Today’s guest on the coach and coordinator podcast is Jon Clanton, head football coach at Phoenix Central High School (Arizona). Last season, the Bobcats finished with a 6-4 record for the season. Before getting into coaching, Clanton was a four-year player at the University of Nebraska on the defensive line. Clanton had 45 tackles and two forced fumbles in his senior year and earned a start in the Independence Bowl game. He graduated from Nebraska with a degree in special education.

After graduating from Nebraska, Clanton went on to play professionally with the Tennessee Titans and in NFL Europe for a short time. Clanton was an all-state lineman in high school at Centennial High School (Arizona). Over the past few years, Clanton has also worked with Scott Peters and the USA Football Tip of the Spear Contact System. With that, Clanton is an instructor with Tip of the Spear on the defensive side of the ball. He looks at how players can effectively defeat blocks while maintaining safe technique.

On today’s show, Clanton and host Keith Grabowski talk about Clanton’s experience with the USA Football Tip of the Spear Contact System, teaching defeating blocks effectively and how that applies to coaching high school football.

Show Notes

1:15 Playing experience affecting his coaching

2:24 Getting to play at Nebraska while in college

3:14 What brought him to Tip of the Spear

5:02 Detail that goes into safe technique

6:36 The importance of hip placement in blocking/defeating blocks

7:52 Drills that look cool but aren’t effective

9:31 Explaining the “pillar” concept

10:54 Keeping the head and helmet away from the contact

11:43 Breaking down the BLAST concept

13:19 Having personnel to work with your scheme

14:05 Overview of the pillar technique for defensive line

15:05 Working on engaging the hips in defeating blocks

15:45 Using TOS techniques with his H.S. team

16:32 Teaching these techniques to younger players

17:18 Helping make thing simple for defensive players to learn

20:04 Coaching and developing his son into a great football player

21:03 Teaching Tip of the Spear in the Virgin Islands

22:21 How coaches react to the TOS contact system

23:57 Teaching coaches the fundamentals and science of the system