him reach that goal. Not interfere, fight him, be territorial, etc. That would be dumb and selfish. It would be wrong.  

6- One Christmas Eve, Dustin Grutza shows up at my house to get the key to the weightroom. I don't have it. C-Lo has it and he is lifting weights on Christmas Eve of his senior basketball season. He was addicted to the weightroom. His favorite lift was straight leg deadlift. He was a warrior when it came to bench, clean and squat. People have no idea how hard he worked in the weightroom and how physically strong he was. Many nights, especially in basketball, he was a man among boys.  Very few basketball players attacked the weightroom like he did. His HS basketball coach, Kelly Wells, was way ahead of his time. He put all his basketball kids in weightclass and told me to take care of it.  I was always so proud to watch our basketball guys. We were a strong, physical team that beat the snot out of many opponents. No one intimidated our guys. Our basketball kids were talented, but they were also hard-nosed and would fight you. 

7- FTS... Feed The Stud. Greg Nord was at U of L and was recruiting Chris to play football. When he came by that spring, I was working on our script for the Rec Bowl, and making sure that Chris was getting the ball, early and often in our first game. I had never heard that expression before, but Coach Nord used that phrase and it stuck.  From then on, that is what we called the plays that specifically went to Chris each week.  If anyone was jealous of Chris, they knew better than to show it. But, I really think that was rare. Everyone knew he was a great person, unselfish and a great player. 

8- One night, about 10 minutes before Chris & the Tennessee Volunteers are going to play Florida on TV, Trosper slips running up the steps and busts his chin wide open. Blood gushing everywhere. Stephanie looks at me and says, "Do we need to go to the ER & get stitches?' My response, "Chris will be on in ten minutes. I'll run to the drugstore, buy a butterfly bandage, and do it myself. " Chin looks great today! Trosper being the 3rd child and a male.... the story makes a little more sense. 

9- One summer, took JCB to a UT football camp. We are in their new indoor football/athletic complex. I look through a glass window and see portraits of two people... Pat Summitt & Chris!

10- Over the years, several KY HS football coaches have expressed to me their appreciation of Chris and that he played HS football.  He proved that you can be a great HS basketball player and play HS football. No one loves basketball more than Chris Lofton. But, he enjoyed football and he loved his teammates in the football lockerroom. 

There are more, but you get the idea. Chris Lofton was a great athlete, but even better person. I am sure I'll watch some basketball this March. And, I especially enjoy watching the Titans and Lady Titans. But, I have to admit, I got spoiled watching Chris. In my mind, the month of March will always belong to Chris Lofton. 

Photo by theguru, BluegrassPreps