Year 26.... plenty of Bad & Ugly, but much more Good, especially at the End.

Year 26 as a head coach was unlike any other. I am use to our teams playing their best football in November. But, this season was different because our September and October were so rough.

I love our kids, but practice for most of the preseason and regular season was a struggle. We fell into a cycle. They loafed. I yelled. We ran. Not good at all. To make it worse, we were hit with some rough injuries, losing 4 starters that played alot on both sides of the ball in September in one ballgame. Even the ones that were still playing were hampered by injuries. And, we were hit with a bunch of illness as well. It was brutal. The 2017 regular season was not fun. Fortunately, November was much more enjoyable.

When we walked off the field after losing on 10/13, we were at a low point and facing our open week.  We were not tough and we were not playing well.

I credit our staff for doing a great  job of planning our practices during the open week. Our assistants were precise in pinpointing the skills that needed improvement and then designing the drill work to make us better.  Instead of taking out our frustrations on the kids, our coaches simply coached to make them better and continued to hold them accountable. But, it was a POSITIVE week. It was not run our kids into the ground, who were already struggling, and were facing a very good Boyle County team in week 10 who would eventually be the state champions in 3A.

Another positive of the open week was it gave us a chance to work on a formation we had never used before. I have never seen anyone use it. It was very different. We had trips to one side, a center and two linemen on the ball, and two linemen split opposite of trips with a WR. We were in the shotgun with one running back. We were trying to create space for our skilled athletes and help our linemen with pass protection. And, Boyle County is extremely well-coached. The set allowed us to negate some of their coaching and preparation because it was so different. Although we didn't win the game, we were able to make it 7-7 early. We did some good things in a loss that helped our kids going forward. And, that set became a big part of our game plans going into November.   

We struggled stopping the run most of the season. But, beginning with the 2nd half of our 1st round playoff game, we began to play significantly better stopping the run. As an entire team, we began to play some really good football, reaching the state quarterfinals. 

 When the season ended, only 10 points separated us from the 4A State Champion, Franklin-Simpson. They defeated Collins by 4 points, who defeated us by 6 points the week before. On October 13th, Franklin-Simpson & Collins would have both put a running clock on us.... easily. The improvement our kids made in such a short time was incredible and it became one of my best experiences, ever, as a HS football coach.  Our kids and assistant coaches did a phenomenal job keeping the wheels on and making us a very good football team.

Going forward, I have to figure out a better way to navigate the early part of the season. I did a terrible job for our kids. We had no energy/juice in September. I have some ideas and we will work through those as a staff.

I also have to figure out a better way to navigate injuries and illness. Those are part of the game.  It is my job to figure that part out. There were many Friday nights that we looked like we had not practiced. That is because we had so many guys that had missed so many practice reps. It was not their fault they had been sick or hurt and not practiced. But, it was my fault for not coming up with better answers. I do believe if we can navigate the early part of the season better, that will help with the injuries as well.

Another change going forward is that I must be more deliberate in building the right culture. Previously, if you hired good men as assistant coaches and ran your program the right way, culture took care of itself. That is no longer true. We will take some steps as a team, involving our kids, including our incoming freshmen, to build the culture we want. I would not say we have a bad culture. But, there is alot of room for improvement.

A very tangible change / improvement is that we are going to "turf" an area in the top of the complex that will be 8 yards wide and 100 feet long. This area, combined with the turf we already have in the complex, will allow us to have a full scale indoor practice facility. We will have RBs/LBs on one end upstairs, OL/DL on the other end upstairs, and the WRs/DBs down on the main turf. Team offense and defense will be on the main turf.  I am excited about what this addition will mean to our kids and program.  Our offseason drill work will be enhanced and we will be able to have much more productive practices when we must stay indoors.

After we lost in the quarterfinals, the two weeks leading up to the state championship games were brutal. Those days get tougher every year. The only way I could cope with the fact that we were not playing was either spend time with my family or work to make our program better. The Saturday after our Quarterfinal loss (which came down to the last play of the game), Trosper, John Combs & I made the trip to South Bend for the Notre Dame - Navy game. It was our 7th year in a row for that trip and it has become one of the best things we do.  But, when I got up Sunday morning and there was no game plan to prepare, staff meeting, etc. ... it hit me like a ton of bricks that our season was over. I am a horrible loser and I hate it now more than ever. But, I am better at handling it on the inside and not allowing it to take such a terrible toll on my family, especially the greatest wife a football coach could have in Stephanie.

In fact, I asked Stephanie if she was up for 26 more years of coaching football. I would be 78. Her response was , "Sure!"  

I am still learning. One reason I want to keep coaching football is that I have been around the game my entire life and it is by far my best shot at being good at something. The maintenance guys at Mason County told me nothing else was in my brain because all it had in it was football. I have no hobbies.... unless football is both my hobby and my job. 

Coach Floro allowed me to speak at our Middle School banquet today. I suggested Christmas gift ideas for those young men.... Why We Can't Wait by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Dr. King's book explains that the only way to truly lead and bring about change is to change the way people think and what they have in their heart. Viktor Frankl's book helps us understand that no one can take away our freedom to choose our attitude, our reaction to our circumstances, and most importantly, our freedom to serve others.  If we want to have a great culture and achieve at a high level, we have to THINK differently.

As I spoke today, I got a little wound up, and somewhat loud. Some of Trosper's teammates wondered why I was mad! Some even told him,  "Your dad needs to be a preacher." He explained to those guys, my dad is not mad, but he is excited and that is when he starts getting loud.

 I am thankful that I am already excited about Year 27.  

Thank you Arpan Dixit of the Harrodsburg Herald for the photos!

My 3 Bosses.... pay attention to how you treat others

Spencer Tatum, Donald Smith, Dennis Davis

As you walk along the path of your life, you might want to pay attention to how you treat others.  My three bosses are currently, Donald Smith (Athletic Director), Spencer Tatum (Principal) & Dennis Davis (Superintendent) .

In 1982 when I was a senior at Mercer County HS, the freshman tailback at Harrodsburg HS broke off a long run at the end of the game. That would be Donald. In 1987 I coached the quarterbacks at Mercer County HS and the freshman team. Since we didn't have many coaches, our manager went to the away freshman games with me.  It was fine because he was more responsible than me. That would be Spencer. And, my senior quarterback that season was Dennis.

I had no idea 30 plus years ago  that these guys would someday be my boss.  

An additional blessing is I have been fortunate to coach their sons!

Spencer, Donald, & Dennis have remained good friends of mine over all these years and I am really glad they are my bosses now.  It is also a great life lesson.... on a daily basis, do we treat others the way they deserve to be treated?  You might want to be careful. You may be talking to someone who will be your boss someday! 

Halloween Party for the football team....We are still kids

Today we had our annual Halloween Party for the football team. I started this a few years ago when I was still at Mason County. Our team meeting starts 5 minutes early on Monday, the week of Halloween. Every kid gets one piece of Halloween candy (tight budget) and we watch this video:

Monster Mash

Today the candy of choice was a Tootsie Pop. I like the old fashioned peanut butter candy, but you have to watch it with all the allergies in the 21st century.

October is a great month of football.  Halloween is a fun holiday that fits well with the game of football, especially on a cool, dark, windy Friday night.   Halloween has some large, scary, hairy, weird characters..... have you ever been in a football locker room... or worse.... the coaches' office!?  

Of course, I enjoy being around those characters and that has been true my entire life. 

The party lasts five minutes. Then, we are moving on to preparing for our next opponent. It doesn't take long, but I think it is a good thing for our team and kids. We are going into the playoffs and need to make the most of the opportunity. I think a good reminder of how much we enjoy being together and our times together as a team is a subconscious incentive to practice and play well. And, even if it doesn't provide that incentive, it is ok for all of us to be kids for just 5 minutes. The time for these guys to be kids is running out when you hit October, especially your seniors. If we can make that time last just a little bit longer, it is worth doing.  

On the Same Side.... Fighting for Football

One of the best things we have done in our program over the past 20 years has been our freshman/JV conference. We find schools similar in size to ours and play freshman/JV doubleheaders on Monday night. We started this at Mason County when my good friend Dan Gooch, then the head coach at Montgomery County, suggested it.  The quarters are very short, but it allows our kids to get quality reps against kids the most like them. These conference games are a key component in the development of our players. Obviously, player development is a priority for our program.

Over the past couple years, it has been a struggle for many of the teams in our conference and surrounding area to field a freshmen team. Although our record was not very good, we are excited that we began the season with 22 freshmen and have kept those guys together. We are also excited because our current 8th graders will be another strong group of freshmen.  In 2017, it is a huge accomplishment to field a freshmen team, even though several of their games this year had to be played against teams that included some upperclassmen. 

All of the coaches in our conference are committed to fielding freshmen teams next season. It will be rough and there may be nights that we can only play JV games, but we will all do our absolute best to play freshmen games. 

If we want to keep our freshmen, we have to have freshmen teams and freshmen games. When we give up on that, our numbers will decline.

In many ways, even though our conference teams are opponents on the field, we all share a common goal and interest.... to keep the game of football alive & healthy in our area for the kids in our schools. We all believe that football can make a large & positive impact in the development of young men and in the overall school culture.  I am the football coach at Mercer County. It is in the best interest of Mercer County football that Boyle, Lincoln, Anderson, Franklin & Western Hills are able to field freshmen and JV teams.  

You won't find me wearing a Rebel(Boyle County) football sweatshirt, but we need those guys!

Inseason Prep planning.... after the game on Friday....GO!!

Our Mason staff preparing for  the state quarterfinals in November of 2013. Photo by Zack Klemme

Last Sunday, 8/6, was my last day off either until the season ends or we might possibly get one day during our open week. Beginning this weekend, the grind of game preparation has begun. Eat your Wheaties and get to work.

This plan has evolved from the days of my Dad's Sunday night meetings in his basement office at our house.  Those meetings were so well-established, one Sunday night, the opposing staff showed up to get the game plan!

As soon as the game is over on Friday night, we will view the video, individually as a staff. Some time over the weekend, position coaches will share Hudl notes with their position.

I try to be very efficient with my time. When watching the game video, if something did not work, I find out why. The answer to those questions will drive my team preparation for the week. And, of course, the things that we are good at doing will become more important. By the time I go to bed on Friday night, I want to be 100% done with that game, win or lose. If I can get in bed by 2 AM, that is a very efficient night.

In the morning, I will begin working on our opponent. I want to get their base defense and best personnel. I also gather down & distance information, as well as information in regards to the area of the field. Once that information is gathered, I will put together a playlist on Hudl which will serve as the scouting report for that defense.  Hudl notes are a big part of this scouting report. I really enjoy being done with paper scouting reports. Those were not as efficient or as visually effective as seeing the video.

At this point, I will begin to gameplan based on the scouting report. I will then do a self scout of our offense using Hudl. My objective is to mesh the gameplan with an effort to break tendencies AND add formations our opponent has never seen or rarely seen.

From lunch time until Sunday morning, I will start to put together the script of plays. We also have down & distance scripted, situations, defensive fronts/personnel to attack, etc. Basically, what ever fits our opponent and our team at that point in the season.  We will have any where from 30 to 40 base plays scripted. This script allows us to be very multiple in our sets. I would like for opposing defensive coordinators to have at least 50 formations to break down when they prepare for us.

On Sunday our staff comes in and we review the previous game. We make gameplan adjustments for all 3 phases of the game, discuss  personnel, etc. It is also a time for our staff to get stuff off their chest.  It is not unusual for there to be some significant disagreement & arguing.  But, that is why the foundation always must be that you build your staff with great people. We always work through it and come up with a plan, together.

We will plan practice that week and script every offensive period. It takes more effort for the DC to script all of the defense and he works that out as needed on  a daily basis.

On Sunday, we should be done between 5 & 7 most weeks. In 2017, we are making our Sunday meeting window from 2-5 pm.  We all have been doing this for a long time. If we can't get it done by 5 pm on Sunday, we are struggling.

And, that is another important point.... I NEVER meet just to have a meeting. They are short & efficient. These guys are husbands, fathers & teachers. They are professionals. We get our work done and go home. Some staffs like to hang out and talk all day, and pretend they are working hard. I can't stand that model for coaching HS football.  That is a great way to alienate a coach's wife. Do that enough, and you are looking for coaches, and they won't be as good as the ones that just quit.

The heavy work load on the weekend is driven by the fact that on Monday morning, our staff is back in the classroom and teaching. Our teaching job comes first and we need to excel in the classroom. But, my Monday morning, all of the plan is in place and we should be ready to go.

Bill Walsh said to make every important decision that can be made before game time, in a calm, thoughtful process/setting.  We try to make 100% of those types of decisions well before the game. That process has served us well over the past 20+ years.  I also find that I ENJOY football practice and games much more the better I am prepared.  Football is fun and anything I can do to keep it that way, I try to do it.

I hope this can help a coach, staff, and even the family of a coach as the season gets started in 2017.  Friday nights are almost here. Enjoy them!

PS- I took my little girl to college today. Very tough.  For an old football coach, there is nothing like your little girl. There have been many Saturdays after a loss, especially when she was little, that she was the only one that could put a smile on my face.  I am really glad that I spent as much time with her at home as I could. I never cut corners on the job, but I also never wasted time I could be with her, her mom & my boys.  Coaches....keep first things first this fall.

Ownership... our dilemma, our solution, our TEAM

 Mercer County Practice Field.... 5:45 am

A few years ago at Mason County, our district began faculty meetings every Wednesday that would start at 2 pm and go to 4 pm. That meant that our kids would be released early from school and we would not be able to practice until at least 4:15. We couldn't have those guys unsupervised.  It was also very hot.

I told our guys they had a choice. They could practice before school every Wednesday at 6:30 am, or, we would have to go in the evening at 8 pm to avoid the heat and Wednesday night church. I thought the best choice was 6:30 am. But, I also knew that if I walked in and told everyone we WILL practice at 6:30 am, there would be significant pushback and it would not be well-received.   I had to be willing to go with the 8 pm practices if that is what the players chose.

They chose the 6:30 am practices...and it became their favorite practice of the week. They enjoyed getting it done and the extra 12 hours of recovery. The temperature was much cooler. It was "cool" to practice under the lights until the sun came up each morning.

Wednesday morning at Mason County, November 2013.....20 degrees

Several years later when the school ended those teacher meetings, our kids still wanted to stick with the Wednesday morning practices and we did so.

This past week at Mercer County, we had to adjust practice times due to teacher meetings. This time, our player council and staff met to discuss our options. As a group, we chose to go with 6 am practice times. Mercer is a larger county geographically than Mason and it was going to be a major adjustment for our kids. But, they did great. The 6 am practices were our best practices of the week. And, I think our council and staff made the best decision.

Once again, had I decreed that practice would be at 6 am, it would not have gone well.

As a leader or coach, next time you are facing a tough issue or need to make a major adjustment, try to include your staff and players in the decision. You can still say what you think is best. But, listening & learning makes you a better and more successful coach.  There is a good chance that someone in the room may have a better idea. And, even if your idea is the best one, this process leads to substantially more support and "buy-in" as opposed to forcing your will on everyone else.

Being a head coach has been different than I expected.  There is much less telling people what to do and much more listening than I anticipated.  The more ownership  our staff and players have in our team, the better we will be....and I need to remember that in 2017!

One Dad & Two Words

I just dropped off Trosper for his first scrimmage of the season. He will be an 8th grader and play QB for his team this fall.

I told him to remember two words....HAVE FUN. I also told him I will not be coaching him this fall. He has a bunch of coaches, but only one dad. I am going to enjoy being his dad. The next four years I will coach him in HS. There will be plenty of opportunities to correct mistakes and get after him as needed. 

Right now, I don't have to do that. His MS Coach is Mike Floro.  Excellent leader and coach. High character guy that knows his stuff and cares about kids. He can handle Trosper and I will stay out of the way while he does it. I am really thankful for Mike Floro. 

To all the KIDS getting ready to start playing football..... HAVE FUN.

To all the Dads..... be Dad!