🏈 David Shaw on Building Culture & Offensive Play Calling Mistake

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In today's Newsletter we talk Building Champions, Investing in Each Other, David Shaw on Building Culture, Offensive Play Calling, Coaches on the Rise, & more, let's get into it!

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Building Champions Series

Last week we launched our Building Champions Series Presented by FieldTurf with our Media Partner Dave Campbell's Texas Football with Kansas State Assistant Head Coach Van Malone. It was Part 1 of 5 this off season & it was a great one! Van discussed what he called the "Kansas State Culture Pathway" & these key steps along that pathway:

  • Culture Defined

  • Culture Flywheel

  • Core Values

  • Being on the Same Page

  • No Breaks

  • Let the Experts be the Experts

  • Develop Leaders

  • Adversity

  • Fun is in the Winning

  • Conflict

  • Average vs Elite

  • Success

  • Identity

  • History

  • Own Our Roles

  • Teamwork

  • Relationships

  • How we get better

Each step led to the next & Van breakdowns specifics within each. It's a MUST WATCH for any Football Coach & probably for leaders in business as well. Here's our next 4 sessions of the Series as well:

  • Scotty Walden UTEP Head Coach 5/13

  • Skyler Cassity (Sam Houston State Defensive Coordinator) 5/14

  • Matt Cannata (Lamar Offensive Line Coach)

  • Matt Nally Date TBD (Melissa ISD-Texas)

You can join us live & get access to the recordings of the series below:

Big shout out to FieldTurf for being our partner on this series. Go check them out when you get a chance, they do great work!

David Shaw on Building Culture:

Speaking of Van Malone, he sat down recently with former Stanford Head Coach David Shaw on his Winners Win, Leaders Lead podcast & that, too, is MUST WATCH. David Shaw is one of those Coaches you have to take the time to listen to when he speaks. Thoughtful, smart, & was super successful at Stanford for many years. In this 45 minute convo with Van, he talks about his Core Values, Reflects on things he wished he knew as a Young Coach, being Vulnerable and whole lot more. The podcast is available anywhere you get podcasts, but here's the Youtube version:

Invest in Each Other-Iowa State:

Let's stay on the topic of Culture here & talk about getting Players to invest in each other. Iowa State Assistant Head Coach & Running Backs Coach Tyler Roehl talked at a recent press conference about how it is getting harder & harder to have a connected group. 

Here's what he's doing to combat that:

Together with FlipSled 

We know the FlipSled is the #1 power development tool for football, but when it comes to Joe Thomas, Hall of Fame OT, he knows there is nothing else like it as it develops: 

  • Explosive Hips 

  • Powerful Leg-Drive 

  • Violent Finishing Power

Train with a tool that is used daily by top players and programs such as Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington and high schools nationwide to build some of the most powerful linemen.

Special Teams Core Philosophy:

Let's stay on the topic of Culture but turn it to Special Teams specifically. Indiana Special Teams Coordinator Grant Cain was on their "Under the Hood" Show to discuss everything Indiana Football & of course Teams. His Teams Philosophy was simple: Play Fast, Physical, & Relentless While Being Disciplined & Inwardly Simple.

Growth as an Offensive Play Caller:

Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo says he didn't do any self evaluation his 1st 7/8 year of being an OC and it was a big mistake. Now don't get it twisted, he still had a lot of success, but he credits 2 things that have helped him improve personally:

  • Started Evaluating Himself

  • Instead of visiting with other Offensive Coaches, started visiting with Defensive Coaches

More on all this in the full article from Doug Samuels of FootballScoop:

FBS Coaches on the Rise:

It's that time of year where we put out our Assistant Coaches on the Rise list. This year we'll do 75 Coaches from FCS, G5, & FBS who are "On the Rise." The Group is compiled by fellow Coaches from all over the country, media members & industry leaders. Check out who's made our FBS Coaches on the Rise list here:

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