Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast continues its “Home Team” series with guest host Joel Nellis, and today’s guest, South Dakota State offensive line coach and running game coordinator Jason Eck.

Eck helped SDSU set single-season records for scoring, total offense and total offense per game last season. The team also had a program-best 11 wins and reached the FCS semifinals for the first time.

Eck also had previous stops at Montana State, Minnesota State, Western Illinois, Hampton, Ball State, Winona State and Idaho. After graduating from Wisconsin in 1999, he remained with the Badgers as a graduate assistant, then moved on to the same position at Colorado.

On today’s show, Eck discusses the importance of making decisions as a family, and how his commitment to his family inspires his players.

Show Notes

3:34 Eck gives the story of how he met his wife

7:54 Invaluable character traits that makes his wife special

9:21 Being married to a coach

10:27 Introducing his children

12:43 Unique characteristics of his sons

14:59 Being a parent, not a coach, to his kids

17:13 Making youth football fun

19:48 Deciding on the right time to have children

22:41 Making a job decision with the family

27:20 Living in different locations

29:37 Changing jobs with the family

33:47 Carving out time in-season for his wife

36:34 Bringing kids to team practices and office

41:22 How he learned from being around his dad

42:29 Overcoming challenges in work/family balance

47:38 Players seeing commitment to family

50:12 Leaving a lasting legacy with his family in coaching

This is the weekly recap of this past week’s Coach and Coordinator podcasts! Host Keith Grabowski was joined by three high school football coaches, three college football coaches and a youth football consultant. On the shows were Brian White, Dave Cisar, Vinny DiGaetano, Noel Mazzone. On the “Your Call” show was Adam Harvey, Cameron Andersen and Chad Stadem. Listen in to hear a preview of each show!

This is the weekly recap of this past week’s Coach and Coordinator podcasts! Host Keith Grabowski was joined by three high school football coaches, three college football coaches and a youth football consultant. On the shows were Brian White, Dave Cisar, Vinny DiGaetano, Noel Mazzone. On the “Your Call” show was Adam Harvey, Cameron Andersen and Chad Stadem. Listen in to hear a preview of each show!

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is Noel Mazzone, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arizona. This will be Mazzone’s first season at Arizona after two seasons at Texas A&M under new Wildcats head coach Kevin Sumlin. Prior to that, he was the OC at UCLA from 2012-15 and Arizona State from 2010-11. He spent four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets as a wide receivers coach/consultant, in addition to collegiate stops at Mississippi, NC State, Oregon State, Auburn, Minnesota, TCU and Colorado State.

Mazzone has coached in 12 bowl games with seven different teams. He’s tutored several NFL quarterbacks, including Josh Rosen and Brett Hundley at UCLA, Brock Osweiler at Arizona State and Phillip Rivers at NC State. As a player, Mazzone played quarterback at the University of New Mexico and graduated in 1980.

On today’s show, Mazzone tells host Keith Grabowski how he puts together a game plan, integrates players and coaches in that plan, and playing with tempo.

Show Notes

1:58 How Mazzone created his offensive system

6:46 Formulating the terminology

9:16 Process of teaching terminology to players

10:03 Plays that work better in tempo

14:14 Preparing the number of plays they want to run on game day

18:48 Recognizing what opposing coordinators are doing

22:32 Building explosive plays in the game plan

25:47 Using the “12 percent rule” in game evaluation

30:36 Delegating game plan responsibilities to coaches/players

34:29 Organizing a week of practice to set up for the game

38:45 Attire and equipment for a relaxed practice day

39:53 Teaching situational “special” plays in practice

41:22 Pros and cons of using VR technology in practice

45:43 The Winning Edge

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast guest is Noel Mazzone, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arizona. This will be Mazzone’s first season at Arizona after two seasons at Texas A&M under new Wildcats head coach Kevin Sumlin. Prior to that, he was the OC at UCLA from 2012-15 and Arizona State from 2010-11. He spent four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets as a wide receivers coach/consultant, in addition to collegiate stops at Mississippi, NC State, Oregon State, Auburn, Minnesota, TCU and Colorado State.

Mazzone has coached in 12 bowl games with seven different teams. He’s tutored several NFL quarterbacks, including Josh Rosen and Brett Hundley at UCLA, Brock Osweiler at Arizona State and Phillip Rivers at NC State. As a player, Mazzone played quarterback at the University of New Mexico and graduated in 1980.

On today’s show, Mazzone tells host Keith Grabowski how he puts together a game plan, integrates players and coaches in that plan, and playing with tempo.

Show Notes

1:58 How Mazzone created his offensive system

6:46 Formulating the terminology

9:16 Process of teaching terminology to players

10:03 Plays that work better in tempo

14:14 Preparing the number of plays they want to run on game day

18:48 Recognizing what opposing coordinators are doing

22:32 Building explosive plays in the game plan

25:47 Using the “12 percent rule” in game evaluation

30:36 Delegating game plan responsibilities to coaches/players

34:29 Organizing a week of practice to set up for the game

38:45 Attire and equipment for a relaxed practice day

39:53 Teaching situational “special” plays in practice

41:22 Pros and cons of using VR technology in practice

45:43 The Winning Edge

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is another episode of “Your Call,” where coaches from across the country share their thoughts on a variety of topics. This edition looks at how coaches decide what players see the field on Friday nights, platoon systems and program culture.

Podcast guests:

Adam Harvey – Defensive backs/Co-defensive coordinator, Steele High School (Cibolo, Texas) – Twitter: @coach_harvey18

Harvey is in his sixth season in at Steele. During that time, he’s helped 11 athletes play football at the collegiate level. Steele went 9-5 last season and made it to the state quarterfinals. Over the past five years, they have a 62-13 record and a state finals appearance. Along with coaching football, Harvey’s also head coach of the track and field team.

Cameron Andersen – Head coach, Gooding High School (Idaho) – Twitter: @SenatorCoach

Andersen is in his 10th season as the head coach at Gooding, and has a 61-31 record, including six straight seasons of seven or more wins. Gooding went 9-2 last season and made the state semifinals. The team’s offense scored an average of 41.5 points per game, while the defense allowed 16.5 points.

Chad Stadem – Head coach, Washington High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) – Twitter: @Mr_Stadem

Stadem is in his sixth season as the head coach at Washington, which is coming off three straight state championships and 34 consecutive wins going back to the 2015 season. Last year, Washington went 12-0 with an average margin of victory of 27.3 points. Stadem also coached six years at both Flandreau High School and Howard High School in South Dakota, and won a state championship at each.

Show Notes

1:07 Keith Grabowski on how he coached player participation

13:30 Stadem explains how he uses a two-platoon system

16:27 CS: Practice structure with offense and defense

20:04 CS: Challenges in two-platoon system installation

22:06 CS: Managing players subbed out in certain situations

25:36 Andersen looks at using two-platoon at a small school

28:45 CA: Justification of not playing a talented player both ways

31:08 CA: Developing depth at a small school

34:45 CA: Keeping players from getting complacent in a starting role

39:40 Adam Harvey on having the best 11 players on the field

44:27 AH: Giving players opportunities on special teams

52:39 AH: Using the right players in special teams formations

58:43 AH: Coordinating between multiple position coaches

Today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is another episode of “Your Call,” where coaches from across the country share their thoughts on a variety of topics. This edition looks at how coaches decide what players see the field on Friday nights, platoon systems and program culture.

Podcast guests:

Adam Harvey – Defensive backs/Co-defensive coordinator, Steele High School (Cibolo, Texas) – Twitter: @coach_harvey18

Harvey is in his sixth season in at Steele. During that time, he’s helped 11 athletes play football at the collegiate level. Steele went 9-5 last season and made it to the state quarterfinals. Over the past five years, they have a 62-13 record and a state finals appearance. Along with coaching football, Harvey’s also head coach of the track and field team.

Cameron Andersen – Head coach, Gooding High School (Idaho) – Twitter: @SenatorCoach

Andersen is in his 10th season as the head coach at Gooding, and has a 61-31 record, including six straight seasons of seven or more wins. Gooding went 9-2 last season and made the state semifinals. The team’s offense scored an average of 41.5 points per game, while the defense allowed 16.5 points.

Chad Stadem – Head coach, Washington High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) – Twitter: @Mr_Stadem

Stadem is in his sixth season as the head coach at Washington, which is coming off three straight state championships and 34 consecutive wins going back to the 2015 season. Last year, Washington went 12-0 with an average margin of victory of 27.3 points. Stadem also coached six years at both Flandreau High School and Howard High School in South Dakota, and won a state championship at each.

Show Notes

1:07 Keith Grabowski on how he coached player participation

13:30 Stadem explains how he uses a two-platoon system

16:27 CS: Practice structure with offense and defense

20:04 CS: Challenges in two-platoon system installation

22:06 CS: Managing players subbed out in certain situations

25:36 Andersen looks at using two-platoon at a small school

28:45 CA: Justification of not playing a talented player both ways

31:08 CA: Developing depth at a small school

34:45 CA: Keeping players from getting complacent in a starting role

39:40 Adam Harvey on having the best 11 players on the field

44:27 AH: Giving players opportunities on special teams

52:39 AH: Using the right players in special teams formations

58:43 AH: Coordinating between multiple position coaches

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Vincent DiGaetano, now in his second season as volunteer special teams quality control assistant coach at Fordham University. Last season, Fordham finished second in the Patriot League in average yards per punt return, and was the only team in the conference to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown. Prior to Fordham, DiGaetano spent two seasons at Wagner College as a defensive assistant. He also coached linebackers at Nassau Community College in 2015, spent 10 seasons at SUNY-Maritime from 2005-2014 and had four years at DeWitt Clinton High School (New York) as defensive coordinator.

DiGaetano was also defensive coordinator of the USA Football Select Team in the 2015 International Bowl, where his squad won 20-15. DiGaetano is part of the USA Football Master Trainer program.

On today’s show, DiGaetano and host Keith Grabowski talk about tackle grading and using systems like Hudl to track progress.

Show Notes

1:59 Using player reports to help them improve

6:45 Efficient ways of grading the tackle

13:46 The use of Hudl for grading and evaluating tactics

24:06 Setting up drills to go with specific areas of tackling

29:50 How lessons translate to on-field performance

33:31 Utilizing tackling system in every situation and position

The guest on today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast is Vincent DiGaetano, now in his second season as volunteer special teams quality control assistant coach at Fordham University. Last season, Fordham finished second in the Patriot League in average yards per punt return, and was the only team in the conference to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown. Prior to Fordham, DiGaetano spent two seasons at Wagner College as a defensive assistant. He also coached linebackers at Nassau Community College in 2015, spent 10 seasons at SUNY-Maritime from 2005-2014 and had four years at DeWitt Clinton High School (New York) as defensive coordinator.

DiGaetano was also defensive coordinator of the USA Football Select Team in the 2015 International Bowl, where his squad won 20-15. DiGaetano is part of the USA Football Master Trainer program.

On today’s show, DiGaetano and host Keith Grabowski talk about tackle grading and using systems like Hudl to track progress.

Show Notes

1:59 Using player reports to help them improve

6:45 Efficient ways of grading the tackle

13:46 The use of Hudl for grading and evaluating tactics

24:06 Setting up drills to go with specific areas of tackling

29:50 How lessons translate to on-field performance

33:31 Utilizing tackling system in every situation and position

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Dave Cisar, founder of Winning Youth Football and the Screaming Eagles Youth Football Organization in Omaha, Nebraska. Cisar has worked as a consultant for youth football since 1998. He started the Screaming Eagles program to assist at-risk youth, completely free of charge for kids ages 6-14, with focuses on academics, character development and football.

Cisar participates in coaching clinics across the globe, and hosts his own with Winning Youth Football. In 2014, he got into reality TV with the show “Worst to First,” where he turned a struggling youth football team into a champion.

On today’s show, Cisar and host Keith Grabowski discuss how Cisar runs his youth football program and markets it to the community to build retention.

Show Notes

0:49 Recruiting in youth football

2:00 Status of youth football in terms of numbers

3:13 How advertising youth football has changed

3:56 Breaking down mission and brand statement

6:58 Key points in what to include in your mission

8:32 Similarities in successful programs

10:06 How to start a youth football program

11:21 New ways to advertise outside of newspapers/flyers

16:18 Utilizing Facebook ads effectively

17:53 Using in-season recruiting for your program

23:07 Integrating players in a timely manner

24:18 Getting people to buy into the marketing model

26:08 Tips for high school coaches building football in their community