FindingtheWinningEdge

BillWalsh with BrianBillick JamesA.Peterson

SportsPublishingInc. Champaign,IL

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1998BillWalshandBrianBillick Allrightsreserved. Bookdesign:MichelleA.Summers Dustjacketdesignandphotosectionlayout:MichelleR.Dressen Editor:JosephJ.BannonJr. ISBN:1571641722 LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:9780397 UnlessotherwisenotedallphotosarefromBillWalsh'sprivatecollection. SportsPublishingInc. 804N.Neil Champaign,IL61820 www.sagamorepub.com PrintedintheUnitedStates

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DEDICATION

Tomywife,Gerimylifetimepartner.Together,wesharedthedisappointmentsandfrustrationsofastrugglingcareerand,ultimatelytheeuphoriaof winningtheworldchampionship.Theyearsofsacrificefinallyprovedworthwhile.IalsodedicatethisbooktomychildrenSteve,CraigandElizabeth. You'vebeengreat,evenwithadadwhowasn'talwaysaround. BW

ToKim,AubreeandKeeganwhogaveupmanynightsandweekends,allowingmetopursuethisendeavor. BB

ToSue,mywifeandbestfriendforthirtyyears. JP

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IwouldliketorecognizeOwenEdwardswhocollaboratedwithmeonourForbesMagazineseries.Whataterrificpersonandgiftedwriter.Owenisan accomplishedprofessionalandawonderfulphilosopher.IwouldalsoliketostatemyappreciationfortheexpertskillsofRichardVanRapaport,thewriterwho moldedmythoughtsintodefinablereadingforourpiecethatappearedintheHarvardBusinessReview.Richisatrueintellectual,amarvelouswriterandagreatguy. Iamquiteproudofthebodyofworkthatthethreeofusproduced.OwenandRichwereabletotranslatefootballintosomethingofinteresttothecorporate environment. Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgethefollowingindividualswhohaveaffectedmylifeinmeaningfulways:MartinConnellymylifetimefriendandcolleagueyour insightandwisdomhavemeantsomuchJaneWalshmyfriendandassociateyourpartinthisprojecthasbeeninvaluableDr.HarryEdwardsyourstrengthand professionalismhavemadeamajorimpactonmylifenewspapercolumnistJimMurrayIamindeptedforyoursupportthroughouttheebbandflowofmycareer EddieDeBartoloandCarmenPolicywe'vesharedeverypossibleemotionCoachBobBronzanthanksforsettingastandardforindividualslikemyselfto emulateStevenKayIamindebtedtoyouforyourcounsel,adviceandfriendshipDr.GlenAlbaughyourdedicationandyourcommitmenttosocietyhavegiven justificationtosportandDickVermeilandMikeWhitewhatarunwe'vehad. BW Asisusuallythecase,thecompletionofthisbookwasmadepossiblethoughthehelpandguidanceofanumberofpeople.TheauthorswouldliketothankErica Wieland,MikeEyers,FrankCooney,JeffWalker,DarciBransfordandColonelCharlesF."Casey"Browerfortheirassistanceincompilingtheinformation.We wouldalsoliketothankBobOates,GordonForbes,AndreaKremerandPhilSimmsfortheirinputandcounselthroughouttheproject. OurgratitudeisalsoexpressedtothestaffatSagamorePublishing/SportsPublishingInc.fortheirassistancewiththisproject,particularlyMichelleSummers,Joanna WrightandLauraMain. Finally,wewouldliketoacknowledgethoseinthecoachingprofession,toonumeroustolist,fortheircreativeanddevotedcommitmenttotheindustryandtheir collectivecontributionstothephilosophiesandstructuresoutlinedinthismaterial. BB

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CONTENTS
Dedication Acknowledgments Foreword (byMikeHolmgren) Introduction (byBrianBillick) PartI:ExperiencesandValues Chapter1:PuttingThingsIntoHistoricalPerspective Chapter2:DoingWhatComesNaturally PartII:TheOrganization Chapter3:UnderstandingtheRoleofaHeadCoach Chapter4:DevelopingaSuccessfulOrganizationalStructure Chapter5:OrganizingtheStaff PartIII:ThePeople Chapter6:EvaluatingPlayers Chapter7:AcquiringTalentedPlayers Chapter8:DevelopingPlayers Chapter9:HandlingtheProAthlete 111 145 161 189 29 47 75 3 13 iii iv vii ix

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PartIV:TheGame Chapter10:DesigningaWinningGamePlan Chapter11:PreparingtoWin Chapter12:PuttingItAllTogether Chapter13:StrategiesandTacticsforDealingwithaHighlyCompetitive Adversary Chapter14:Makingthe"Right"Decision Chapter15:OvercomingtheMentalBarrierstoSuccess Chapter16:StayingonCourse PartV:TheBusiness Chapter17:WorkingwiththeMedia Chapter18:FocusingonFinancialMatters Appendices AppendixA:SelectedReferences AppendixB:SampleEmployeeLectures AppendixC:SampleJobDescriptionOutlines AppendixD:SampleScheduleofSupplementalDuties AppendixE:SampleTeamLectures AppendixF:SampleScoutingWorkoutCriteriaforSelectedPositions AppendixG:SampleBasePlaySchematics AppendixH:SampleClassicPlaySchematics AppendixI:TheBillWalshCoachingLineage AppendixJ:Index

207 231 267 281 321 329 339 381 395 407 409 421 467 471 483 489 507 545 547

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FOREWORD
Weknowthatfootballteams,similartoorganizationseverywhere,improvebygoingthroughanevolutionaryprogressionastheylearn,apply,adapt,andlearnagain. BillWalsh'sFindingtheWinningEdgeprovidesreaderswiththefirsteversystematic,practicalguidetoestablishingandmasteringthestepsinvolvedinthatcrucial process.Inmypersonalopinion,noindividualinthehistoryofthegameismorequalifiedtoputforthsuchinvaluableguidance. Duringhisillustriouscareer,Billwasmorethanafootballcoach.Inaveryrealsense,hehasbeenanexceptionalvisionary.Althoughheiswidelyrenownedasthe architectofthe"WestCoast"offense,hisinnovativeapproachtothegamehasextendedfarbeyondhisimaginativeideasonoffense. DuringthetimehespentworkingwiththeSanFrancisco49ers,hetransformedSanFrancisco'sgameintoanartform.ToBill,footballismorethanaphysicalcontest, andsuccessismorethanavictoryontheplayingfield. Successistheprogressionofworthyideasandgoals.Suchaprogressioninvolvesatleasttwokeycerebralfactorsattentiontodetailandanabsolutecommitmentto perfection. ToBill'swayofreasoning,nodetailorsituationistoounimportanttobeoverlooked.Everypossiblecircumstancethatmightaffecttheperformanceoftheteamand theproductivityoftheorganizationshouldbeaddressed.Inturn,acontingencyplantohandleeachsituationshouldbedeveloped. Billwasnolessadamantabouttheneedtoshootforperfection.Hisconvictionsonthematterwereillustratedvividlytomeduringaneventthatoccurredonedayin practice.Asthe49ers'quarterbackcoach,IwatchedJoeMontanathrowapassslightlybehindJerryRice,whoneverthelesswouldcatchsuchapass99timesoutof 100. Mostcoachesmightbesatisfiedwiththissuccessratio.NotBill.Heimmediatelycametomeandexplainedingreatdetailwhyapassinvolvingthatroutehadtobe throwntwelveinchesinfrontofthereceiver,notsixinchesbehindhim. Billhadasingularfocusonperfection.Everyday.Everypractice.Everyplay.Everymeeting.Everysituation. FindingtheWinningEdgeisdestinedtobecomethenumberonereferencebookinthelibraryofeveryfootballcoachinthegame.Writteninaneasytoread, straightforwardstyle,thisgroundbreakingtextcanhelpcoachesatallcompetitivelevels. Inhismorethanfourdecadesofinvolvementwiththegameasaplayer,acoach,andatopleveladministrator,noindividualhashadamoreworthyormeaningful impactontheplayershecoachedorthecoacheswithwhomheworked. AlistoftheassistantcoachesthatservedwithBillandwhosubsequentlywentontoachieveremarkablesuccessasheadcoachesonboththecollegiateand professionallevelsisquiteextraordinary.Asaresult,hisinfluencecontinuestobefeltthroughoutalllevelsofthegametoday. FindingtheWinningEdgeisBill'sdetailedefforttosharehisideas,principles,andprogramsfordevelopingawinningprogram.Thebookofferseverycoachagame planforsuccess. MIKEHOLMGREN HEADCOACH, GREENBAYPACKERS

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INTRODUCTION
Arguably,oneofthemostexcitingandmostcloselycontestedgamesinthehistoryoftheSuperBowloccurredonJanuary22,1989,inJoeRobbieStadiuminMiami, Florida.Thisgamehadeverythingpassion,drama,heroicsandtwohighlycompetitiveteamswithcomparabletalentlevels,theCincinnatiBengalsandtheSan Francisco49ers. SuperBowlXXIIIalsohadoneofthemostdefiningthreeminuteperiodsinthehistoryoffootballaperiodwhichhascometobeknownovertheyearsassimply, "TheDrive."92yards.Twelveplays.Methodicalefficiency.A201649ers'victory. Trailing1613withjustoverthreeminutestoplay,the49ers'offensebeganafatefulscoringdrivethatculminatedwitha10yardpassfromJoeMontanatoJohn Taylorforthewinningscorewith34secondsleft.Asconceivedandorchestrated,thedrivewasthedefinitiveexampleofcoachingproficiency. Inreality,thedrivewassimplyanextensionof"theman"and"thesystem."ThemanwasBillWalsh,andthesystemwastheWestCoastOffense(anoffensivescheme thatreflectsthefactorsthatBillholdsinthehighestregardpreparation,planning,precisionandpoise). Unbeknownsttothe75,000peoplewhowereinthestandsthatdayorthemillionsofindividualswhowerewatchingtheintensegridironstruggleontelevision,Walsh hadmadethedecisionbeforethegametoretireasheadcoachofthe49ersafterSuperBowlXXIII.ThefourpointvictoryovertheBengalsthatearnedbothhimand the49erstheirthirdSuperBowlvictoryinadecadeonlyservedtoreinforcethevalidityofBill'spreoccupationwithperfection. WhenBillapproachedmeabouthelpinghimdevelopandwritethisbook,itbecameimmediatelycleartomethatoneofBill'smainprioritieswiththeprojectwasto keepthefocusandperspectiveofthematerialonawelldefinedandpracticallevel.Furthermore,hewantedthisbooktobeaninvaluablereferencetextforcoaches atallcompetitivelevels. Asyoureadthisbook,IbelievethatyouwillconcludethatbothofBill'sgoalsinthisregardhavebeenachieved.FindingtheWinningEdgepresentsBill'sideas, principlesandconceptsfordevelopingasuccessfulfootballprograminasinglevolume. Thisbookisorganizedintofivedistinctsections:PartIExperiencesandValuesPartIITheOrganizationPartIIIThePeoplePartIVTheGameandPart VTheBusiness.Inaddition,FindingtheWinningEdgefeaturesanextensiveAppendicessectionthatincludesseveralvaluablesegments(e.g.,samplejob descriptionoutlines,teamlectures,employeelectures,etc.). ThesectiononExperiencesandValuesprovidesabriefsummaryofCoachWalsh'sbackgroundandareviewofsomeofthemajorinfluencesonhispersonaland professionalattitudesandvalues.Inaddition,anoverviewofthefactorsrequiredforafocusedphilosophyispresented,withaparticularemphasisonunderstanding themeaningoftruecompetition. ThesectiononTheOrganizationexplainshowandwhyafootballorganizationmustbestructuredtoaccomplishspecificgoals.Howtheheadcoach

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shouldrecruit,developandeffectivelyutilizeacompetentstaffisalsoexamined.Thissectionalsoincludesathoughtfuldiscussionofwhatitmeanstobeaheadcoach. ThesectiononThePeoplediscusseshowtheheadcoachshouldutilizethevariousmethodsofacquiringplayerstobuildasuccessfulteam.Anoverviewofthesteps involvedandthecriteriausedtoevaluateplayersisalsopresented. Furthermore,thissectionincludesasummaryofwhataheadcoachshoulddotoensurethattheskillsandtalentsofeachplayerontheteamaredevelopedandutilized inanappropriateway,particularlythoseofthequarterback.Inaddition,theareaofhowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithrelevantissuesfacinghisathletesis reviewed. ThesectiononTheGamelooksatseveralofthecriticalfactorsthatdirectlyimpactontheteam'sperformanceandsuccesslevel,includinggameplanning,practice structureandgamedaymanagement.Inaddition,areviewofhowtheheadcoachcanmakesounddecisionsandhowselectedmentalaspectscaninhibitaplayer's performanceissummarized. Thissectionalsoincludesanextensivediscussionofhowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithspecificcircumstances.Amongtheseasonalsituationsthatareexaminedare thoseinstancesinvolvinganewlynamedcoach,anextendedlosingstreak,thelastsecondloss,anextendedwinningstreak,reboundingfromalosingseason,the coachwholeavesthejob,andtheoffseason.Adviceisalsopresentedconcerninghowtohandledifferenttypesofteams,includingtheinexperiencedteam,the downandoutteam,thetalentedteamandtheteamwithhighexpectations.Thefinalpartofthesectioncovershowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithindividualgame circumstances(e.g.,thelastsecondloss,keygames,gamesasabigunderdogoralopsidedfavorite,gamesafterahugewin,roadgames,preseasongames,etc.). ThesectiononTheBusinessdiscusseshowtheheadcoachshoulddealwithspecificfinancialissues,includinginteractingwiththeteam'sCFOandunderstandingthe NFLsalarycap.Inaddition,anoverviewofcommonsenserecommendationsandadviceonhowtheheadcoachshoulddealwiththemediainavarietyof circumstancesispresented. Thebookalsoincludesalmost100quotesthathaveinspiredandhavehelpedclarifyandilluminatespecificissuesandfactorsforBilloverhiscareer.Eachofthese quotesisboxedintohighlightitsimportance. WheneverthelegacyofBillWalshisdiscussed,anumberoffactorswilltypicallybeconsideredhislifetimecommitmenttoexcellence,hiscompleteandtotal concentrationonthetaskathand,hisabilitytotranslateandapplyhisinsightfulconceptstooffensiveschemes,andhisgiftofinspiringandmotivatingothers(as reflectedbyhisthreeSuperBowlvictoriesandthelegionofformerassistantsandplayerswhohavegoneontomaketheirmarksinthecoachingprofession). Hopefully,thisbookwillalsobeoneofhislegaciestothegamewhichheholdsinsuchhighregard.IfFindingtheWinningEdgeprovidescoachesand administratorswithatoolthatenhancestheirabilitytohelptheirteamsreachthenextlevelofsuccess,thentheeffortstowritethisbookwillhavebeenwell worthwhile. BRIANBILLICK

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PARTI EXPERIENCESANDVALUES

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Chapter1 PuttingThingsintoHistoricalPerspective
''Whoknowswhatforcegnawsatus,tellingusthatouraccomplishments,nomatterhowsensational,arenotenough,thatweneedtodomore?" ArthurAshe TennisLegend DaysofGrace Findingthewinningedge... Perhapsthesecrettoeffectiveactionliesinhowyouinterpretthelengthofthe"day"inCarpeDiem.Ifit'sa moment,oraday,you'recuttingdownontheoddsforsuccess.Butifyourecognizethatinbusinessasinsports(or anyoflife,forthatmatter),there'sa"season"madeupofseveralopportunities,thoseoddsgoupconsiderably. Themostsuccessbusinesspeoplearethosewhorealizethattheyaregoingtotakesomehitsintheprocessof searchingoutthebigscoresthosewhoknowthatperformanceoverthelonghauliswhatcounts.Ifyoucanseize theday,great.Butneverforgetthattherearedaysyettocome. BillWalsh,"CarpeDiemOrthe DiemAfterThat,"Forbes, October25,1993.

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IwasextremelyfortunatetoservewithJohnRalstonatStanford.JohnassembledafinestaffthatincludedDickVermeil,MikeWhiteandme.Allthreeof uswereabletosustainrecognitionasheadfootballcoaches.Dickhasdistinguishedhimselfateverylevel.HewonchampionshipsatHillsideHighSchool andNapaCommunityCollege,andledhisUCLAteamtovictoryintheRoseBowl.AscoachofthePhiladelphiaEagles,hewastwiceawardedCoachof theYearhonors. ForDick,Mikeandme,energyandenthusiasmmarkedtheearlystagesofourcareersandwerefollowedbyaperiodoflearningtoteachthetactical phasesofthegame.Ibelievewebecameoutstandingteachers,bothindividuallyandcollectively.Inthelatterstagesofourcareers,weeachbecamewell groundedinorganizationandmanagement. Eachperiodofdevelopmentrequiresablendofunrelentingenergyandenthusiasmandacontinualsearchforknowledgeandexpertise.Allthreeofushad theabilitytocommunicateandinteractwithotherstoestablishanatmosphereofhighmotivationandasearchforexcellence. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Historyisourcollectivememory.Itisouraccumulatedexperiences.Itisinvokedconstantlyandunconsciouslybyeveryperson,everyday,tohelpthemmake decisionsbased,tosomeextent,onwhathasgoneonbeforeintheirlives. Accordingly,allfactorsconsidered,themoreyouknowandunderstandyourpast,thebetteryourinsightsregardingthepresentandthefuture.Inthatregard,past eventsandactualexperiencesinmylifehavehadatremendousinfluenceonmepersonally. Certainly,myownbackgroundandpersonalexperienceshavehelpedshapeandorientmyattitudestowardcontemporaryissues,values,goals,andbehavior.The breadthofthepersonallysignificantoccurrencesinmyliferangesfrombeingabletoobservefirsthandmyfather'ssteadfastworkethictohavingtheopportunityto workwithandlearnfromsomeofthefinestindividualsinthecoachingprofession. SpringboardtoaCareerinCoaching Notunlikemanyyoungpeopleinmygeneration,Iwasbornintoanenvironmentwhereeverykidplayedsportsinthestreetsandontheneighborhoodlawnsuntilwe werekickedoff.Withnobasketballcourtsintheneighborhood,playingfootballwasourprimarypursuit. IgrewupinanareaofsouthwestLosAngelesalocationthatisnowknownassouthcentralthatwaswithintwominutesofthecampusoftheUniversityof SouthernCalifornia.TheatmosphereatUSConlyservedtoheightenmyinterestinfootball. IcanstillvividlyrememberthefirstcollegefootballgameIeversaw.NotreDamesparkedbyitsHeismanTrophywinningbackAngeloBertellibeatUSC130. Inlateryears,IhadtheopportunitytohangaroundUSCasaballboyfortheTrojanfootballteam.Intheprocess,IassociatedwithseveralUSCplayerswholater becamecoaches.

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Inadditiontosports,myfatherplayedaveryinfluentialroleinmylifeasIwasgrowingup.Inparticular,heingrainedinmethevalueofhavingastrongworkethic. Duringtheweek,hewasemployedinabluecollarjobinanautoplant.Ontheweekends,heranabodyandfenderbusinessinwhichIalsoworked.Asmyboss,he showedmethattherewasonlyonewaytodoajobtherightway. Subsequently,myfatherdecidedtoturnhisweekendendeavorintoafulItimebusiness,sowemovedtoanareanearMedford,Oregon.Afterdiscoveringthat OregondidnotexactlyreceiveCalifornianswithopenarms,wethenrelocatedtoHayward,California. Becauseofmyfamily'snumeroustravels,Ihadtheopportunitytoattendthreedifferenthighschools.Iplayedonthefootballteamateachschoolsometimesasa quarterback,butusuallyasarunningbackbecauseIwasalwaysnewtotheprogramandthesystem.IthenwenttoSanMateoCommunityCollegefortwoseasons, whereIwasfinallyabletoplayquarterbackonaregularbasis. IthendecidedtocompletemyundergraduateeducationatSanJoseStateUniversity,whereIhadtheopportunitytoplayasanendontheSpartanfootballteam underthedirectionofBobBronzan.Bronzanhadasignificantinfluenceonmebothasapersonandasafuturecoach. Hedemandedhighstandardsofperformanceatalltimesfromeveryoneassociatedwiththeteam.Hestressedthefactthateveryoneneededtobewillingtomake sacrificesiftheteamwastosucceed.Andhewasverycreativeoffensively. Myinterestinfurtheringmyathleticcareerasacoachwassparked.TheU.S.Army,however,hadmoreimmediateplansforme. WiththeKoreanWararecentmemory,IwasdraftedintotheArmy.Fortunatelyforme,IspentmyentiretwoyeartourofdutyatFt.Ord(CA),whereIgottoplay onthepostfootballteamandbox.Ialsobegantotakelifemuchmoreseriously. Aftermytimeonactiveduty,IreturnedtoSanJoseStatetopursueagraduatedegreeandtoserveonBobBronzan'sstaffasagraduateassistantcoach.Asmy mentor,BobspentcountlesshoursworkingwithmetodeveloptheskillsandabilitiesthatIwouldneedasacoach. AfterIcompletedmygraduatedegree,IinterviewedforonlyonecoachingpositionwhichIgot.Despitethefactthatattheageof24Iwasnotquitereadytofully handletheresponsibility,IwasnamedheadfootballcoachatWashingtonHighSchoolinFremont,California,whereIstayedforthreeyears. Then,withBronzan'ssupport,MarvLevyhiredmetobeamemberofhisstaffatUCBerkeley.InmyfirstyearatCal,myprimaryresponsibilityinvolvedrecruiting. InmysecondyearonMarv'sstaff,heappointedmeashisdefensivecoordinator.AlthoughIwasn'tascompletelypreparedasIwouldliketohavebeenforsucha position,thejobwasagreatexperience.Unfortunately,Calwasnotverytalentedatthetime,sowestruggled(alot). AfterthreeseasonswithMarvandtheCalBears,IthenbegananassociationwithStanfordwhichIwouldcometotreasurehighlyfortherestofmylife.JohnRalston hiredmetobeamemberoftheCardinal'sstaff.

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InmyfirstyearworkingforJohn,Iservedashischiefrecruiter,administrativeassistant,andfreshmancoach.Iwasthenappointedashisdefensivebackscoach. Giventhesituation,IfeltthatIwasmakingmeasurablestridestowardachievingmyultimategoaltobecomeaheadfootballcoachatamajoruniversity. FollowingtheDream Whenyouactuallysitdownandtrytosummarizehowyoupursuedthemajorgoalsinyourlife,itisrelativelydifficulttodeterminefromwhichpointyoushouldbegin. IimagineIshouldstartbyansweringthequestionIammostoftenasked:"WheredidIdevelopmyprofessionalphilosophiesand,inparticular,whendidthe'West CoastOffense'begintotakeshape?" Allfactorsconsidered,thegenealogyofthe"WestCoastOffense"startedwiththelegendaryPaulBrown,forwhomIworkedinCincinnatifrom196875,andwith theoffensivegeniusofSidGillman.Sidmadehismarkin10seasonswiththeSanDiegoChargers,leadingthemtofivechampionshipappearancesintheoldAmerican FootballLeague. IhadtheopportunitytolearnSidGillman'soffensewhenIwaswiththeOaklandRaiders(1966).BeingknowledgeableandgaininginsightsintoSid'soffensive schemewasprobablythebiggestinfluenceinmyearlycareer. Gillmanwas,ofcourse,justoneofnumerousprocoacheswhoIstudiedandfromwhomIborrowedalongtheway.Ialsogainedatremendousamountofinsightinto thegamefromindividualslikeBlantonCollier,AlDavis,DonCoryellandClarkShaughnessy,thelegendaryStanfordcoachandChicagoBearassistanttoGeorge Halas,whobroughtthe"T"Formationintocollegeandprofessionalfootball. HavingthechancetoworkatthecollegelevelattwogreatschoolslikeCalandStanfordwasalsoparticularlymeaningfulinmydevelopmentasacoach.Whatmany peopledon'trealizeisthatIspentmyfirstfewyearsincollegefootballonthedefensivesideoftheball.WorkingasMarvLevy'sdefensivecoordinatoratCal,then laterwithJohnRalstonatStanfordashisdefensivebackscoach,weretremendouslearningexperiencesforme. ItwasthetimeIspentwiththeCincinnatiBengals,however,thatgavemeachancetofullydevelopmyowncoachingphilosophiesandtoputthemtopractical application.WorkingforPaulBrown,therenownedcoachfromOhioStateandlatertheClevelandBrowns,andthefounderoftheCincinnatiBengals,wasa tremendousprofessionalopportunityforme.ToPaul'scredit,hegavehiscoachestotalautonomy.Asaresult,wewereabletodevelopourownphilosophiesand systems. Atthetime,CincinnatiwasanexpansionteamthathadVirgilCarterasitsquarterback.VirgilwasaquarterbackwhohadagreatcollegiatecareeratBrighamYoung. Virgilwasonlysixfeettallandwithoutmuchofadeepthrowingarm,yethewasagoodrunner. BecausetheBengalsweren'tstrongenoughontheoffensivelinetobeabletoruntheballconsistently,wedecidedthatourbestchancetowinfootballgameswasto somehowcontroltheball.Asaresult,wedevisedaballcontrolpassinggameinthehopethatifwecouldmake25firstdownsinagivengameandifwealsohad good

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specialteamsplay,wewouldhaveareasonablechancetostaycompetitiveintheballgame.Intheprocess,hopefullysomethinggoodwouldhappen. OvertheeightyearperiodthatIspentontheBengals'staff,wewereabletodevelopasystemthatisnowknownasthe"WestCoastOffense"atermwhichI imaginesoundsmuchmoreglamorousthanthe"MidWestOffense."Ideally,IwouldliketosaythatwhatwedevelopedandbeganinCincinnatiwasdonewitha consciouseyetothefutureandtheaffirmationthatwewouldbeabletoextendthissystemtohistoriclevelsofoffensiveproductionforyearstocome. Thetruthofthematter,however,wasthat,atthetime,weneverreallythoughtofitasbeinganallencompassingsystem.AsPaulwouldsay,"Thisisjustwhatwe did."Theconceptof"scripting"anopeningsetofplays,whichhasgeneratedagreatdealofdiscussionovertheyears,isaperfectexampleofthis. Laterchaptersinthisbookpresentamoredetaileddiscussionofhowthepracticeofscriptingbeganandwhatitencompasses.Thepointtorememberisthatwedid notdeveloptheinnovativeconceptofscriptingopenersoutofsomeovert,insightfulrecognitionoftheneedsofthefuture.Itwassimply"whatwedid"tomake ourselvesascompetitiveaspossible. Subsequently,oneparticulareventhadaverysignificantimpactonthepathmycoachingcareerwastotake.WhenCoachBrowndecidedtoretire,Iwaspassedup fortheheadcoachingpositionforaveryfinecoachinBillJohnson.NotgettingtheCincinnatijobwasatthetimeverydevastatingforme.Iwasparticularlyconcerned thatotherpeopleelsewherewouldquestionmyabilitiestobeaheadcoachiftopmanagementinCincinnatididnotseefittomakemetheheadcoach. LeavingCincinnatiwasaverydifficulttimeformywife,Geri,andme.WehaddevelopedseveralvaluedfriendshipsthereandourchildrenconsideredCincinnatitheir home.Thesefactorsonlyaddedtomyfrustration. Lookingback,thereareanumberofthingsIwishIwouldhavedonedifferently.MostprominentamongthosedisappointmentswasthewayitaffectedhowIdealt withpeople. MyfinalyearinCincinnati,leadinguptoCoachBrown'sdeparture,wasrepletewithadispiritingatmosphere.Iknewthatthetimehadcomeformetoleavethe Bengals. Manypeopleerroneouslythinktheyhaveonlyonechancetosucceedintheirlife'swork,andthatiftheymissthatchance,theyaredoomedtofailure.Infact,most peoplehaveseveralopportunitiestosucceed.Iftheylearnfrompastmistakes,theywillbebetterabletotakefuIladvantageofthenextopportunitywhenitpresents itself. Certainlyforme,thiswasthecasewhenIwashiredbyTommyProthrotobehisoffensivecoordinatorwiththeSanDiegoChargers.Mynewjobopportunityinlife turnedouttobeaveryfortuitoussituationformeontwocounts. Tommywasagreatcoachinhisownright.Hewasoneofthemosthonest,ethicalmenthegamehaseverseen. WorkingforTommygavemeachancetofurtherdevelopsomeofthephilosophieswehadestablishedwiththeBengalsoutsideofthecomfortzonethat

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wehadcreatedinCincinnati.Second,itgavemeachancetoworkwithanexceptionallytalentedquarterbackinDanFouts. Danwasabrilliantperformer,andoneofthebestcompetitorsIhaveevercoached.ItwasarealthrillandhonortobeinductedintotheNationalFootballLeagueHall ofFamewithDanin1993.Inreality,itisveryunfortunatethatDandidnothaveachancetoplayonachampionshipteam. Sooften,aquarterbackisjudgedbywhetherheledhisteamtoaSuperBowlvictory.Thatsinglecriteria,however,doesnottakeintoaccountthefactthatthegame offootballissuchalargedynamic,involvingnumerousdifferentpeopleandfactors.Seldom,ifever,hastherebeenanotherquarterbackthatwasaspivotaltothe successofateamasDanwaswiththeSanDiegoChargersinthelate1970sand80s. TheDreamsComesTrue Atage47,IgotmyfirstchancetobeaheadcoachsincemydaysatWashingtonHighSchoolinthelate1950swhenIwasnamedtheheadcoachatStanford Universityin1977.ThisjobwastheopportunityofalifetimeonethatmorethanmadeupforthedisappointmentIsufferedinCincinnati. ThispositionaffordedmethechancetotakefullcontrolofanorganizationandfieldtestthepreceptsandphilosophiesIhadworkedsohardtodevelopovertheyears justforthistypeofopportunity.Italsogavemeachancetofurtherdevelopanoffensivesystem,butatadecidedlydifferentlevel. ThetimespentatStanfordduringmyfirststintastheheadcoachoftheCardinalalsoenabledmetodevelopanappreciationfortheoverallattentiontodetailrequired forthedailypreparationofateam.Thecollegegamepresentsasmuchchallengefromatechnicalstandpointasprofootballdoes. Thereismoreinvolvedincollegecoachingbecauseofthevaryingstagesofdevelopmentofyourplayers.Teachingismorecomprehensiveincollegebecausea dramaticrangeexistsintheabilitiesofyourplayers.Sometimes,youcandependonaplayer'sinherentabilities.Othertimes,thecoach'sabilitytoteachanddevelopa playerismorecrucial. AtStanford,wewerechallengedbypowerhouseslikeNotreDame,TexasA&M,USCandWashington.AswiththeBengals,wehadtoemployanextradimension tocompensateforbeingphysicallyoutmanned.AsIhadbeeninearliercoachingassignments,Iwasfortunatetogettoworkwithtwoexcellentyoungquarterbacksin GuyBenjaminandSteveDils.Guyhadtremendousnaturalinstincts,whileStevepossessedsurprisingpoiseandpresence. Fornumerousreasons,nottheleastofwhichisthetrulyuniqueenvironmentthatexistsontheLelandStanfordcampus,IalwaysthinkfondlyofmytimeatStanford.It wasthisaffectionwhichledmebacktothe"Farm"in1992foranotherthreeyearsastheCardinalheadcoach. ThesuccesswehadatStanford,culminatinginanationalrankingandawininthe1978BluebonnetBowl,gavemethechancetobecometheheadcoachoftheSan Francisco49ersin1979.ThatBluebonnetBowlgameagainsttheUniversityofGeorgia

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(muchlike"TheDrive"thatculminatedmyyearswiththe49ers)turnedouttobeadefiningmomentformeinmyearlycareerasaheadcoach. IntheBluebonnetBowlgame,wehadfallenbehindtoapointwherewewerefacingwhatmighthaveappearedtobeaninsurmountableleadbyGeorgia.Tomake mattersworse,afterwhatIthoughtwasaninspiringhalftimespeech,theBulldogsproceededtotakethesecondhalfkickoffandmethodicallymarchedthelengthof thefieldforanotherscoretouptheiradvantageto220. IcanonlyimaginewhatEddieDeBartolowasthinkingatthetimeashewatchedthisdebacleunfold(i.e.,"ThisisthemanIamturningmyorganizationoverto?").It wasacredittotheplayersandcoachesthatwewereabletokeepourcomposure. Notquitepanicking,wewerefinallyabletoadjusttotheireightmanfrontsandpressurepackagewithourquickpassesand"Hot"adjustments.Ourcomefrom behind,2522winwasanexcellentspringboardtothechallengeoftakingovertheSanFrancisco49ers. The49ershadbeenvirtuallydismemberedinthelate70sbymismanagementandhorrendouspersonneldecisions.TheapathyintheBayAreaforthe49erswasatan alltimehigh,asevidencedbythefactthatwehadthelowestseasonticketbaseintheNFL. The49ershadbeenthroughatumultuousperiodwithconfluencesofheadcoachesandgeneralmanagerswhoconstantlywereatoddswithoneanother.Asaresult, theorganizationhadnosingleleadershipandnomeaningfuldirection.Tomakethingsevenworse,the49ershadfewdraftchoiceswithwhichtorebuildduetosome poortrades. ItwasagreedthatifIwasgoingtobethecoach,Iwouldbeinchargeofallfootballoperations.BeingassignedthatrolewasamajordecisionbecauseI'djustbeen anNFLassistantandthenacollegeheadcoachfortwoyears. Itwasarealchallenge.MyeightyearswithPaulBrown,however,hadenabledmetoobservefirsthandtheworkingsofabrilliantman.TheyalsoconvincedmethatI shouldhavecompletecontrolofpersonnelmatters. Itookaproactiveapproachtogettingatopflightpersontoassistmebytalkingtoseveralofthetoppeopleintheprofessionaboutassumingthegeneralmanager's duties.Itbecameobvious,however,thattheywerenotinterestedinaligningthemselveswiththe49ers.ThingshadgottensobleakinSanFranciscobothonandoff thefieldthatfewsawmuchchanceforimprovementandallthoughtittoogreatajobsecurityrisk.JohnRalstonjoinedusanddidanexcellentjobinthe organization,butthendeparted. Forthisreason,adecisionwasmadethatIshouldtakeontheadditionaldutiesofservingastheteam'sgeneralmanager.EverythingIhadlearnedandestablished throughoutmyentirecareer(particularlyinthepast11years)wouldbeseverelytestedbymynewchallenge. OneofthemostinvaluablestepsthatIwasabletotakeinthisregardwasbeingabletoattractJohnMcVay,whohadrecentlydepartedastheheadcoachofthe NewYorkGiants,tojoinmyadministrativestaff.Weworkedtogetherasateam

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fortenyears.Johnprovedtobeaninvaluablepartofouroperationandwasakeyelementinthe49erorganization'scontinuedsuccessafterIleft. Thisinitialstepprovedtobeverypivotalinthesuccessthatthe49erseventuallyachieved.Theplayershadbeenfragmentedbythepreviousorganizationalstructure, nottrulyknowingwhowasinchargeandhowmuchauthoritythepeopletheyworkeddirectlywith,viathecoaches,reallyhad. Accordingly,itwasvitaltotheorganizationthatasinglefigure,withtotalcontrol,emergeiftherewasanychanceofcorrectingthemeleethatexistedinthe organization.Thethreeworldchampionshipsthatwewereabletoexperiencewiththe49ersoverthenext10yearsweremadethatmuchmoreexhilaratingbecause ofourrelativelyingloriousbeginnings. AfterwewonourfirstSuperBowlin1981andbegantoestablishourselvesasoneofthedominantfranchisesintheLeague,someindividualsbegantoattribute certaincharacteristicstomebasedonouraccomplishments.Somepeopleheldtheattitudethatmyabilitiesandthesuccessesweexperiencedwerepresentedtome likea"gift"orthatIsimplyhadthegoodfortuneofbeingalignedwithplayerssuchasJoeMontana,JerryRiceandRonnieLott. Otherindividualssuggestedthatmyownabilitiesweresomehowbestowedonmebysomepowerfrombeyondandthattheseabilitiesweresomethingthatjustcame naturallywithlittleeffort.ThiscontentionbeliesthecountlesshoursofstudyandsacrificeIspentdevelopingmycraftandtheoftentimespainfulprocessoftrialand errorthatIendured. MostofthemethodsthatIdevelopedIlearnedandenhancedfromobservingothers.I'dliketothinkthere'sconsiderableoriginalityinwhatIdidwithmycareer,and certainlyapersonhastohaveaparticularpredispositiontowardasubjecttoexperienceanylevelofsuccess.Iwouldnotendeavor,however,tobesoboldasto concludethattheprocessinvolveseitheratotallyuniquediscoveryoragreatrevelation. Asacoach,theprimarypointtorememberisthataknowledgeorexpertiseofanysubjectmustremaindynamic.AsrenownedorganizationtheoristAbrahamKaplan hasnoted,"Asknowledgeofaparticularsubjectmattergrows,ourconceptionofthatsubjectmatterchanges,Thisparadoxisresolvedbyaprocessof approximation:thebetterourconcepts,thebetterthetheorywecanformulatewiththem,andinturn,thebettertheconceptsforthenextimprovedtheory.Itisonly throughthissuccessionthat(we)canhopeultimatelytoachievesuccess." AnexcellentexampleofKaplan'sprogressionistheinteractionofideasandtheoriesIhaveexchangedwiththemanyfinecoacheswithwhomIhavehadthepleasure ofworkingovertheyears.Asaresult,myattemptstobemoreknowledgeableaboutthegameandtocontinuallyexpandmyoffensiveconceptseventuallyledtothe nextstepintheevolutionof,forlackofabetterterm,the"WestCoastOffense." Whateverlabel,genuineorotherwise,otherswanttogiveit,the"WestCoastOffense"stillamountstonothingmorethanatotalattentiontodetailandanappreciation foreveryfacetofoffensivefootballandrefinementofthosethingsthatareneededtoprovideanenvironmentthatallowspeopletoperformattheirmaximumlevelsof selfactualization.

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In1996,IreturnedforayeartoworkwiththeSanFrancisco49ersorganization.Itwasveryinterestingmakingthetransitiontotheroleofconsultantwiththe49ers andtryingtobeeffectiveinanewrolewithouttheauthorityIoncehad.Steppingawayfromthe49ersforawhileenabledmetopinpointwhatitwasIdidwellandto identifythosethingsIcoulddobetter. Aspresidentandheadcoachoftheteam,Ididn'thavemuchchancetopaycloseattentiontodetails.WhenIreturnedasaconsultantwithspecificobjectives centeringonoffensivestrategyandquarterbackperformance,Ididn'thavetoworryaboutthebigpicture. Thiscloserfocusalsoallowedmetopayattention,inanunofficialway,tobroaderquestionsoftheteam'sfutureconsiderations.ThatisnotwhatIwashiredtodo, butformeitwasarewardofbeingoutfromundertheweightofleadership,asituationwhichonlyaddedtomyoveralleffectivenessasaconsultant. OfalltheaccomplishmentsImayhaveachievedovertheyears,Ivaluetherelationshipswithmycoachesandplayersaboveallelse.Theabilitytohelpthepeople aroundmeselfactualizetheirgoalsunderlinesthesingleaspectofmyabilitiesandthelabelthatIvaluemostteacher.

Isupposethisexperienceincoachinghadsomethingtodowithmyownorientationtotheuniversityandtoa teachingcareer.Italsomarkedthebeginningofmyownstyleofmanagement.IalwayshavefoundthatifIcould createanenvironmentaroundmeinwhicheverybodyfelttheywerelearning,Iwouldhaveahotgroup.Ihave alwaystriedtoincludepeopleinwhatIwasdoing,toencouragethemtosaywhattheythink,toletthemseethe problemsthatwereconfrontingusall,andtocreateanatmosphereinwhicheveryonecouldfeelattheendofthe day,ortheendofaweekoramonth,thatheorshehadlearnedsomething. GeorgeP.Shultz FormerSecretaryofState fromTurmoilandTriumph

Page13

Chapter2 DoingWhatComesNaturally
"Dutyisthesublimestwordinourlanguage.Doyourdutyinallthings.Youcannotdomore.Youshouldneverwishtodomore." RobertE.Lee CommandingGeneral ArmyoftheConfederacy Findingthewinningedge... Formenandwomenwhoareextremelygoodatwhattheydo,nothingismorediscouragingthandiscoveringthat thethingtheydosowellisn'twhat'sneededtogetthejobdone.Whenasuccessfulmanagerconfrontsasituationin whichaphilosophythathasalwaysworkedandhehaseveryreasontobelieveisfundamentallysoundfails,he mayhavetofacethehardfactthatthegroundruleshavechangedandthatheandhiswayofdoingthingsmaybea problem. Intheworldoffastcompanies,thiskindofthinghappensallthetime.Thetruetestofleadershipistheadaptability andflexibilityamanagerbringstothistypeofsituation.Thechallengecomesinhavingtoleaveyourcomfort zoneanareawhereyou'vebeenoperatingeffectively,perhapsforyears. BillWalsh,"WhenGoodIsn't GoodEnough,"Forbes,April11, 1994.

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Aleaderwhohasafocusedphilosophyismorelikelytoknowwhatthe"right"decisionisandtohavethecouragetomakeit.Thispointhasbeenmade cleartomeonanumberofoccasionsinmycoachingcareer. Attheendofthe1987season,forexample,SanFranciscomettheMinnesotaVikingsinaplayoffgame.MinnesotawasvastlyunderratedandSan Franciscohadtiredandbecomestaleduringtheirtwoweeksofpreparation. Duringthegame,wefellbehindandwereunabletomovetheball.Isensedthat,inadditiontonothavingtheprotectionheneeded,JoeMontanawasnot athisbest. Inthemiddleofthethirdquarter,IknewwhatIhadtodo.Ononehand,itwasoneofthetoughestdecisionsIhaveeverhadtomake,butontheother hand,itwasalsoveryeasy.IdecidedtopullJoeandinsertSteveYoungatquarterback. Becauseofthelackofpassprotection,IbelievedSteve'sincrediblemobilityasaquarterbackmightsparktheteamandturnthegamearound.ButIwas stillpullingperhapsthegreatestquarterbackinthehistoryoffootballoutofaplayoffgame. Iknewthatfanswouldbeoutragedandthatthemediawouldforevercriticizeandsecondguessmydecisionifthe49erslost.Ialsoknewtheexperience wouldbetraumaticforJoe. Despiteallthepotentialdrawbacks,mydecisionwassimple.IwastheheadcoachandIwasresponsibleformakingappropriatedecisions,evenifIknewI wouldbecondemnedbyothers.Ihadnoalternative.IwasawareofthepossibilitythatStevemightfarenobetterthanJoe,butweweredowntoa"one gameseason"andsomethinghadtobedonequicklyforustohaveanychanceofwinning.Imadethechange. WhenJoecameoffthefield,Iputmyarmaroundhim,explainedwhyIhadreplacedhim,andtoldhimIcaredabouthim.Stevedidsparktheteam,and webecamemorecompetitivebutstilllost.Asthecoach,Ihadtomakethetoughdecisionandthenlivewithit. AsIexpected,Iwascriticizedforsometimeregardingthatdecision.Italsofueledaquarterbackcontroversyearlythenextseason.IfIhadtakentheeasy wayout,lettingJoestayinthegameandthenbecriticizedfornotplayinguptopar,Iwouldnothavebeenfulfillingmyresponsibilitiesastheheadcoach. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Coachingisanenrichingendeavorthatcaninvolvepronouncedchallenges.Inordertohandlethosechallengessuccessfully,theheadcoachmusthavetheinsightto knowwhatneedstobedoneandmustpossessthecapabilitiesandtheconvictiontodowhateverisnecessary. Severalfactorsimpacthisabilityinthisregard.Perhaps,noneismoreimportantthanthedictatesofhispersonalbeliefs.Collectively,thesebeliefscomprisehis philosophy. Hisphilosophyistheaggregateofhisattitudestowardfundamentalmatters.Itisderivedfromaprocessofconsciouslythinkingaboutcriticalissuesanddeveloping rationalreasonsforholdingoneparticularbelief(position)ratherthananother.

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Aheadcoach'sphilosophyisshapedbyanumberoffactors,includinghisbackground,experiences,workenvironment,education,aspirations,etc.Byadheringtohis philosophicaltenets,heisprovidedwithasystematic,yetpractical,methodofdecidingwhattodoinaparticularsituation. Assuch,hisphilosophyprovideshimwithaconceptualblueprintforaction(i.e.,withinreason,itincreaseshisawarenessofwhatshouldbedone,whenitshouldbe done,andwhyitshouldbedone).Inotherwords,hisphilosophyisoftenthesinglemostimportantguidinginfluenceonhowhecoaches. Aheadcoach'sphilosophyalsohasasubstantialeffectonhisabilitytokeepaproperperspectiveoncriticalmatters.Forexample,whilewinningiscertainlyimportant (giventhefactthatanindividualcanlosehisjobifhisteamdoesn'twinonaregularbasis),it'scertainlynottheonlycriteriaforsuccess.Infact,allfactorsconsidered, itshouldnotevenbethemostessentialfactor. Toapoint,aheadcoachshouldmeasuresuccessintermsofhowwellheisabletocarryouthisresponsibilitiesrelativetowhathefeelscoachingisallabout.Assuch, hecanplacegreateremphasisondevelopinghisplayerstotakeadvantageoftheirfullpotential,andondevelopingaproperfoundationfortheteamtoperformwellin thefuture,thanonwhateveractionsmightotherwiseemanatefroma''winnoworelse"approach.
Disciplineisbasedonprideintheprofessionofarms,onmeticulousattentiontodetails,andonmutualrespectand confidence.Disciplinemustbeahabitsoingrainedthatitisstrongerthantheexcitementofbattleorthefearof death. GeorgeS.Patton,Jr. "LetterofInstructionNumber1" fromWarasIKnewIt

Althoughmanyofthesefactorsarediscussedingreaterdetailinsubsequentchaptersinthistext,therearenumerouspreceptsthatshouldbethebuildingblocksofa soundphilosophy.Astheheadcoach,youshouldconsiderembodyingthefollowingpointsofphilosophicalcounsel: Beyourself.Throughoutyourcareer,youwillhavetheopportunitytoobserveandworkwithother coaches.Whileitisimportantthatyoulearnwhateveryoucanfromeachoneofthem,youmust recognizethefactthatyoucan'tbeanyoneofthem. Youshouldworktotakeadvantageofyourstrengthsandtodiminishyourweaknesses.Forexample, youcanbecomemoreknowledgeable.Youcanenhanceyourabilitytoapplythatknowledgeinthe fulfillmentofyourprofessionalresponsibility.Atanygivenmomentintime,however,"youarewhoyou are."

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Ifyoutrytobesomeoneyou'renotoractassomeoneyouwanttobe,theeffortwilltypicallybeperceived asphonybybothyourassistantsandyourplayers.Intheprocess,everyonemayloserespectforyou.As aresult,yourabilitytoleadeffectivelywillbeseverelycompromised.

Yourapproachtocoachingfootballshouldbeanaturalextensionofyourpersonalityandyourphilosophy. Somegreatcoachesareextroverts,othersareintroverts.Theimportantthingistoapproacheverytaskina sincereandhonestmanner. Becommittedtoexcellence.Toapoint,youmustbewillingtoworkextremelyhardandmakewhatever reasonablesacrificesarenecessarytoachievetheorganizationalgoalsthathavebeenestablishedforthe team.Atthesametime,youmustensurethateverymemberofyourstaffandallofyourplayersfully understandthatthecommitmenttoexcellencecanneverwillinglybecompromised. Atalltimes,thefocusmustbeondoingthingsproperly.Everyplay.Everypractice.Everymeeting.Every situation.Everytime. Inreality,thetalentlevelofmostNFLteamsisrelativelyeven.Assuch,oneofthecriticalkeystosuccessis execution.Playersmakingplaysiswhatwinsfootballgames.Moreoftenthannot,theprimarycatalystfor theoccurrenceofsuchplaysisanunwaveringcommitmenttoexcellence. Bepositive.Oneofthemostimportantthingsaheadcoachcandoistoadoptapositiveattitude.Yourstaff andyourplayerswillrespondbettertoapositiveenvironmentthantoanegativeone. Whileitisoftenveryeasytoaccentuatethenegativeaspectsofaparticularsituationorsetofcircumstances, suchanapproachtypicallyaccomplisheslittle(ifanything)otherthantoserveasameanstoletyouvent yourfeelings.Inmostinstances,whatitreallyachievesistoestablishamentalbarrierbetweenyouandyour staffandyourplayersthatinhibitstheirabilitytomaintaintheproperfocusandtocommunicateeffectively withyou. Beprepared.Noaspectofcoachingismoreimportantthanpreparation.Whilecoachescannotactually controlwhichteamwinsagame,theycandeterminehowtheirteamspreparetowin. Goodfortuneontheplayingfield(i.e.,performingwell,winning,etc.)isaproductofdesign.Accordingly, youmustdevelopaplantoensurethatyourteamisproperlypreparedtohandleeverycontingencyand possiblesituation. Attentiontodetailiscriticalinthisregard.Youmustaddressallaspectsofyourteam'seffortstoprepare mentally,physically,fundamentallyandstrategicallyinasthoroughamanneraspossible. Beorganized.Itiscriticalthatyoumakethebestpossibleuseoftheavailabletimeandresources.Being organizedisthesinglebestwaytoavoidwastingeither. Fortunately,theeffortneededtobeorganizedisnotthatextensive.Theprocessofbecomingorganized essentiallyrequirestwoqualities:adisciplinedmindand

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theabilitytothinkclearly.Howevermuchenergyyouspendontheprocess,itistimewellinvested. Gettingorganizedcanprovidesubstantialbenefits(e.g.,itfreesuptimerelievesstressandpressureand helpsengenderconfidenceinyourcompetencefromotherindividuals).Giventheaxiomthat"luckis merelypreparationmeetingopportunity,"themorewellorganizedyouare,themorelikelyyouwillbe "lucky." Beaccountable.Youmustacceptresponsibilityforthosemattersoverwhichyouareincharge. Deflectingblame,evenifyouarenotresponsibleforaparticularoccurrence,isoftenviewedasasignof weaknessbybothyourstaffandyourplayers. Whateverthesituation,offeringapparentlywellreasonedexcusesandplausiblealibistoexplainyour failingsissimplyirresponsible."Passingthebuck"whentimesgettoughwillnotenhancethelevelof respectyouengenderfromothers.Ifyouexpectloyaltyfromyourstaffandyourplayers,youmustshow ittothemfirstbybeingaccountableforyourownactions. Thefactorthatismostoftenattheheartofaccountabilityissuesistheteam'swinlossrecord.However unfairitmayseemthatyouareheldresponsibleforsomethingthatisnottotallywithinyourcontrol,the responsibilitycomeswiththeposition.Iftheteamwins,yougetmuchofthecreditifitloses,youget mostofthecriticism. Youshouldrememberthatultimately,youareresponsiblefortheperformanceofyourplayers.Assuch, fairornot,itislogicalthatyouwouldbeheldaccountableforwhethertheirperformancesledtothe requisitenumberofvictories. Bealeader.Fromaleadershipstandpoint,aneffectiveheadcoachissomeonewhoisabletodevelopa visiononhowtheteamshouldoperate,isabletoestablishastrategyforachievingthatplan,andisableto inspireeveryone(staffandplayers)tocarryitoutsuccessfully. Aneffectiveleaderisanexpertinhisfield.Hisactionsemboldenconfidenceandrespectforhimbythose withwhomheworks.Hecaresaboutpeopleandtreatsthemfairly.Hedemandsthatallstaffmembers meetthehighestpossiblestandards.Hepreferspositivereinforcement,ratherthanthe"bigstick" approach. Heknowsthatresultsarewhatcountnotthenumberofhoursspentonatask.Hedoesnotsecond guesshimselfondecisionsthatweremadewithintegrity,intelligenceanda"teamfirst"attitude.Heisable toidentifyappropriatepriorities.Hedoesn'tcoach"caution"hecoachestowin. Inthisregard,oneofthemoreoutstandingcoachesinthehistoryofthegamewasJohnMadden.John deservestobeintheHallofFame,notonlyforhiscoachingeffortswiththeOaklandRaiders,butalso forhiscontributionstothegameasatelevisioncommentator. AnotherexceptionalcoachwhowasanoutstandingleaderwasTomFlores,wholedtheOakland RaiderstotwoSuperBowlchampionships.DuringmyfirstyearontheRaiders'staff,Ihadthe opportunitytolearnalotaboutquarterbackingfromTom,whenhewasstillanactiveplayer.

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Befocused.Youmustbeabletokeepeverythingintheproperperspectiveandtoconcentrateonthe appropriatetaskathand.Everythingshouldbeviewedintermsofhowitaffectstheteamandthe organizationnothowitaffectsyou. Allfactorsconsidered,yourfocusmustberesultsoriented.Totheextentpossible,theseresultsshould bemeasurable.Alleffortsandplansshouldbeconsiderednotonlyintermsoftheirshortruneffect,but alsohowtheymightimpacttheteamandtheorganizationinthelongterm. SeveralexamplesexistofNFLcoacheswhowereunwillingorunabletomaintaintheproperfocus.One ofthebetteronesinvolvedacoachwhobelievedthatbybuildingthemostintense,mostphysical, toughest,bestconditionedsquad,histeamwouldhaveundeniablesuccesseventotheextentof dominatingandintimidatingtheopposition. Despitethefactthathisteamsubsequentlydevelopedawelldeservedreputationfortoughnessand enduredanincrediblelevelofhumansacrificeinbothtrainingcampandpracticesessionsduringthe season,theteamproceededtolosevirtuallyeverygamebadly.Thelossesweredirectlyattributableto faultystrategiesandpoorgametogametactics.Histeam'sunsophisticated,simplisticschemeoffootball wasoutsmartedandoutmaneuveredweekafterweek.Althoughphysicallytheyhadthecapabilitytohurt theiropponentswhentheyhitthem,alltoooftentheyweren'tabletogetcloseenoughtodoanydamage. Thekeypointisthatatleastthreeelementsmustbepresenttobuildawinningteam:talentstrategiesand tacticsandconditioningandexecution.Assuch,theheadcoachmustnotfocussolelyononefactorto theexclusionoftheothertwo. Beethical.Youmusthaveastrongvaluesystem.Yourvaluesserveasyourmoralcompass.Morally soundvaluesengenderrespectfromothersandenhancethelikelihoodthatyourdecisionsandyour behaviorwillreflecthighprinciples.Yourvaluesalsohelptodeterminewhatthingsyouchoosetopay attentiontoandhowhardyouwillworkatthem.Inthatregard,thewelfareoftheorganizationandthe wellbeingoftheplayersandyourassistantsmustbeamongyourpreeminentconcerns. Youmusthavethecharactertoabidebyamorallysoundcodeofconductregardlessofthe circumstances.Inthatregard,youmustexhibitintegrityinallofyourdealingswithothers.Furthermore, youshouldbelievethatitisimportantthatyourteamwinsinamannerthatisacredittotheorganization. Beflexible.Youmusthavetheabilitytorespondandadapttochangingcircumstances.While consistencyisimportant,ifthesituationchanges,youmustchangewithit.

Thereisonlyonewaytodoanything:Therightway. GoldaMeir PrimeMinisterofIsrael 196974 fromMyLife

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Oneofthemostimportantareasofcoachinginwhichflexibilityisessentialinvolvestheneedtogiveyour teamthetoolstowin.Withinthespecificframeworkofyoursystem,youmustbebold,creativeandwilling totakeriskswhennecessary.

Forexample,inthe1960s,JohnRalston,whowastheheadcoachatStanford,learnedapointedlessonin thevalueofflexibility.AlthoughJohnhadhisteamsplaywithgreatintensity,Stanfordusuallyfounditself outmannedbyschoolswithfaster,moreathleticplayers. Stanfordsimplyhadtodoeverythingrightduringthegameinordertohaveachancetowin.Onebadbreak couldwreckanychancesthatJohn'steamhadtowin. DuringthesameperiodthatJohnwasatStanford,USC,underthedirectionoftherenownedJohnMcKay, fieldedoneofthebestteamsinthenation,yearinandyearout.EventhoughJohnwouldimplorethe CardinalplayerstoplaywithmoreintensitywhenStanfordwascompetingagainstUSC,therealityofthe situationwassimplythattheTrojanshadmoreandbetterplayers. Eventhoughthescoresofthesecontestswereusuallyrelativelycloseafterthreequarters,Stanfordoften wouldenduplosingbyasubstantialmargin.Uponexamination,Stanford'sapproachtoplayingUSCand othernationallyrankedteamshadatleastoneinherentflaw. John'soffensivesystemwasbasicallytoolimitedandtooconservative.Allfactorsconsidered,itplayedright intothehandsofopponentsthathadsuperiortalent. Overtheyears,Johnandhisoutstandingstaffofassistantswho,overtime,includedindividualslikeMike White,JimMora,DickVermeil,BobGambold,RodRust,LeonMcLaughlinandJackChristiansen,began tolearnwhatitwouldtaketocompeteagainsttheUSCsofthegame.Tobecompetitive,Stanfordneeded toinstallanNFLtypesystemofoffense(astepthatwaspromptedbyStanford'sAthleticDirectoratthe time,ChuckTaylor). Thephilosophicalunderpinningoftheproposedsystemwaspassingproficiency.Ultimately,thearrivalof AllAmerican(latertobeaHeismanTrophywinner)JimPlunkettandabatteryofsurehandedreceivers likeRandyVatahabrokeUSC'sstrangleholdonStanford'sgridironfortunes. Thissituationillustratestwokeypoints.First,athletesmustbegiventhetoolsthatbestsuitthemandwill givethemtheirbestchancetosucceed.Second,thecoachmustbewillingtochangewhatheisdoingifit obviouslyisdestinedtofailandifafeasiblealternativeexists. Believeinyourself.Youmusthaveconfidenceinyourselfandyoursystem.ItIsalsoimportantthatyousell yourprogramtoyourplayers.Theymustbelieveinyouinorderforthemtobeabletomakethesacrifices thatwillberequiredofthem. Everyoneintheorganization(e.g.,yourstaff,theplayers,theathletictrainers,theteammanagers,etc.)must believethatyourplanforsuccesswillbeeffectiveifit

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iscarriedoutasdirected.Theymustalsofeelthatyouhavetheirbestinterestsatheart.

Nevertakecounselofyourfears. GeneralThomasJ.(Stonewall)Jackson RenownedGeneral ArmyoftheConfederacy

UnderstandingtheMeaningofTrueCompetition Inthefootballarena,competitionnotonlyinvolveswinnersandlosers,italsoservesasameaningfulopportunityforthedevelopment,exerciseandexpressionof humanexcellence.Inthatregard,tryingtowinmeansattemptingtodothebestyoucanatallfacetsofthegame. Inotherwords,yourfocusshouldbeonattemptingtodemonstrateexcellenceinallofthewaysthatthegamecallsfor.Concurrently,youropponent'seffortstoexcel andtooutperformyouprovideyouwiththeopportunitytostrivetodoyourbest. Inordertoensurethatyougetasmuchaspossibleoutofsuchanopportunity,youshouldtakethetimetocarefullyreflectonhowyoutrulyfeelaboutcompetition. Yourfeelingscanhelpyoukeepcriticalmattersintheproperperspectiveandcanenableyou,dependingonthecircumstances,tobebetterpreparedtohandle adversity. TrueCompetition Oneofthefirstissuesyoushouldconsiderinthisregardistherelationshipbetween"true"competitionandthecapabilitylevelofyouropponentinaparticularcontest. Severalreferencepointsshouldguideyouinthismatter,including: Truecompetitiondoesnotexistwhenyouhavemeasurablybetterpersonnelthanyouropponent.Inthis instance,thebasicstandardofperformanceofyourteamshoulddominate. Truecompetitionalsodoesnotexistwhenyouaretotallyoutmannedbyyouropponent.Inthisinstance, theintensityofyourteam'splay,thestrategyyouemployasanunderdog,andthenumberoffortuitous breaksyourteamreceivesinthegamecanmakethecontestcompetitive. Truecompetitionisbestachievedbymeetinganopponentofcomparabletalent,oranopponentwith betterbutnotdominatingtalent.

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Truecompetitioncanbestbemeasuredagainstanopponentthatisverygood,butwhosestyleand tacticsaredifficulttounderstandorpredict.Steppingintoanarenaagainstanopponentthathasa numberof"unknown"factorswithwhichyoumustdealisthetruetestofcompetition. Yourrealtestasacoachasacompetitorwillbehowyoudealwithsuchcompetition.Youcan measureyourperformanceagainstevenlymatchedopponents(oragainstthosewhomightbeconsidered asuptoasixpointfavorite). Providedyouretainyourpoise,andsticktoyourgameplan,competingagainstanopponentthathasan ominousmystiqueandareputationforbeinganextremelyformidableteamisachallengethatwilltruly testyourskills.

Peopleactingtogetherasagroupcanaccomplishthingswhichnoindividualactingalonecouldeverhopeto bringabout. FranklinD.Roosevelt 32ndPresidentoftheUnitedStates

InspirationalEvents TwoofthemostinspirationalindividualsofmylifetimehavebeenSirEdmundHillaryandArthurAshe.Each,inhisownway,ledasingularlymagnificentlife.Both combinedanindomitablespiritandphysicaltoughnesswithawillingnesstoreachfortheunknowntoovercometremendouschallengesandtoachievegreat accomplishments. Hillary,conquerorofMt.Everest,Antarcticexplorerandbuilderofschools,bridgesandhospitalsintheHimalayas,wasanadventurerwhowasdriventodiscover theapparentlimitsofhisbodyandmindandtopushbeyondthem.Ashe,thefirstAfricanAmericantennisplayertowintheWimbledonChampionship,wasagifted athlete,atalentedauthorandatirelessworkerwho,withgraceanddignity,championedthecauseofracialtoleranceandsocialinjusticeateverypossibleopportunity. Everycoachhasbeenimpacted,inasimilarvein,overtheyearsbyobservinggreateffortsmadeagainstincredibleodds.Collectively,thoseexperienceshelpshapea personalvaluesystemthatisreferredorrelatedtowhenanindividualisconfrontedwithsimilarcircumstances. Formepersonally,severaleventshaveforeverbeenimprintedontomymindset.Eachofthesenoteworthyoccurrencesinvolvedasituationwheresomeoneorsome groupofindividualshadtodealwithadifficultchallengethatinvolvedunknownelements.

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Insomeoftheseevents,Ihavebeenpersonallyinvolved.Inafew,Iwasaspectator.Others,Iexploredthroughreadings.Amongthenoteworthycircumstancesthat havehadaninspirationalimpactonmylifeexperienceshavebeenthefollowing: WhentheU.S.MarinesonGuadalcanaldisplayedincrediblecourageandresolutiontodefeatthe JapaneseduringasixthmonthbattlethatlastedfromAugust1942toFebruary1943despitethefactthat theirJapaneseadversarieswerebettertrained,moreseasoned,andbetterequipped.Inlessthana month,theseMarinesbecamerenownedasoneofthegreatestfightingforcesofWorldWarII. WhenLauroSallasupsetthegreatJimmyCarterinfifteenroundstowintheWorldLightweightBoxing Championshipin1952.AlthoughSallasabsorbedimmensepunishment,hewonthetitle. WhenConfederateGeneralStonewallJacksontookhismenonanincredibletwentysixmileforced marchtoattackHooker'sflankin1863.Thisstaggeringtaskwasaccomplishedinsixhours. WhenthirteenU.S.NavyDauntlessDiveBombersincrediblyappearedovertheJapanesefleetinthe BattleofMidway,afteralloftheotherU.S.planeshadbeendecimated.Strikingwithavengeanceinthis criticalbattlethatoccurredinJune1942,theU.S.flierschangedthefortunesofthewarinthePacific. Whenin1944thirteennoncombatant,U.S.Armyengineerswhowereallthatwerelefttoholdoffan eliteGermanPanzerunitthatwastryingtocaptureSt.Vithsomehowheldforonenightbeforea patchworkofreinforcementsarrivedthenextday.Thisincrediblycourageousactionaffordedthe Americansjustenoughtimetochangethecourseofthe"BattleoftheBulge." WhenHarrisonDillard,thegreatesthighhurdlerintheworldatthetime,failedtoqualifyforthe1948 LondonOlympicsinhiseventafterhehittwohurdlesduringqualifyingtrials.Subsequently,he rechanneledhisenergiesandattemptedtoqualifyinthe100meterdash. DillardearnedthethirdandlastpositionontheU.S.Olympicteam.Hethenspentthenextmonth workingonthe100meterdash,tookonthebestsprintersintheworldintheOlympics,andwonagold medalintheevent. Inthatsame100meterdashfinal,Dillard'steammate,MelPatton,falteredandfinishedseventh,despite thefactthathewasgenerallyrecognizedasthefastestmanintheworldatthetime.Universally condemnedasaquitter,PattonrefocusedhistalentsandcamebacktowintheOlympicgoldmedalinthe 200meterdash. WhentheJewishresidentsoftheWarsawghettoinPolandheldoutfor28days(April19toMay16, 1943)againsttheintenseeffortsoftheGermanmilitary.Seriouslyoutmanned(theJewishfightingforce numberedabout1500outofapproximately60,000Jewswhoremainedintheghetto)andseverely lackinginbothsuppliesandresources,theghettoinhabitantsfoughtfiercelyandbravely,andheldoffthe Nazisforamuchlongerperiodthanexpected.

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WhenErwinRommelexhibitedcourageandbrilliantpersonalleadershipwhencommandingtheGermans' famedNorthAfrikaKorpsduringtheperiod19411943.Despitebeingalmostalwaysoutnumberedby hisadversaries,histacticsandmilitaryinsightsenabledhimtoachievelegendaryvictories. WhentheBritishinBurma,despitehavingrelativelyfewsurvivorsandhavingtheirbackstothewall,dug inforovertwoyears(19431945)andstoppedtheJapanesewhohadbeenbadlybeatingthemfor months. WhenKenVenturiwonthe1964U.S.Openindebilitatingheatbyplayingthirtysixholesofterrificgolf onthefinaldayofthetournamentagainstthegreatestgolfersofhistime. WhenAdmiralJimStockdalewasshotdownin1965afterflyingfiftymissionsinVietnam.Subsequently, hewasbeatenandtorturedbyhiscaptors,chainedandheldinisolationfortwoyears,andnotallowedto speaktoanotherAmerican.Stockdaleretainedhisindomitablespiritandhissenseofpersonaldiscipline tosurvivehisordealandbecomethedominantleaderoftheAmericanPOWsforeightyears. WhenEvanderHolyfieldoutboxedandoutpunchedMikeTysononhiswaytoknockingoutthe previouslyfearedTysonintheirfirstboutonNovember9th,1996.Facingoneofthemostexplosive, powerfulpunchersinthehistoryofboxing,Holyfieldencounteredanintimidatingpresence,whichseemed virtuallyunbeatable.Withastrategythathefollowedthroughoutthebout,Holyfielddisplayedablendof patience,skill,courageandanultimatedegreeofconfidence. Withinthefootballarena,aninspiringeventformeisnotseeingateamwintheSuperBowlorbecome thecollegiatenationalchampion.Rather,Iamheartenedbywatchingateamovercomeanopponentthat hassuperiortalentorseeingateamwithahistoryoffailureorwithanestablishedtraditionprevail. Onthecollegelevel,IhavebeeninspiredbythesuccessesofGaryBarnettatNorthwesternandBill SnyderatKansasState.Overtheyears,IhavealsobeenmotivatedbytheeffortsofRichBrooks,who tookhisOregonteamtothe1995RoseBowl,andtheaccomplishmentsofJackElway,wholedhisSan JoseStateteamtovictoriesoverbothStanfordandCaliforniainthesame(1981)season. Ontheprolevel,theCincinnatiBengalteaminmysecondseasononPaulBrown'sstaffhadapositive effectonmyappreciationofthetruemeaningofcompetition.Thisteamdefeatedtwoofthegreatest teamsoftheeratheOaklandRaidersandtheKansasCityChiefs,theultimateSuperBowlchampions. Formepersonallyasaheadcoach,twovictoriesholdparticularsignificanceforme.Thefirstwasthe 49ers'beautifullyexecuted4514winin1981overAmerica'steamtheDallasCowboys. Inthepreviousseason,theCowboyshadpoureditonagainstthe49ersina5917Dallasvictory.This triumphbecamethelaunchingpointforSanFrancisco'ssubsequentNFLdynasty. ThesecondverymeaningfulwinformepersonallywasStanford's1993victoryoverColoradoduringthe regularseason.Atthetime,theBuffaloeswerefifthin

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thenationalrankingsandwereactivelycampaigningforthenationalchampionship.Althoughwewere completelyoutmanned,wewereabletocombinenerve,focus,precisionexecutionandapassingscheme thatbewilderedouropponenttoscoreinthefinalmomentsandwinthegame.

Avoidhavingyouregosoclosetoyourpositionthatwhenyourpositionfalls,youregogoeswithit. ColinPowell FormerChairmanJointChiefsofStaff MyAmericanJourney

OvercomingAdversity Ineachoftheaforementioned,inspirationalevents,distinctelementsexistthataretheessenceof"total"competitionorconfrontation(e.g.,dealingwithadeadly adversaryfightingforsurvivalcompetingwhenvirtuallynooneelseknowsorcareslockinghornsagainstanopponentwhennooneisthereto"bailyouout"etc.). TheverynatureofthegameofAmericanfootballexemplifiestheextremedemandsandsacrificesthatareattendanttoasituationwhereyou'refightingorcompeting foryourveryexistence.Atotalcommitmentonyourpart,acompletemobilizationofyoureffortsandanunwaveringlevelofconcentrationandfocusareessential,not onlytosuccessfullycompete,buttosimplybecompetitiveasyouparticipate. Todealwithandovercomeadversity,severalpersonalattributesarerequired.Bydegree,youmustpossessallofthefollowingelements: Aninnerconfidencethathasbeentested.Youmusthavealevelofselfassurancethathasbeen moldedbydefeat,hasovercomeobstacles,hasbeenshaken,hasabsorbedpunishmentandhas engenderedasober,steelliketoughnessthatresultsinahardenedsenseofindependencethatwilltake onanything,yetsurviveandwin. Soundfundamentalsandskillsthathavebeenfirmlyentrenchedbyweeks,monthsandyearsof training,practice,rehearsalanddirectcompetition.Inorderforthesetobetheappropriatetoolsfor youtohandlethesituation,theymustbeanextensionofyouruniquetalents. Yourfundamentalsandskillsmustrelateonetotheothertoformacompleteinventoryofuseful capabilitiesatyourdisposal.Eachoftheseareasmustbecontinuallyrefinedandadaptedasneeded. Afunctionalintellectfortheactivity.WhileahighIQisnotessential,youmustpossesstheintuitive instinctsthatseemtothriveontheactivityandthatprovideyouwithasenseofresourcefulnesswhen frustrationorparalysingfearcouldotherwiseconsumeanindividual.

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Asarule,theindividualsatthetwoextremesoftheintelligencecontinuum(i.e.,mostintelligentandleast intelligent)areoftenunabletomaintainanappropriateleveloffocus.Asaresult,theseindividualsaremore likelytopanicandtoprematurelylookforalternatives.

Abeliefaconvictionthatisabletoeffectivelycontrolyoururgeto''quitandrun."Withinthe confinesoftheactivity,theoreticallyspeaking,youmustbewillingtopossiblyperishbeforeconceding.In thefootballarena,theissuedoesnotinvolvemortalterms,butrathercompetingtoyourlastounceofenergy oruntilthefinalwhistleblows. Awillingnesstosacrificeforothers.Situationsmayarisewhenitwillbenecessaryforyoutosubordinate yourownpersonalintereststothegreatercommongoodoftheteamoryourteammates. Arefinedsenseofcommunicationthatenablesyoutohavearealisticsenseofwhatyourteammates arethinkingandhowtheywillreactandrespondtoagivensituation.Whencompetitionisinitsmost criticalstages,youmusthavebothalevelofverbiageandpointsofreferencethatcollectivelyprovideyou withameansofcommunicatingconciselyandprecisely. Trustinyourselfandinyourteammates.Thistrustmusthavebeennurturedthroughmonthsandyearsof practicing,playingandsacrificingforacommongoal. Aphilosophy,ascheme,andasystemthathasevolved,maturedandbecomeestablished.Thissystem mustbeacompleteentitythatcanfunctionineverypossiblecircumstanceandthatcanaccountfor unexpectedcircumstances. Flexibilityandadaptabilitythatenableyoutoeffectivelydealwithchange.Yourapproachtothe gamemustevolveandtransformitselfwhenyoumeetnewanddifferentchallenges.Youmustbeableto recognizeandadapttomarkedlydifferentstyles,strategiesandtactics. Aqualifiedsupportstaffandsystem.Yourstaffandsystemmustprovideyouwiththenecessarytools, equipment,servicesandlogisticsforyoutodoyourjob.Bothyourstaffandyoursystemmustreflectahigh levelofintensityandacomparablelevelofwillingnesstomakecriticalsacrifices.Bothelementsmustbe wellorganizedandwellled. Leadership.Drivenleadershipthatisdecisive,thoughtfulandcalculatingiscritical.Suchleadershipability shouldbedevelopedthroughstudy,extensivepreparationandavarietyofexperiences. Suchleadershipshouldbeproactiveandshouldexhibitanabilitytoeffectivelyassess,analyze,andrespond tocircumstancesastheyoccur.Yourleadershipshoulddrawfromthestrengthsandbuttressthe weaknessesofthosewhosurroundyou. Aplan,agoalandadominatingthoughtprocessthatmotivatesandinspires. Aknowledgeandunderstandingofyouropponenthisstrategies,tactics,system,personnel, attitudesandgoals. Asystemofreplacingandacquiringnewplayersandstaffmembers.
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PARTII THEORGANIZATION

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Chapter3 UnderstandingtheRoleofaHeadCoach
"Extraordinaryresourcefulness,hisalmostsuperhumancapacityforwork,hishardinessandlackofconcernforpersonalcomfort,hisdisregardofdangeranddespitehis reputationfordrivingthemremorselessly,despitehissharptongueonoccasion,despitehisexactingstandards,theywerealsospeakingofhisconcernforthem,ofhisfellowfeeling withthem,ofhisutterlackofpretensionorpomposity,ofthefactthathewasmanifestlymoved,andonlymoved,bytheinterestsofthesufferingsofhistroops.Hewould,theysaid, doanythingforthem,andtheyknewit.Aboveall,theyhadcometoknowthatwithhimtheywouldwin." DavidFraser fromKnight'sCross: ALifeofFieldMarshalErwinRommel Findingthewinningedge... Theroleofaleaderistodealwiththeonetimeinahundred.Otherwise,whenthatonetimecomes,peopleare goingtoslipintotheinstinctualsurvivalstateofmindthatcanbreedveryunfortunatedecisions.Constructingsuch grimpossibilitiesisawholelotlessenjoyablethancalculatingthesizeofyourbonusiftheyeargoeswell.Butif you'rewillingtoplanforawiderangeofsmallandlargedisastersthusreducingthepotentialforyouandothers tobecaughtoffguardyoucanactuallybemoreaggressive,andthusmorelikelytoavertsetbacks.Having plannedfortheworst,youcandoalotmorethanhopeforthebest. BillWalsh,"WhenThingsGo Bad,"Forbes,March29,1993.

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Successfulmanagershaveamultitudeofresponsibilities.Perhaps,noneismoreimportantthanhowtheymakeuseoftheirorganization'smostvaluable resource:theirsubordinates. Overtheyears,Ihavealwaysacceptedthefactthatoneofthemostcriticalrolesacoachhasistoutilizehisplayerstotheirfullpotential.Againstequal competition,greatcoachesaredistinguishedbytheirabilitytofullyutilizethetalentsoftheirindividualplayers. Asahighschoolcoach,IhadanoutstandingquarterbackreceiverbatteryinBobHidalgoandGradyHudson.Hudsonwouldcatchfourorfivepassesa gameandscoreonceortwice.Tothisday,IwonderwhyIdidn'thavehimcatch1012passesagameandscorethreeorfourtouchdowns,butIbelieveI wastoobusyprovingthetheoriesIhadconcoctedattheageof24. AnotherexampleofaplayerwhowasimproperlyusedforpartofhiscareerwasCraigMorton,lateragreatquarterbackwiththeDallasCowboys. MortonspenthisfirstthreeyearsofcollegeintheWingToffense,inwhichthequarterbackthrowsonlywhenitisnecessaryorwhenthecoachbelievesa receiverwillbewideopen.Finally,inhissenioryearatCalifornia,MortonwascoupledwithhishighschoolteammateJackSchraub.Bothplayersbroke numerousrecordsthatyearandbroughtCaliforniagreatsuccess. Therearehundredsofexamplesofcoacheswhowereabletotakefulladvantageoftheirplayers'talents:BuddyRyanwithmiddlelinebackerMike SingletaryBillParcellswithoutsidelinebackerLawrenceTaylorandthe49ersofthe1980swithJoeMontanaandDwightClark,whohadanamazing abilitytofindopeningsinzonedefenses.Ineachofthesecases,theplayerswentontobecomeAllProselectionsandpotentialHallofFamers. ArecentexampleofthisabilityisDomCapersofCarolinawithhistwooutsidelinebackers,MichealBarrowandLamarLathon.Whenhecoachedthe PhiladelphiaEagles,DickVermeittookhisteamtonumerousdivisionandconferencechampionshipswithhisuniquewayofutilizingWilbertMontgomery, whomanyconsideredtoosmalltobearegularplayer. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Theroleofaheadcoachisoftenverydiverseandextraordinarilycomplex.Astheindividualincharge,youmustfulfillavarietyofresponsibilities,includingbeinga teacher,settingstandardsofperformanceandbehavior,managingbothpeopleandtime,establishingacommunicationspolicyinvolvingtheteamandtheother employeesoftheorganizationandkeepingthebigpicture. Althougheachofthesedutiescanbesomewhatchallenginganddemanding,performingthesefunctionsisnotworkaslongasyoukeepeverythinginperspective.All factorsconsidered,nothingisreallyworkunlessyouwouldratherbedoingsomethingelse.

Page31 ButthatwasthedayIrealizedIknewalmostnothingaboutcoachingfootball,muchlessaboutTheLombardiSweep. IlistenedtoLombarditalkaboutTheLombardiSweepforeighthours.That'sright,eighthours.Hedrewtheplayon theblackboard.Heshowedfilm.Onebyone,hepretendedhewaseachofhiselevenplayersandexplainedwhat eachofthemdidontheplay.Notonlyagainstonedefense,butagainstseveraldifferentdefenses.Andthefirsttime hepausedforquestions,aguyinthefirstrowraisedhishand. "Vince..."theguybegan. "Yes,Sid,"Lombardisaid. SidGillman,thenthecoachoftheSanDiegoChargerswhowouldwintheAFLchampionshiplaterthatyear,was askingthefirstquestion.Sidhadareputationasoneofthemostinnovativeoffensivemindsinfootballbuthewas notonlyhere,hewassittinginthefirstrowtomakesurehedidn'tmissanythingandhewasaskingaquestion. JohnMadden/DaveAnderson FormerFootballCoach/RenownedSportsReporter OaklandRaiders/NewYorkTimes fromRuntoDaylight

BeingaTeacher Noaspectofcoachingismoreimportantthanteaching.Whiletheactualteachingisoftendelegatedtooneofyourassistantcoaches,theprimaryresponsibilityfor ensuringthatitisdone,anddonewell,isyours,andyoursalone. Itisabsolutelycriticalthatyoudonotneglectyourresponsibilityinthisarea.Ifyoucannotordonotteachyourplayersandstaffthethingstheyneedtoknow,even performingtherestofyourresponsibilitieswellwillnotbeenoughtoguaranteethattheteamwillbesuccessful. Theadmonition"forthewantofanailinthewall"isastrueinfootballasinanyothersituation.Withoutproperlyexecutedfundamentals,theentiresystemcanbreak down.Accordingly,youmustensurethateveryplayergetstheinformationandhandsoninstructionthatheneedstodevelopandrefinethoseskillsthatarerequired forhisposition. Inthisregard,severalstepsareinvolvedintheteachingprocess,includingdecidinghow(i.e.,preparingaplan)thematerialwillbetaught,explainingtheinformationto theplayer,demonstrating(showing)theskilltotheplayer,havingtheplayerpracticetheskill,critiquingtheplayer'sperformance,andhavingtheplayercontinueto practiceunderyoursupervision. Youshouldrecognizethatindividualsoftenhavedistinctlydifferentresponsestothelearningprocess.Assuch,youmustadjustyourteachingapproachandmethods toaccountforindividualdifferences.

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Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketoensurethattheteachingprocessfortheteamisappropriatearethefollowing: Useastraightforward,broadbasedvocabularythatallowsyoutocommunicateinveryspecific, descriptiveterms. Employclear,conciselanguagethatensuresthatyourexplanationstoandexchangeswithother individualswillbeclearlyunderstood. Ensurethattheinformationyouprovideandtheinstructionyouofferonagiventopicaccountsforawide rangeofknowledgeandcomprehensionamongthemembersofyourintendedaudience. Ensurethatyourapproachtoteachingaparticularsubjectmatteraccountsforthefactthatsome membersofthegrouptowhomyouarespeakingmaybemorereceptiveandmorereadytolearnthan others.Thecriticalfactorinthisregardishowimportantanindividualperceivestheinformationtobe, relativelyspeaking. Demonstrateenthusiasmandpassionforthematerialyouarepresenting.Whatyousayandhowyousay itcanhelpdisplayyoursteadfastconcernforaparticularsubject.Astheheadcoach,oneofyour responsibilitiesistogenerateinterestinandexcitementforagivenmatteramongyourplayers.Themost effectivewaytoaccomplishsuchanobjectiveistoutilizeahighlevelofenergyandshowardent enthusiasmforthesubjectwhendiscussingitwithyourplayers. Forexample,in1996,staffpresentationstothe49erplayershadbecomesomewhatredundant.Although thesepresentationswerethoroughanddetailed,theydidnotgeneratethedesiredlevelofenergyand enthusiasmamongtheplayers.Despitethefactthattheteamwasplayingwellatthetime,the presentationsdidn'tappeartohavethesameauratheyhadhadinthepast.Afterreviewingthesituation withthestaff,thedecisionwasmadethatIshouldaddresstheteamanddiscusseachplayer's assignmentsandtechniquesoneachplay. Ioftenendedmydescriptionofaparticularplaybypinpointingtwoorthreekeyplayersandchallenging thembyremindingthemthatonMondaymorningafterthegame,alltheircoachesandteammateswould beabletojudgehowwelltheyhadcarriedouttheirduties.Thesechallengeshadtobetailoredtoeach individualplayer.Ononehand,whentalkingtoalessexperiencedoffensiveguard,Imightexplainto himthathehasthequicknessandabilityrequiredtogetthejobdone,andremindhimwhattodonextif heloseshisman,aseveryblockerwilldoonoccasion. Forexample,onatrappingroute,Imighttellhim,"Stepwithyournearfoot.Don'tletyourpadraise abovethelevelofyourstance.Keepyourheadupandtakeaninsidelegoutfromunderyourman.All wewanttoseeishiscleatsfacingtowardthesky.Seeifyoucanhithimsocleanhedoesaforward somersault."Ontheotherhand,inthecaseofJerryRice,oneofSanFrancisco'sgreatestplayers,I mightstate,"Jerry,youarethegreatestblockertoeverplayyourposition.Thisisaguyyou'vegottoget. WhenweviewthetapesMonday,Iexpecteveryonetocontinuetosay,'Thisisthegreatestblockerof alltimeatthisposition.'"

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Ensurethatyourrelationshipwiththeteamhasalight,relaxedside.Keepinmindthatwhilehumorcan bringpeopletogether,itmustbeselfeffacingandnotatanyone'sexpense. Observethemembersofthegroupwhileyouarespeakinganddeterminewhethertheyarepaying attention.If,foranyreason,theattentionspanofthegroupisnotwhatitshouldbe,takestepstoremedy thesituation.

Warsmaybefoughtwithweaponsbuttheyarewonbymen.Itisthespiritofthemenwhofollowandthemanwho leadsthatgainsthevictory. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

Emphasizetothegroupthatnotetakingisstronglyencouraged.Thispracticenotonlyhelpsthemto thoroughlyrecalltheinformationthatyoupresented,itenablesthemtobebetterpreparedtoconnectthe detailsofonepointtoanotherandoneteachingsessiontoanother. Ensurethattheteachingprocessforagivensubjectaccountsforthoseindividualswhomaystruggleor failtokeepupwiththematerialortheexpectedscheduleoflearning. Makecertainthatanytheory,conceptorpreceptyouinitiallyoffertointroduceaparticulartopicis thoroughlycomprehendedbyyouraudiencebeforeyoudiscussmorecomplexaspectsofthesubject matter. Beawareofandsensitivetothelimitationsofagroupofindividualstolearnagiventaskorsubject. Employasomewhatunpredictablepresentationstyle.Varyingyourdeliverycanhelpenhanceoratleast maintaintheattentionlevelofyouraudience.Itcanalsobeusedtoplaceaspecificlevelofemphasisona giventopic. Keepthelengthofyourpresentationanappropriateduration.Bealertforalossofconcentrationby membersofyouraudience.Speakingfortoolongcanrenderyourentirepresentationineffectual. Organizeandgiveyourpresentationinsequential"buildingblocks."Itisbettertobeginadiscussionwith anoverviewofbasicfactorsandthentoprogressivelydevelopthetopictomorecomplexlevels. Reviewyourpresentationofspecificmaterialconstantly.Reviseasnecessarytokeepyourdelivery currentandfresh.

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Encourageaudienceparticipationinyourpresentationaslongassuchinvolvementisappropriateand timely.Audienceparticipationshouldbelimitedtogivensituations. Employvisualaidstoillustrateapoint,toaddvarietytoyourpresentation,toenhancetheattentionspan oftheaudience,andtoplacespecificemphasisasintended.Yourpresentationsmustbegraphicand animated,yetdetailedandthorough,toenergizeplayersandstimulatethemtoperformattheirhighest level.Someplayersareextremelymotivatedontheirown,whileothersneedmoreencouragementfrom you. Ensurethatmembersofyouraudiencehaveconfidenceinthematerialthatyouarepresentingtoapoint wheretheirdesiretolearnthematerialandtobebetterpreparedtoachievetheir(individualorteam) goalsisenhanced. Educateyourathletestothehighestlevelspossible.Fartoooften,the"art"ofcoachingislostwhen coachesfailtorealizethedepthtowhichthegameshouldbeandmustbetaught.Keepinmindthe thoughtsofSunTzu,therenownedmilitarystrategist,inhisclassicworkTheArtofWarwho concludedthatwithmoresophisticationcomesmorecontrol.Furthermore,withsophisticationoccursa visualizationbeyondcommonconceptsandprogresstowardthepathofperfection.

Ilearnedhowcrucialateachercanbeinnurturingorruiningastudent'spassion.Ateacherneedstofindthe triggerinsideeachstudentthatwillreleasehisorherbestwork.Somestudentsneedtobepushedothersneed space.Someneedeverydetailexplained,othersworkbetteroninstinct. TaraVanDerveer HeadWomen'sBasketballCoach StanfordUniversity fromShootingfromtheOutside

SettingStandardsofPerformanceandBehavior Settingastandardofperformanceandplayoftencomesdowntoanattentiontodetail.Thefocusondetailscementsthefoundationthatestablishesastandardofplay. Thesimplestexecutionofproceduressymbolizesthecommitmentoftheplayerstotheorganizationandtheorganizationtotheplayers. Details,suchasshirttailsin,neverbeingseatedonthefield,helmetsinhands(whennotparticipating),controlofprofanity,nosmokingonpremises,etc.,allcontribute (ifonlysymbolically)tothecommitmenttohighstandardsthatisvisibletoeveryone.Theimageofthe49ersasafirstclassprofessionalorganizationwasnurturedand carefullydevelopedinthisway. Acommitmenttohighstandardscaninfluencehowateamfinishesagamewinninginasolid,cohesive,wellcoordinatedmannerorlosingandkeepingitspoise,

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executingwellandnotbecomingunraveled.Inappropriateactsofbehavior(e.g.,fighting,cheapshots,struttingandposturing,demonstrationsattemptingtoattract individualattention,etc.)werefarlessvisiblewiththe49ersbecauseofeachplayer'scommitmenttohisteammatestoadheretoastandardofbehaviorthatwas fosteredatalltimes. This"standard"relatestotherespectandsensitivityshowntoothersandtoanappreciationoftherolesthateachmemberoftheorganizationfulfills.Eachplayerisan extensionofhisteammates.WhenJerryRicecatchesaball,heisanextensionofseveralplayersthosewhoareblockingthepassrushers,thereceiverswhoare, preciselycoordinatingtheirrouteswithhisandthequarterbackwhoistakingahitafterthrowingtheball.WhenRogerCraigbrokethroughwithabigrun,itembodied thefierceexecutionoftheoffensiveline,thetimingoftheirblocksandtheexecutionofthedownfieldblocksbythereceivers. Oneofthemostimportantstepsthatyoucanundertaketomakecertainthatavalidstandardofperformanceexistsistoensureeverypracticesessionisconductedin anappropriatemanner.(Note:AcompleteoverviewofhowtoorganizeandconductpracticesessionsispresentedinChapter11.) Everyplayermusthaveanappreciationforandtakegreatprideinhisperformanceduringpractice.Hemustconcentratefullyandexertamaximumeffortatalltimes.
Son,yourpotentialisgoingtogetmefired. JerryClaiborne FormerHeadFootballCoach UniversityofKentucky

Inadditiontoteachingpracticalfootballissues,youshouldalsoteachyourplayersaboutyourphilosophytheteam'sbigpicture.Inaddition,youshouldtake advantageofopportunitiestoteachandreinforcetoyourplayerstheattitudesandvaluesyoubelieveareimportantinfootballandinlife. Thesebeliefsvaluessuchasrespect,loyalty,responsibility,selfdisciplineandcooperationshouldbeanintegralpartofyourphilosophy.Footballisnotan individualsportyoumustteacheachofyourplayersandstaffmemberstoworkasateam. Settingthestandardforperformancealsobeginswiththeexpectationstheheadcoachsets.Itiscrucialthatyouexpectallindividualsintheorganizationtopossessthe highestlevelofexpertiseintheirparticularareaofresponsibility,tocontinuallyrefinetheirskillsandtobephysicallyandintellectuallycommittedtodowhateveris necessarytomaketheteamsuccessful.

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Accordingly,youwouldnotbefulfillingyourresponsibilitiesastheleaderoftheteamifyoudidnotattempttomakethepeopleinvolvedwiththeteamgivethe"extra effort"neededtoachievetheorganization'smostnoteworthygoals.Todootherwisewouldsimplybeinappropriateonyourpart. Thekeyistokeeptheboundsof"extraeffort"inproperperspective.Ononehand,youwanttodoeverythingpossibletoenabletheteamtoreachitsgoals.Onthe otherhand,youdon'twanttoundulyexhaustindividualstoapointwhereeithertheireffectivenessisdiminishedortheirhealthisimpaired. WhetheryouareaCEOorafootballcoach,findingarelativemiddlegroundbetweenthewellbeingofthepeoplewhoworkforyouandtheachievementofagoalis oneofthemostdifficultaspectsofleadership.Wehaveallknownleadersandmanagerswhodrovepeoplemercilessly,simplytoreassurethemselvesthattheycould doit. Ifyouhaveastaffthatisalwaysworkingonadrenaline,nothingmaybeleft(energywise)fortheextraeffortnecessarywhenarealemergencyarises.Worryingtoo muchaboutyourstaffismorehumanethanworryingtoolittle,butthatapproachisburdenedbyitsownloadofproblems. Theartofleadershiprequiresknowingwhenitmakessensetotakepeopleoverthetop.Noonewillloveyouforfailingbecauseyouaskedtoolittle. OneconceptIcontinuallyaddressedwithmystaffwastakingobservationsorrequestsonmyparttotheirlogicalconclusion.IfIgaveaprojecttoanassistant,itwas hisdutytofollowituptoapointwhereitwascompletelycarriedout.Inthisregard,thiscompletionmightmeansomethingasimmediateandsimpleasturningright aroundandsuggestinganothercourseofactionatthetimeIissuedtheorder. Insomecases,Imightagreewiththeassistant'sassessmentofthesituationandrescindmyrequest.Inthisinstance,hehastakentheprojecttoitslogicalconclusion. IfIdecidedthattheproblemneededfurtheraction,theassistanthadtofollowupontherequestandtakewhatevertimewasavailabletoeithercomeupwitha suggestedplanorimplementwhatevercourseofactionwasneeded.Healsohadtobewillingtotaketheinitiativeinbringingthetopicupwithmeagain,evenifa considerableamountoftimehadpassed(i.e.,weeksormonths).
Useeverymeansbeforeandaftercombatstotellthetroopswhattheyaregoingtodoandwhattheyhavedone. GeorgeS.Patton,Jr., Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII "LetterofInstructionNumber1," fromWarasIKnewIt

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ManagingPeople Youmustestablishaframeworkthatstructurestheresponsibilitiesandperformanceprioritiesofbothyourcoachingstaffandyoursupportstaff.Inthisregard,you shoulddevelopaworkschedulethatisrealisticandmanageable,yetproducesthedesiredresults. Itisalsoimportantthatyouestablishclearlydefinedjobprofilesthatarecontinuallyevolvingandbeingrevised,basedonthedemonstratedperformancecapacityof eachindividual.AmoredetaileddiscussionoftheseprofilesispresentedinChapter5. Youmustensurethatallstaffmembersunderstandtheirroleswithintheorganizationandyourexpectationsofthem.WhenIjoinedthe49ers,Irecognizedthecritical needtoclarifytheresponsibilitiesofeveryonewithintheSanFranciscoorganization. Accordingly,Idecidedtoaddresstheemployeesofeachareaoftheorganizationregardingtherequirementsandresponsibilitiesoftheirpositions.Subsequently,I establishedpoliciesandproceduresinvolvingeachindividual'sroleandheldmeetingstodiscussthoseroleswiththevariousgroups. Eachpersonwasgivenanoutlineofmypresentation.Wethendiscussedeachpoint.Aneffortwasmadetoestablishanatmosphereduringthemeetingswhere individualscouldaskquestionsandlinesofcommunicationwouldbeopened.Wheneverappropriate,newguidelinesandpolicieswerediscussedandsetup.For meetingpurposes,theorganizationwasdividedintotengroups: Squad(fouronehoursessions). Coachingstaff(twoonehoursessions). Managementteam(twoonehoursessions). Teamphysicians(90minutes). Generalsecretarialpool(60minutes). Trainingstaff(90minutes). Scoutingandpersonnelstaff(90minutes). Publicrelationsstaff(90minutes). Legalstaff(60minutes). Ownership(twofourhoursessions).

Mostofthesemeetingswereheldinthespringbeforethedraft.Thecoaches'meetingswerescheduledjustpriortotrainingcamp,whilethemeetingswiththeplayers wereheldthefirstweekoftrainingcamp. TheownershipmeetingswerescheduledbytheownerandhisstaffandwereusuallyconductedinYoungstown,Ohio,whereEddieDeBartolo'sheadquartersare located.SeveralsamplesoftheemployeelecturesIpresentedwhileIwaswiththeSanFrancisco49ersareincludedinAppendixB.

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WorkingWithPlayers Inordertomanageyourplayersinanappropriatemanner,youneedtoactresponsiblyandprofessionally.Inthisregard,youshouldemployanapproachthatisbased onthefollowingsteps: Haveanswers.Theplayerslooktoyoufordirection,advice,andcounsel.Inorderforthemtohave confidenceinyou,youmustbeknowledgeableandbeabletoapplythatknowledgetoaddressissues andsituationsastheyarise. Beanexpertinyourspecializedarea.Whileyourplayersdon'texpectyoutobetotallyknowledgeablein allareasofthegame,theydoexpectyoutohaveahighlevelofexpertiseintheaspectofthegamein whichyouhavethegreatestexperience(i.e.,offenseordefense,lineplayvs.backplay,etc.). Isolatetheskillsandthetechniquesthatareessentialtoeachposition. Developaplanonhowbesttoteachtheseskillsandtechniques. Treateachplayerasauniqueperson. Demonstratesincereinterestineachplayer. Gaintheplayers'confidencebyworkingwitheachathletetohelphimreachhisfullpotentialbyenhancing hislevelofabilities. Determinehoweachplayerbestrespondstoinstruction(i.e.,comprehendsnewinformation,maintains hisattentionspan,learnsnewmaterials,etc.). Besensitivetoandflexiblewiththeplayers'moodsanddemeanorswhileteachingandcoaching. Searchforandimplementnewwaystoteachandimpartinformationandtogetandmaintaintheattention leveloftheplayers. Moveonquicklytoadifferentmethodofhandlingthesituationifyourcurrentapproachtodealingwith andteachingyourplayersisnotelicitingtheintendedlevelofresults. Exhibitstrengthandpersistenceinyourdealingswithyourplayers.Holdyourplayerstothehighest expectations. Bepersonalwithyourplayers,butnottoofamiliar.Excessivefamiliarity,inamisguidedattempttobe sociallyacceptedbyyourplayers,willpreventyoufromfullydevelopingtheirperformancepotential. Avoidattemptingtocommunicatewithyourplayersintheirvernacularortheir1990dialect.Benaturalin allofyourdealings.Anythingelsewillbeperceivedasphony.

OneofthegreatstrengthsofGeneralGeorgeS.Patton,arguablyoneofthebestgeneralofficersinthehistoryoftheU.S.military,washisabilitytoworkwithand leadthoseindividualsunderhiscommand.Inthisregard,manyofhisinsightscanbeappliedtothewaythatcoachesworkwiththeirplayers.Forexample,inhis Letter

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ofInstructionNumber1,whichheaddressedtotheofficersunderhiscommandintheUnitedStatesThirdArmy,Pattonofferedsixkeydictateseachofwhichhas applicationtocoaching: Rememberthatpraiseismorevaluablethanblame.Remembertoo,thatyourprimarymissionasaleader istoseewithyourowneyesandbeseenbyyourowntroopswhileengagedinpersonalreconnaissance. Useeverymeansbeforeandaftercombattotellthetroopswhattheyaregoingtodoandwhattheyhave done. Disciplineisbasedonprideintheprofessionofarms,onmeticulousattentiontodetails,andonmutual respectandconfidence.Disciplinemustbeahabitsoingrainedthatitisstrongerthantheexcitementof battleorthefearofdeath. Officersmustassertthemselvesbyexampleandbyvoice.Theymustbepreeminentincourage, deportmentanddress. Generalofficersmustbeseeninthefrontlineduringaction. Thereisatendencyforthechainofcommandtooverloadjuniorofficersbyexcessiverequirementsinthe wayoftrainingandreports.Youwillalleviatethisburdenbyeliminatingnonessentialdemands.

ManagingTime Itisessentialthatyourtimeisusedefficientlyandeffectively.Inthatregard,youshoulddevelopacourseofactionformakingdecisions.Collectively,yourprocedures shouldfeatureastepbystepprocessthatallowsforthefollowingactions: Establishingissues,projectsandneedsthatyoushouldaddress. Examiningthesemattersindetail. Gatheringanynecessaryresourcesandtheinformationfromkeypersonneltomakeanappropriate decision. Developingaplantoimplementthedecision. Puttingtheplanintoaction. Followingtheplantoitsconclusion. Dealingwithoutoftheordinarydevelopmentsconcerningtheplanandyourdecision.Ifnecessary,be preparedtoadoptcontingencyalternatives.

Youshouldestablishasystemtomoverapidlythroughthedecisionmakingprocess,andthenmoveontodealwiththenextissue.Youshouldkeepinmindthatyou arelikelytohaveanumberofthesesituationsin''motion"atonetime.AmoreextensiveoverviewofthedecisionmakingprocessispresentedinChapter14.

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ManagingtheCommunicationsProcess Managingcommunicationsthatinvolvetheteaminanywayisanotherimportantresponsibilityofaheadcoach.Forexample,youmustmakeitcleartoeveryoneon yourstaffthatyouexpectthemtoparticipateinthedecisionmakingprocessbyvolunteeringtheirthoughts,impressionsandideas.Oneofyourprimarygoalsinthis regardistocreateachannelofcommunicationsthatallowsforessentialinformationtogettoyoufromalllevelsoftheteam(i.e.,fromthebottomtothetop). Successfulcoachesrealizethatawinningteamisnotrunbyasingleindividualwhodominatestheworkenvironmentandreducestherestofthegrouptomarionettes. Winningteamsaremorelikeopenforumsinwhicheveryoneparticipatesinthedecisionmakingprocesscoachesandplayersalikeuntiladecisionismade. Althougheveryonemustknowwho(i.e.,theheadcoach)isincommand,theheadcoachshouldbehavedemocratically.Onceadecisionismade,theteammustthen befirmlycommittedtoimplementingtheplanasintended. During49ersgames,mycoachesandIalwaystriedtorespondtowhattheplayerssaid.Weknewweneededtheirinputbecauseoftenitmadeadifference. AnexampleoccurredinagameagainstNewOrleansin1987.ItoldtheteamathalftimethatwewouldcalloneparticularpassplaywhenwegotinsidetheSaints' 30yardline.Forwhateverreason,Isimplydidn'tthinkofsendingintheplaywhenwegotintothatsituation. Onthesideline,SteveYoung,whoatthetimewasourbackupquarterbacktoJoeMontana,immediatelyremindedmeofmyhalftimeannouncement.Fortunately,he wasn'tabithesitantaboutdoingso. Icalledtheplay,andwescored.Icouldn'tworryaboutbeingembarrassedbecauseIhadforgottenwhatIsaidinthelockerroom.Onlytheresultofthegame mattered.Weallwantedtowin. Communicationisabsolutelycriticaltothisprocess.Forexample,ifyouaresomewhatuncomfortablewalkingthroughyourteam'slockerroom,youmaybelosing yourabilitytocommunicatewiththeplayers.Attheveryleast,youprobablyhaven'tdevelopedorenhancedyourabilitytointeractwiththeplayersaswellasyou shouldhave. Anydiscomfortyoumayexperienceinthissituationmaybebecausetheconversationsaredifferent,thedialectsareunconventional(toyou),andyoufeel uncomfortableanduneasyaboutthenewenvironmentyou'veentered.Inotherwords,youdon'tfeelapartofit. Addressingthisfactorwasveryimportanttome.Asaresult,Idirectedthateachcoach,atleastonedayaweek,spendhislunchhourinthelockerroomwiththe teaminanunassumingway(i.e.,havinglunchnexttosomeplayers).Thegoalwassimple:Bethereandbeseen. Itisalsoimportantthatyouestablishpoliciesandproceduresthatrequireeveryoneintheorganizationtorespondtoanytelephonecalls,faxesorletterstheyreceive. Anyresponsiblecontactthatismadetotheteam'semployeesshouldreceivearesponse.

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Aformatshouldbeestablishedtocategorizeandprocessthesecontacts.Everyresponseshouldbebothtimelyandappropriate.Everyemployeemustunderstand andadheretothispolicy. TheorganizationalpolicyismostcriticalinthosesituationsinvolvingeithertheheadcoachortheDirectorofFootballOperations.Duringthecourseoftheseason, bothoftheseindividualsmayreceive(literally)hundredsoftelephonecallsthatresultinmessagesbeingleftontheiransweringmachine. Eachmessagemustreceivearesponse.Thesecretaryofeitherindividualortheadministrativeassistantshouldestablishabasic(simple)responsethatcouldeither completelycloseoffanyfurthercontactwiththepersonwhocalledorleavelinesofcommunicationopentothepossibilityofadditionalcontact. Forexample,ifa"crank"messageisreceivedthatincludesacallbacknumber,asimplereplyof"wehavereceivedyourmessage"wouldsuffice.Eventhoughsucha responsemayseemtobesomewhatawasteoftime,everycorrespondencehowevertrivialrequiressometypeofresponse,ifonlyforbasicpublicrelation reasons(i.e.,nomatterorindividualistooinconsequentialorunimportantnottoreceiveareply). Everycontactofconsequenceshouldbelogged.Thepointtorememberisthatproperprotocolisanessentialpracticeofawellmanagedbusiness. Somecontactwillrequireresearchorsomedegreeofdeliberationbytheindividualinvolvedbeforearesponsecanbegiven.Accordingly,astepbystepmechanism tohandlethisprocedureshouldalsobeestablished. Astheheadcoach,youmaydecidetoassignyourassistantcoachtheresponsibilityofmanagingthisongoing,sometimesoverwhelmingdelugeofcontacts.Inturn, manyofthecontactscanberedirectedtotheteam'spublicrelationsstaff,whichwillhaveitsownproceduresforhandlingsuchcommunication. CommunicatingWithYourPlayers Youmustalsobeabletocommunicateeffectivelywithyourplayers.IlearnedalotaboutthisareafromPaulBrownwhenIcoachedforhimatCincinnati.Brown gavehisannuallecturetotheteamonthefirstdayoftrainingcamp. Hewouldbeginbysaying,"let'ssettherecordstraight,"andthenproceedtodojustthat.Stepbystep,heexplainedwhatwasexpectedofeachman,coveringevery aspectconnectedwiththeCincinnatiBengals. Forexample,Browndiscussedhowtowearyouruniform,howtodressformeals,andhoweachplayerwasexpectedtokeephislocker.Heinstructedplayerson howtorespondtocoaching,howtotakenotesduringlectures,howteachingwouldbedone,andwhattoexpectfromeachassistantcoach. Brownalsocoveredsuchtopicsaspunctuality,thetrainingroom,whatwouldhappenwhenplayerswerewaived,andtheoverallatmosphereheintendedtocreate. Futhermore,hesharedhispolicyoftreatingeachplayerstars,backups,veterans,rookies,freeagentsequally,withthesamerespectanddignity. Brown'slecturelastedfourhours.WhentheBengals'playersleftthemeetingroom,theywereexpectedtoenthusiasticallyadheretoeveryprocedure,policy,and timetable.

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InteractingWithOtherIndividuals Outofnecessity,aheadcoachinteractswithavarietyofpeople.Accordingly,onegroupofpeopleyoushoulddevelopapositiverelationshipwithisyourfellowhead coaches.Assuch,thisrelationshipwillimprovecommunicationwiththeseindividualsandwillgiveyouafreshperspectiveontheirwordsandactions. Futhermore,whenbusinesscontactwiththeseindividualsisnecessary,youwillbebetterabletounderstandthemandbetterabletodiscussyourmutualneedsmore easily.Cultivatingtheserelationshipsalsobuildsaleveloftrustandabasisforsharingsupport.Allfactorsconsidered,theserelationshipscanbeamongthemost positiveandrewardingaspectsofcoaching. Youmustalsodevelopgoodrelationshipswithmembersofyourstaff.Assistantcoachescanmakeorbreakanylargefootballorganization.Yourassistantsshould knowyouareavailabletodiscussanyproblemsordifferencesofopiniontheymayhavewithyou. Theyshouldalsobeawarethattheymustbeabsolutelyloyalandstandbehindwhateverdecisionismade.Thisatmosphereisvirtuallyimpossibletocreateifyoudo notexpendthetimeandenergynecessarytocultivategoodrelationshipswithallyourassistantcoaches. Asyoucultivaterelationshipswithotherindividuals,youmustalsotrytoavoidmakingenemiesandlearntocoexistwithyouradversaries.Youshouldunderstandthat eventhosepeoplewhodoharmtoyoumaybepeoplewithwhomyouhavetodobusinessatsomepointinthefuture. Aslongassomeoneisapotentialbusinesscontact,youshouldmakeeveryreasonableefforttokeepthelinesofcommunicationopenandmaintainacivilized relationship. Youshouldbetheonetoinitiatecommunicationfollowingaconflict,eveniftheotherpersonmisunderstoodyouorwrongfullyridiculedyou.Whileitmaycertainlybe appropriate(dependingoncircumstances)toconfrontthosewhopurposelyinsultyouordoyouharm,youshouldavoidconflict. Youmustbeastuteenoughtoavoidbecomingtheloserinsuchsituations.Bybeingsensitivetoinherenthazardsofahostilerelationship,youcangiveyourselfa chancetowinthepersonovertohavingatleasta"neutral"associationwithyou. Therealityofthesituationisthatregardlessofthereasonbehindanextremelyadversarialrelationship,sucharelationshipcanhavenegativeconsequences.Inturn,by minimizingtheforcesworkingagainstyou,youdoawaywithresultantdistractionsandfreeyourmindtofocusonyourwork. DevelopingaNetworkofPersonalCounselandSupport Youshouldhaveanetworkofcounselandsupport.Itisimportanttohavesomeonebesidesyourimmediatefamilytotalktoaboutmattersofparticularconcernto you. Whileyourspouseandfamilycanbeextremelyimportantasasourceofsupport,youalsoneedtohaveregularsessionswithamentor(s).Youshouldrealizethatthis typeofassistancecanenableyoutobebetterpreparedtoworkthroughdifficulties,aswellassuccesses.

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Yourmentor(s)canhelpyoukeepthingsinperspective,byremindingyouthatthiskindofthinghashappenedbeforeandwillhappenagain.Furthermore,theycan helpyouclarifyandprioritizesituationsandresponsibilities. Youshouldtakecareinselectingyourmentors.Ononehand,theyshouldnotbeimmediatefamilymembers.Ontheotherhand,theyshouldnotbetotalstrangers.It is,however,veryimportantthattheyarepeopleyourespect. Regardlessoftheformat,youshouldbeveryselectiveanddiscreetaboutyouruseofcounseling.Youshouldtakecarethatyoudon'ttalktotoomanypeopleorto thewrongpeople.Inreality,ifyouopenlytellothersaboutwhatyou'redoing,theywilloftenendupembellishingthestorytoapointwhereitmayfrustrate,hurtor embarrassyou. KeepingtheBigPicture Asyouattempttofulfillallyourresponsibilitiesasaheadcoach,youmustlearnhowtomaintainyourperspective.Youcannotdoeverythingifyoucould,youwould notneedassistantsandsupportstaff. Whileyouareultimatelyinchargeofmanythings,youdonotnecessarilyhavetooverseeeverydaytodayaspectofthem.Whiletryingtoputoutlittlefires,youmay loseyourperspectiveonmoreimportantissueswhichdodemandyourpersonalattention.Youshouldkeepinmindthatyouhavealimitedamountoftimeavailable. Assuch,youmustlearntoallotitwiselytothethingsthataremostimportant. Forexample,onoccasion,itwillbeappropriateforyoutopitchintohelpbyprovidinghandsoninstructionandcoaching.Ethicallyandpractically,there'snobetter waytoinspirehardworkthanbytheexampleofyourownwork.Inturn,thesecrettomanagingwellandmotivatingthoseyoumanageistounderstandthefineline betweenlosingsightofthebigpictureandlettingotherslosesightofyou. Keepingaproperbalancebetweenmicroandmacromanagerialapproachestocoachingissomewhatlikeappreciatingaworkofart.Ifyoustandclosetothepiece, youmaybeabletoappreciatethefinedetailandtextureofthematerial. Youdoso,however,attheriskofbeingsoclosethatyoucannotkeeptheentirescopeoftheworkinproperperspective.Ifyoustandtoofarback,youmayhavea betterviewofthe"bigpicture,"butyourisklosingtheappreciationoftheattentiontodetailandthequalityofthework. Withinthefootballarena,apositioncoachcanandshould"standtooclose"tothework.Itishisresponsibilitytokeeptheattentiontodetailandtheproper perspectiveofthegameplanasitpertainstohisspecificposition. Thecoordinatorsmuststepbackalittlefurtherthanthepositioncoach.Theyshouldbecloseenoughtokeeptheattentiontodetail,butalsomustmaintainthebigger perspectivetomakesurethatthevaryingcomponentsoftheirschemes(offenseordefense)areworkingwelltogetheranddon'tbecometoocompartmentalized.Itis partofthecoordinator'sjobtomakesurethatthepositioncoachesdon'tgetsofocusedontheirownperspectivethattheylosesightoftheoverallmainobjective.

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Theheadcoachmustpullbackevenastepfurtherthanthecoordinators.Youmusthavetheencompassingperspectiveofall.Itisyourresponsibilitytomakesurethe offense,defenseandspecialteamsinteracttogethertomaintainthebalancethatisneededtoachieveanytypeofsustainedsuccessintheNFL. Onoccasion,youmayhavetoconstantlyremindyourcoordinatorsthat,inandofitself,finishinghighintheleaguestatisticalstandingshaslittleornovalueexceptasit pertainstotheoverallgoalofwinningandlosing.Theproperdistanceyouneedtoaccomplishthistaskiswhollysubjectiveandhardtoquantify. Itisalsoimportantthatyoukeepthingsinperspectivewhenconsideringwhethertoaccepttheadviceandinputofyourassistantcoaches.Forexample,if,for whateverreason,youareoveranxious,desperateornotthinkingcalmlyorclearly,youmaybeundulysusceptibletotakingadviceordirectionsfromassistantcoaches whoareinasimilaremotionalupheavalasyou. Theproblemarisesfromthefactthatyourassistantcoachesdon'thaveanythingtolose,relativelyspeaking.Astheheadcoach,youarerightfullyresponsibleand accountableforalldecisions.Youmustanswertotheowneroftheteam,tothemedia,andtoyourstaff.Mostofall,however,youmustanswertotheteam. Inthisregard,oneofthemostsuccessfulheadcoachesintheNFLhasdevelopedaprocessofinteractingwithhiscoachesandplayersinawaythatnoothercoachin theNFLdoes.Herunsbothoffensiveanddefensivescoutteamsduringtheweek'spreparation.Thispracticeisaninventivewayofaccomplishingseveraltasks: Itenableshimtointeractdailywithvirtuallyeverymemberofthesquad.Thispracticecreatesatruly opendoorpolicywiththeplayersinthattheyaremorewillingtogototheheadcoachandaddressan issuebecausetheyhavealreadyinteractedwithhimduringthedayinamoreinformalsetting. Itgivestheplayersatangiblewayofseeingtheheadcoachactivelyinvolvedinpreparationsforthe opponent.Manytimes,playerswillnotbeawareoftheamountoftimeandeffortaheadcoachputsinto preparingfortheweek'sopponentbecauseheisnotactivelyinvolvedinthedecisionmakingprocess. Duringthegame,theyhaveamorerealisticsensethathehaspreparedasmuchasanyofthecoachesor playersbecausetheyhaveseentheenergyandeffortthatDennyhasputinonadailybasis. Itprovideshimwithaverypracticalandworkingknowledgeofwhatthecoachingstafffeelsthe opponentwilltrytodoandwhattheteam'sactualplanistocounterit.Onoccasion,timesexistwhenthe offensiveordefensivecoordinatormay"clinic"theheadcoachonwhattheplanisfortheweek.Then, aftermakingaconcertedefforttoinstallandpracticethegameplanduringtheweek,thecoordinators mightdecidetonotfullyimplementthatplan.

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MakingaDifference Atsomepointineverycoach'scareer,hewillquestionwhetherheismakingadifferenceornot.AbasicreviewofthewonlossrecordsofNFLteamsinthepastfew seasonssuggeststhatanNFLheadcoachcanmakeadifference. Inrecentyears,theNFLhasbecomeaveryhomogeneousentity.Factorssuchastheadventoffreeagency,thereducednumberofdraftchoicesthateachteamhas andthesalarycaphavelefttheleagueasawholedriftingtowardsthemiddle(i.e.,themiddlebeinga.500or88season). GiventhecontinuousmobilityamongplayersintheNFL,theWLrecordssufferevenforthemosttalentedteams.Theimpactofthismobilityisnoticeable.Weaker teamscanimproveimmeasurablyinagivenyear,whilebetterteamscanerodetowardthemiddleofthepack.Asaresult,thelargestnumberofNFLteamshave eithera79,an88,ora97record. Becauseofateam'sinherentlackofdepth,injuriescantakeamajortollonateamoronotherteamsinitsdivision.Asaconsequence,circumstancescanturnaround dramaticallyinonlyoneortwogames. Forexample,ateamcanstartverypoorly,finditself,gainmomentumandbecomeaplayoffteam(orevenaSuperBowlchampion)witha97ora106regular seasonrecord.Thissituationputsaddedpressureontheheadcoachtobringhisteambackfromlossesthatareboundtooccuroverthecourseoftheseason.The pressureisevenworsewhenateamsuffersconsecutivelosses. Thekeyforateamistobefullymobilizedandbuildingmomentumastheregularseasonclosesandtheplayoffsbegin.Assuch,whenhisteamsuffersalossinthe regularseason,itiscriticalthattheheadcoachhastheabilitytoholdhisteamtogetherandmaintainhiscomposure.Heshouldrememberthathisopponentsare sufferingfromsimilardisappointmentsandfrustrations. ABellCurveDistribution Theaccompanyinggraphsillustratethatoverthelastthreeyears(199496),theleaguehastypicallytakenonauniquebellcurvedistribution.Thehorizontalaxis representsthetotalnumbersofwinsbyteam,whiletheverticalaxisrepresentsthetotalnumberofteamswinningthatnumberofgamesthatyear. Forexample,fiveteamshadninewinsin1996.ThisstatisticindicatedthatthemajorityoftheLeagueisbunchedtogetherwithinarelativelysmallmarginofdifference, withtheoutliers(thoseteamsthatseparatethemselvesfromthepackinawinningorlosingprofile)accountingforthesamepercentageseachyear. InanygivenyearintheNFLbetween1214teamswillbeonegameaboveorbelow.500(88).Theseteamswillaccountforbetween4045percentoftheentire League.Sixtytosixtyfivepercentwillclusterbetweentwogamesaboveorunder.500.Asaresult,ithasbeenhypothesizedstatisticallythatasfewas610playsa yearwillseparateateamfromfinishingonegameover.500toonegameunder88.Typically,thetwoorthreeoutlierswiththemostpositiverecordswilldistinguish themselvesfromthe4045percentgroupingwitha124or133record. Diametricallyopposedtothatgrouparethethreeorfourteamsthatwillfinishtheseasonwithonlytwoorthreewins(sometimesevenfewer).Thereasons

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fortheseoutliersareusuallyapparent.Thepositiveteamspossessahighnumberoftalentedplayers,experienceandcontinuity,whilethebottomendteams experienceanumberofinjuries,havealackofskillatseveralkeypositionsorareenduringarunofplainbadluck.

Interestingly,thenegativeoutlierstendtobethesameteamsyearafteryear.Thissituationleavesthemajorityofteamsinthehomogeneousgroupingtofindawayto stayaheadofthecurveandtostrivetoseparatethemselvesfromthecurveandmoveupwiththepositiveoutliers. Anynumberoffactorscancontributetoateamstayingaheadofthecurveconsistently.Forexample,Ibelievethatcoachingisacriticalfactorinmaintainingyour positionasateamthatcontinuallyfinishesaheadofthecurve.Typically,talentwillvaryfromteamtoteam,andoneortwokeyacquisitionswillbemadeintheoff seasonbyeachteam.Continuityofcoachingandmaintainingasolidstructurearethefactorsthatusuallydifferentiatetheteamsthatstayconsistentlyonthepositive sideofthecurve,comparedtotheteamsthatdriftbackandfourthfromthenegativetopositivesideofthecurvefromyeartoyear. ThreeexcellentexamplesofteamsthathavemaintainedapositivepositiononthecurveyearafteryearareMartySchottenheimer'sKansasCityChiefs,Denny Green'sMinnesotaVikingsandBillCowher'sPittsburghSteelers.Eachoftheseteamsisinamediummarketcitywithalimitedfinancialbase. Yet,eachteamhasmaintainedawinningprofile,neverfailingbelow88,andmakingtheplayoffsfourofthelastfiveyears.Infact,theSteelershavereachedthe playoffsthelastfiveyearsandmadeitintotheSuperBowlin1996. Thebottomlineisthatastheheadcoach,youmustbelievethatyourabilitiescanmakeapositivedifference.Whenyoulosethatperspectiveandfallpreytothe naysayerswhohavealltheexcusesastowhyyoucan'twin,thenyouhavelostthewinningedge. Intheprocess,youmaypanic,losethe"courageofyourconvictions"andjuststartpressingbuttonsinhopesthatthesituationwillfixitself.Youmustregaintheproper perspective. Inthisscenario,theoldadagemayapplythatafootballcoachhastobesmartenoughtobringalltheabilitiesandthepersonalitiesonateamtogetherintoasolid singleworkingunit,anddumbenoughtothinkitisimportanttodoso.
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Chapter4 DevelopingaSuccessfulOrganizationalStructure
"Withoutorganizationandleadershiptowardsarealisticgoal,thereisnochanceofrealizingmorethanasmallpercentageofyourpotential." JohnWoodenHallofFameBasketballCoachUCLA

Findingthewinningedge... Oncealeaderestablishesstandards,toplieutenantshavetobegiventhepowertosolveproblemsquicklyand decisively.Successfuldelegationofmajorresponsibilitiesisasignofgoodleadership.Itrequireshiringpeoplewho canhandlesignificantroleswell,andlettingthemexercisethatpowerindependentlywhiteyoustillmaintain control.Thisiswhyamoodchangewhenyouenteraroomfullofsubordinatessignalsyou'vestillgotawaytogoin creatinganorganizationthatreflectsyourleadershipandyetisoneinwhichthatleadershipiseffectivelyshared.If, forinstance,astaffdoesn'tseemfullymobilizeduntilthebossarrives,theselfassurancethatisthehallmarkofa wellledcompanyhasn'tpercolateddown. BillWalsh,"HolyMacro: DelegatingRequiresaSureTouchToo LittleandYouBecomea Figurehead,TooMuchandYouSquelch Creativity,"Forbes,August26, 1996.

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Atsomepoint,anorganizationmusthaveasinglesourceofauthoritywhocancollectinformationandthenmakeadecision.Organizationsmusttake care,however,thattheydonotplaceapersoninthispositionwhodoesnothavethecapacitytofillthatrole.Ifthepersoninthisroleisovermatchedby theposition,hewilloftenmakeincorrectdecisions.VinceLombardi,GeorgeAllen,DonShula,BillParcells,TomCoughlinandJimmyJohnsonare outstandingexamplesofsinglesourceauthorityThisindividualdoesnotnecessarilyhavetobetheheadcoach,AlDavis,BobbyBeathard,BillPolianand DonKlostermanareexamplesofsinglesourceauthoritybesidestheheadcoachwhohavebuiltanorganizationtochampionshiplevels.Examplesalso existofteamswhoformedsuccessfulrelationshipsbetweentheheadcoachandadministration:TexSchrammandTomLandryGeorgeYoungandBill ParcellsBobbyBeathardandJoeGibbsBillPolianandMarvLevyandPatBowlenandMikeShanahan.Thekeyistohaveatalentedpersonnelman whocandobusinesswithotherteams,aswellasastrongfootballperson(notjustagoodbusinessman). <><><><><><><><><><><><> Historicallyinsports,mostorganizationswererunessentiallybyonepersonanindividualwhosedomineeringpresenceenvelopedtheentireorganization.Allfactors considered,thisautocraticapproachtomanagementenabledtheorganization'semployeestounderstandthattheirbasicroleintheschemeofthingswastosimplydo whateverthatpersondictated. Toapoint,theauthoritarianbasedstyleofoverseeinganentireorganizationmadeitsomewhat"easy"foreveryoneinvolved.Theauthorityfiguregaveorders,and everyoneelsejustfollowedthem. Overtime,however,manyofthefactorsthatmadeadictatorialstyleoforganizationalstructureacceptable(i.e.,"tolerable")havechanged.MostNFLteamsrecognize thefactthatgettingtotheSuperBowlinvolvesalotmorethanaleaderwithafirm,controllinghandandawealthoffootballknowledge. Rather,anorganizationneedstobestructuredinsuchawaythatitcanoperateinthemostefficient,effectiveandorganizedmannerpossible.Totheextentthatthe wayinwhichanorganizationissetupandmanagedcanensurethatallnecessarytasksareperformedinatimelymannerandcanenhanceaccountabilityandeliminate ambiguitywithregardtotheclub'schainofcommand,havingtheappropriateorganizationalstructureiscrucial. Thekeypointtorememberisthatdifferentorganizationsareoftenbestservedbydifferentstructures.Decidingwhichstructureismostappropriateforanorganization caninvolveseveralfactors,includingthephilosophyoftheteam'sownership,theteam'sspecificgoalsandpriorities,thevaluestructureoftheheadcoach,the competencyleveloftheorganization'skeyemployees,thesizeoftheorganization,financialconsiderations,etc. Notsurprisingly,avarietyoforganizationalstructurescurrentlyexistsintheNFL.Giventheverycomplexandthemultidimensionalnatureoftheworkenvironmentin theNFL,differentteamshavetakendifferentapproachesoverthe

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yearsregardingwhichorganizationalsetupenablesthemtobestmeettheirownuniqueneeds. Someteamsgivevirtuallytotalcontroltoasingleindividual(i.e.,apersoninthedualroleofheadcoach/generalmanager).Otherteamsadoptamoredecentralized structurebyseparatingthedutiesofthegeneralmanager,thedirectorofoperations,andtheheadcoach.Thethirdmajortypeoforganizationalstructureinvolvesa situationwhereownershipplaysaprominentroleinfootballmatters.Inaveryfewinstances,regardlessofhowateam'smanagerialsetupisconfiguredonpaper,the majorityoftheimportantdecisionsismadebyownership. Inthisregard,fourownerswhobroughtnewstandardsofprofessionalism,honestyandethicstotheNFLwereLamarHunt,WellingtonMaraDanRooneyandRalph Wilson.ThedignityandrespectthattheseindividualsengenderedtothegamelentcredencetotheNFL,notonlyasabusiness,butalsoasasport. ItisImportanttokeepinmindthatnosingle"best"organizationalstructureexists.Ateamshouldadoptastructurethatnotonlyenablesittomaximizeitsobjectives bothintheshortrunandinthelongrun,butalsotoadapttochangingcircumstances. EstablishingaSingleSourceofAuthority Whateveroperationalstructureanorganizationestablishes,itisabsolutelycriticalthatatsomepoint,theremustbeasinglesourceofauthority.Inthatregard,itisalso crucialthattheindividualwhoisassignedorassumesthatrolehasthecapacitytofillit. Dependinguponthecircumstances,decisionscanbemadeatvaryingpacesoncetheinformationnecessarytoreachadecisionhasbeencollected.Whatcannotvary, however,istheneedtohaveawellqualifiedpersonmakethefinaldecision.Thefactofthematteristhatincompetentindividualswillfrequentlymakethewrong decisionsonmatterswhichtheyare"illequipped"tohandle. Overtheyears,theultimateresponsibilityforfinalauthorityonanNFLteamhasgenerallybeenassumedbyoneofthreeentities:theheadcoachasingleindividual otherthantheheadcoach(e.g.,thegeneralmanager,thepresidentoftheteam,theowner,etc.)oracombinationoftheheadcoachandsomeoneinupperlevel management(usually,thegeneralmanager). Feelingthatifthey'regoingtobeheldaccountableforthefinal"product"(i.e.,theteam'sperformance),manyheadcoacheshaveconcludedthattheyshouldhavethe finalsayonallofthefactorsthatwillimpactonthatproduct.Assuch,theseindividuals(particularlythoseheadcoacheswhohavethe"clout"toreceiveit)have demandedsinglesourceauthority.AlistofthosecoacheswhohavecapablyfilledsucharoleovertheyearsintheNFLisimpressive.Examplesofindividualswho haveservedinthiscapacityincludeVinceLombardi,GeorgeAllen,DonShula,MikeDitka(withtheNewOrleansSaints),JimmyJohnson,DickVermeil,andBill Parcells(withtheNewYorkJets).TomCoughlinexemplifiesthenewerwaveofoutstandingcoacheswhoareattemptingtotakeasimilarpathtosuccess. AmongtheteamsthathaveutilizedsomeoneotherthantheheadcoachasthecompellingforceintheirdecisionmakingprocesshavebeentheLosAngelesRams

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(DonKlosterman),theOaklandRaiders(AlDavis),theDallasCowboys(JerryJonesinthepostJimmyJohnsonera),andtheSanDiegoChargers(Bobby Beathard). AmajorityoftheNFLteamsemployacombinationoftheheadcoachworkingincloseconcertwithaverycompetentadministratortogetthejobdoneproperly. Historically,fourofthetandemduosthatbestillustratethisparticularapproachtowieldingauthorityhavebeenTomLandryTexSchramm(DallasCowboys),Bill ParcellsGeorgeYoung(NewYorkGiants),JoeGibbsBobbyBeathard(WashingtonRedskins),andMarvLevyBillPolian(BuffaloBills). AmongthecurrentgroupsofindividualswhohavesuccessfullycombinedtoleadtheirteamsareMikeHolmgrenRonWolf(GreenBayPackers),MikeShanahanPat Bowlen(DenverBroncos),TonyDungyRichardMcKay(TampaBayBuccaneers),BruceCosletMikeBrown(CincinnatiBengals),andDennisGreenRoger Headrick(MinnesotaVikings). Howeverauthorityisexercised,itisessentialthatateamhasatalentedindividualinchargeofpersonnelsothatbusinesscanbeconductedwithotherteamsina productiveandprofessionalmanner.Everyteammustalsohaveastrongfootballpersonwhocanlendhisexpertiseandinsightstothedecisionmakingprocess. RecognizingtheInevitabilityofChange ThestructureofanNFLorganizationisnotanentityuntoitself.Allfactorsconsidered,noorganizationwillbeabletosustainanysingletypeofstructureindefinitely. Circumstanceschange.Thingshappen. Anaturalevolutiontothelifeofanorganizationalstructureexiststhatatsomepointitmustandwillchange.Theextentandtheswiftnessofanychangeswilldependon thenatureofthechangeincircumstances.Forexample,aminorchangemightinvolveasituationwhereanindividualfromwithintheorganizationispromotedor transferredtoapositionthatbecomesvacantforanyreason.Inthisinstance,thetransitionfromhavingoneemployeeinaparticularpositiontofillingthatpositionwith anothercould(andshould)berelativelysmooth. Indeed,iftopmanagement(orownershipitself)anticipatesandproperlypreparesforsuchchangesinpersonnel,subsequenttransitionscanbemadeasseamlessas possible.Amoreserioustypeofchangeoccurswhenanorganizationlosesakeyperson.TheNFLisrepletewithexamplesofteamsthatreachedacertainlevelof successonlytogotumblingbacktorelativemediocritywhenoneortwopeoplelefttheorganization.Anotherexampleofanoccurrencethatcangreatlyimpactan organization'sstructureisachangeinownership. TheDallasCowboys,oneofthepreeminentlysuccessfulteamsintheworldofprofessionalsportsinthe1960sand1970s,exemplifyateamthathadaparticularly difficulttimeadjustingtochangeforawhile.Thelossofafewkeyplayers,coupledwithtwoownershipchanges,hadadevastatingeffectontheCowboys' performanceonthefield.EventhepresenceoftherenownedtroikaofTexSchramm,GilBrandt,andTomLandrywasvirtuallypowerlesstostoptheCowboys'slide fromtheirwinningways.Eventually,theshiftwasreversedonlyaftermajorchangesweremadeinboththeteam'spersonnel(managementandcoaching)andthe team'swayofconductingbusiness.

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Oneofthedifficultiesindealingwiththeinevitabilityoftheevolutionofcircumstancesisthemultifacetednatureofchange.Makingchangesinresponsetotraumatic events,likealossofkeypersonnel,aswitchinownership,orsomethingasdetestable(anddirect)asfailingtowinmaynotalwaysbeenjoyable,butitcertainlyis understandable. Anotherkindofchangenolessessentialalsoexists.Thistypeofchangeismuchmoredifficulttoundertake.Sometimesitisappropriatetochangeforthesakeof seeingmattersanddoingthingsinanentirelydifferent,revitalizedway. Whatmakesthiskindofchangesodifficultisthefactthatit'snottheproductof(orareactionto)disaster.Theneedtomakethiskindofchangeoccurs,asoftenas not,wheneverythingisgoingrelativelywell. Thecomfortofsuccessinaknownworldisapowerfulsourceofdenial.Eventhoughchangecanbringaboutanewsituationwherelifeisfarlesspredictable,an organizationmustbestructuredinsuchawaythatpersonnelarecontinuallyencouragedtolookfor''abetterway."

Hetaughtwhereverhewent,andateverylevelhiseyewassharp,hismilitaryinstinctassoundinschoolinga platooncommanderasageneral.Hewas,itwassaid,everyone'sinstructor DavidFraser fromKnight'sCross: ALifeofFieldMarshalErwinRommel

IdentifyingtheParametersofanEffectiveOrganizationalStructure Althoughnoonesingletypeoforganizationalstructurehasbeenfoundtobethemostsuccessfulwayforconductingbusiness,threebasicconditionsmustexistifa particularapproachistobeeffective: Aprimaryfigurewhohasanextensiveknowledgeandexpertiseinthegamemustbeatthecenterofthe decisionmakingprocess. Awelldefinedorganizationalstructurewithadistinctdelineationofresponsibilitymustbeestablished. Thepurposeofthatstructuremustbeequallywelldefinedanddocumented.

Itshouldbenotedthatthecapabilitiesoftheindividualwhoisatthecenterofthedecisionmakingprocesswillbetherelative"measuringstick"oftheorganization.His background,basicintellect,abilitytoapproachhisdutiesinaproactivemanner,andabilitytoanticipateandreacttochangingcircumstanceswillbethetouchstonefor topmanagementandthegroupasawhole.

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Itisnotnecessarythattheindividualwhofillsthisrolebethetopexecutivewithintheorganization.Ifitis,however,thatpersonmusthaveaccesstosomeonewho possessesaninclusiveknowledgeofthemechanicsoftheprofessionforadviceandcounsel. Awelldefinedorganizationalstructurethathasadistinctdelineationofresponsibilityisimportantforatleasttworeasons.Withoutsuchastructure,aduplicationof effortmayoccur.Thisscenariooftenleadstoconflictandfrustrationbetweenthepartiesinvolved,asituationexacerbatedbythesubsequentwasteoftimeand energy. Theabsenceofsuchanorganizationalsetupcanalsoleadtofingerpointingwhencertaindutiesaren'tperformed.Withoutadistinctdelineationofresponsibilities,the crackthatexistsbetweenbroadlydefinedfunctionsmaywidenintoachasmintowhichcriticaltasksandassignmentsmayfalluncompleted. Itisalsoveryimportantthatthepurposeofanorganization'sstructureisspelledout,clarified,anddocumented.Inmanyinstances,individualsmakeassumptions regardingwhatthispurposeis.Someoftheseassumptionsareaccurate,whileothersarenot. Iftheindividualswithinanorganizationaretobeabletoprioritizetheirprofessionalobligationsanddecisionmakingprocesses,itisvitalthatatleastatthetop managementlevel,a"primedirective"(i.e.,thefundamentalpurposeoftheorganization)mustbeestablished.Accordingly,everyonewithintheorganizationwouldbe abletopositionthe"primedirective"overanyotherdutyoractionthatmightotherwisecomeintoconflictwithit. Winningisthe"primedirective"ofmanyNFLorganizations.Otherclubsplaceahighervalueonthebottomline(i.e.,beingprofitable).Atfacevalue,thesemissions mayseementirelycompatible.Atsomepoint,however,thesetwoprioritieswillcomeintodirectconflictwitheachother. AnotableexampleofthisconflictinvolvestheNFL'sfreeagencyprocess.Allfactorsconsidered,itisnottoodifficulttoidentifythoseorganizationsthatconstantlylet theirdevelopedtalentleaveviathefreeagentroute,notbecausetheteamsdon'trecognizetheirfreeagent'sskillsandperformancecapabilities,butbecausetheyeither can'torwon'tcommittothefinancialoutlayitwouldtaketokeepaparticularathleteintheorganization. Inreality,itisfarlessexpensiveforateamtoletitsdevelopedplayersgetaway,andthensimplytofirethecoachingstafffornotwinningenoughgames.Forexample, ateamcanoftenreplaceanentirecoachingstaffforlessthanthecostofkeepingasingle"key"freeagent. Surprisingly,teamsthatcontinuallyadhereto"profitability"astheir"primedirective"haveasomewhatdifficulttimerecognizingwhytheyareoftenatthebottomofthe NFLcurve(i.e.,standings).Fromaperformancestandpoint,theaxiom"pennywiseandpoundfoolish"appliestotheseteams. Regardlessoftherealitiesofthesituation,theheadcoachmustunderstandwhere"winning"isheldbytheorganizationrelativetoitsotherobjectives.Ifthe organization'scommitmenttowinningisnotpreeminent,heneedstoknowit.

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Assuch,itisabsolutelyessentialthattheorganizationmusthaveclearlydefinedparametersthatpreciselyspelloutits"primedirective."Iftheheadcoachdeludes himselfintobelievingthatthe"primedirective"ofhisorganizationiswinning,wheninfacttheownershipismostconcernedwiththeteam'sfinancialspreadsheet,he won'tbeabletoaccuratelyanticipatetheperceivedneedsoftheorganizationandmakeappropriatedecisions. Accordingly,theheadcoachmustfullycomprehendthesubstanceoftheorganization's"primedirective"ifheisgoingtobeabletomakesuitabledecisionswithinthe frameworkinwhichhehastofunction.Alogicalargumentcanbemadethattheonlythingworse(relativelyspeaking)thanbeinginanorganizationthatwillnotorcan notcompetefinanciallywithotherNFLclubsisnotrecognizingit. EstablishingaPlanforStructuringtheOrganization TheessentialpurposeofanNFLorganizationistofunctionintheNFLmarketplaceinsuchawaythatwillenableittoachieveitsobjective(i.e.,"primedirective")in themostefficientandeffectivemannerpossible.Towardthatend,aplanforstructuringtheorganizationmustbeestablishedthatensurestheorganizationwill accomplishitsprimarypurpose.Suchaplanshouldconsideranumberoffactors,including: Anorganization'sstructureshouldbedesignedinsuchawaythatthestrengthsoftheorganization's employeesaremaximizedandtheirweaknessesmadeirrelevant. Anorganizationmustbestaffedatthetoplevelsofmanagementwithcapableandcompetentpeopleinthe field.Ifatopechelonmanagerisdevoidofthenecessaryskillsandacumen,aproductivityvacuummaybe createdthatnegativelyaffectsotheraspectsoftheorganization,possiblytothedegreethattheentire structureoftheorganizationisrenderedineffective. Theheadcoachmustbeplacedasthecentralfigureintheorganization,regardlessofwhetherheisthetop executiveordecisionmaker.Theplayersmustknowthattheheadcoachisincompletecommandofthe team(andtheirdestiny)orheandhisassistantsmayhavedifficultiesgettingthemtorespondappropriately. Forexample,aheadcoachwithonlyoneyearleftonhiscontractwhois"hungouttodry"byan organizationoftenfindsitvirtuallyimpossibletogovernthebehaviorofhisplayersparticularlyinthose criticalsituationsthatalwaysariseduringthecourseofaseason. Anorganizationmustnotattempttomanagetheteamfromthesecondleveladministrativewing.Effective managementmustoccuratthegroundlevelbythose(i.e.,thecoachingstaff)whodealwiththeplayersona daytoday,facetofacebasis. Everyoneintheorganizationmustrecognizethefactthatanorganization'sstructureisnotstatic,but dynamic.BecausecircumstancesandeventschangequicklyintheNFL,noonecanaffordtogetintoa comfortzoneofcomplacency(i.e.,notbeingpreparedforcontingencies).

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Thestructureofanorganizationmusthavetheflexibilityandadaptabilitytomeetunexpectedobstacles, crises,ordevelopments. Anorganizationshouldtakestepstoprepareitsemployeestohandleadversityinsuchawaythat unexpectedsetbackscanbereadilyovercome.Suchpreparationshouldinvolveasystematicandongoing effort. Topmanagementinanorganizationmustrealizethatplanningforadversityisthekeytoovercoming adversity.Unfortunately,"badthings"sometimesdohappento"goodcompanies."Assuch,contingency planningmustbeongoingasopposedtosomethingthatispulledoutofadrawer,dustedoff,andused wheneveracrisisoccurs. Oneofthekeystoeffectiveleadershipisn'tsomuchinbeingdecisive(evenloosecannonscanbedecisive insomesituations),butinbeingabletoacknowledgethatchangesincircumstancesareinevitableandto preparetoreactappropriatelytoeachchangingsituation. Organizationsmustensurethatchangesintheircircumstanceshaveaminimaleffect(i.e.,causeaslittleif anydamageaspossible).Thisadviceisparticularlyrelevantintheageoffreeagencywhereavarietyof potentiallydevastatingpersonnelrelatedscenarioscanoccur. Forexample,ateammayloseakeyplayertofreeagency.Intheotherextreme,ateammayexpenda sizablefinancialoutlaytosignaparticularfreeagent,onlytosubsequentlydiscoverthattheplayerisnot meetingtheteam'sexpectationsfromaperformancestandpoint. Ineitherscenario,anorganizationmustbestructuredinsuchawaytohandleamistakeofthisnature. Otherwise,asinglemistakeinvolvingpersonnelmatterscanbefurthercompoundedbyfailingtoundertake correctivemeasures. Crisismanagementrequiresanticipation,preparation,andpractice(drills),aswellasacoolheaded troubleshootingteam.Practicingwhattodointheeventofacrisiscanbeaninvaluableexperience. Anorganizationshouldnotforegoperformingcrisisdrillsjustbecauseithasanexperiencedandcapable crisismanagementteam.Membersofthisteammustbeindividualswhocanexhibit"graceunderfire"(i.e.,be abletohandlepressureinallsituations). Anorganization(especiallytopmanagement)mustneverpanicinacrisissituation,regardlessofhow circumstancesturnout.Forexample,innumerousinstances,anorganizationcanbringonfailurebythe inappropriatewayinwhichitreactstopressure.Ontheotherhand,anorganizationthatexhibitsboththe nerveandthepatiencetostaywithaparticularprogramorendeavorisoftenrewardedwithextraordinary results. Aplanforstructuringanorganizationshouldbeputinwritingtoprovideadocumentedsourceofreference andguidanceforeveryoneinvolved,includingownership.Amongtheaspectsofsuchaplanthatshouldbe writtendownareanoperationsmanual,apersonnelmanual,abudgetmanual,andanoverallsetofjob descriptions.

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Inthefaceofmassive(andoftenconflicting)pressures,anorganizationhastoberesoluteinitsvisionof thefutureandhowitplanstogetwhereitwantstogo.Suchaplanshouldincludeanoverviewofthe team'sgoalsandobjectives,adetailedassessmentofitscurrentstateofaffairs,andarealisticprojection ofwhereithopestobewithinapredeterminedtimetable. Theheadcoachmustnotallowhimselftobecome"captive"totheagendaofotherpeople(e.g.,assistant coaches,operationspersonnel,leaguepersonnel,outsideconsultants,etc.).Despitethefactthatmostof theseindividualsarewellmeaningandsimplytryingtodotheirjobfortheperceivedbenefitofthe organization,theheadcoachmustkeepinperspectivethefactthateachoftheseindividualsisonlyoneof manyvoices.

Rememberthatpraiseismorevaluablethanblame.Remembertoo,thatyourprimarymissionasaleaderistosee withyourowneyesandbeseenbyyourtroopswhileengagedinpersonalreconnaissance. GeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII "LetterofInstructionNumber1," fromWasasIKnewIt

MakingPeopletheHeartoftheOrganization Oneofthemoststrategicallyimportantandeconomicallysoundstepsthatanorganizationcantakeistoattract,develop,andretainadiversegroupofthebestandthe brightesthumantalentinthemarketplace.Assuch,assemblinga"winning"groupofemployeesrequiresthoughtfulleadershipandacomprehensiveplan. Amongthefactorsthatmanagementshouldconsiderwhendevelopingaplantoeffectivelyutilizeanorganization'smostimportantresource(i.e.,people)arethe following: Inordertodevelopandmaintainaneffectiveorganization,managementmustbeknowledgeableand competentwhendealingwithpeople. Allfactorsconsidered,theorganizationsthathavetraditionallybeenthemostsuccessfularethosethat havedemonstratedapronouncedcommitmenttotheiremployeesbyprovidingaworkenvironmentthat enablesthemtoachieveattheirmaximumlevelsofproductivityandpotential. Managementmustrecognizeandacknowledgeboththeuniquenessofeachindividualemployeeandthe bonafideneedthatindividualshaveforareasonabledegreeofjobsecurityandselfactualization.

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Thefactthatsomeofthemosttalentedpeopleareindividualswhoareveryindependentmindedrequires managementtocarefullyconsiderhowitcaneffectivelycommunicatewiththistypeofemployee. Althoughapersonalizedapproachshouldbeemployedwhendealingwithemployees,unduefamiliarity shouldbeavoided.Simplystated,theheadcoachshouldbecognizantofthecapabilitiesofhisplayersand themembersoftheorganization'smanagementteaminordertohelpthemtoutilizeandenhancetheirunique skillsandtalents. Furthermore,itisessentialthattheheadcoachhelpshisplayersandtheemployeesoftheorganizationtofully realizetheirpotential.Ontheotherhand,itisalsoimportantthattheheadcoachgainsacleargraspofthe shortcomingsoftheseindividualsand,totheextentpossible,steersthemclearoftheirdeficiencies. Onoccasion,managementwillfaceareal"balancingact"betweenthespecificinterestsoftheorganization andtheuniqueinterestsoftheindividualwhendecidingthepropercourseofactioninaparticularsituation. Asaresult,topmanagementmayfrequentlybeforcedtochoosebetweenthe"goodofthewhole"versus the"goodoftheindividual." Inabestcasescenario,theorganizationandtheindividualmustbemadetounderstandthatwhatisgood foronemustalsobegoodfortheother. Employeeswhoarecreativewillsometimesrequire"specialhandling."Passionateaboutseeingtheirideas implemented(alloftheirideas,assoonaspossible),creativepeopleshouldbemadetounderstandthat everyoneoftheirideaswillnotbeappropriateand,assuch,willnotbeused. Comingupwithanidea,nomatterhowbrilliantitmaybe,isjustthebeginningofthecreativeprocess. Initially,theutilityofeachideamustbeassessed.Iftheideaisdeemedsuitable,adecisionshouldthenbe reachedregardinghowtoputtheideaintoeffect.Finally,theideaisenacted. Newideasareimportantateveryleveloftheorganization.Forexample,comingupwithauniquewayto drillaparticulartechniqueorafundamentalskillmaynotbeasexcitingasreinvestingtheforwardpass,yet it'sveryusefulandalotmorelikelytohaveapracticalapplicationonthefootballfield. Althoughanorganizationshoulddemonstrateareasonableamountofflexibilityintheworkenvironmentto accommodatetheneedsofitsemployees,topmanagementmustbetotallyinflexiblewithregardtoits expectationsoftheperformanceofitsemployees.Inthisinstance,thekeystepistodocumentthose expectations. Peoplearemostcomfortableintheirworkingenvironmentwhentheirdutiesarelaidoutinspecificdetail andtheirperformancecanbegaugedbydistinctandmeasurableparameters.Employeeaccountabilityis facilitatedwhentheresponsibilitiesoftheemployeesarespelledoutingreatdetail. Itiscriticalthatemployeeexpectationlevelsarebothreasonableandattainable,aswellashigh.

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Theprocessofestablishinganddocumentingemployeeexpectationsmustbedoneinatimelymannerthat enablestheorganization's"primedirective"tobeaccomplished. Oncetheemployeeexpectationshavebeenidentifiedanddocumented,theymustbecontinuallymonitored, revised,andrefined(aseitherthesituationorthepersonnelchanges). Aprotocoldetailinghowvariousmembersoftheorganizationshould'interactwitheachothershouldbe established.Inordertoenhancetheperformanceoftheemployeesasagroup,therolethateachpersonis assignedintheorganizationandhoweachemployeerelatestotherolesplayedbytheotheremployeesmust beexplicitlydelineatedandclearlyunderstoodbyeveryoneinvolved. Ifsuchanawarenessisnotestablished,theorganization(asasingleentity)maybecomecompartmentalized toapointwhereefficiencyandproductivityareseverelycompromised.Theriskofindividualsand departmentsbecomingoverlyobsessedwithprotectingtheirown"turf"mayalsobeheightened.Thepotential foracounterproductivesituationoccurringappliestoallelementsoftheorganization(e.g.,thepropersonnel directortothecollegescouts,theequipmentmanagertothefacilitycoordinator,theoffensivelinecoachto theoffensivecoordinator,etc.).

EstablishingOrganizationalResponsibilities Toamajordegree,anorganizationisdefinedbyhowdifferentworkisdone.Inordertoensurethatallworkisperformedinthemostefficientandproductivemanner possible,anorganizationalstructureisrequiredthatputssimilarworkintodepartments(e.g.,accounting,marketing,scouting,etc.). Basically,anorganizationalstructureinvolvesapatternoftaskgroupings,reportingrelationships,andauthoritystipulationswithinanorganization.Organizationsare structuredtoaccomplishoneormorespecificgoals.Asarule,structuringanorganizationinvolvesthefollowingsteps: Jobdesign(i.e.,groupingpositionsintounits). Distributionofpower. Determiningthespanofmanagement(i.e.,decidinghowmanysubordinatesreporttoasinglemanager). Establishingachainofcommand.

Althoughthescopeofresponsibilitiesandtheexactjobtitlesmayvarysomewhatfromonepositiontoanotherbetweendifferentorganizations,itisimportantthatall criticaltasksbeefficientlyandcompetentlyperformedwithinanorganization,regardlessofwhatstructureexistsorwhatjobtitleisassigned.Asageneralrule,most NFLorganizationsarestructuredintoatleasttwobasiclevelsatopmanagementlevelandaprofessionalsupportlevel.Thetopmanagementleveltypicallyconsists ofaGeneralManager(i.e.,PresidentorCEO),aDirectorof

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Operations,aDirectorofProPersonnel,aDirectorofCollegeScoutingandaHeadCoach. Dependinguponhoweachpositionhasbeendefinedandwhatchainofcommandhasbeenestablished,theprofessionalsupportlevelisfurthersubdivided.For example,thedirectstaffofthegeneralmanagernormallyincludestheindividualsinchargeoffinance,legalaffairs,marketing,andpublicrelations. Theprofessionalsupportstaffisalsoresponsibleforsuchdiverseyetimportantfunctionsasstadiumoperations,publications,equipment,security,suite management,athletictraining,medicalaffairs,andfacilitymanagement.Inaddition,theindividualsinchargeofspecificdepartmentsorperformingcertaindutiescanbe combinedinto"teams'tofacilitateparticularfunctionsorprojectsoftheorganization(e.g.,anegotiationteam,atalentacquisitionteam,etc.). Inturn,theprofessionalsupportstaffisbolsteredbyanarrayofcoreemployeeswhoperformavarietyofjobs(e.g.,clerical,ticketstaff,groundskeeping,locker roomattendants,etc.).Collectively,theseemployeesplayanimportantroleinthedailyoperationsoftheorganization. Ataminimum,acomprehensiveplanforestablishingasuccessfulorganizationalstructuremustincludeanitemizedlistoftherequisitequalificationsforeachofthe principalpositionswithintheorganizationandadetailedoverviewoftheresponsibilitiesforeachofthoseemployees.Amongthepositionsthatshouldbeprofiledare thefollowing:
Impressuponthemindofeveryman,fromfirsttothelowest,theimportanceofthecauseandwhatitistheyare contendingfor. GeorgeWashington 1stPresidentoftheUnitedStates

GeneralManager(President/CEO).Theindividualwhofillsthisroleshouldbewelleducated,ideallywith anadvanceddegree.Heshouldhavecompetitivesportsexperienceatthecollegiatelevelifpossible. Furthermore,heshouldhavesomebackgroundofinvolvementinactivitiesoutsideofprofessionalsports(for atleastabriefperiod).ThisindividualshouldbesomeonewhohasgrownintothecultureoftheNFLthrough aseriesofdiverseexperiences,howeverbriefly,inotherfacetsofthegame. Itisimportantthatthispersonshouldviewhisrolewithintheorganizationasanexecutiveadministratornot asapseudocoach.Hemusthaveorganizationalexperience,aswellasbesomeonewhoiscommittedto beingfullyknowledgeableaboutcurrent(i.e.,contemporary)managementpractices,innovations,and thinking.

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Thisindividualshouldbewellversedinthefinancialaspectsofprofessionalfootball,includingthosethat affectanorganization'sagreements,policies,anddirectives.Heshouldalsobethoroughlyknowledgeable aboutthoseNFLbylawsthatarerelateddirectlyorindirectlytotheoperationofanNFLfranchise. Thepersoninthisroleshouldbeabletofunctionindependentlyofownership.Heshouldnottakeontherole assomeonewhoappeasesownership.Rather,hemustperceivehisroleasanexecutivewhohasabroad levelofexpertiseinmanagementmattersandextensiveworkingknowledgeofthebusiness. Thisindividualmusthaveafullappreciationoftheeffectsthatthemediacanhaveontheorganization.Ifnot, hemayenableimmensedamagetobedonetotheorganizationifheisnotalerttothenegativeconsequences thatcanoccurifinteractionswiththemediaarenothandledproperly.(RefertoChapter17foramore completediscussionofhowtoworkwiththemedia.) Allfactorsconsidered,itwouldbeanadvantagetotheorganizationifthispersondidnotbecomeahighly visiblepublicfigure.Anindividualwhoisahighlyquotablepersonalitywhoconstantlyisseekingaplatform fromwhichtoeditorialize,orwhoisn'tsensitivetothenumerouschallengesimposedbyworkingwiththe media,issimplynotasqualifiedasheshouldbeforthisparticularposition. Becausetheindividualinthisrolewilloftenneedtoreconcile(conciliate)disagreementswithinthe organizationamongcoaches,players,andmanagementpersonnel,hemustpossesseffectivecommunication skills.Healsoshouldbesensitivetoandcapableofdealingwithmanagementmatterswherehighlevelsof emotionareinvolved. Inbothappearanceanddemeanor,thispersonshouldexemplifytheprofessionalism,personality,andthe sophisticationthatarecommonlyassociatedwithindividualsatthehighestlevelsofcorporateAmerica.In reality,anindividualwithastark,hardhitting,insensitivepersonadoesnotgenerallyepitomizethetypeof personwhocanbestrepresentanorganization.Inrecentyears,SanFranciscohasbeenveryfortunateto haveCarmenPolicyfillthisroleforthe49ers.Hislegalbackgroundasatrialattorney,coupledwithhis resolutecommitmenttoexcellence,hasenabledhimtoexhibitdynamicleadershipasthePresidentofthe 49ers. Itisimportantthatthisindividualisanintegralpartofthedaytodayoperationsoftheorganization.Assuch, hemustbewellacquaintedwithemployeesatalllevelsoftheorganization(includingtheathletes)ona personalbasis.

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Heshouldbesomeonewhogetsalongwellwithothertopmanagementpeoplethroughouttheleague.As such,heshouldmakeeveryattempttocultivaterelationshipswithotherclubexecutivesandwith representativesoftheNFL'shierarchy.Allrelationshipsshouldbeexecutedinanengaging,positiveand professionalbasis. Withinthestructureoftheorganization,thegeneralmanager(president/CEO)shouldbedirectlyaccountable totheownership.Heshouldserveastheconduitbetweentheownerandallactivities,developments,and issuesinvolvingtheorganization. Heshoulddirectlyoverseestaffingandestablishthemethodofoperationandchainofcommandatthetop managementlevel.Inaddition,heshouldserveasthemainspokespersonfortheorganizationinalldaily operationsinvolvingLeaguematters.Furthermore,heshouldactastheprimaryconduitbetweenthe ownershipandtheLeagueconcerningthefunctionaloperationoftheorganization. Oneofthemostimportantresponsibilitiesofthegeneralmanageristoestablishthenatureofthe communicationprocesswithintheorganization'sstructureandtobeaviablepartofthatprocessonan ongoing,daytodaybasis.Assuch,oneofhismajorprioritiesmustbetoensurethatdirectlinesof communicationbetweenthevariousdepartmentsandwithintheorganizationasawholearesetupand maintained. Inotherwords,hemustmakesurethattheappropriatepeopleatappropriatelevelshaveaccesstoallthe informationtheyneedtomakeinformeddecisions.Heshouldalsotakestepstoensurethathiskey employeesarenotburdenedwith"informationoverload"(i.e.,engulfedbyanalysisandlevelsofdetailthat areimportanttoafew,interestingtosome,andpurposelesstomost). Inordertobeeffective,communicationmustbetimelyandhaveanappropriatelevelofdetail.Accordingly, thegeneralmanagermustprovidespecificparameterstoeachsectionheadwithinwhichhisdepartmentis expectedtofunction. ItisalsoimportantthatthegeneralmanagerandtheCFOarekeptfullyabreastofallnegotiationsand relevantmattersconcerningtheNFL'sCollectiveBargainingAgreement(CBA).Tothatend,aformatmust beinplacetoexpeditiouslymakestepbysteprevisionstotheCBAaslastminutechangesoccur. Thegeneralmanagermustalsotakestepstoensurethatadefinitivepolicyexistsfortheorganizationtowork withthepress.Thispolicyshouldincludetheteam'sownership.Allfactorsconsidered,asinglemedia spokespersonfortheorganizationshouldbedesignated.

Thereisatendencyforthechainofcommandtooverloadjuniorofficersbyexcessiverequirementsinthewayof trainingandreports.Youwillalleviatethisburdenbyeliminatingnonessentialdemands GeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII "LetterofInstructionNumber1," fromWarasIKnewIt

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DirectorofOperations(DOO).Theindividualwhoisbestsuitedforthispositionissomeonewhohas variedandextensiveexperienceatalllevelsinthetasksinvolvedintheoperationofanNFLfranchise. Whileaformaleducationcanbeuseful,thetrainingandhandsonexperiencethisindividualhasbeen affordedaremoreimportant. BecausethedutiesofaDOOaresodiverseandextensive,itiscriticalthatthispersonhasbeena competitiveathleteevenifonlyattheintercollegiatelevel.Hemusthaveanappreciationforandaworking knowledgeofallfacetsoftheorganization. Hemustbeatireless,totallycommittedindividualwhoapproacheseveryproject,issue,ornegotiationina thorough,detailed,wellorganizedmanner.Ononehand,heisexpectedtomakeindependentdecisionson theotherhand,hemustbeinclosecommunicationwithownershipandothermembersofmanagement. Aboveall,hemusthaveakeenappreciationfortheroleoftheheadcoach.Assuch,hemustbetotally committedtoprovidingtheheadcoachwitheverythingthatispossibletobuildasuccessfulfootballteam. TheDOOshouldnotbeahighprofile,highlyvisible,mediaorientedperson.Hisworkisbestaccomplished inarelativelyprivateenvironmentwithoutfanfareandinaprofessionalandethicalmanner.Similartoall membersoftopmanagement,heshouldhaveademeanorthatispersonable,positive,andsupportiveof everyone,withoutbecomingtoofamiliarwiththeorganization'semployees. Withinthestructureoftheorganization,theDOOmustoverseeanyaspectoftheorganizationthatentails directinvolvementwithorganizationaleffortstoacquire(i.e.,trades,freeagency,andtheNFLdraft)or interactwith(i.e.,trainingcamp,security,travelarrangements,etc.)players. Typically,theDOOandhisdepartmentstaffalsooverseealloperationalmattersinvolvingtheathletic trainers,thefacilities,andtheequipmentroom.Althoughthemajordepartmentheadsmaynothaveto answertotheDOO,heisresponsibleforestablishingthelinesofcommunicationbetweentheorganization's twopersonneldepartments(collegeandpro)andthecoachingstaff. Insomeinstances,anorganizationmayfinditappropriatetocombinethedutiesandtheauthorityofthe DOOandtheheadcoach.Insuchascenario,theheadcoachwouldemployanddirectaseparatestaffto handletheDOO'sfunctions.

Hewhorequiresmuchfromhimselfandlittlefromothers,willkeephimselffrombeingtheobjectofresentment. Confucius ChinesePhilosopherandPoliticalTheorist

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DirectorsofProPersonnel(DPP)andCollegeScouting(DCS).Themostimportantattributefor individualswhoareappointedtothesepositionsisbasicintelligence.Alltoooften,individualsaregiven thesepersonneljobsforaninappropriatereason. Forexample,somepeoplehavebeenassignedtothesepositionssimplybecauseoftheirpastservicetothe organization,loyalty,orfriendshipswithothermembersoftheclub.Inthisscenario,theorganizationhas ''rewarded"formerplayersorformerassistantcoacheswhowereeitherretiredorunemployed(i.e., available)atthetimeoftheirhiring. Regrettably,suchaprofileoftheDPPortheDCShastraditionallybeencommonplace.Althoughsomeof theindividualswhowerehiredinthesecircumstanceshavegoneontobecomeoutstandingpersonnelpeople, somehavenot. Inrecentyears,ithasbecomequiteevidentthattheDPPandtheDCScanfigurativelyholdthefutureofthe organizationintheirhands.Accordingly,theirevaluationoftalentmustbecompetent,credibleandultimately trusted. Theimportanceofthedepartmentsofpropersonnelandcollegescoutingcannotbeoveremphasized.On morethanoneoccasion,anindividualscouthasbeenexpectedtomakeadecisionthatwillhavean extraordinaryimpactonthefutureofanNFLfranchisethatisworthmorethan200milliondollars. Oftensuchadecisionhasbeendeferredallthewayfromtheownerthrougheveryleveloftopmanagement totheheadcoachandhisassistantcoaches.Finally,anareascoutisaskedtomakeacriticalevaluationthat candefinethefutureoftheteam. Accordingly,theabilitytoscouteffectivelyandtoevaluateplayerssuccessfullyrequiresaninquisitivemind,a formaleducation,andgoodorganizationalskills,aswellasasoundsenseofreasoning.Assuch,an organizationcannottakeariskbyawardingtheDPPandDCSpositionstogoodfriends,loyalemployees,or renownedformerplayers. Inthe1990s,apersonnelstaffpersonmustalsobecomputerproficient,extensivelywellrehearsedand trainedintheprofileofanorganization'sspecificrequirements,andsystematicallyorganized.Hemustbe willingandabletousealltechniquesandoptionsavailableforstudyingandevaluatingtheabilitiesofan athlete. Oneofthemajorprerequisitesforarrivingatapersonnelrelateddecisiononaplayeristoobtainnumerous evaluationsofthatparticularathletefromanumberofsources.Theprocessofobtainingtheevaluationsand reachingadecisionmustbedoneinaveryproactiveandtimelyway. BecomingeitheraDPPoraDCSrequiresbothexperienceandtraining.Theabilitytocommunicate effectively(bothverballyandinwriting)isalsoveryimportantforbothpositions.

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ChiefFinancialOfficer(CFO).Theindividualwhoisappointedtothispositionshouldhaveanadvanced degree.Heshouldalsohavehadavarietyofexperiencesinvolvingfinancialmatterspriortojoiningthe organization. Heshouldbeabletoeffectivelycommunicateatalllevelsoftheorganizationonissuesinvolvingtheclub's financialpoliciesandpractices.HemustbeconversantwiththeCFOsofotherNFLteams,andshouldbe totallycurrentandknowledgeableonfinancialmatters(e.g.,financialtechnology,taxlaws,accounting methods,cashflowmanagement,etc.). Inalogicalandsequentialmanner,theCFOmustbeabletoconveyandexplainthefinancialimplicationsof allorganizationaldecisions.Inordertobeeffective,hemustbesomeonewhoiscommunicative,reasonable, andsociallyadept.Assuch,hemustbeabletointeractsmoothlywitheveryoneatalllevelsofthe organizationandwithallthoseindividualswithwhomtheorganizationdoesbusiness(e.g.,agents, contractors,clients,etc.). Aswitheveryemployeeoftheorganization,thisindividualshouldexudeenergyandenthusiasm,bewillingto expendwhatevertimeittakestoaccomplishaparticulartask,beavailablearoundtheclock(i.e.,24hoursa day),andbesomeonewhocanbetrustedinutterandcompleteconfidenceonallworkrelatedmatters. OneofthetruestmeasuresofaneffectiveCFOishowquicklyhecanmakevalidandreliablejudgmentsin theextremegiveandtakeenvironmentattendanttoplayeragentnegotiations.Abroadbased,creative, solutionoriented(yetpractical)CFOcanhaveamajorimpactonplayeracquisitionefforts. Ultimately,hecanmakethedifferenceinwhetheraparticularplayeracquisitionisprofitable(fromafinancial standpoint).SomeCFOsareclearlymoregiftedathandlingthesecriticalcasesinanappropriatemanner thanothers. Withinthestructureoftheorganization,theCFOservesastheprimaryfacilitatorAforthegeneralmanager onallshortandlongtermbudgetaryconcerns.Healsoplaysamajorroleinplanningandimplementingall salarycaprelatedmatters. Assuch,itiscriticalthattheCFOworkscloselywiththeorganization'stalentacquisitionteam.Inaddition, on(salary)contractualmatters,hecouldeitheractastheorganization'schiefnegotiatororhelpestablisha separatebranchoftheorganizationalstructuretohandlesuchmatters.Amoredetailedoverviewofthebasic responsibilitiesofaCFOwithinanorganizationispresentedinChapter18. PublicRelationsDirector.Theindividualwhoholdsthispositionmustbeoneofthemostcapablepeople intheorganization.Accordingly,thispersonmustbeextremelyintelligentandbeextraordinarilyperceptive andpeopleoriented. Thisindividualmustalsohaveoutstandingcommunicationsskills(bothwrittenandverbal).Furthermore,the individualinthispositionmustbeabletodealwitheventhemostsensitiveandobjectionabledevelopments withtrueprofessionalismandsocialaplomb.

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Anadvanceddegreewithextensivepublicrelationsexperienceisaprimaryprerequisiteforthisposition.A varietyofexperiencesinotherfieldsofendeavororwithotherorganizationsisalsoofimmensevaluetothis person. Thisindividualshouldalsopossessahighlevelofbothmaturityandtrustworthiness.Inaddition,thisperson shouldbeabletocommunicateeffectivelywitheventhemostdeterminedadversary.Thispositionalso requiresapositivedemeanor,astrongsenseofprofessionalism,apolishedappearance,andapronounced sensitivitytoothers. RodneyKnoxoftheSanFrancisco49ersisacompellingexampleofsomeonewhopossessesthe aforementionedattributes.OneofthemostcompetentpublicrelationsprofessionalsintheNFL,heis thoroughlybusinesslikeanddecidedlyresultsoriented. Erroneously,ownership,management,andthecoachingstaffsometimestakethispositionforgranted.In reality,mismanagementofmediarelationscanleadtoseveredifficultiesfortheorganization. Ifsuchrelationsarenothandledproperly,crisisaftercrisiscandevelopandcangainmomentum.Asa consequence,thepublicrelationsdirectorpositionmustbegiventheproperemphasiswithinanorganization's uppermanagementechelon.Accordingly,manyNFLteamsplacethepublicrelationsdirectoronthesame managementlevelasthegeneralmanager,theDOO,andtheheadcoach.

EstablishingSubGroup,SpecialProjectUnits Organizationsoftencombinedepartmentheads,directors,andgroupmanagersintosubgroups(i.e.,teams,units,etc.)thatundertakespecialprojectsorperform specialfunctions.Theseuniqueunitsaremadeupofthoseindividualsintheorganizationwhocancontributetothegoalofthesubgroups(i.e.,providevital informationtotheprojecthavetheauthoritytomakerelevantdecisionsetc.). Ifthegroupisweighteddownwithasuperfluousnumberofmemberswhoarenotpertinenttoitsimmediatetask,itsefficiencywillbeseverelyinhibited.Eachteam shouldhaveaspecificpurpose,anoperationsoutline,andachainofcommandtoestablishprotocolwithinthegroup. Theseunitsmaybeeithertemporaryorrelativelypermanent.Twoofthemostimportantandongoingsubgroupsthatexistinmostorganizationsarethenegotiation teamandtheacquisitionteam. NegotiationTeam Anorganization'snegotiationteamshouldincludethefollowingrepresentation:ownership,theCEO,theCFO,legal,andtheindividualswhoperformhandson negotiating.Thenegotiationteamshouldbeassistedbyaspecialadvisory"resourcegroup"thatwouldbecomprisedoftheheadcoach,theteam'sNFLliaison,the particularassistantpositioncoachoftheplayerwithwhomtheteamisnegotiating,anathletictrainerandaphysicianfromtheteam'smedicalstaff,personneldirectors, andamanagementinformation(computer)specialist.

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Asystematicplanforconductingnegotiationsshouldbeestablished.Anintegralpartofthatplanshouldbethedevelopmentofaclubnegotiationmanualthat formalizesanddocumentsthestepsthatshouldbefollowedduringthenegotiationprocess. Themanualshouldbeasdetailedandthoroughaspossibleandshouldberevised,refined,andreapprovedannually.Amongthefactors,considerations,andactions thatshouldbeaddressedinthemanualarethefollowing: Outsidesourcesshouldbeemployedtodevelopandenhancethenegotiatingskillsofthemembersofthe organization'snegotiationteam.Forexample,attendanceatseminarsdesignedtodeveloptheseskills shouldbeanintegralpartoftheongoingprocesstodevelopaneffectivenegotiatingteam. Anintenseworkshoponnegotiatingshouldbeheldeachyear(evenifonlyarelativelyfewindividuals withintheorganizationareinvolvedinthenegotiatingprocess).Outsideconsultantsandexpertscanbe utilizedtoconducttheworkshopandtoproviderelevantfeedbackonhowattendeescanimprovetheir negotiatingtechniques. ThenegotiationteammusthaveacompleteandthoroughunderstandingwithregardtoNFLdirectives andtheCBA.Atleastonepersonintheorganizationmustbeanexpertinbothoftheseareas. Onepersonshouldactasthesolespokespersonforthenegotiatingteam.Multipleexchangeswiththe pressareboundtocreatecrossedsignalsandcontradictions,whichcanbeexcellentammunitionforthe player'sagent.Thenegotiatingteammustkeepinmindthatevery"statement"willbebroughttothe negotiationtable. Allcontactswithaplayerorhisrepresentativesmustbedocumented,withdetailsofeachcontactbeing extensiveenoughtobeeasilyunderstoodbyothermembersofthenegotiatingteam.Aformatshouldbe establishedforaddressingeachtypeofcontactwiththeagent. Contractdecisionsareoftenbasedonotheragreements. Informationreliabilityiscritical. Aprofileshouldbepreparedoneachagentwhichincludesinformationonthatagent'stacticsand personality. AgeneraldialogueshouldbeheldwithotherLeaguemanagementpeopleregardingtheagent'spatternof negotiationonbehalfofotherclients.Theprogressofotherpeople'sdealingswiththisparticularagent shouldbemonitored.Thenegotiationteamshouldremainalertforrumorsandmisinformationregarding theagent,theplayer,orthestatusofnegotiations. Contactbetweentheorganizationandtheagentshouldbefrequent,butnotregularlyscheduled. Thenegotiatingteamshouldexpecttobeinsultedbytheagent.Toadegree,theorganizationcanalmost anticipatewhensuchinsultswilloccur.Notrespondingisthebestapproachinsuchsituations.

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Thenegotiatingteamshouldanticipatethattheagentwillinformhis/herclientofeachremarktheclub makesconcerningtheplayer.Often,suchremarkswillbeisolatedandrelayedoutofcontext. Thenegotiatingteamshouldcalculateitsappraisaloftheathlete.Inmostinstances,distinctlypositiveor negativeremarkswillreturntothetable. Thenegotiatingteamshouldanticipatethatthepresswillbecontactedbytheagent,eitherdirectlyor covertly. Thenegotiatingteamshouldprepareapublicstancethatmaybetakeninthenegotiationprocessif necessary.Theorganizationshouldhave"fallback"responsesreadywhensurprisedorcaughtoffguard. Egoisafactorinthenegotiatingprocess.Theimpactofegocanbeverysubtle.Membersofthe negotiatingteamshouldexpecttheirstobeattackedordamaged. Abusinesslike,formalsettingmustbeatthecoreofseriousnegotiation. Adefinitivepolicyshouldbeestablishedwithregardtothepress,includingtheobligationsofownership. Publicstatementsbecome"fact"evenwhentakenoutofcontext. Agentposturingwiththepressistobeexpectedasthenegotiatingprocessbecomesmoreintense. Anagreementofconfidentiality,astheprocessstarts,isnecessary.However,theagentmaystillfinda waythroughathirdpartyorothersourcesto"pressure"concessionsfromtheclub. Thepressshouldbeexpectedtoslanttheirstoriesinfavoroftheathleteandtheagent.Thenegotiating teamshouldkeepinmindthat,whileaverbalbattlewillnormallymakelittledifferencetotheplayer,it candamagemanagementinseveralways. Concise,definedstatementsareallthatshouldbereleasedfromthedesignatedclubspokesperson regardingthenegotiations.Anythingstatedmustbefactual. Reachingafinalagreementcanmeanalteringorrevisingothercontractualnegotiations.TheCEOandthe CFOmustbeontopofallfinaldecisions.Unfortunately,lastminutechangesintheseagreements sometimesoccur.Asystematiccontingencyformatmustbeinplacetomakerapidrevisionsinan organization'scontractualoffers. Legalcounselmustbecontinuallyupdatedconcerningtheprocessofnegotiations.Atnotimeshouldthe negotiatingteamsurprisethelegalcounselwithaproposedagreementthatcontains"newlanguage." Financialcounselmustbegiventimetoresearchimportantissuesandmatters. Spontaneous,instantaneouscommunicationmaybenecessaryin"eleventhhour"negotiations.Assuch, thenegotiatormustknowwhereeveryoneonthenegotiationteamisduringthisperiod.Thenegotiator musthaveaccesstotheentirenegotiationteam24hoursaday.

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Anagreementisnotanagreementuntilitissigned.Anagentmayattemptto"comeback"atthelast moment. NegotiatorsmustreportonanongoingbasistotheCEO. Althoughoutsidersoftencomparesportsnegotiationswithcorporateorsalesnegotiations,significant differencesexistbetweenthem.Theleverageisdissimilar,butaxiomsofthoroughprofessionalismare identical. Whenseriousexchangesaremadeinthenegotiatingprocess,thechiefnegotiatorshouldalwayshavethe CFOathis/herside. Thenegotiatingteammustknowhowandwhentoclosedownnegotiations,whentoshifttoother candidatesandhowtoterminatenegotiationswithoutundue"fallout." Apersonalizedstepbystepplanforeach"project"(contractualnegotiation)shouldbeformulated. Aplausiblesetofresponsestodifficultactionsorquestionsbytheagentmustbeapartofaprepared, rehearsedpolicyofnegotiation. Takinganhonest,reasonable,seeminglyfairapproachtonegotiationrarelyhasthedesiredimpactonthe process. Inmostinstances,long,extendedexchangestypicallydonotmakeprogressuntilthe"eleventhhour" becausesuchnegotiationsnormallylackdirectionandmomentumuntilthatpoint. Finalprolongednegotiationsoftenresultinconcessionsnotanticipatedbytheteam. Thenegotiatingteamshouldplan,prepareandanticipateitsmeetingswiththeplayer'sagent.Other individualsshouldbeaskedtoprovide"feedback"onthenegotiator'sspecificremarks. Astepbysteppresentationfromawrittenagendashouldbeemployedwhetherbyphoneor"inperson." Duringthenegotiatingsessions,thenegotiatorshouldhaveallrelevantresearchavailableandmust understanditcompletely. Otherresourcesshouldbeutilizedwhenthenegotiatoriscorneredorinatenuousposition.The negotiatorshouldnothesitatetoleavetheroomwhenhe/shefeels"offbalance."Thenegotiatorshould haveanexplanationreadyineachinstance. Unlessaresponseisappropriate,thenegotiatorshouldremainquietmakingnoresponsecanprotectthe negotiator'sposition. Toapoint,acertainamountofsocialtalktendstogivetheimpressionthatthenegotiatorisatease,not uptight,anxiousordesperate. Angerisacceptable,butdangerous.Itshouldbeutilizedinsmall,shortdoses. Thenegotiatorshouldbecarefulofusingexamplesorcomparisonsunlesshe/shehasan"ironclad"case.

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Thenegotiatorshouldhavepatiencebeingcompletelythoroughmustbetheessenceofthenegotiation process. Alcoholshouldnotbepartofanysocialinteractionwithagents,notevenwheninformallydiscussingthe contract. Latehoursoftenleadtofatigue.Thenegotiator'sneedforfoodandsleepcanalsoaffecthis/herabilityto functioneffectivelyinaformalizedsetting. Resultsshouldnotbeexpectedwitheverycontact.Thenegotiatorshouldunderstandthattheplayer's agentmay"doubleback."Thesamegroundmayhavetobecoveredanumberoftimes. Thelessexperiencedtheagent,themorevolatilethecontactscanbe.Anagentcanmakesnapjudgments thatcancompletetheprocessormomentarilycausefrustration.Thenegotiatorshouldnotdemeanthe agent'scredibility.Aninexperiencedagentisusuallyincontactwithamoreexperiencedperson.The negotiatorshouldcontinuetocommunicatewiththeagentashe/shenormallywould.Thissituationisoften oneofthemostdifficultforthenegotiator. Thenegotiatingteammustknowexactlywhattheyarenegotiatingfor.Athoroughappraisalofthe proposedcontractmustbemadeshorttermandlongtermbeforenegotiationsbegin.Every individualwhocancontributemeaningfulfeedbacktotheprocess(e.g.,physician,trainer,conditioning coach,headcoach,positioncoach,etc.)shouldbeinvolvedasresourceswhendiscussingthelengthof anagreement. Anythingthatissaid,nomatterhowcasually,willoftenbeperceivedasacommitment. Caremustbetakenwithextensiveexplorationorcreativeexchanges.Theagentmay"doubleback," combiningallcategoriesascommitmentsintheprocess. A"confidential"contactwiththeathlete,inanattempttousereasonwithhim,israrelyeffective.An athletewillalwaysinformhisagent,whowillresistsuchanattempt.Anyattempttomakeaprivatedeal withtheathletewillalmostalwaysbenegatedbytheplayer'sagent.Theagentwillthenestablishthatdeal asastartingpoint. Contactingthefriendsorfamilyofanathleteisalsoanextremelysensitivematter.Totheagent,suchan actioninfers"panic"onthepartofthenegotiator.Inalmostallinstances,theagentwillresistpressure appliedfromoutsidesources,unlesstheorganizationisextraordinarily"lucky." Theuseofotherindividualsintheorganizationassecondpartyclosersisadubiousstep. Ifexcessesdevelop,theyshouldbewithathleteswhohandletheballorwithaplayerwhomakesmostof thedefensivestops.

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AcquisitionTeam(FreeAgents) Asystematicplanforacquiringfreeagentsshouldbedevelopedbytheorganization.Adetailedoverviewofthefactorsthatshouldserveasthebasisforsuchaplanis presentedinChapter7. Tohelpensurethatitseffortstosignfreeagentsareassuccessfulaspossible,theorganizationshoulddevelopanacquisitionteam.Theprimaryfocusofsuchasub groupistocoordinatetheteam'sacquisitionprocess. Oneoftheessentialstepsthattheacquisitionteamshouldundertakeinthisregardistodevelopwrittenproceduresandguidelinesthatshouldbefollowedinthe organization'sattemptstosignfreeagents.Amongtheconsiderations,circumstances,andactionsthatshouldbeaddressedbysuchproceduresandguidelinesarethe following: AcompletefileshouldbeestablishedonthenegotiationstrategiesusedbyotherNFLfranchises, includingtheirtacticsconcerningcontractualnegotiations,theirhistoricalfinanciallimitations(i.e.,bottom linerestrictions),theirphilosophy,andtheirowner'smindsettowardtheacquisitionprocess(i.e., mentality,responses,ego,etc.). Aninclusivefileonthe"negotiationteams"ofotherclubs(i.e.,personalities,strategies,tendencies, negotiatingstyles,background,experience,history,etc.)shouldbedeveloped. Whilecontractual(financial)commitmentsaretheprimarybasisofanagreement,noassumptionsshould bemadethatotherconsiderationswillnotbeaddressed. Adistinctcontractualmeetingwithanagentmaybepartoftheathlete'svisit.Theacquisitionteamshould notexpectanythingtobefinalizedexceptwhentheprocessinvolvesaperipheralplayer.Becausethe agentwillbe"posturing,"typicallynothingmuchisaccomplished. Theathleteandhisagentshouldbeallowedmomentsofprivacy,afterwhichtheymaythenaskfor clarificationofaparticularcontractualpoint,etc. Theacquisitionteamshouldscheduleandconductanorganizationalmeetingthatincludeseveryoneinthe organizationwithwhomtheathletewillcomeincontact.Eachpersoninattendanceatthemeetingshould begivenspecificdo'sanddon'tsconcerningtheacquisitionprocessforthisparticularplayer. Thepositivesellingpointsoftheorganizationshouldbeidentified.Theentireorganizationshouldserveas a"soundingboard"regardingthevalidityofthesepointsandwhetheranyadditionalfactorsmayhave beenoverlooked. Theacquisitionteamshouldfindout,asaccuratelyaspossible,howeachclubwill"sell"itself. Theorganizationshouldlearnasmuchaspossibleaboutthecriteriaaparticularfreeagentwilluseto makehisdecisionaboutwhichteamtosignwithandwhowillbeafactorinhisdecision(i.e.,wife, children,friends,agent,etc.).

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Thosesellingpointsthatarecompatiblewiththeplayer'sneedsandinterestsshouldbeemphasized. Theorganizationshouldidentifythosewhoarebestableto"sell"andintroducetheclub'spositionand opportunities. Theacquisitionteamshouldfindoutiftheathleteknowsanyoneonthesquadandhowwellheknows them. Anyoneintheorganizationinwhomtheathletemaywanttoconfide(e.g.,assistantcoach,players,etc.) shouldbeidentified. Formerplayersfromtheorganizationcanoftenserveasgoodintermediariesbetweentheteamandthe player. Gratuitous,frivoloussellingoftheorganizationcanbeextremelycounterproductive.It"smacksof insincerity"anda"phonysale." Theobviousshouldbeavoidedinattemptingtopersuadethefreeagenttosign. Astepbystepplanshouldbeestablishedtointroducetheathletetotheorganization,theadjacent community,hispotentialteammates,theteam'sfacilities,localhousing,etc. Onepersonshouldbedesignatedtoescorttheathletethroughtheentireintroductionprocess. Beforevisiting,theathleteshouldbeaskedabouthisrequestsandexpectationsconcerninghistrip.His scheduleshouldthenbeestablished.Whentheathletearrives,theclub'sproposedscheduleforhisvisit shouldbereviewedwithhim.Hemaychoosetoreviseit. Theorganizationmustremainflexibleduringavisitbyafreeagent(e.g.,schedule,pointsofemphasis, personnelinvolvementintheprocess,etc.).Theteamshouldtrytogetasenseofwhattheathleteis "lookingfor." Theathleteshouldnotbepermittedtolingertoolonginmeetingswithperipheralstaffmembers. Theathletemustbe"fresh"whenimportantissuesareaddressed.Travelfatiguecanaffecthisattention spanandnullifyordiminishthevalueofcriticalexchanges. Iftheathletespendsthenight,everythingpossibleshouldbedonetominimizeanypartyinghemight otherwisedo.Iftheorganizationisunsuccessfulinthisregard,theplayerwon'tbeworthanythingthenext day,andthetripmaybecomeawasteoftime. Theorganizationshouldavoidallowingtheathletetodotoomuchinoneday,ortheathletemaybecome undulyfatiguedorbored. Theorganization'sfacilitiesshouldbeattheirbest(i.e.,cleanoffice,lockerroom,weightroom,etc.). Allpersonnelshouldrefertotheathletebyhisname.

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Amemberofthecoachingstaffshouldbegivenampletimeto"talkfootball"tothefreeagent,butnot whentheathleteistired,bored,hungry,etc.Thecoachmusthaveathorough,updatedknowledgeofthe athlete'scareer,talent,skills,injuryhistory,etc.Theathleteshouldnotbeaskedilladvisedquestions. Theorganizationshouldbereasonablyaccurateandobjectiveindiscussingtheproposedroletheathlete willhaveontheteamifhesigns.Inmostinstances,hecanseethroughanoverlyoptimistic(i.e.,deceitful) appraisal. Theathlete'sdemeanorisnotalwaysanindicatorofhislevelofinterest. Avideotapeoftheathlete'splayshouldbeputtogetherthatdemonstrateswhyhecan"thrive"withthe team.Ataminimum,suchaneffortdemonstratessincereinterestintheathletebytheorganization. Theplayershouldhaveanopportunitytoreviewaspecialvideopreparedbytheorganization(involving 1015plays)thatindicateswhattheathletewouldbedoingifhesignswiththeteam. Theorganizationshouldnotbetoodiscouragedorfrustratedovertheathlete'sinitialresponse, indifference,orapparentlackofinterest.Theseoutwardfactorsarenotalwaysclearindicatorsofthe organization'slikelihoodofsigningtheathlete. Athorougheffortmustbemadetoknowmoreabouttheathletethatisbeingrecruited.Aseriesof questionsorremarksshouldbedevelopedthatrevealsasmuchaspossibleabouttheplayerthattheteam isattemptingtoacquire.Thesekindsofplayer"inventories"canbedevelopedinconnectionwithsports psychologists. Theorganization'sathletictraining,conditioningandmedicalstaffsshouldbeapartoftheteam's acquisitionprocess. Anindividualfromtopmanagement(e.g.,theheadcoach,theCEOortheowner)shouldprovidethe athletewitharidetotheairport.Whoeverthisindividualisshouldknowalotabouttheathleteandshould bereadytocarryonaconversationwiththeplayer. Allfollowupconversationswiththeathleteorvisitsbytheathletearecritical.Inbothscenarios,the organizationshouldcontinuetoputitsbestfootforward(i.e.,answerquestions,continuetosellthe benefitsoftheteam,etc.).

Militaryorganizationsandsuccessinbattledependupondisciplineandahighsenseofhonor. GeneralOmarN.Bradley 5StarGeneraloftheAlliedArmies WorldWarII

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KeepingtheFocusontheProduct Anorganizationisnotjustatool.Itbespeaksvalues.Itreflectsthepersonalityofabusiness.Itisdefinedbyitsresultsonthefield. Inthatregard,oneofthemostcandidaspectsofprofessionalsportsisthatthebottomlineissoidentifiablewinning.Fewprofessionshavesuchdefined accountabilityassimplylookingatthescoreboardtoascertaintheorganization'sbottomline. DespitethetremendouseconomicprosperityoftheNFL,truesuccessmustbeachievedontheplayingfield.Wheneverythingisstrippedtoitsbarestessentials,there isthegame. Accordingly,theorganizationmustalwayskeepitsfundamentalfocusonthegameandondevelopingandsustainingahighlevelofqualityintheproductitputsonthe playingfield.Asarule,thisareaiswheretheprioritiesandthestructureoftheorganizationwillbemostseverelytested,primarilybyoutsideforcesthathaveagendas thatareatcrosspurposestohavingaqualityteam. Manyoftheproblemsinthisregardhaveevolvedfromthefactthat,inrecentyears,someorganizationshaveplacedindividualswithlittleornocoachingbackground inthetopleadershiproleindevelopingandmanagingthegame.Thesepeoplehavenorealsenseofwhatisneededfortheteamtosucceed. Insteadofseekingoutpeoplethatbegantheircareersorgrewupinanenvironmentofcompetitivesports,someorganizations(onboththecollegiateandprofessional levels)seekoutandhireindividualswhohaveextensivebackgroundsinsomeotherareaofexpertise(e.g.,legal,financial,marketing,etc.)toruntheoperation. Difficultiescanoccur,however,iftheindividualwhoistappedtoheadtheorganizationdoesn'thaveagenuinesenseforthegameanddoesn'tacceptthefactthat,toa point,acompetitivesportsorganizationisnotjustlikeanyotherbusiness.Rather,ithasverydistinctfeaturesandcharacteristicsthatmustbeaddressedwithinitsown uniqueenvironment. Inmorethanoneinstance,however,itcanbeverydifficulttoaddresstheseissuesinanappropriatewayiftheindividualcontrollingthedecisionmakingprocessinan organizationdoesn'thavearealisticperspectiveandfeelforthegame.Forexample,manypeoplewhoaresuccessfulinonefieldmistakenlybelievethattheycan recreatetheirsuccesswithanewproductbyusingthesamemethodsthatwereresponsiblefortheirformerachievements. Insomecasestheycaninothercircumstances,theycan't.Accordingly,whilecertainfundamentalmanagerialprinciplesapplytoallsituations,greatflexibilityneedsto beshowninthewayorganizationsapproachthevarioustasksthatneedtobeperformed. OneofthegreatestchallengesfacingthetopmanagementofanNFLorganizationistheneedtobepreparedtohandlethedemandsofarapidlychangingenvironment. Withoutabandoningitsbasicprinciples,anorganizationmustbeabletoadapttochangingcircumstances.Eachadjustment,however,mustbemadewiththe''product" inmind.Thatproductdoesnotnecessarilymeanwinningeverygameatallcosts.

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Anorganizationneedstobeawareofthefactthateachactionitundertakescanhavebothashorttermandalongtermeffectonitsproduct.Aprofessionally directedorganizationrealizesthevalueofdevelopingandsustainingabasicfoundationforasuccessfulproductanapproachthatrequiresalongtermperspective. Effectiveleadershiprecognizesthefactrealsuccessrequirespatienceandanunswervingcommitmenttodevelopingaproductthatwillbeconsistentlysuccessful seasonafterseason.Whiletakingsuchanapproachmayproduceresultsthatdon'tshowupasquicklyastheorganizationwouldlikeonitswonlostrecord,inthe longhaul,theprimaryfocusoftheorganizationwillbewhereitshouldbeonestablishingaqualityproduct.

Bewareofrashness,butwithenergyandsleeplessvigilancegoforwardandgiveusvictories. AbrahamLincoln 16thPresidentoftheUnitedStates

MaintainingConfidentialityWithintheOrganization Theneedforstrictconfidentialityconcerningspecificmattersandcircumstanceswithintheorganizationiscritical.Surprisingly,manyclubsfailtoplaceasufficient amountofemphasisonthisfactor. OneorganizationwhichhasaddressedtheissueinaseriouswayistheOaklandRaiders.Traditionally,theRaidershavehadareputationforanabsolute(some individualswouldclaimparanoiac)policyofextremesecrecy. Whilemanypeoplehavescoffedatandridiculedthisseeminglyunnecessaryorganizationalstance,theRaiders'approachmakesmuchmorebusinesssensethanthe policiesofthelargemajorityofNFLfranchises(indeed,ofmostprofessionalsportsorganizations). Inreality,thelayersofemployeeswhohaveaccesstocriticalinternalinformationisoftenfarreaching.Disturbingly,becausemanyoftheseindividualswouldliketo haveothersbelievethattheyhaveaheighteneddegreeofimportancewithintheorganization,theyinherentlycan'tcontroltheurgetodivulgesensitiveinformation. Thenetresultisanalmostcompletelossofconfidentialityintheorganization.Intheprocess,theorganization'sdecisionmakersaredisarmedandseverely compromised. Evenoffhandremarksgossipedfromonesecondlevelemployeetoanothercanhavenegativeconsequences.Theemployeewhowastherecipientofthegossipthen proudlytakestheinformation(oftenafterembellishingit)tohis/herdecisionmaker.

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Thearmchairwarriorsdefuseworldcrises,wipeoutbudgetdeficitsandsolvethewelfaremess,allbeforethe commercialbreak:andit'sallmakebelieve.Theydon'thavetobuildcoalitionsorcrunchnumbersorlivewiththe consequencesoftheirerrors.Iftheyscrewup,there'salwaysnextweek'sshowtotestdrivenewtheories...Theold checksandbalancesaregoneforever.Itisuptotheaudiencetosortitallout. HowardKurtz FormerNewYorkBureauChief WashingtonPost fromHotAir:AllTalkAlltheTime

Suchaloose,apparentlyuncontrollableenvironmentmakesitverydifficulttocoordinateandsuccessfullyimplementorganizationalstrategies.Wheneverybodyknows everythingthat"might"occurwithinanorganization,disturbinganddisruptivescenarioscanarise. Accordingly,theorganization'sgeneralmanager(CEO),DOOandheadcoachmustpreciselydefineandinstituteapolicythatmakesabreachofconfidentialitya "capitaloffense."Suchabreachwillresultintheoffendingemployeelosinghis/herjob. Becauseleakinginformationorpersonalassessmentstothemediaortoanotherorganizationbyasingleemployeecanfigurativelybringaclubtoitsknees,a concertedeffortmustbemadetominimizethelikelihoodofsuchaproblemoccurring. Inthisregard,itiscriticalthattheorganizationhasawrittenpolicyonconfidentiality,engagesinanongoinginternaldiscussionoftheimportanceofthematter,andis alerttopotentialsourcesthatmayviolateorganizationalpolicyinthisarea.Noexceptionsshouldbeallowedortoleratedtowardtheorganization'spolicyon confidentiality.

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Chapter5 OrganizingtheStaff
"Acommandermustaccustomhisstafftoahightempofromtheoutset,andcontinuouslykeepthemuptoit.Ifheonceallowshimselftobesatisfiedwithnorms,oranythinglessthan anallouteffort,hegivesuptheracefromthestartingpost,andwillsoonerorlaterbetaughtabitterlesson." ErwinRommel InfamousGermanCombatGeneral WorldWarII

Findingthewinningedge... Thesecrettomanagingwellandmotivatingthoseyoumanageistounderstandthefinelinebetweenlosingsightof thebigpictureandlettingotherslosesightofyou.Ifyou'retherewhentheactiongetshot,theresultscanbe spectacular.Stayintherearechelontoolong,peeringthroughbinoculars,andyou'llfindthecompetitorstaking thehighground. BillWalsh,"Let'emSeeYou Sweat,"Forbes,December5,1994.

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Successfulorganizationsestablisha"winning"environmentthatallowsdissentingfeedbacktooccurwhileensuringthatkeyemployeessupportandare alignedwiththeorganization'soverallmission.Ultimately,however,therearecertainvaluessosignificantthattheymustnotbecompromisedbythe mission. Theinclinationofsomeassistantcoachestofocussolelyonwinninghasbeensorelyobvioustomeonafewoccasionsinmycoachingcareer.Onecase involvedaninstancewherethehealth(andfuture)ofaplayerwasimproperlyjeopardizedbytheactionsofoneofmyassistants. Goingintoonegame,EricWright,whoatthetimewasthepremiercornerbackinfootball,hadaslightlypulledgroinmuscle.Wedecidedtoplayhim.As thegameprogressed,however,theinjuryworsened.Itbecamesoseverethatwehadtoremovehimfromthegame.Ifhehadremainedonthesideline,he wouldhaverecoveredandcontinuedwithhiscareer,butwehadabreakdownincommand. IassumedEricwouldnotreturntothegame,butIwasmistaken.Withoutnotifyingme,thedoctorstoldthedefensivecoachesthatEricwouldbeokay. Thecoachessenthimbackintothegame,andhefurtheraggravatedtheinjury.Ittookhimayeartorecover,andhewasneverthesame. Ihadassumedthatthepeopleinvolvedwouldmakesoundjudgments.Icontinuallyremindedmycoachesthatthesafetyandwellbeingofourplayers camefirst.Inthiscase,thehealthoftheplayerwasapparentlysacrificedinthehopeofwinningthegame.WewonthegameevenwithoutEricinthe lineup.Theheadcoachshouldneverassumeanythinghemustmakesurethathisassistantscommunicatewithhimregardingkeydecisions. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Similartothebenefitsaffordedbyanappropriateorganizationalstructure,awellqualifiedstaffcanhaveapositiveimpactontheorganizationinanumberofways. Oneofthemostimportanteffectsistheinfluencethatcapablestaffmembershaveonanorganization'slevelofproductivityandefficiency. Capablestaffcanalsohaveaneffectonanorganizationbyimprovingoverallmoraleandmotivation.Furthermore,competentemployeesprovidetheheadcoachwith thetypeofpeaceofmindthatcomeswithknowingthatcriticaltaskscanbedelegatedtothestaffandthateverythingwillgetdoneproperly. Astheheadcoach,youfaceseveralcriticalissuesinputtingaqualifiedstafftogetherandutilizingtheirtalentstothefullest,includingidentifyingthedesiredattributesof staffmembers,interviewingcandidatesforstaffpositions,determiningthejobassignmentforeachstaffmember,assessingthejobperformanceofeachstaffmember, facilitatingstafftransition,interactingwiththestaff,anddealingwithstaffmemberswhoperformpoorly.

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Thecoachmustnotonlybededicatedtofootball,buthemustbetoughmentally. Paul"Bear"Bryant HallofFameFootballCoach UniversityofAlabama fromBuildingaChampionshipFootballTeam

IdentifyingtheDesiredQualificationsofStaffMembers Puttingaqualifiedstafftogetherissomewhatsimilartoorganizingachurchchoir.Youneedtorecruittherightpeople,whocansingtherightnotesattherighttime. Theobviouskeyistoselecttheappropriateindividuals(i.e.,staffmemberswhocandothejobyouneedthemtodo,whenyouneedthemtodoit). Inthisregard,decidingwhatqualitiesstaffmembersshouldpossessisamultifacetedtask.Ononehand,thestaffmusthavethetechnicalknowledgeofthegamethat isnecessarytoensurethateveryplayerperformsuptothebestofhisnaturalabilities.Ontheotherhand,thestaffmustbeendowedwiththepersonalattributes(e.g., theabilitytoworkwellwithothers,followdirections,handlestressfulsituations,acceptchallenges,keepthingsintheproperperspective,etc.)thatenablethemto collectivelyfocustheirenergiesonacommongoal. Mostofthemembersoftheheadcoach'sstaffserveaspositioncoaches.Determiningtheprecisequalitiesthatapositioncoachshouldhave,however,isnotassimple asitmayappear. Theextenttowhichheshouldpossessaparticularqualityandtherelativepriorityofonequalitytoanotherareissuesthatcancomplicatethetask.Eachindividualisa mosaicofattributes.Eachpersonoffersasomewhatdifferentcombinationoftraits,capabilitiesandexperiences. Astheheadcoach,evenifyouareabletoprioritizethequalitiesyouarelookingforinastaffmember,itwouldbeamistaketocloneeachofyourassistantcoachesin thesamerelativemoldasthenext.Diversityshouldbeoneofthekeyelementsinthetotalmakeupofyourstaff. Amongthequalitiesthatyou,astheheadcoach,shouldlookforinanassistantcoach(regardlessofwhatpositionhecoaches)arethefollowing: Afundamentalknowledgeofthemechanicsofhisposition.Anassistantcoachmustbetechnically competent.Hiscompetencelevelmustbesuchthathecanworkwitheachplayeronanindividualbasisas needed. Inthisregard,itiscriticalthatyousurroundyourselfwithhighlycapableassistants.Notonlywilltheir capabilitieshelptheteamachieveitsgoals,theywillalsobeapositivereflectiononyou.

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Ifyouhireanassistantwhodoesnothavethetechnicalknowledgenecessarytodohisjobproperly(afact thatwillsoonbecomeapparenttotheplayershecoaches),youmaycreateanenvironmentwheretheplayers willbegintoquestionyourcompetencyaswell.Overtime,youmaylosesomeoftherespectofyourplayers ifyourepeatedlyemploylessthantopdrawerassistantcoaches.

Abilitytocommunicate.Anassistantcoachmustbeabletocommunicatewiththeplayersinarelaxed,yet authoritative,manner.Suchaqualityisthefundamentalbasisofanassistant'sabilitytoeffectivelyteachand interactwithhisplayersperhapsthetwokeyresponsibilitiesofeveryassistantcoach. Theassistantcoachisthemostdirectlinkaplayerhaswiththegameandlearninghowtoplayitwell.Most oftheeffortstomoldtheskillsandabilitiesofaparticularplayerareinthecapablehandsofhisposition coach. Havingservedinthatcapacityformanyyears,mostheadcoachesfullyappreciatethisoftenpublicly overlookedrole.Asinanyhumanendeavor,however,someassistantcoachesare,bydegree,moreeffective andachievebetterresultsthanothers. Inmanyinstances,careerassistantcoachesareindividualswhowouldhavebeenoutstandingheadcoaches hadtheyeverbeengiventheopportunity.ThenatureoftheNFLissuchthatonoccasion,alessthanfully capablepersonhasbeenappointedasaheadcoach. Theseindividualshavesurvivedeventhrivedintheseroleswhentheysurroundedthemselveswitha groupoftopflightassistantcoaches.Assuch,thevalueofassistantcoacheswhoareextraordinarilygifted teacherscannotbeoverstated. Quitehonestly,theSanFrancisco49erteamsduringtheperiodof19791989wouldneverhavecomenear reachingtheheightsofgreatnessthattheydidwithouttheeffortsofagroupofbrillianttechnicianteacher assistantcoaches.Intheearlyyearsofthisperiod,thisgroupincludedsuchtalentedassistantsasChuck Studley,SamWyche,BillieMatthews,MiltJackson,andAlVermeil. Subsequently,thelistofoutstanding49erassistantsinthistimeframeincludedPaulHackett,TommyHart, DwaineBoard,LynnStiles,andFredvonAppen.Inlateryearsofthisperiod,DennisGreen,RayRhodes, ShermLewis,andMikeHolmgrenbecamekeyfactorsinthesuccessofthe49ers. Twoofthefinestcoachesin49ers'historyareBobbMcKittrickandBillMcPherson.Bothindividualsare renownedasbeingoneofthebestcoachesintheirfieldofspecialtyinthehistoryofthegame. McKittrickisrecognizedasthepremieroffensivelinecoachofhistime,whileMcPhersoniswidely acclaimedforhiseffortsasadefensivecoordinator.Giventheirpersonalbearing,resoluteregardtodetail, andunwaveringcommitmenttodoingthetaskathand,theycouldhaveservedwithdistinctiononthestaffof eitherGeorgeS.PattonorErwinRommelperhapsthetwomostskilledgeneralofficersinthehistoryofthe military.

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Otherassistantcoacheswhowereabletomakeamajorcontributiontothe49ers'success,despitethefact thattheyonlyspentasingleyearonSanFrancisco'sstaff,wereBruceCoslet,ChipMyers,andCas Banaszek.Duringthisperiod,the49erswerealsoaidedbythecoachingeffortsofTyroneWillingham,who servedasaninternwiththeteam.

Abilitytoevaluateandprojecttalent.Traditionally,assistantcoacheshavealwaysbeenrequiredto evaluatetheabilitiesandtheperformancepotentialofthoseplayerswithwhomtheyareworking.Withthe adventoffreeagencyandtheincreasedrolethatassistantcoacheshavebeenassignedintheirteam'sNFL draftprocess,thisresponsibilityhasbecomeevenmorecrucial. Positioncoachesshouldalsobeassignedtokeepabreastoftheskillandabilitylevelsoftheplayers(ateach coach'sparticularposition)ontheotherteamsintheLeague.Ifakeyplayerisinjuredonhisteam,an assistantcoachwhoisknowledgeableaboutpossiblereplacementplayersfromotherteamscanprovidean invaluableservicetotheorganization. Arelativelyhighlevelofenergy.Assistantcoachesmustexhibitanappropriatelevelofenergythat enablesthemtobeupbeat,motivated,andanimatedwhileinthepresenceoftheplayersandtheirfellow employees.Itisnotunusualthatagroupofplayerswillcollectivelytakeonthepersonalityoftheirposition coach. Suchascenariocanbeveryworthwhiletoateamiftheassistantcoachhasananimated,highpowered persona.Ontheotherhand,ifateamhasanassistantcoachwhoisanegative,complainingtypewhosees inadequaciesineverythingaroundhim,thesituationcanbequitedownbeat. Loyalty.Assistantcoachesmustexhibitloyaltyatalltimes,bothtotheheadcoachandtotheirfellow coaches.Whileaheadcoachalwaysexpectshisassistantstodisplayunconditionalloyaltytohim,their senseofloyaltyshouldalsoextendtotheotherstaffmembers. Thestaffmusttrulysticktogetherduringtoughtimes.Itisextremelydivisivetotheteam,asawhole,ifthe assistantcoachesareconstantlychippingawayateachotherbehindtheirbackstotheplayers,other coaches,andotheremployeesoftheorganization. Nooffenseshouldbeviewedmoreseriouslythandisloyalty,especiallyamongcoacheswhoshouldknow better.Anassistantcoachwhofeelscompelledtocriticizeordemeanastaffmembertoothersinthe organization,media,orfanscanbeanextraordinarilydisruptiveforce.Accordingly,theheadcoachmustnot toleratedisloyaltyinanyform. Oneoftheimportantwaysthattheheadcoachcanshowthathehasthewellbeingofhisstaffatheartisto alwaysbeconsiderateoftheirwivesandfamily.Ineverypossibleinstance,heshouldtreatfamilymembers withfullrespectandsincereconcern.Inaddition,heshouldmakeeveryattempttopayhiscoacheswell includingcompensatingthemonspecialmeritwheneverpossible.

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ConsideringFormerPlayersasAssistantCoaches Astheheadcoach,youmustnotassumethatapopular,seriousminded,energeticformerplayerwillnaturallymakeagoodcoach.Manypeoplemistakenlybelieve theseindividualsarealwaysidealcandidatesforcoachingpositions.Suchascenarioisnotalwaysthecase,however.Evenifhepossessesexcellentsocialskillsand wasanoutstandingplayer,hemaynothavetheteachingskillsnecessarytobeaneffectivecoach. Thepointyoumustkeepinmindisthatifyouhiresuchanindividualtobeapositioncoach,youmustestablishproceduresthatenablethemoreexperiencedmembers ofyourstafftomonitorthisperson'swork.EvenifyournewassistantplayedforanumberofyearsintheNFL(i.e.,tenormore),hisexperienceswillnotimmediately translateintocoachingcompetence. Exceptinveryunusualcircumstances,theseindividualshavenotyetlearnedtoorganizetheirthoughts,teachinanappropriatesequence,andrecognizeandworkwith theshortcomingsoflessgiftedathletes.Formerplayersturnedcoachesoftenassumethatateam'scurrentplayersthinkandrespondastheywould.Assuch,these coachesdonotalwaysappreciatetheimportanceofthelongtermdevelopmentofalesstalentedplayer. Formerplayerswhoarenewassistantcoachesalsotendtobecometoofamiliarwiththeirplayers.Asaresult,theyoftenestablishrelationshipssimilartothosethat theyenjoyedwiththeirformerteammates.Inaddition,someoftheseindividualsareoftenshockedbythedailyworkscheduleexpectedofanassistantcoach. Ontheotherhand,individualswhowerebackuporshorttermNFLplayersoftenpossessinnateteachingability.ThroughouttheNFL,examplesexistofoutstanding coacheswhoneverplayedadownintheNFL. MensuchasMarvLevy,ChuckKnox,AlDavisandDickVermeilwereexcellentcollegeathleteswho,foronereasonoranother,neverbecameprofessionalplayers. EnormouslytalentedandsuccessfulheadcoacheslikeGeorgeSeifert,DonCoryell,MikeHolmgrenandevenVinceLombardimoldedtheirskillsthroughyearsof experienceasassistantcoaches. InterviewingCandidatesfortheStaff Tobeabletositdownwithanindividualforasomewhatlimitedlengthoftimeandtodeterminewhetherthecandidatehastherequisitecapabilitiesisoneofthemost ambiguous,subjective,andchallengingtasksageneralmanageroraheadcoachwillface.Whethertheprocessinvolvesthehiringofaheadcoachoraposition coach,theindividualinterviewingthecandidatemustknowwhatheislookingforandhowitwillbedeterminedwhetherhefindsit. Eventhemostseasoned,veteranheadcoachcanhaveatoughtimedeterminingifanindividualhastheabilitiesheislookingforinapositioncoachorhasexemplary communicationskillsandgivesgoodinterviews.Thisdilemmaiswhyheadcoachesoftenhirepeoplewithwhomtheyhaveworkedbeforeorindividualswhohave beenrecommendedbysomeoneinwhomtheyhaveagreatdealoftrust.

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Whendevelopingasystematicplanforconductinginterviewstohirestaffmembers,theheadcoachorthegeneralmanagershouldconsiderthefollowingfactors: Atsomepoint,asingleindividualwillhavetomakethechoiceofwhomtohire(likemostsounddecisions).

Themorepeoplewhoareincludedinthehiringprocess,thegreaterthelikelihoodthateitherasuperfluous numberofcriteriawillbeaddedtotheapproachemployedbytheorganizationfordecisionmakingorthe effectivenessoftheundertakingwillbediluted.Thissituationisparticularlytruewhencollegeslooktohirea headfootballcoach. Collegestypicallyutilizecommitteestocoordinateandconducttheprocessofhiringanewheadcoach.In turn,theprocessgetsboggeddownwithsomanyagendasthatitbecomesverydifficultforacollegeto identifyandhireaclearcutcandidate,nomatterhowideallysuitedhemaybeforthejob. Somecollegiateathleticdirectors(ADs)appeartopreferthecommitteeapproachtohiring.Ifthehead coachturnsouttoberelativelyunsuccessful,theADcaneasilyprotecthisowninterestsbyofferingthenot soveiledexcuseof"Well,Ididn'twanttohirethisguyinthefirstplace,butthecommitteerecommended him." Oneofthefirstthingsanindividualseekingtheheadcoach'spositioninsuchascenarioshoulddoisto determinewhichindividualisgoingtoactuallymakethehiringdecisionandwhetherhehastheauthorityand theautonomyto"pullthetrigger." Ifthecommitteeprocessseemstoobigortooinvolved,itmaybeagoodindicationthattheADdoesnot havethecontroltomakethefinaldecisionorwillnotbestrongenoughdownthelinetohelptheheadcoach getwhatheneedstodothejob. Theprocessofinterviewingandhiringanassistantcoachwillberelativelyeasyiftheindividualconducting theinterview(andmakingthehiringdecision)hasahistoryoraworkingrelationshipwithacandidatewhois wellsuitedfortheposition. Ifthesituation,however,involvesacandidatewithwhomtheorganizationhaslittleornofamiliarity,itis imperativethataspecificplanbeestablishedregardingwhatqualitiestheheadcoachwantsinanassistant, howitwillbedeterminedwhetheracandidatehasthoseattributes,andhowtheorganizationcanmakethe processequitableforalltheintervieweessothattheproceduresarenotunknowinglybiasedtowardone candidate. Aprecisesetofcriteriadetailingwhatthepositioncallsformustbeestablished.Ifsuchcriteriaarenot identified,theheadcoach(orwhoeverisconductingtheprocess)maybecomedistractedbythedifferent skillsandcapabilitiesoftheindividualswhoarebeinginterviewedandmaylosesightofthespecificposition heistryingtofill.

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Withregardtohiringaheadcoach,ownershipmustdeterminethescopeoftheheadcoachingposition withintheorganization.Forexample,suchkeyissuesas"willtheheadcoachbeabletoexertahighlevelof influenceoverpersonneldecisions"and"willtheheadcoachbeexpectedtoalsoserveashisownoffensive coordinator"mustbeaddressed. Furthermore,isownershiplookingforastrongindividualtoheadtheentireorganization?Ontheotherhand, doesownershippreferhiringaheadcoachwhocanworkwellinasecondaryroletothegeneralmanager, theDOO,oreventheDPP? Thebasicqualificationsofeachcandidatemustbeassessed.Thisstepcanbeaccomplishedinseveralways. Forexample,hisbackgroundshouldbecloselyscrutinizedtodeterminethelevelofsuccesshehasenjoyed asacoach,thecaliberofcompetitiontheteamswhichhehascoachedhavefaced,thelevelandtypeof responsibilityhehasperformedasacoach,etc. Inmanyinstances,oneoftheprimarysourcesforinformationonacandidate'sbackgroundwillbe recommendationsfromindividualsforwhomandwithwhomtheapplicantforanassistant'spositionhas coached.Anorganizationmustbevigilant,however,tocarefullyconsidertheserecommendationsinlightof anyagendathepersongivingtherecommendationmayhave. Forexample,aheadcoachmaydowngradehisrecommendationforaparticularassistantinadishonorable attempttokeephimwithhisorganization.Ontheotherhand,aheadcoachmaygiveoneofhisassistantsan undulypositiverecommendationinanefforttogetridofhim.Ineithercase,theinterviewermustbeawareof adeceitfulagendaandrespondaccordingly. Anorganizationmustmakeeveryefforttoensurethatthedifferentcandidatesareevaluatedonaneven field.Forexample,theuniquequalitiesofaparticularlytalentedcandidatemaybeoverlookedsimply becausetheindividualhasbeenworkingforateamthathasaninferiorwinlossrecordcomparedtothose ofothercandidates. Theinterviewershouldkeepinmind,however,thatsucharecordmaybetheresultofateamoperatingina muchtougherenvironmentforsucceedingthanotherorganizations.Atthecollegelevel,thisconsiderationcan helpexplainwhyassistantcoachesatschoolswhodon'talwayshavethemostphysicallygiftedathletes becauseofstringentacademicrequirements(e.g.,Stanford,California,USMA,etc.)aresosoughtafterby otherteams.

TheInterviewProcess Onceanorganizationhasbeenabletodefinewhatitneedsinacandidateforaparticularpositionandwhetherthecandidate'sbackgroundandexperiencesqualifyhim tobeafinalistforthejob,thenextstepistoensurethattheactualinterviewisconductedinaproductiveandmeaningfulway.Amongthefactorsthattheinterview processshouldyieldinsightonarethefollowing:

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Theabilityofthecandidatetofieldquestions.Hedoesnotneedtohaveaprescribedrightanswertoa particularquestion,buthemustshowtheabilitytoformulateananswerquicklywhileunderpressure,and thenarticulatethatanswerinaconciseandinformativeway. Thecandidateshouldhavehisownquestions.Toapoint,hecanbejudgedonthenatureofhow comprehensiveanddetailedhisinquiriesare.Thesequestionsmayshowhowknowledgeableheisabout theorganization'ssituationandthedegreetowhichhehastheabilitytosizeupthecircumstancesina particularsituation. Theabilityofthecandidatetobeafacilitator.Inotherwords,doesheshowagraspofhowtoproperly approachaproblem?Doeshehaveasystematicwayofgoingaboutsolvingthatproblemordoeshejust throwoutahodgepodgeofideashopingonehitstherightnerve? Thecandidateshouldhaveanappreciationofthedictatesofthejobandshouldhaveaspecificplanto addressthosefactors.Forexample,ifthecandidateispronetomakinggrandioseguarantees,itisusually indicativeofa''clinic"coachwhomayhaveacertainflairforthecommunicativeprocessbutlikelylacks thesubstancetobackuphisclaims.Inanyinstance,theinterviewershouldthoroughlyquestion candidateswhomakeseeminglyunwarrantedassurancestodeterminehowtheyplanonaccomplishing them.

DeterminingStaffAssignments Oneofthemostimportantandfundamentaldecisionsaheadcoachmustmakeinvolveshiringandassigninghisassistantcoaches.Itisabsolutelycriticalthatno assignmentsorresponsibilitiesbegiventoanassistantwhoisnotcapableofdoinganexcellentjob. Astheheadcoach,youmustmakearealisticjudgmentregardingwhatanassistantcoachcanhandle(i.e.,inPaulBrown'sparlance"istheassignmenttoobigfor him?").Simplyassigningindividualstothevariouspositionsthattypicallyexistonastaffjusttofilloutajobspecificationsheetisirresponsible. Unlessyouplantobecontinuallyinvolvedineachareaofresponsibility(ascenariothatistotallyunrealisticonasustainedbasisgiventheextensivedemandsonyour time),takingsuchanapproachisnotintheteam'sbestinterests.Eachassignmentmustbecarefullyconsideredwhatevertheresponsibility. Oneoftheareasthattraditionallyhasnotalwaysreceivedtheamountofattentionthatitdeservesisperipheral(supplementary)assignments.Anoverviewofsomeof themorecommonsupplementalassignmentsisprovidedinAppendixD.Althoughthesedutiesarenotpartofanindividual'sbasiconthefieldcoaching responsibilities,theassistantcoachmustbemadetounderstandthattheyareveryimportantnonetheless. Forexample,ifyouhaveanassistantwhohasanaptitudeforcomputersortechnicalmaterials,hewouldbeanappropriatechoicetoserveasthecoaches'liaisonwith theteam'svideoand/orcomputergameanalysissupportstaff.Bythesametoken,ifoneofyourcoacheshasaparticularlykeeninterestinstrength

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training,heshouldbeconsideredassomeoneyoucouldappointtoactasyourliaisonwiththeteam'sconditioningcoaches. Someofthesupplementalassignmentsmaybelessobviousthanothers.Forexample,youshoulddesignateamemberofyourstaffwhoiswellorganizedand possessesgoodwritingskillstotakenotesateverystaffmeeting(unlessyoudirecthimotherwise).Suchmeetingnotescanclarifyanddocumentanydecisionsthatare made. Thesenotesprovideanontherecordverificationofwhatkeyissuesworeaddressedinaparticularmeeting,whoparticipatedinthemeeting,howandwhycertain subjectswereconsideredandwhatdecisionswerereached.Accordingly,thesenotesshouldbedatedandtakeninoutlineform.

Officersmustassertthemselvesbyexampleandbyvoice.Theymustbepreeminentincourage,deportment,and dress. GeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitesStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII "LetterofInstructionNumber1," fromWarasIKnewIt

ProfilesofaWorkingStaff Playersmustbegivenasmuchhandsoncoachingandassistanceastheyneedtomaximizetheirabilitiesandperformance.Inordertoaccomplishthisgoal,youmust makecertainthatyouarefullystaffedwithhighlyqualifiedassistants.Asarule,thissituationrequiresthatthefollowingpositionsareestablishedandbasic resposibilitiesareassigned: Defensivecoordinator(with/withoutposition).Thispersonmustbetheprimaryconduitbetweenthe headcoachandtheassistantcoachesforestablishingdefensivestaffassignmentsandprocedures.He mustoverseeeveryaspectofsituationalandcontingencyplanningasitpertainstothetotaldefensive scheme.Hemustalsooverseeimplementationofthedefensivegameplaninpracticeformatbyusing scoutingreports,scriptingandcarding.Inaddition,hemakesthegamedaydefensivecalls. Defensivebackfield.Thisindividualoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthe gameplanasitpertainstodefensivesecondarypersonnel.Hemustbeanexpertinbothpasscoverage andrunsupport. Linebackers(inside,outside).Thispersonoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementation ofthegameplanasitpertainstolinebackingpersonnel.Dependingontheteam'sdefensivescheme,this responsibilitymaybeassignedtotwopositioncoachesonefortheinsidelinebackersandonetowork withtheoutsidelinebackers.

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Defensiveline.Thisindividualoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthe defensivegameplanasitpertainstothedefensivedown(front)linemen.Hemustbeknowledgableabout passrushtechniquesandhowtodealeffectivelywithrunblockingcombinations. Offensivecoordinator(with/withoutposition).Thispersonmustbetheprimaryconduitbetweenthe headcoachandtheassistantcoachesforestablishingoffensivestaffassignmentsandprocedures.He mustoverseeeveryaspectofsituationalandcontingencyplanningasitpertainstothetotaloffensive scheme.Healsooverseesimplementationofthegameplaninpracticeformatusingscoutingreports, scriptingandcarding.Inaddition,hemakesthegamedayoffensivecalls. Offensiveline(withassistant).Thisindividualoverseestheestablishment,developmentand implementationofthegameplanasitpertainstotheinterioroffensivelinepersonnel.Hemusthaveahigh levelofexpertiseinbothrunblockingcombinationsandpassprotectionschemes. Receivers.Thispersonoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthegameplanas itpertainstowidereceivers.Hemusthaveathoroughknowledgeofpassroutecombinationsandhowto utilizemultiplereceivercombinations. Tightends.Thispersonoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthegameplan asitpertainstotightends.Heworksinassociationwiththeoffensivelinecoachandthereceiverscoach. Hisprimaryresponsibilityistoworkwiththetightendsontheirblockingtechniquesandskills. Ouarterbacks.Thisindividualoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthegame planasitpertainstoquarterbacks.Hemustworkincloseassociationwiththeoffensivecoordinator. Runningbacks.Thispersonoverseestheestablishment,developmentandimplementationofthegame planasitpertainstorunningbacks.Heworksinassociationwiththeoffensivelinecoachtodevelopthe blockingtechniquesandskillsoftherunningbacks. Specialteams(plusstaffparticipation).Thisindividualoverseestheestablishment,developmentand implementationofagameplanforspecialteamsituations.Healsoworkscloselywithindividualsinvolved intheteam'skickinggame,includingthepunter,thekickoffspecialist,thefieldgoalkicker,andthelong snapper.Hemustbetheprimaryconduitbetweentheheadcoachandtheassistantcoacheswithregard tothespecialteamsformat.Hemakesgamedaycallsinvolvingthespecialteamsinconjunctionwiththe headcoach. Specialassistant.Thisindividualisanoutsideresourceoradvisoryconsultantwithspecificdutiesin assignedareasinvolvingtheteam.

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Conditioningcoach.Thisindividualoverseesallconditioningandphysicaltrainingofteammembers.He worksinconjunctionwiththeteam'sathletictrainingandmedicalstaffswithregardtodietaryneeds, rehabilitationandphysicalenhancement. Qualitycontrol(general)assistant.Thisperson'sprimaryresponsibilityistocoordinatetakinggamefilmof theopponentandprovidingsupporttotheoffensiveanddefensivestaffintheireffortstopreparescouting reportsandgameplans.Healsoprovidesgeneraladministrativesupport. Administrativeassistant.Theresponsibilitiesofanadministrativeassistantaregenerallyhandledinoneof twoways.Eithertheyaregiventoasingledesignatedindividualortheycanbeassignedseparatelytoseveral membersofthecoachingstaff. Thispositionisparticularlyessentialtoaheadcoachwhoalsoholdsadditionalkeyresponsibilitiesforthe organization(e.g.,generalmanager,DOO,etc.)OntheSanFrancisco49ers,thispositionwasassignedat varioustimestoindividualsservingeitherastheteam'sexecutiveadministratororastheorganization'sexecutive assistant.Acomprehensiveoverviewofthejobdescriptionsforthesetwopositionsonthe49ers'staffis includedinAppendixC. Whenselectinganindividualtoserveasyouradministrativeassistant,youshouldlookforthefollowing attributesandconsiderthefollowingfactors: Dependingonthecircumstances,theadministrativeassistant(AA)canbeoneofthemostvaluable peopleintheorganization.Allfactorsconsidered,themoreintelligentandthemoreenergeticthe individualinthisposition,themorevaluabletheAAwillbecome. TheAAmustbearesponsible,totallyloyalpersonwhothrivesonwork. Acommitmenttolearn,toinquire,andtobeasknowledgeableaspossibleaboutallrelevantmattersis aprerequisite.Thispersonshouldbesomeonewithpotentialexecutiveabilities. WhileitisnotnecessarythattheAAhaveexperienceasaprofessionalathlete,thisindividualshould haveexperiencedcompetitiveathleticsatleastonthehighschoollevel,preferablyonthecollegelevel. Tohavecompetedasanathleteandtohavehadtheopportunitytoseefirsthandthefactthatathletics involvessacrificesaffordsthispersonabetterappreciationfortheplayersandtheirneeds. TheAAshouldnotbeconsideredasacoach,butratherassomeonewhoseprimaryareaof responsibilityistoservetheneedsofthecoachingstaff.Accordingly,hemustconfinehisroleto administrativeduties. Initially,theAA'sroleshouldbestructuredwithintheindividual'sabilities.AstheAAgainsexperience anddemonstratesanimprovedlevelofcapabilities,his/herrolecanbebroadened,therebyenablingthe headcoachtoberelievedofmanyoftheperipheraldemandsonhistime. TheAAmustbecomputerproficient.Eventually,thepersoninthispositionmustbecomeskilledat computergraphics.

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TheAAshouldbesufficientlyknowledgeableaboutfootballtobeabletounderstandanoffensive playoradefensiveschemeandtodraweitheraccuratelyasrequestedbythestaff. TheAAmustbecompletelytrustworthy.Inthatregard,theheadcoachmustbesatisfiedthatthe AA'slevelofmaturityenablesthispersontodealwithconfidentialandsensitiveinformation. Witheachpassingyear,theindividualinthepositionofAAshouldbecomeevenmorevaluable. Oneyearstaysarenotonlydisruptivetostaffcontinuity,theyalsoinvolveredundantandwasteful expendituresoftime(e.g.,introducingthenewAAtopeoplewithwhomhis/herpositionmust interact,teachingthenewAAthenuancesofthejob,etc.). ThedutiesofanAAcanvaryfromorganizationtoorganizationaccordingtotheneedsofthehead coachofaparticularteam. OneofthemorecriticalresponsibilitiesoftheAAistoworkcloselywiththeteam'spersonnelstaff. Forexample,theheadcoachwilloftenrequireanhourbyhourupdatefromtheAAconcerningthe statusofcontractnegotiationsorsomeotherpersonneltransaction. TheAAmustdemonstratethematuritynecessarynottobecometoofamiliarwiththeplayersonthe team.Becausehisagemaybeclosertotheplayersthantothemembersofthecoachingstaff,the AAmaytendtogravitatetowardtheplayersinsocialsettings.Accordingly,theAAcanbeina difficultroleinthisregard,especiallyifheisarecentNFLplayer. Inordertofullyservetheheadcoachandtheteam,theAAmustexhibitthepoise,demeanor,and maturityrequiredtointeractinanappropriatewaywithindividualsofthesameprofessionalstatusas theheadcoach.Onnumerousoccasions,theAAwillberequiredtobeinvolvedwithsuch individuals(i.e.,giveorreceivemessages,arrangeappointmentsorcontacttimes,etc.).

Duringtrainingcamp,yourstaffmaybeaugmentedbyseveraladditionalcoaches.Forexample,someonefromtheminoritycoachesinternprogrammayjoinyourstaff forafewweeksifyourteamparticipatesinthatprogram.Mostteamsalsousetheservicesofakickingcoachduringthisperiodtohelptrainthoseplayersinvolvedin thekickinggame. MonitoringtheAssistantCoaches Astheheadcoach,youmustestablishclearparametersforyourassistantcoachesregardingtheoverallmethodbywhichyouexpectthingstobedone.Your assistantsmustbeincompleteagreementwithyouonphilosophy,teachingmethodsandstandards,styleandsystem,strategiesandgamedaytactics. Anyphilosophicaldifferencesbetweenyouandoneofyourassistantsmustbeidentifiedandsubsequentlyaddressedbyyouinaprivatemeetingwiththatassistant. Accordingly,youmustestablishpoliciesandprocedurestocontinuallymonitorwhatisbeinginstalled,covered,presentedandimplementedfromthetopdown. Amongthefactorswhichyourpoliciesmustconsiderarethefollowing:

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Onoccasion,anassistantcoachmayquitenaturallyreverttohisownpersonalphilosophies,techniquesand coachingstylewhenheisalonewithhisparticulargroupofpositionplayers.Thissituationoccursmostoften withexperiencedassistantswhohavetheirownestablishedbeliefs,especiallyiftheyhavealongtime affiliationwithateamwhosephilosophyorsystemwasdistinctlydifferentfromyours. Theimpactofthesebeliefsmaysurfaceinteachingfundamentals,inresponsetothepressuresofgameday orinmakingkeydecisionsthattheheadcoachwillmistakenly(butnaturally)believewillbemadeaccording tothedictatesofhisownphilosophy. Sometimes,anassistantcoachwillbeteachingaconceptdifferentfromtheonetheheadcoachwantsand maynotbeawareofit.Thepointtokeepinmindisthatsuchanassistantisnotnecessarilybeing insubordinate(althoughsuchanattitudealsoexistsonoccasion).Thelackofcontinuityresultingfromsucha situation,however,cangoonindefinitelyifleftunchecked. Itistheheadcoach'sresponsibilitytomonitorhisassistantcoachesconcerningwhatisbeingaddressedand how.Theproblemofdifferentphilosophiesismostdangerouswhentheteam'scoordinatorspresent personalphilosophiesthatconflictwithhis. Attimes,theheadcoachmaybesorelievedtofindanexperiencedcoordinatorthatheconcedesagreat dealofhispowerandcontroltothecoordinatorbyassigningcompleteresponsibilityforalargesegmentof thesquadwithoutestablishingappropriatephilosophicalparameters.Thedifferencesinphilosophycan subsequentlybecomeentrenchedintheplayerswithouttheheadcoachrecognizingit.Asaresult,thestaff andthesquadmaybesplitintotwoormoredistinctfactions. Tohelpensureunanimitythroughoutthecoachingstaff,theheadcoachmustregularlyvisitteammeetings (bothannouncedandunannounced).Overtheyears,therehavebeenanumberofcoacheswhodidnot appreciatetheimportanceofthisstep.Eventually,manyofthesecoaches,inasense,losttheirteamsto powerfulcoordinatorsandweresubjugatedtosimply"servicing"thedemandsandtheinterestsoftheir coordinators. Theheadcoachmustkeepinmindthatifhedoesnotfullyembracehisresponsibilitytokeeptrackofwhat hisassistantsareteachingandplanning,itmaytakeverylittletimebeforehefindshimselfoutoftouchwith boththesquadandthegameplan.Manycoacheswhofindthemselvesinthissituationastheregularseason beginsareafraidtoreinjectthemselvesintotheprocess. Instead,theyturntheirbacksontheirdilemmaandhopeforthebest.Suchastrategycanonlycausetheir situationtodeterioratefurtherastheseasonprogresses.Theimportanceofaheadcoachemployingahands onapproachwithhisassistantcoacheswassuccinctlysummarizedbyMikeDitka,whocoachedtheChicago BearstoaSuperBowlvictory,whenheobserved,"Personalcontactispartofhandsonmanagement.Goto theotherguy'sofficetellhimwhatyouhaveinmindsothereisnomisunderstanding."

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Anotherdangerofallowingyourassistantstoespousetheirownpersonalbeliefsinsteadofsubscribingto thephilosophyestablishedbyyouisthebreakdownitcancauseamongthestaff.Whatmayhavebegunas positivestaffchemistrycandeteriorateoveraperiodofweeks,monthsorevenyearsaseachposition coachorcoordinatorbecomesmorepowerfulwithinhisownterritory. Asanindividual'ssenseofpowerincreases,thenaturalneedforcontrolmaybecomemoreandmore pronounceduntiltheassistantsareconcernedonlywith"theiroffensiveline"or"theirwidereceivers." Eventually,theplayersmaybegintotakesidesaswell.Suchadivisivesituationcandestroyateam. Aheadcoachmustalsobealertforthoseassistantcoacheswhoseekpersonalgratificationbyusingtheir authoritytoteachandexpresstheirpersonalbeliefsandphilosophies.Suchassistantsmayalsobeinvolved increatingtheirownagendainanattempttoproveatheoryorevaluation. Inthefirstinstance,theassistantcoachcaneasilybreeddisloyaltyanddissatisfactionamonghisplayers.In thesecondscenario,hiseffortsareusuallyawasteoftimeandenergythatheshouldotherwisebededicating tolegitimatetasksorobjectives.Instead,heisseekingtoprovehimselfonaparticularpointorseekingto embellishhisownreputation. Assistantswhocontinueteachingfaultytechniquesorstrategiesastheonlyoptioncanundermineateam's effortstobesuccessful.Themostappropriateapproachfortheheadcoachinthisscenarioistokeep everyone"onthesamepage." Theheadcoachmusttakeproactivestepstodiminishthelikelihoodofdiscordbetweenhimandhis assistants.Forexample,heshouldparticipateandbevisibleinallpossiblesettingsinvolvingeitherplayersor coaches(e.g.,staffandplayerinteractions,developmentalandtrainingprograms,staffmeetings,etc.).

GivingYoungerCoachesanOpportunity Astheheadcoach,youshouldnotrestrictyourselftohiringonlyseasoned,veteranassistantcoacheswithprovenexpertiseinparticularareas.Youshouldviewthe insertionofnewandyoungcoachesintotheprofessionasagenuineandpracticalresponsibilityonyourpart. TheextraordinarysuccessofmanyoftheindividualswhoservedasassistantcoachesonthestaffoftheSanFrancisco49ersduringtheperiod19791989isdramatic evidenceofthevalueofsuchanattitude.Beingputinanenvironmentwheretheyhadanopportunitytosucceedandwhere,ifnecessary,theycouldgaininvaluable experienceandguidanceallowedindividualslikeGeorgeSeifert,MikeHolmgren,HayRhodes,DennyGreen,SamWyche,MikeShanahan,PeteCarrollandBruce Coslettoexpandandrefinetheirskillsandtosubsequentlygoonandmaketheirmarksasheadcoaches. AspecificstepthattheSanFrancisco49erstooktogiveyoungercoachesanopportunityinvolvedtheestablishmentoftheminoritycoachesprograminthemid 1980s.Theprimaryfocusoftheprogramwastodevelopaneffectivelinktothepoolofminoritycoachesinthecollegeranks.

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Thisprogramwasdesignedtogiveminoritycoachesaccesstoprofessionalteams(asactiveparticipantsinassignedcoachingroles)fortwoweeksduringtraining camp.Notonlydidtheprogramprovidetheseminoritycoacheswithhandson,NFLcoachingexperience,italsointroducedtheseindividualstoNFLmanagement andownership. InadditiontothepreviouslymentionedTyroneWillingham,threeotherindividualsalsoparticipatedinthe49ers'minorityinternfellowshipprogramJerryBrown, MarvinLewisandBobbyTurner.AlloftheseindividualscurrentlyholdkeycoachingpositionsintheNFL. ByaffordingtheseminoritycoachestheopportunitytodevelopsocialandworkingrelationshipswithNFLcoachesandadministrators,itwashopedthatitwould enhanceandhelppromotecareeropportunitiesforAfricanAmericansintheNFL.Althoughtheprogramhasproventobeadefinite(albeitlimited)success,much moreneedstobedoneinthisarea. Forexample,thesametypeofinternprogramforminorityindividualsshouldbeestablishedtoprovidetheseindividualswithanopportunitytoserveasactive participantsinthedecisionmakingandadministrativemanagementlevelsoftheNFL.Similartotheprogramforcoaches,suchexperiencecanonlyservetoincrease thenumberofminoritieswhoaretakingactiverolesintopmanagement.
Whatisrequiredofanofficerisacertainpowerofdiscrimination,whichonlyknowledgeofmenandthingsand goodjudgmentcangive. CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWarAcademy Prussia fromOnwar

AssigningSpecificCoachingDuties Thedistributionofdutiestothepositioncoachesandthecoordinatorscanvaryagreatdealfromonestafftoanother.Thekeyfactoristomakesurethateach essentialresponsibilityiscoveredbyaqualifiedstaffmember.Tables51and52provideexamplesofhowthesedutiesmightbeassignedtotheteam'sdefensive coachesandoffensivecoaches,respectively. Astheheadcoach,youshouldrecognizethatyourcoordinatorsmayworkindifferentways,usingapproachesthatmaydiffersubstantiallyfromyours.Allfactors considered,suchdifferencescanberelativelyinconsequentialaslongasyouandyourcoordinatorsarephilosophicallycompatibleonthekeyissues(e.g.,thesystem, theemphasisonteaching,theattentiontodetail,etc.). Youshouldalsorecognizethat,asarule,ofthetwocoordinators,ittakeslongertopreparetheoffense.Generallyspeaking,defenseisamatterofestablishinga defensiveplanandreactingproperlytowhathappensonthefield.

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AsJoeGibbsthreetimeSuperBowlchampioncoachobservedinthebook,GamePlansforSuccess,offenseisusuallyfarmorecomplicated(e.g.,blocking schemes,passprotections,blitzpickups,passpatterns,reads,adjustments,etc.)thandefense. Accordingly,inmostcircumstances,amajorityofyourgamedaydecisionswillinvolvetheoffense(i.e.,doyousettleforafieldgoalorgoforiton4thdowndoyou puntorgoforafirstdowndoyoukicktheextrapointortryfortwopointsdoyourunyourtwominuteoffenseattheendofthehalforruntheclockoutetc.). Ifyourbackgroundandexperienceareontheoffensivesideoftheball,youshouldconsiderhiringanoffensivecoordinatorwhohasafirmgraspofaneffective passingattackandsupporthimwithoffensivelineandrunningbackcoacheswhowouldconcentrateondevelopingastrongrunninggame.Inturn,youassign responsibilityfortheteam'sdefensetoacoordinatorwithimpressivecredentialsinthisarea.

Table51.Anexampleofadefensivecoach'sassignmentchart. POSITION GAME ANALYSIS DEFCOORDINATOR Allsituations SECONDARY FormationsCoverages LINEBACKERS Adjustments Pointsofattack DEFENSIVELINE Blockingschemes Computerreports Opponentanalysis

SCOUTREPORT Gameplanoutline Tendency breakdown WEEK Script Twominutedefense Goallinedefense Playcalling Pressbox Coordinatehalf List2ndhalfcalls Addressdefense

Sets,motion,two Runblockingschemes PassproschemeRed minuteandfourminute Coversheet zonebreakdownand breakdownandroute personnel sheet Routes,special Compilecards categorycards, Groupruncards formationcards,and7 Scoutrunformations on7cards Secondaryadjustments Pointofattack Secondarysubstitution Field Pressbox PassprocardsAll runninggamecards Walkthroughcards Callchart Field Reviewblocking schemereports Meetwithdefensive line

GAME LOCATION HALFTIME

Compileformationand Compilerungame coveragereports reports Meetwithsecondary Reviewcoverage Meetwithlinebackers

Page92 Table52.Anexampleofanoffensivecoach'sassignmentchart. POSITION GAME ANALYSIS OFFCOORD Allsituations QBCOACH Nicklepass Blitz WRCOACH RZpass RBCOACH Genrun SYGL RZrun 4minute Fronts Runsheet Prosheets Compilecards Grouprun cards9on7 cardsShort yrdg TECOACH Computer reportsSelf scout Oppanalysis Tendencies OLCOACH Genrun SyGL Blitz 4minute Stunts Blitz Teamcards Blitzcards2 pointtape

SCOUT REPORT WEEK

Gameplan outline Routesheets Scripts

Coverages

Personnel Coversheet Coverages Scoutteam coverages 7on7cards

Teamcards Blitzperiod

Walkthrough cards Speccatcards Scoutfronts Goalline Fronts Booth

GAME LOCATION HALFTIME

Playcalling Field

Secondary Booth

SubstitutionDB Callchart matchup Backfield Field MeetwithWR Field

POA Field Isolatefront MeetwithOL

Coordinatehalf Compilepass List2ndhalf recIsolatecov callsAddress MeetwithQB offense

Situationchart MeetwithTE Compilerunrec MeetwithRB

Anexcellentexampleofasituationwheretheheadcoach'sbackgroundisprimarilyonthedefensivesideoftheballisRayRhodesofthePhiladelphiaEagles. Previously,RhodesservedasthedefensivecoordinatorwiththeSanFrancisco49ersforGeorgeSeifert. InPhiladelphia,RhodeshasestablishedasystemsimilartotheonethatwasemployedinSanFranciscowhenhewasonthe49ers'staff.Themajordifference betweenwhathedoeswiththeEaglesandwhatheexperiencedinSanFranciscoisthathisinvolvementisprimarilywiththedefense.Hehasturnedtheoffenseover tohisoffensivecoordinator,JonGruden,withwhomhecoachedwiththe49ers. TheResponsibilitiesoftheOffensiveCoachingStaff Assigningspecificcoachingdutiestothevariousmembersofthestaffrequiresathoroughanalysisofthetasksthatmustbeperformedinanygivensituation

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(offensiveordefensive)andasystematicdeterminationofwhoshouldaccomplishtheseresponsibilitiesandhow.Thecomplexityofsuchanundertakingcanbebetter understoodbyexaminingtheprocessinvolvedinassigningdutiestotheoffensivecoachingstaff. Theindividualinchargeoftheoffensivestaffistheoffensivecoordinator.Hismostcriticalresponsibilityistodevelopandimplementtheoffensivegameplan. Bydefinition,oneofthekeydutiesoftheoffensivecoordinatoristodojustthatcoordinate.Whenateamhasadiverseoffensivestaff,itwouldbefoolhardynotto fullyutilizetheknowledgeandcapabilitiesofthesestaffmembersbyexcludingthemfromtheprocessofcreatingandimplementingtheoffensivegameplan. Thefeedbackandideasthatcanbeprovidedbytheoffensivestaffshouldbeencouragedandgivenaplatform.Itisthenthejoboftheoffensivecoordinatortoblend andfocuseveryone'sinputintoasingle,cohesivegameplanthatadherestothebasicparametersoftheteam'soffensivesystem. Theprocessofdevelopingagameplanforaparticularopponentisinitiatedbytheoffensivecoordinator,whobreaksdownthespecificresponsibilitiesofeachcoach forhelpingpreparethatgameplan.Heidentifieswhathewantseachcoachtofocusonwhentheassistantcoachanalyzestheopponentfortheupcomingweek. Withthelimitedtimethatastaffhastoprepareforanopponentinanygivenweek(usuallyalittlemorethanaday),theoffensivecoordinatorsimplydoesnothave enoughtimetopersonallyaddressinanadequatemanneralloftheareasthathavetobeaccountedforinagameplanwiththenecessaryattentiontodetail. Accordingly,thevariouskeyelementsthatmustbeaccountedforinanoffensivegameplanareassignedtotheoffensivepositioncoacheswhoareabletodevote moretimetoidentifying,analyzinganddevelopingsuggestionsforattackinganopponent'sdefensivetendencies.Table52aillustrateshowthesebasicareascouldbe distributedamongtheoffensivecoaches. Onafewareas,severalcoachesmayneedtoworktogethertodevelopaplanforhandlingaparticularelementoftheoffense.Forexample,Table52ashowsthat theoffensivecoordinatorwantsthequarterbackandtheoffensivelinecoachestocombinetheireffortstoisolatetheneedsoftheoffensetocounteracttheblitz.
Table52a.Distributionofthecoaches'responsibilitiesforgameanalysis. POSITION GAME ANALYSIS OFFCOORD Allsituations QBCOACH Nickelpass Blitz WRCOACH RZpass RBCOACH Genrun SYGL RZrun 4minute TECOACH Computer reportsSelf scout Oppanalysis OLCOACH Genrun SYGL Blitz 4minute

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Thesetwocoachesareresponsibleforthetwopositionsthatmostoftenhavetoaccountfortheblitz.Accordingly,itisnaturalthattheyworktogethertoanalyzethis areaofthegameplan. Anotherexampleofthisapproachinvolvesasituationwherethewidereceiverandtherunningbackscoachesworkinconcerttoanalyzeandsuggestanoffensiveplan ofattackintheredzone.Thisallianceofcoachesenhancesthelikelihoodthattherun/passperspectivecanbekeptinanappropriatebalance. IntheexampleillustratedbyTable52a,thetightendscoachisinchargeofcompilingthecomputerreportsthatmostteamsusetoanalyzetheiropponentsandtoself scout.Inrecentyears,dataanddataprocessinghavebecomeanintegralpartoftheinfrastructureofNFLorganizations. Thekeyfortheoffensivecoordinatoristoestablishspecificprioritiesaboutwhatinformationheneeds,whenheneedsit,whenitshouldbeintroducedintothe decisionmakingprocess,andmostimportantly,whenhehasenough.Accordingly,oneofthemostbasicquestionstheoffensivecoordinatorshouldaskwithregardto theneedforaspecificreportis,''Willthisinformationaffecttheplayselection?" Oncetheoffensivegameplanstartstotakeatangibleform,eachpositioncoachisthenassignedspecificaspectsofthescoutingreport.Table52bshowshowthese responsibilitiescouldbeallocatedamongtheoffensivecoaches.
Table52b.Allocationofthecoaches'responsibilitiesforthescoutingreport. POSITION SCOUT REPORT OFFCOORD Gameplan outlineRoute sheets QBCOACH Coverages WRCOACH Personnel Coversheet RBCOACH Fronts RunsheetPro sheets TECOACH Tendencies OLCOACH Stunts Blitz

Thenextstepintheprocessofdevelopingandimplementingtheoffensivegameplanforaparticularopponentinvolveshavingtheoffensivestaffaddresstheissues requiredtoprepareforthemeetingsandpracticeswiththeplayersduringwhichthegameplanwillbeexplainedandputintoeffect.Eventhemostbrilliantgameplan isrelativelyuselessunlessitcanbereadilylearnedandexecutedbytheteam'splayers. Inthisregard,howtheoffensivegameplanisinstalledandpracticedisalmostasimportant,ifnotmore,thantheselectionofplaysincludedintheplan.Table52c illustrateshowthespecificpreparationperiodsduringthepracticeweekcouldbeearmarkedtomembersoftheoffensivestaff.Practiceweekdutiesalsoinclude makingsurethatthescriptandthepracticecardsarecoordinated. Table52calsoatteststotheemphasisthatisplacedontwovideotapesthatarepreparedbyseveralofthepositioncoaches.Thequarterbackscoachputstogethera blitzvideo,whilethefrontsevencoachesdevelopatapethataddressesthreespecialsituations(shortyardage,goalline,andtwopointplays).

Page95 Table52c.Designationofthecoaches'responsibilitiesfortheweeklypreparationperiods. POSITION WEEK OFFCOORD Scripts QBCOACH Teamcards Blitzperiod WRCOACH Coverages Scoutteam coverages 7on7cards RBCOACH Compilecards Grouprun cards9on7 cardsShort yrdg TECOACH Walkthrough cards Speccatcards Scoutfronts Goalline OLCOACH Teamcards Blitzcards

2pointtape

Hewhohasneverlearnedtoobeycannotbeagoodcommander. Aristotle GreekPhilosopher

Bothofthesevideosarespecialtapes.Theyaremadeinadditiontothebreakdowntapesthattheteam'svideosupportstaffnormallyproduces. Undernormalcircumstances,ateamwilluseanopponent'slastthreeorfourgamesasthebasisonwhichitdevelopsitsoffensivegameplan.Certainaspectsofan opponent'splay,however,mustbeexaminedinevenmoredetail. Forexample,itiscriticalthatateam'soffensivepreparationeffortsincludeassigningacoach(inthisinstance,thequarterbackcoach)theresponsibilityofcompilinga completeinventoryofwhatpressureeachopponentpresentsduringthecourseoftheentireyear.Forotherfactors(i.e.,thetwopointplay),itmaybenecessarytogo backtothebeginningoftheseasonperhapstothepreviousseasoninsomeinstancestogetenough"looks"onwhichtobasethegameplan. Anotherimportantaspectofthegameplanningprocessinvolvesthegamedayassignmentsandlocationsoftheoffensivestaff.Table52dshowshowthese assignmentsandlocationscouldbedesignatedtotheoffensivestaff.Abasicoverviewoftheresponsibilitiesofthevariousmembersofthecoachingstafftomakehalf timeadjustmentsispresentedinChapter12.

Table52d.Gamedayassignmentofthecoaches'responsibilitiesandlocations. POSITION GAME LOCATION OFFCOORD Playcalling Field QBCOACH Secondary Booth WRCOACH Substitution DBmatchup Field RBCOACH Callchart Backfield Field TECOACH Fronts Booth OLCOACH POA Field

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Thereareonlythreethingsyoushoulddowhenyoumakeamistake:1)admitit,2)learnfromit,and3)don'trepeat it. Paul"Bear"Bryant HallofFameFootballCoach UniversityofAlabama

TheSizeoftheCoachingStaff Inthelastfewyears,thesizeofcoachingstaffshasgrown.Someindividualsfeelthatsuchgrowthisunwarranted.Whilesomevaliditymayexistintheobservationthat "itdidn'tusedtotakethismanypeopletoorganizeandmanagetheentireteam,"clearlythetimeshavechangedtoapointwhereitiscrucialthatateamhasasmany competentcoachesasitcanhelping(servicing)itsplayers. Notonlyisitnecessarythattheplayersreceiveextensivehandsontrainingandinstruction,itisalsoimportantthattheplayershaveasensethattheorganizationvalues themhighly.Theyalsowanttofeelthatsomeoneisdirectlyresponsibleformeetingtheirdevelopmentalneedsandenhancingtheirlevelofpreparation(i.e.,someone toactastheirpersonaltrainer). Thisscenarioisparticularlytrueforthequarterbackcoach.Giventhefactthatsomuchisatstakeandridingonthisposition,everyeffortmustbeundertakentomake thequarterbackfeelthathisabilitiesarebeingenhancedbyhisenvironment.Althoughthetraditionalroleofhavingtheoffensivecoordinatorserveashisown quarterbackcoachhaslongbeenafunctionalarrangement,separatingthejobsintotwopositionshassomeclearcutadvantages,including: Itallowstheoffensivecoordinatorthefreedomtogivetheproperattentiontodetailthatthegameplan demandswithoutfeelinglikethisisbeingdoneattheexpenseofspendingextratimewithhis quarterbacks,especiallyanyyoungplayerwhocouldusetheextratime. Whiletheoffensivecoordinatormaybepreoccupiedwiththeentireoffensiveschemeduringanygiven practice,hecanbeassuredthatthequarterbacksarebeingcoachedoneverysingleplay. Itishumannatureforanindividualtobeprotectiveofhisposition.Forexample,ifthecoordinator servesashisownquarterbackcoach,hemaybeinclinedtoblamealackofproductiononanythingbut "hisquarterback." Thistendencycancauseaproblemwiththeotherplayerswhoperceivethequarterbackasbeingabove criticism.Separatingthejobintotwocoachingpositionsallowstheoffensivecoordinatortomakemore objectivecommentswhencritiquingthequarterback. Iftheoffensivecoordinatoralsoservesasthequarterbackcoach,thequarterbackisonlyexposedtoa singleperspective.Suchascenariomayhaveanegativeimpactonthequarterback'slearningcurve.

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Inthissituation,thequarterbackshavenorespitefromdealingwiththesameindividualalldaylong. Dependingontheindividualsinvolved,thesecircumstancescouldhaveadverseconsequences. Forexample,ifallofastudent'sclassesarewiththesameprofessor,regardlessofhowgoodthatprofessor maybe,itdoesnotheightenthelearningcurvethewaymultipleperspectivesdo.Inhisinteractionswiththe quarterback,thequarterbackcoachmayredefineorreemphasizeapointinjustenoughofadifferentway thatitheightenstheawarenessoftheplayer.

Generalofficersmustbeseeninthefrontlineduringaction. GeorgeS.Patton,Jr., Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII "LetterofInstructionNumber1," fromWarasIKnewIt

Afundamentalfactorthatmustbeconsideredwhendecidingwhowillberesponsibleforcoachingthequarterbacksistheneedfortheoffensivecoordinatorandthe quarterbackcoachtobeclearlyonthesamepage.Notonlymustthequarterbackcoachbephilosophicallycompatiblewiththeoffensivecoordinator,hemustalsobe completelycomfortablewiththeintrusiverelationshiptheoffensivecoordinatormusthavewiththequarterbacks. Insomeinstances,thisrelationshipmayhavetobedictatedbytheheadcoach.Ifthepositionsareseparatedandaquarterbackcoachisadded,theoffensive coordinatormaybecomeveryterritorialandfeelthreatenedbythepresenceofanadditionalcoachinanareathathehastraditionallyhandledhimself.Theheadcoach willessentiallyhavetwooptionsifsuchanattitudeexists. Ononehand,hecantrytoeducatethepartiesinvolvedabouttheadvantagesthatanadditionalperspectivewilladdtothesituationandhowsuchadelegationof coachingresponsibilitiescanhelptooptimizethetimeandenergyoftheoffensivecoordinator.Ontheotherhand,hemayassessthelevelofdiscomforthisoffensive coordinatorhaswiththisnewreassignment(usuallyduetothecoordinator'sego)anddeterminethatsucharealignmentofdutiesissimplynotworththedivisiveness anddisharmonyitwillcause.Aboveallelse,hemustassignonlymenwhocanteachtothesepositions. AllCoachesAreNotEquallyTalented Astheheadcoach,youshouldnotassumethateverymemberofyourcoachingstaffisequallycompetent.Inreality,somearemoretalentedthanothers. Allfactorsconsidered,innormalcircumstances,youwilldiscoverthatapproximately40percentofyourstaffwillbeextremelycapable.Inturn,themost

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talentedindividualswillendupbeingassignedthemajorityoftheteam'ssupplementaryresponsibilities. Whileitiscertainlyinyourbestintereststoutilizeyourmostgiftedstaffmemberstothefullestextent,youshouldalsoendeavortoachieveanappropriatedegreeof balancewithinyourstaffbycouplingcoachingassistantswhoaremoredrivingandintensewithyourmoresolid,dutifulcoaches. Theinterdependenceofthestaffisextremelyimportantinthesepairings.Groupingcreative,assertive,hyperactive,independentthinkingindividualswithotherassistant coachesofasimilarprofilecaneasilyleadtostaffconfrontationandchaos. Itisalsoimportantthatyourecognizethefactthatdependingonthecircumstances,youcaninfacthavetoomanystaffmembers.Forexample,youshouldnotadda personasacoachorasanadministratorsimplytoshowthatanareaiscovered. Ifthatindividualisnotfullycapableofcontributingtothepositioninameaningfulway,addingsuchastaffmembercouldcreateaproblem,ratherthansolveone.For example,ifyoudecidethatyouwanttoactivelyrunyourteam'soffense,hiringbothanoffensivecoordinatorandaquarterbackcoachmaybeanunnecessaryaction onyourpartthatcouldsubsequentlyleadtostaffconfusionanddifficulties. Itisalsoessentialforyoutokeepinmindthatasthestructureofthecoachingstafftakesshape,itcanberelativelyeasyforaheadcoachtocompartmentalizeand delegateresponsibilitytothepointwhereheisfigurativelyleftwith"nothingtodobuthideinhisofficeandwaitforthenextcrisistoappear."Accordingly,thehead coachmustalwaysstructurethestaffprocessinsuchawaytoincludeidentifiablemechanismsforinteractingwitheachcoordinatorandpositioncoach.
Themanwhocommandsefficientlymusthaveobeyedothersinthepast,andthemanwhoobeysdutifullyisworthyof somedayacommander. MarcusTulliusCicero RomanStatesmanandOrator

TakingFutureStaffingNeedsIntoAccount Allfactorsconsidered(e.g.,staffmorale,continuity,motivation,etc.),itisalmostalwayseasierifateamfillsitscoachingvacanciesandselectsitscoordinatorsfrom withinitsstaff.Accordingly,theheadcoachmustkeepalargerperspectiveinmindwhencompletinghisstaff. Inthatregard,heshouldanticipatethatovertimeparticularlyifhisteamisrelativelysuccessfulhewillsufferattritionamonghisstaffwhenmembersofhiscoaching stafftakepositionswithotherteamsthatadvancethemprofessionally.As

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such,aheadcoachmustnotbecomesodependentonhiscoordinatorsthatifoneofthemweretoleavetheorganization,thatentireaspectoftheteam'ssystemwould gowithhim. Subsequently,insuchasituation,theheadcoachthenbecomesacasualtyoftheconstantchangesinhisteam'ssystemorstyleofplay.Despitehiseffortstothe contrary,itwillbeverydifficultforhisteamtomaintainthecontinuityneededtoremainsuccessfuloveralongperiodoftime. Hiringacoachfromtheoutside(e.g.,anewcoordinator)isnotwithoutpossiblebenefits.Forexample,afreshhirecanbringaslightlydifferentperspectiveand experiencetohisnewjob.Intheprocess,hemaycertainlyinjectnewideasandconceptsintohisnewteam'ssystem. Thebestwaytomaintainthecontinuityofanalreadywinningprofile,however,istohirefromwithin.Asarule,anytimeaheadcoachfillsakeypositiononhisstaff fromwithinshortlyafterthevacancyoccurs,hisactionsareusuallytheresultofthefactthatheprobablytookthefuturestaffingneedsofhisteamintoaccountwhen heinitiallyputhisstafftogether. Astheheadcoach,ifyouareprimarilyinvolvedontheoffensivesideoftheball,yourhiringsondefensebecomeespeciallycriticalbecauseoftherelativelevelof autonomytheylikelywillhave.Allfactorsconsideredinthisregard,apassdefensespecialistispreferredoverarundefensespecialistbecausepasscoverageisthe mostcriticalaspectofdefenseintheNFL. Defensivelinecoaches(andinsomeinstanceslinebackercoaches)tendtofocusonandtobemoreconcernedabouttherunninggamethanthepassinggame.Inthe process,theyoftenbecomeoverlypreoccupiedwith4and5yardgains,whilehugechunksofyardagearebeinggivenupinthepassinggame. Duringtheperiodof19791989,theSanFrancisco49ers'focusonpassdefensewasrealizedwhenGeorgeSeifertwaspromotedin1983tocoordinatethe49ers' defenseafterservingastheteam'sdefensivebackscoach.Theleadershipbackboneofthe49erswasthencompletedwhenequallytalentedBillMcPhersonwas assignedtofocusontheteam'srundefense. EstablishingtheHeadCoach'sMeetingSchedule Becauseofthesubstantialpressuresandstressesthataheadcoachfaces,hemaybepredisposedtodelegateasmuchresponsibilityaspossibleandtospenda considerableamountoftimeinhisoffice.Intheextreme,suchanemotionaloverloadcancausehimtobecomealmostdysfunctional. Byfailingoutoftouchwiththevariousaspectsoftheteamdynamic,hemaylosesomeofhisabilitytoeffectivelyparticipateintheefforttomaketheteamsuccessful. Inordertoavoidsuchasituation,astheheadcoach,youmustdevelopandadheretoasystematicschedulethatwillrequireyoutointeractwitheverylevelofthe teamonaregularbasis. Amongthestepsthatyoushouldundertaketoensurethatyourscheduleaddressesyourneedsinthisregardarethefollowing: Holdstrategymeetingsseveraltimesaweekwithbothofyourcoordinators(e.g.,earlyintheweek,mid week,andpriortothegame)tospecificallydiscussyour

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opponent'sstrengthsandweaknesses.Youshouldcoordinateanddeterminethetotal,overallgameplanand communicatethatperspectivewithyourcoordinators.Youshouldalsoholddiscussionswithyourentirestaff ontheirimpressions,determinationsandrecommendationsregardingthegameplan.

Holdaspecificmeeting(usuallybyWednesday)inordertohaveafirm,completegriponcontingency decisionsandwhowillparticipatedirectlyinextremecircumstances(e.g.,backedupoffense,4thdown decisions,3rddownongoalline,etc.). Holdtwoscheduledweeklymeetingswiththespecialteamscoach,whoshouldpresenthisinitialsplans duringthefirstmeetingandhisfinalplansduringthesecondsession. Establishaformatforthepracticeweekinwhichyouwillsitinonselectedpositionmeetings,both announcedandunannounced. Establishandmaintainappointedmeetingtimeswiththeathletictrainer,conditioningcoachandteam physicians. Holdatleastoneweeklymeetingwheretheoffensive,defensiveandspecialteamscoordinatorsmeet togethertomorefullyappreciateeachother'splansofattackandhowtheymightaffecttheirindividual plans.Thismeetingisalsoanexcellenttimetobringthesespecificcoachesuptospeedonwhatyouhave learnedfromyourmeetingswiththeathletictrainingandmedicalstaffs. Holdregularlyscheduledmeetingswithownership,theCEOand/ortheDOOtooutlineandreviewongoing processesinvolvingtheteam.

Coacheswhocanoutlineplaysonablackboardareadimeadozen.Theoneswhowingetinsidetheirplayersand motivate. VinceLombardi HallofFameFootballCoach GreenBayPackers

CreatinganEffectiveStaffCommunicationsNetwork Astheheadcoach,yourabilitytocommunicatewithyourstaffisofvitalimportance.Theoperativewordhereis"communicate,"not"dictate."Ifyoudeterminethatall youaredoingishandingdowndirectivesforyourcoachestofollowwithlittleroomforgiveandtakeontheirpart,youmayhavehiredthewrongstaff. Inorderforyoutocommunicateeffectivelywithyourstaff,youmustfirstaccountforafactorwhichcandisruptthecommunicationsprocessyourego.Overthe years,theword"ego"hastakenonabroadspectrumofperceivedmeanings,includingselfconfidence,selfassurance,andassertiveness.Theseattributesare generallyviewedinapositivesensebymostpeople.

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Ontheotherhand,anotherinterpretationoftheword"ego"exists.Thistypeofegocanwreakhavoconateamoranorganization.Inthisdefinition,"ego"isdefinedas "beingdistractedbyyourownimportance." Thistypeofegocanemanatefromavarietyoffactors.Itcancomefromanindividual'sbasicsenseofinsecurityinworkingwithothers.Itcanspringfromaperson's needtodrawattentiontohimselfinthepublicarena.Furthermore,itcanoriginatefromafeelingthatotherindividualsareathreattohisownterritory. Collectively,thesenegativemanifestationsofegocaneventuallyleadtopossiblythemostnegativeimpactofthisaspectofegothefactthategocanmakepeople insensitivetohowtheyinteractwithothers.Asaresult,thistypeofegocanendupinterferingwithandbuildingbarrierstothemeaningfulgoalsofanygroupeffort. Astheheadcoach,youmustdoeverythingpossibletoensurethatnoegobarriersexistthatcanhindertheeffectiveexchangeofinformationandideasbetween membersofyourstaff.Peoplehavetobeabletocommunicatewithoutfear. Yourstaffmustfeelcomfortableaboutexpressingtheiropinions.Theymustbemadeawareofthefactthatifforanyreasontheychangetheiropinionabout something,youwillnotdemeanthemforit. Itisnotuncommonforanassistantcoachtomakeadefinitivecommentregardingaparticularaspectofhisteam'sgameplanoracertainplayer.Itisinexcusable, however,forthatcoachtoholdtohisoriginalstatementsforfearofappearingwrongifhereceivesadditionalinformationorfactsthatcontradicthisinitialopinions. Infact,theheadcoachshouldmakeapointofremindinghisstaffthatheexpectsthemtochangetheirimpressionsandopinionsovertime.Allinall,theprocessis quitenaturalthemoreinformationthatanindividualhasavailable,thefasterthingscanchange. Assistantsshouldalsoknowthattheywillnotberidiculediftheircommentsturnouttobemistakenoriftheirideasarenotcompatiblewiththoseoftheirsuperior.In reality,legitimatedifferencesofopinionaretobeexpectedandencouragedtostimulatethefreeflowofopinions. Thepointthatshouldbeemphasizedisthatwhenanassistantcoachmakesarelativelyseriousmistake,itisrarelynecessaryfortheheadcoachtosayanythingtohim. Inmostinstances,theassistantisusuallyfullyawareofhismistakesandisfarmorecriticalandselfdeprecatingabouthisshortcomingsthantheheadcoachwouldbe withhim. Thefactthatanassistantcoachreadilyadmitshismisstepsisanindicationthatarealhighwatermarkintheefforttoestablishaqualitystaffhasbeenreached.Itisa verypositivesignwhentheheadcoachsurroundshimselfwithstaffmemberswhoseselfexpectationsexceedhisexpectationsforthem. Oneofthemostvaluabletoolsaheadcoachhasathisdisposaltomotivatehisassistantsispraiseandacknowledgment.Whiletheimportanceofrecognizinga talented,productivestaffmembermayseemquiteobvious,asurprisinglyhighnumberofheadcoachesfindfacetoface,highlypersonal,publicrecognitionoftheir assistantstobeverydifficult.

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Knowingwhentobestowpraiseonothersisanotherissuethatsomeheadcoachesfindsomewhatbewildering.Forexample,anemotionalboostisobviouslyneeded whensomeoneisdown,butwhataboutasituationwhenmoraleisrelativelyhigh? Inthatregard,manycoacheserroneouslyreasonthatnooneneedsapsychologicalliftwhenmoraleishigh.However,that'sasituationwhenrecognizingtheefforts andachievementsofstaffmemberscanbequitevaluable. Subsequently,whentimesgettough,the"investment"ofinfusingpositivereinforcementintothestaffenvironmentwhentimesweregoodcanfunctionsomewhatlikea cashcontingencyfund.Thegreatertheinvestment,thelargertheamountofpositivefeelings(support)thatwillbeavailablewhenitisneeded. Similartootheressentialmanagementtechniques,offeringpersonalrecognitiontoothersisaskillthatrequiresbothplanningandtraining.Forexample,givingthesame impersonalcomplimentstoeveryassistantforajobwelldonecanrendertheprocessalmostuseless. Bythesametoken,theheadcoachwhooverdoeshiscomplimentaryremarksorconfershisfavorablecommentsonsomeonewhoobviouslydidnotdeservethemwill undoubtedlynotachievethedesiredmoraleboostinhisstaff. Theheadcoachmustkeepinmindthathecanbedamnedbyfaintpraisehecansabotagehimselfwitheffusivepraise.Or,hecanmastertheartofhighpraise. Therearetimes,however,whencircumstancesjustifytheheadcoachbeingharshlydirect.Giventhespeedandtempoofthegameandtheongoingtimepressuresthat accompanythedecisionandthecommunicativeprocessesduringtheintensecompetitiveenvironment,theabilityoftheheadcoachtocommunicateinadirectmanner isabsolutelycritical. Inthissituation,therecipient(i.e.,theassistantcoach)ofthistypeofcommunicationmustberesponsivetoandmusthandleinanappropriatemannerwhatotherwise mightseemtobeanundulyharshorabusiveinterchangewithhisheadcoach.Forthemoment,theassistantmustsubjugatehisownegoandemotionsandunderstand andappreciatethefactthatthesituationmaynothaveallowedtheheadcoachtoemployamoresubtleapproach. Itisincumbentonthestafftobeabletoproperlydealwiththepassionsofthemoment.Undernocircumstancesshouldtheyallowsuchinstanceseithertobecometoo personalortointerferewiththewaythattheyperformtheirjobs. Onoccasion,asituationmayarisewhentheheadcoachfeelstheneedtocritiqueorcriticizeoneofhisassistants.Theprocessutilizedtogivesuchfeedbackmustbe carefullyconsidered. Itisimportantthattheheadcoachassesstheintentofhiscriticismtomakesurethatitssolepurposeistoimprovetheperformanceoftheindividualsinvolvedandnot justawaytoventhisfrustrationanddisappointmentthatotherwiseservesnovalidpurpose.Theheadcoachmustalsoensurethathiscommentsarebothhonestand accurate. Furthermore,hemustconsiderthefactthattheimpactofhismessagewilldepend,toadegree,onwho'sreceivingitandtheabilityofthatpersontounderstandand respondtothefeedbackatthatparticularmomentintime.

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Inmostinstances,thistypeofevaluationisusuallybestconductedinaprivateenvironment.Thedesiredeffectofsuchcommentsmaybegreatlydiminishediftheyare madeinfrontofothercoachesorinastaffmeeting. Theheadcoachshouldrememberthat,allfactorsconsidered,whenanindividualisbackedintoacornerbyapotentiallyembarrassingmatter,heusuallywillembrace andholdontoanindefensiblepositioneventhoughheknowsinhisheartthattheheadcoach'scommentsorcriticismsarevalid. Itisalsoveryimportantfortheheadcoachtocarefullyconsiderthevenueforanycriticalcommentshemaywanttodirecttohisplayers.Forexample,oneofthe moreeffectivewaystoensurethathedoesn'tembarrassaplayerorputtheplayerundulyonthedefensiveistocriticizethatindividualviahispositioncoach. Accordingly,theheadcoachmusttakestepstoensurethathisstaffknowthatonoccasionhemightdirectsomewhatharshcommentstotheminfrontoftheteamthat would,inreality,bedesignedtomakeapointtoaparticularplayerwithoutembarrassingordemeaningtheathleteinfrontofhispeers.Theassistanthastobeableto absorbandhandlesuchanorchestratedcriticismoroutburst. Atypicalsituationinthisregardmightinvolvetheheadcoach'sconcernovertheineffectiveblockingoftheteam'swidereceivers.Insteadofcriticizingthewide receiversdirectly,hewouldpointhiscommentstothewidereceivers'positioncoachbyaskinghim"whyhecan'tgethisreceiverstoblockanybody." Inthisscenario,theheadcoach'sremarksmighthelpbondtheassistanttohisplayers.Furthermore,theseplayersmightconceivablyrespond(i.e.,attempttobebetter blockers)tothecoach'scriticismbecausetheydon'twanttolettheirpositioncoachdown. Atthepropertimeandintheappropriateplace,however,theheadcoachmustredefineandexpoundonthereasonsforhiscomments.Ineffect,heisexpressinghis regrets(i.e.,apologizing)forhisstatementsinthegivencircumstances. Hisapproach,however,enableshimtoaccomplishhisdesiredobjective.Heisabletodealwithmattersandissuesinaharshanddirectmanner(ifneedbe),without draggingpersonalitiesintoit. Anotherpossibletechnique(tool)thattheheadcoachcanusetodefuseapossiblevolatilemomentishumor.Agoodnatureddemeanorcanhelpneutralizea particularlyunsettledmomentandkeepitfrombecomingtoopersonal.Allfactorsconsidered,selfeffacingorselfdeprecatinghumorisusuallyanexcellentwayto returnasituationtoapointwhereitisrelativelynormalandtocreatea"weareinthistogether"typeofatmosphere. Onefinalissueinvolvingcommunicationbetweenvariousmembersofateam'scoachingstaffistheroleofangerintheprocess.Thepointtoconsiderinthismatteris thatbadtempersarenotalwaysbadnews. Asarule,highlycompetitiveworkplacesoftenproducehighlychargedemotionalsituations.Inthesecircumstances,themoretalentedanddedicatedpeopleare,the morelikelythattheymayspontaneouslyengageinpassionatebehavior,suchasshowinganger. Dependinguponthesituation,restrainingangerisnotalwaysthebestcourseofaction,especiallywhenthealternativeistolettheangersimmer.Inreality,oneof

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thelikelyconsequencesofavoidingangryconfrontationsisadegreeofagrudgingundercurrentofunresolvedhardfeelings.Undernormalcircumstances,an occasionalshowofemotionalfireworksbytypicallyupbeatindividualscanservepositiveends(e.g.,relievetension,shakeupeveryone'sthoughtprocesses,help establishamorecreativeedge,etc.).

Whensendingamessage,itisnotenoughtobehonestandaccurate.Theimpactofthemessagewillhingeonwho's receivingitandwhatthey'rewillingtotakeinatthetime. BillParcells HeadFootballCoach NewYorkJet fromFindingaWaytoWin

FacilitatingStaffTransition Astheheadcoach,youmustbeabletoprojectthefuturestaffingneedsoftheorganization,notunlikethewayyouhavetoconstantlyplanfortheplayerneedsofyour team.Overtime,openingsforassistantcoacheswilloccurforanynumberofreasons(e.g.,individualstakeapositionwithanotherteam,someoneretires,acoachis fired,thesizeofyourstaffincreases,etc.). Eachtimeanopeningexistsandisfilled,acertainleveloftransitionamongthepreviousstaffmemberstypicallytranspires.Ifthistransitionisnothandledproperly,the situationcanbeverydivisiveanddisruptivewhenindividualsarepassedoverforaparticularpositiontheywantedorreassignedfromajobtheypreferred. Whenexplainingthesituationtoadisgruntledmemberofyourstaff,itisimportantthatyouaresensitivetothefeelingsofthatindividual.Althoughbeinghonestand directwiththepersonsoundsgood,itmaynotbethebestapproach. Ifsuchdirectnessandhonestygiverisetoinsensitive,hammerlikecomments,seriousdamagecanbedonetotherelationshipbetweenbothparties.Subsequently,the harmthatresultsmayendupreverberatingthroughouttheentireorganization. Forexample,overtime,peoplemaylosethesenseofbondingtheyneedtoworktogethereffectively.Furthermore,yourdirectnessmayisolateyousomewhatfrom theindividualswithwhomyouwork.Toapoint,honesty(otherthaninfact)isoftenonlyamanifestationofsomeone'ssubjectiveinterpretationofaparticularmatter. StaffSelfEsteem Oneofyourkeyresponsibilitiesinvolvingyourstaffistoleadthemthroughtroubledtimesandtohelpthemmaintainasmuchoftheirselfesteemaspossiblewhenthey aredemoted,findthemselvespassedover,orarepracticallyattheendoftheircoachingcareers.Oneofthemostproductivestepsyoucantakeinthisregardisto

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giveeachstaffmemberaconstructiveopportunitytoenhancehislevelofmarketabilityinthejobmarket(i.e.,performselectedsupplementalduties,takecoursework, learnnewskills,representtheteamatselectedfunctions,increasehisvisibility,etc.). Ifproperlyexecuted,thisstepwillhelpmitigateoreliminatethepotentialcorrosiveeffectsofuncertaintythatastaffmembermayotherwiseface.Inturn,thestaff's energylevelwillberefocusedonmoreproductiveissuesormatters. Althoughitmayonlybeonaveryshorttermbasis,gettingyourassistantsto''giveadamn"canworktoyouradvantage.Forexample,helpingastaffmemberdeal withdisappointingcircumstancesinvolvinghiscareercanalsohelpenhancehissenseofloyaltytoyouandtheteam,evenwhileheisveryconcernedabouthisown future. Thedrawingpoweroftheworkplaceisnolongerthetestimonialdinnerandthetributeplaqueinhonorofsomeone'sextendedperiodofservice.Rather,theattraction andthepromiseofaparticularassistantcoachingjobformanyindividualsisessentiallytohaveanopportunitytoreachtheirowngoalsandtogainsupportand guidanceinachievingtheseobjectives. AntiTampering Inrecentyears,theNFLhasestablishedthreetiersofcoachinglevelsinanattempttobetterdefineandpreventteamsfromtamperingwiththecoachingstaffsofother teams:level#ltheheadcoachlevel#2twosupervisorycoachesandlevel#3allotherassistantcoaches. Traditionally,professionalethicsandprotocoldictatedthatateamwouldnotapproachsomeoneonthecoachingstaffofanotherteamaboutmakingalateralmove. Forexample,anindividualwiththetitleofcoordinatorusedtobeassumedtobesomeoneinasupervisoryrole. Nomore.Teamshavebecomeverycreativeintheireffortstojustifytheireffortstoobtain(i.e.,"steal")acoachoffofthestaffofanotherteambyestablishingsuchjob titlesasassociateheadcoach,assistantheadcoach,offensivecoordinatorinchargeoftherunninggame,offensivecoordinatorinchargeofthepassinggame,etc. AccordingtoLeaguerules,everyteammustdesignatetwocoachesashavingasupervisoryrole,regardlessofwhattitlesareassignedtothem.Inturn,everyother assistantcoachmusthavehisteam'spermissiontotalktoanotherteamaboutacceptingalateraltransfer. Inotherwords,ifateamisinterestedindiscussinganassistantcoachingpositionwithanassistantwhoiscontractuallyobligatedtoanotherclub,andtheprospective newpositioninvolvesmovingfromonenonsupervisoryassistantcoachingjobtoanotherorfromonesupervisoryassistantcoachingpositiontoanother,itwouldbe consideredalateralmove.Assuch,theteamcurrentlyemployingtheassistantconsideringmovingisundernoobligationtograntthecoachtheopportunitytoeven discussapositionwithanotherclub. TheNFL'santitamperingstructurepresentsaninterestingdilemmatotheheadcoach.Inmostinstances,thesupervisorytitleisaccordedtotheteam'stwoprimary coordinators.

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Inafewcases,however,someheadcoacheshaveplacedthesupervisorytitleonassistantcoachesotherthantheircoordinatorsinordertoretainkeyassistantsthat theydon'twanttolosetootherteams.Intakingthisapproach,however,theyruntheriskofallowingoneoftheircoordinatorstoleaveforabetteroffer. In1996,forexample,twoNFLteamslosttheircoordinatorforexactlythatreason.Accordingly,itisrelativelyeasytodeterminewhomtheheadcoachorthe organizationvaluesmostamongitsassistantcoachesbycheckingtoseewhichtwocoacheshavebeengiventhesupervisorytitle. TheNFL'santitamperingstructureisnotwithoutamajorflaw,however.Theprimaryinequityofthesysteminvolvesthefactthatthevariousteamsareunderno obligation(whatsoever)tofinanciallyaugmenttheincomeofthecoacheswithsupervisorytitles,simplybecauseofthetitle.Ontheotherhand,anassistantwhohasthe supervisorytitleliterallydoesnothavetheoptiontoseekabetterdealintheopenmarket,evenifheisn'thisteam'stoppaidassistantcoach. DealingwithaPoorlyPerformingStaffMember Ideally,everystaffmemberwouldperformatthedesiredlevelofcompetence.Inreality,however,circumstancesdictateotherwise. Forwhateverreason,someassistantcoachessimplydon'tsatisfactorilymeetthejobrequirementsfortheirpositions.Intheseinstances,twothingsareabsolutely crucialwithregardtoyou(astheheadcoach)dealingwithastaffmemberwhoisnotperformingatanacceptablelevel: Youmusthaveestablishedspecificcriteriaastowhatisexpectedintheassistant'sposition. Youmusthaveidentifiedspecificshortcomingsintheperformanceoftheindividual.

Assuch,youmustestablishaplanandproceduresforhandlingmembersofyourstaffwhoarenotmeetingthestandardsyouhavesetforthem.Amongthefactors andthepointsthatmustbeconsideredwhendevelopingsuchaplanarethefollowing. Everymemberofyourcoachingstaffmustbemadeawareofthespecificneedsandexpectationsofhis position.If,foranyreason,hedoesnotknowwhatisexpectedofhim,hehasconsiderablelatitudeto questionyourcritiqueofhisperformance. Whenquestioningastaffmember'sperformance,youmustbeverycarefultostatethathislackof productivityistheprimarybasisofyourdissatisfaction,asopposedtoattemptingtoexplainyouropinions regardingwhyhehasnotbeenproductive.Inotherwords,ifyoutrytobean"armchairdiagnostician," youcanopenupaPandora'sboxofpotentialproblemsthatyoumaynotbeabletoadequatelyaddress (e.g.,openyourselfuptosomeformoflitigationthatmightarisefromanymisunderstandingofyour comments).

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Whendealingwithastaffmemberwhoisnotperforminguptoyourexpectations,youshouldbefirm,but notconfrontational. Insuchsituations,youshouldbereadytocopewiththestaffer'sresistance,defensiveness,andeven hostility.Oneofthemosteffectivemethodsforovercomingadefensiveattitudeofsuchanindividualisto explaintothepersonhowthesituationmakesyoufeelwithoutmoralizing. Afteryou'vesharedyourfeelings,youshouldthenmovetodiscussionofthespecificofyourconcernsabout hisinadequatejobperformance.Youshouldnevertalkabouthowheisdoinghisjobfirst.Ifyoudo,you increasethelikelihoodofhimhavinganundulyantagonisticattitudetowardsyou. Youshouldattempttogetthestaffertoidentifyandadmitthathehasaproblem,forwhateverreason.He shouldunderstandthefactthathisperformancehasnotbeenuptoyourexpectations. Youshouldnotaccepthisexcusesforfailure.Ifyougoalongwithhisexplanationsregardingwhyhis performancehasbeenlessthansatisfactoryinanilladvisedattempttoplacatethesituation,youhavesimply compromisedtheauthorityofyourpositionintwosignificantways. First,youdemonstratethathislackofproductivityisacceptable.Second,youshowthatyouhavenointerest inhelpingthestafferimprovehissituation. Suchanapproachonyourpartcaneithercreateadditionalanxietyinthestafferwhoalreadyknowsthatyou areabouttomakeachangeinhispositionorfurtherenhancetheassistant'smisguidedsenseofself importance. Ifthestafferoffersexcuses,youshouldrefocusthediscussiononthespecificjobcriteriaforhispositionand attempttohavehimidentify(i.e.,explain)howeachofhisspecificexcusesrelatestohisparticularlackof performance. Inthisscenario,oneoftwosituationsmayoccur.Eitherthestafferwillbeforcedtoacceptresponsibilityfor hisfailuresoraproblemmaybeidentifiedthatinrealityisnotthefaultoftheindividualinquestion. Itisimportantthatyoudonotallowthestaffertoattributehisproblemstootherindividualsortoother aspectsoftheorganization.Youmustholdfasttoyourconvictionthatitishisresponsibilitytoimprovehis jobperformance. Afteryouhaveidentifiedtheproblemsofastaffer,youmustsetupanimprovementplanfortheassistant thatenablesbothyouandtheindividualtoknowifhe'smakingmeaningfulprogressinhiseffortstoimprove. Moreimportantly,youmustprovidethestafferwithaquantitativeobjectiveonwhichbothofyoucanbase futureassessmentsofhisperformance. Attheveryleastyoumusttaketheresponsibilitytointerveneinasituationwhereastafferisnotperforming atanacceptablelevel.Inalllikelihood,atroubledstaffer'sperformanceandactions(bothonandoffthe job)willimproveifheisconfrontedfrequentlyinaconstructivemanner.Inreality,hisperformancewill probablygetworseifhisactionsareignoredorifheisjustwarnedoccasionallyabouthislackof commitmenttodoingthejobexpectedofhim.

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Ifthestaffer'sperformancecontinuestobelackingandyoudecidethatyouhavetomakeachangeinhis position,itiscriticalthatyoudon'ttransfertheproblemsimposedbythisindividualtoanotherareaofthe organization.Allthisstepwouldaccomplishwouldbetopassthesameproblemstosomeoneelse. Eventually,theindividual'sinability(orunwillingness)tobeaproductiveemployeewouldhaveasimilar negativeeffectonanotherpartoftheorganization.Whileitmaybeeasiertoavoidaconfrontationwiththe stafferbysimplyconvincingyourselfthathewouldbemoreeffectiveinanotherposition,thisisrarelythe situation. Ifyoudecidethatyouhavetoterminatethestaffer,youmusttakepainstakingcareindetailingand documentinghislackofproduction.If,foranyreason,yourdocumentedreasonsforlettingthestaffergo arenotbothaccurateandmeasurable,youfacetheriskofthelitigationthatinevitablyensuesinthe1990s whenanyone,howeverinept,isfired. Ifthesourceoftheproblemsexhibitedbythestafferinvolveshispersonallife(e.g.,alcohol,drugs,domestic violence,gambling,etc.),youshouldrememberthatyouhaveamoralobligationtohelpthestafferaddress thesourceofhisdifficulties.Suchassistancecanbeveryprecarious,however,ifnothandledproperly. Yourfirststepinthismattermustbetorecognizethatyoupersonallymaynothavetheexpertiseandthe skillsnecessarytodealwiththestaffer'sproblemsotherthangivinghimadviceabouthisneedtoget professionalcounsel.Youshouldnotmoralizeorattempttotransposeyourethicalstandardsonthestaffer.If youdo,youmayonlycausemoreproblems. Yourprimaryobjectiveintheprocessofdealingwithastaffer(atleastinitially)mustbetodetermineifthe individualdoesindeedrecognizethathehasaproblemand,moreimportantly,whetherheisreceptiveto change.Asharshasitmayappearonthesurface,ifthestafferdoesnothaveeitherperspective,youmaybe doingunforeseendamagetotheorganization,andpossiblytotheindividualhimself,bynotterminatingthe person.
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PARTIII THEPEOPLE

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Chapter6 Evaluatingplayers
"Thegreatestleaderintheworldcouldneverwinacampaignunlessheunderstoodthemenhehadtolead." GeneralOmarN.Bradley 5StarGeneraloftheAlliedArmies WorldWarII

Findingthewinningedge... Probablythetoughestthingamanagerhastodowithawinningteamistoassessthestrengthsofthosewhogotyou there.Ironically,someofthebestperformersmaynotbetheonesdestinedtocontinuetoachieve.Theymaybe comingoffacareerseason.Everyonelovesthem.Makingchangeswithpeoplelikethese,atatimewhenloyalty mightseemthenaturalhumanresponse,canappearalmostincomprehensibletocloseknitstaffsandtotheoutside world.Buttheyarepartofthehardtaskofadaptingtoandconfrontingthesuccesssyndrome. BillWalsh,"SucceedingDespite Success,"Forbes,September13, 1993.

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WhenItookoverthe49ers,wehadwhatappearedtobeagoodyoungquarterbackinSteveDeBerg.Unfortunately,Stevewastheonlyquarterbackwe had.Hehaddonewellthepreviousyearbutwasinjured,andIneededaquarterbackwhocouldbeabackupforSteveand,conceivably,replacehimifthe newplayerhadenoughpotential. SamWyche,ourquarterbackcoach,canvassedthecountrytoseewhichquarterbackscouldbehadinthemidrounds.Inadditiontooursecondround pick,wehadDallas'thirdroundpick.Itwasunderstoodthatseveralquarterbackswouldbepickedinthefirstround. IcharteredaplaneandflewtoKentuckytoseePhilSimmsatMoreheadState.Theruralairporthadaveryshortrunwaysurroundedbytrees,andthe weatherwaslousyThepilotcircledseveraltimes,dodgingcloudsandsqualls,beforefinallylanding.Theairportterminalwasanoldhousetrailer. Thewomaninside,ahousewifewithanumberofchildrenrunningaroundthetrailer,didnotevenhearmyplaneland.Iwaited45minutesforthecab fromMorehead,metwithPhil,spenttheafternoonanalyzingfilm,andjoinedhimforaburgerandfriesfordinner,dreadingtheflightout.Ileftfeeling thatPhilwasourman,butitsoonbecameevidentthatotherteamswerelookingatPhil,andhewouldlikelybedraftedearly,despitehisteam'slosing record. IwasalsolookingforabigreceiverandaspeedreceiverasIwassearchingforaquarterback.WhenIlookedatSteveFuller,IalsolookedatDwight Clark,whohadcaughtonly12passeshissenioryear.WehadfewdraftchoicesbecauseoftheO.J.SimpsonandJimPlunketttrades,andhadtochoose carefully.ClarkwasmuchfasterandquickerthanIhadexpected,andhadanoutgoingpersonality.Wehadenjoyedconsiderablesuccesswithasimilar playerwhenIwaswiththeCincinnatiBengals,ChipMyersaveryfine6'5"receiver. Welookedat14quarterbacksandarrangedtheminpriorityorder.WefinallytrackeddownJoeMontana,whowaslivinginsouthernCalifornia,andSam WycheandIwenttoseehimafewdaysbeforethedraft.WhenIsawJoe,Iknewimmediatelythathewasourman.Hewasquick,agileandfluidinhis movements,almostlikeaballetdancer,andremindedmeofJoeNamath. Histhrowingwasalsogood,thoughnotasgoodasTerryBradshaw's.WewerealsolookingcloselyatJamesOwens,theNCAAhighhurdleschampion, andwereimpressedbyhisspeedandintelligence.Onourflighthome,SamandIdecidedthatJoeandOwenswereourchoices. Asthedraftneared,wedidalltheresearchwecouldanddecidedthatJoewouldnotbetakenbeforethefifthroundifatall.Everyoneknewhehadpoise, buttheywereputoffbyhisslightappearance,inconsistentperformanceatNotreDame,and,somebelieved,relativelyweakarm.WeselectedOwensin thesecondround,Joeinthethird,andClarkintheeleventh.Therestishistory. Simmsbecameoneofthegame'sgreatquarterbacks,andFullerhadagoodcareerwiththeBears.ClarkbecameaconsensusAllProchoicein1981.Joe becamearguablythegreatestquarterbackofalltime.Unfortunately,Owensneverreachedourhighestexpectationsbecauseofrepeatedhamstringpulls andthefactthathishandsweremerelyadequate,buthebecameagreatkickoffreturnspecialist.Justas

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itappearedhewasreachinghisfullpotential,hesufferedaseverehamstringpullonakickoffhereturnedforatouchdownagainstDetroit.Welater tradedhimtoTampaBay,wherehehadafewgoodseasonsasarunningback. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Withoutquestion,oneoftheprimaryfactorsaffectingsuccessintheNationalFootballLeagueishavingtalentedplayers.Whileacquiringthoseplayersisa multifacetedissuethateveryteamaddressesinitsownway(seeChapter7inthisbook),themostimportantstepinsecuringtheplayersateamneedsisevaluatingthe availabletalentpool(bothcollegiateandprofessionalplayers). Severalfactorshaveresultedinanevenhighervaluebeingplacedontheabilitytoevaluateandassimilatetalentintotheorganization,includingtheadventofthesalary capandfreeagency,andthereductioninthenumberofroundsconductedintheannualNFLdraft.Inaddition,freeagencyhasalsoaffectedtheneedforateamto haveasystematicprocessforevaluatingtheplayerswhoarealreadyonitsroster.Decisionsrelatingtohowmuchofateam'sresources(i.e.,salarycap)shouldbe devotedtoretainingaparticularplayerwhoiseligibleforfreeagencywillbebasedtoagreatextentonadetailedevaluationofhiscapabilitytoperform. Eachteamhasitsowncriteriaandproceduresforevaluatingplayers.Overtheyears,thesecriteriahavechangedasthegamehasevolved.Theydifferfromteamto team,dependingupontheneedsandtheparticularsystemofeachteam.Ontheotherhand,certainbasicrequirementswillalwaysexistforplayersateachposition. Despitethissituation,evaluatingplayersisnotanexactscience.Theprocessmusttakeintoaccountanumberoffactors.Inthefinalanalysis,onecriticalquestionmust beanswered:"Canthisindividualmakeameaningfulcontributiontotheteam?" EvaluatingPlayerswhoareCurrentlyontheRoster Astheheadcoach,youmustensurethataprocessisestablishedtoevaluateyourplayersonanongoingbasisevenaftertheyhavejoinedyourteam.Thisevaluation istypicallyperformedbymembersofyourcoachingstaffaspartoftheirresponsibilitytohelpdevelopaprojectionoftheteam'sneedsfortheupcomingyear.Among thestepsthatyoucantaketomakesurethatsuchanevaluationisconductedinanappropriatewayarethefollowing: Makesurethattheevaluationiscompletedwithbothashorttermandalongrangeappraisalinmind. Projectthematurationofyoungerplayershowtheirskillsandabilitiesmayimproveandhowthose capabilitieswillaffectthemakeupandoverallproductionofyourteam.Aspartofthiseffort,individual andcollectivetalentmustbecontinuallyreassessed,withprojectionsthreetofiveyearsinthefuture. Developaplanfordealingwithfreeagencyasitaffectsyourteam'sroster.Suchaplaniscritical,given thehighprioritythatmanyteamsplaceonmaintainingthecontinuityoftheirexistingrostersandthefact thatmostplayersareeligibleforfreeagencyinarelativelybriefperiodoftime(i.e.,ifotherwise unrestricted,fiveyearsorfouryearswithacappedyear).

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UsingCoachesasTalentEvaluators Membersofthecoachingstaffshouldbegivenasubstantialroleinthescoutingandevaluationprocessesoftheirteams.Typicallyhiredbecauseoftheirexpertiseand experienceinworkingwithplayersataparticularposition,theseindividualshaveawealthofknowledgethatcanbeusedintheevaluationprocess. Mostofthesemenhaveeitherbeenintheleagueforarelativelylongperiodoftimeorhavemovedupfromthecollegeranks,whereoneoftheirdutiesoftenwasto evaluateathleteswhowereatamuchyoungerandmoredifficultageforprojectingtheirpotentialabilities.Ineitherinstance,itisverylikelythatyourcoacheshavethe abilitytosystematicallyevaluateandprojecttheirplayers'attributeswithrespecttoathletes'currentandfuturestatusontheteam. Theobservationsandfeedbackprovidedbyyourcoachingstaffmustbekeptinproperperspectivewiththeinformationandopinionsofferedbyyourteam'sscouting staff.Itishighlyunlikely,forexample,thatapositioncoachwouldhavehadtheopportunitytoseethewidearrayofplayersthataregularscouthaswatched. Accordingly,thepositioncoachwouldnotbeabletoobjectivelycomparethepotentialworthofaplayeratoneposition,relativetothatofaplayerinanother position.Suchjudgmentsmustbemadebytheexistingteamhierarchyofheadcoach,directorofcollegeandpropersonnel,etc.orwhateverstructurehasbeen establishedbytheorganization. Thevalueofutilizingyourcoachesintheplayerevaluationprocesscanbefurthersupportedifyouconsiderasituationwhereacoachisgiventheassignmentof evaluatingthetoptenplayersatthepositionhecoaches.Itisverylikelythathisapproachtothetaskwillincludereviewingallavailablegamefilmsinvolvingthose players,travelingtotheplayers'schoolstoworktheathletesout,visitingwiththeplayers'coaches,andinterviewingtheplayers.Aftercompletingsuchanassignment, thecoachobviouslyhasmuchtooffertoateam'seffortsforevaluatingplayersparticularlyhisopinionsregardingtherelativerankingofthespecificplayershewas askedtosizeup. Anexcellentexampleofhowthecoachingstaffcanmakeapositivecontributiontoateam'splayerevaluationprocessinvolvesthequarterbackposition.Althoughall teamshaveaverycompetentscoutingdepartment,almosteveryteamalsohasanoffensivecoordinatorand/oraquarterbackcoachwhoisoneofthetoppeoplein thegameinevaluating,developing,andquantifyingthemechanicsrequiredbyaprofessionallevelquarterback.Accordingly,itislogicalthatcoaches,inconjunction withateam'sheadcoachanddirectorofscouting,shouldhaveasubstantialamountofinputintothefinalrankingandtheselectionofplayersforthisposition. IdentifyingWorkoutCriteriafortheScoutingProcess Itiscriticalthatadistinctformatisestablishedandutilizedwhenoneofyourteam'sscoutsorcoachesworksoutapotentialsquadmember.Adetailedchecklistofthe suggestedworkoutcriteriaforselectedpositionsispresentedinAppendixF.

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Theuniformityaffordedbyachecklistassuresthateveryessentialcriteriaforaparticularpositionisevaluatedduringaspecificworkout.Inturn,regardlessofwhether theindividualbeingevaluatedisapotentialdraftchoice,aveteranfreeagent,afreeagentwhohasonlybeenintheLeagueforayearortwooranundraftedcollege freeagent,theuseofsuchaninformationgatheringtoolensuresthateverycandidateisgivenacomparableopportunitytobeevaluated. Assuch,astandardizedscoutingformatandchecklistmakescertainthatnothingisoverlookedwhenacandidateisevaluated.Ideally,thesamescoutorcoachwould administertheworkoutsessionforallcandidatesforaparticularposition(preferablytheirown). Inaddition,itisalsopreferabletoincludeoneormoreathleteswhoplaythesamepositionasthecandidatebeingevaluatedintheworkout.Thisstepallows demonstrationstobeconductedandrelativecomparisons(betweenthecandidateandtheotherplayer)tobemade. Involvingaveteranplayercurrentlyontheteamintheworkoutcanalsobebeneficial.Notonlycantheskillsandabilitiesofthecandidatebedirectlycomparedtothe veteran,theseasonedplayercanprovideaspecificdemonstrationofwhatisbeingtaughtorrequired. EstablishingEvaluationTools InFebruaryeachyear,coaches,scoutsandpersonneldepartmentmembersfromeveryNationalFootballLeagueteamgatherinIndianapolisforapredraftNFL styleritualofsortstowatchthetopcollegiatefootballdraftprospectsinthenationtakeaseriesoftestsdesignedtoevaluatethepotentialoftheseindividualstoplay attheprolevel.Eachprospectisevaluatedonadiversearrayofmeasures,includingthe40yarddash,theverticaljump,thestandinglongjump,thebenchpress,an intelligencetest,apersonalinterviewandseveralpositionrelatedskilltests(e.g.,passing,catching,agility,runs,etc.). Thescoresandmarksthattheprospectsachieveonthesemeasuresaresubsequentlyrecorded,scrutinized,andusedasinputineachteam'sevaluationprocess.Ina fewinstances,playersaresometimeslinkedwiththeir"Indy"resultsfortherestoftheircareers.Astuteteams,however,keeptheresultsoftheseevaluativemeasures inperspective,usingthemasreferenceguidelines,ratherthanasabsolutecriteria. Forexample,aplayer'stimeinthe40yarddashdoesn'treallytellyouhowfasthewillbeinagame.Hisscoresoneithertheverticaljumporthelongjumpmayonly indicatethatheisoutofshape(ratherthanlackinglegpower).Evenaplayer'smarksonanintelligencetestmayhavelimitedvalue.Theymayhavelesstodowithan individual'sinnateinstinctsthatenablehimtoplay"smart"inthegamethanwithhisabilitytotakewrittentests. Ontheotherhand,valueexistsintheprocess,ifyoukeeptheresultsinperspectiveandyouknowhowtoproperlyutilizethecollecteddata.ItIsimportantto rememberthatfunctionalityisthemostimportantindicatorofaplayer'sabilitytoperform.

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Nomatterhowfastanathleteruns,howhighhejumps,orhowwellhescoresonawrittentest,hisvaluecanonlyberelatedtohowfunctionalheisonthefield.In reality,functionalityisusuallysomethingthatcannotbepreciselymeasuredanyplaceexceptonthepracticefieldorinagamesituation. Manyteamsfeelthatthemostvaluableevaluativemeasureisnottheonethatyieldsprecisemarks,butratheronethatmustbeevaluatedwithagreatdealof subjectivity:thepersonalinterview.Itseemsironicthat,aftergoingthroughalltheexistingintricatetestsandprocedures,teamsoftenreachtheirfinaljudgmentona playerbasedonagood,oldfashionedfacetofacediscussion.The49ersutilizedtheaccomplishedservicesofDr.HarryEdwards,arenownedexpertinthe interviewprocess,tohelpinthisarea. AnotherissuethathasincreasinglybecomeaproblematicfactorinassessingtheusefulnessoftheIndytestingresultsinvolvesthefactthatmanycoachesandscouts usetheIndydatatoinjectaselfprotectivemechanismintotheevaluativeequation."Thisplayerhasgoodsize,speedandplayswithlotsofheart,butheonlyhada 28inchverticaljumpatthecombine."Thistypeofqualifierisoftenputintheevaluationreporttocoverone'sbacksideiftheevaluationprovesinaccurateandthe playerdoesnotpanout(i.e.,"Itoldyouhedidn'thaveagoodverticaljump."). Eventually,eachteammustdecideforitselfhowtousetheinformationobtainedattheIndycombine.OneoftheinitialstepsindecidingwhattodowiththeIndy resultsshouldbetothoroughlyrevieweachtestingmeasureforitsapplicationtotheteam'sneedsandinterests.Howwellteamsperformthistaskwillhaveanimpact notonlyontheeffectivenessoftheirprocessforevaluatingplayers,butalsoontheirabilitytobesuccessfulwhereitcountsonthefield. 40YardSprint The40yarddashisoneofthemostuniversallyadoptedandmostcommonlyacceptedaptitudemeasuresforfootballplayers.Ontheotherhand,however,the relativelyhighvalueplacedonthismeasureisopentoquestion. Asanevaluativemeasure,aplayer'stimeinthe40yarddashhasatleasttwodeficiencies.First,theconditionsunderwhichtheeventwasconducted(e.g.,weather, typeofrunningsurface,etc.)canmakeasubstantialdifferenceintheresultingtimes.Second,andmoreimportant,thegameoffootballrequiresfunctionalspeed,not puretrack(foot)speed.Functionalspeedisrelatedtoplayingthegameandrespondingtoexternalstimulis(e.g.,anothermovingobject,etc.). Theproblemswithusingthe40yarddashtimeareillustratedbyJerryRiceunquestionably,thegreatestwidereceiverinthehistoryoftheNFL.Rice'scombinetime inthe40was4.59seconds. Assuch,RicewasconsideredtohavemarginalspeedforastartingNFLwidereceiverbyvirtuallyeveryteamintheNFL.TheonlyexceptionsweretheNewYork Jets,theDallasCowboysandtheSanFrancisco49ers,whoultimatelydraftedhim.HadotherteamsconsideredRice'sfunctionalspeed(whichisprobablyamongthe verybestinthehistoryofthegame),insteadofhisfootspeed,Rice'sdraftdaystatuswouldhaveimprovedimmeasurablyandhispotentialforgreatnessrecognized.

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Everyyear,anumberofplayerswithextraordinary40yarddashtimes(e.g.,4.3secondsorfaster)tryoutfortheNFL.Althoughhighlytalentedbecauseoftheirfoot speed,theseindividualsareoftenoutoffootballinayearortwo. Despitethefactthatthe40yarddashtimeisacommonlyacceptedmeasuring"stick,"inreality,it'sonlyaviableevaluativemeasureateitherextremeofthetime continuum.Aplayerwitha4.4timeisobviouslyveryfast,whilea5.4timemeansthattheathleteisvery,veryslow.AsindicatedbytheJerryRiceexample,those timesinthemiddleofthecontinuumarelessuseful. Anotherproblemwithusingthe40yarddashtimeasanevaluativemeasureinvolvesitslackofapplicationtocertainpositions.Forexample,timingoffensivelinemen inthe40yarddashisofquestionablevalue.Knowinghowfastheisandwhatkindofbodymechanicsa300pounderhasinthe40yarddashprovidesinformationof dubiousutility. Becauseofitshistoricalrootsanditsnormativereference,timingplayersinthe40yarddashcanfurnishusefuldata.Coachesshouldremindthemselves,however,that 40yarddashtimesinvolvetenthofaseconddifferentialsthatcanbesignificantlyaffectedbytheconditionsoftherunningsurfaceonwhichthetestisconductedand bytheamountoftrainingtheathletehashadwithatrackstart. Thelimitsofusingthe40yarddashtimeasanevaluativemeasureareillustratedevenfurtherwhenthe40yarddashtimesofthe1970sareconsidered.Twentyyears ago,thetimesinthe40swererelativelyslow.Thetestingwasoftenconductedonlessthanidealsurfaces. Athletesjustrananywhereanyonedirectedthemtoongrassoranytypeoffield.Hardlyanyonepracticedhisstartingtechniques.Theindividualtobetestedsimply gotintohisfootballstanceandranthe40...norehearsal,noworkonstartingtechnique,etc.Althoughthe40yarddashtimeshaveimprovedconsiderablyoverthe years,insomeways,theyhavebecomelessreliableasanevaluativemeasure. Amorevalidtestofspeedforawidereceiverwouldbethespeedinvolvedwhenheisrunningatfullstridewithadefensivebackinhotpursuit.Thisspeedwouldbe comparabletoanindividualrunningthelast40metersina100meterrace. VerticalJump Consideredbymanyindividualstobethebestmeasureofexplosiveness(acriticalfactorinaplayer'sperformance),theverticaljumptestisdesignedtomeasureleg power(and,toalimitedextent,coordination).Thetestinvolveshavinganathletejumpstraightupashighashecanfromaflatfootedstart.Thetestscoreachievedis themeasureddistancebetweenhisreachwhilestandingflatfootedandthehighestpointhecantouchonhisjump.Norunningstartsarepermitted. Althoughtheverticaljumpisareliableindicatorofexplosivelegpower,thistesthasafewlimitationsasanevaluativetool.Forexample,verticaljumpscoresare affectedbybodyweight.Allfactorsconsidered,a260poundoffensivelineman,whowouldbeconsideredlightbyNFLstandardsforhisposition,wouldnormallybe abletojumphigherthanhis300poundteammate.Evenifbothplayerswereincomparablephysicalcondition,the300pounderhastodomoreworkthanthe260 poundplayerbecausehehastomovemoreweightoverthesamedistance.

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Verticaljumpscoresarealsoaffectedbytraining.Theathletewhotrainsforthistestwillachievescoressubstantiallyclosertohisactualpotentialthananindividual whodoesn'ttrain.Finally,verticaljumpscoresaregenerallyaffectedbyage.Mostathletesreachapointintheirlives,agewise,where(allfactorsconsidered)their strengthlevelsstarttodeclinesomewhat.Asaconsequence,theirverticaljumpscoresdecline. BenchPress Thebenchpressisaweightliftingexercisewhichisdesignedtomeasureupperbodymuscularfitness.AttheIndianapoliscombine,thetestinvolveshavinganathlete performonesetofasmanyrepetitionsofthebenchpressashecanwith225pounds. Similartootherevaluativemeasures,thebenchpresshassomelimitations.Allfactorsconsidered,alargerindividualcanliftmoreweightthanasmallerone.Giventhe absoluterelationshipbetweenstrength(forceexertedonetime)andendurance(theabilityofamuscleoramusclegrouptoengageinrepeatedboutsofatask),it followsthatalargerplayercangenerallyperformmorerepetitionsofa225poundbenchpressthananathletewhoislighter. Theabilitytoperformabenchpressisalsoaffectedtoasubstantialdegreebythelengthofthearmsofthelifter.Theathletewithshorterarmscanperformmore repetitionsofabenchpress(whenallotherfactorsarecomparable)thananindividualwithrelativelylongarmsbecausehehastomovetheweightlessdistance(i.e., performlesswork).Finally,likeotherevaluativemeasureswhichinvolvephysicalwork,trainingwillhaveaneffectonresults.Anathletewhohasbeenworkingout regularlyintheweightroomwillalmostalwaysperformbetteronthebenchpresstestthansomeonewhohasn't. Althoughupperbodystrengthandendurancecertainlycanhaveasignificantimpactonanindividual'sperformanceonthefootballfield,thevalueofusingthebench pressscoresforevaluationpurposesappearstolieprimarilyattheextremesofaresultscontinuum.Forexample,ifanathleteisonlyabletoperformhalfasmany repetitionsofthebenchpressascomparableplayersathisposition,aproblemmayexist(i.e.,hehasn'tbeenworkingoutregularly,he'stooembarrassedtostrength train,hisworkethicislacking,hedoesn'thavethemuscularfitnessappropriatefordoingthejobonthefield,etc.).Ontheotherhand,evenifanathletecanperform substantiallymorerepetitionsofthebenchpressthanaverage,aquestionstillexistsastohowmuchhisbenchpressperformancerelatestofunctionalfootballstrength. Onefinalconsiderationinvolvingtheuseofbenchpressresultsasanevaluativemeasureconcernsthevalueofbonegirthtooffensivelinemen.Bonegirthhelpsgivea playerballasttokeephisbalance.Ballasthelpsmakeitdifficultforadefendertomoveanoffensivelinemanoutoftheway,oriftheoffensivelinemangetsmovingina certaindirection,ballastmakesitmoredifficulttostophim. Assuch,anoffensivelineman'sbonegirthisprobablymoreimportantthanthenumberofbenchpressrepetitionshecanperformwith225pounds.Anoffensive linemancouldhaveballast(heavybonegirth)andbeacomparablypoorperformeron

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thebenchpresstest,yetbeaveryeffectivefootballplayerbecausehehasfunctionalstrength. Ateammayhaveaplayerwhohasdedicatedhimselftotheweightroomand,intheprocess,hasbrokenseveralweightliftingrecords.However,ifhehasarelatively smallskeletalstructure,heisvulnerabletobeingundulymovedaround(againsthiswishes)byhisopponent.JesseSapolu,anexoffensivelinemanwhoformerly playedfortheSanFrancisco49ers,providesanexcellentexampleofthisfactor.Jessehadgreatbonegirth.Regardlessofhowhewasabletoperformintheweight room,hewasagreatperformeronthefield. Becauseofitsapplicationasacomparablereferencepointanditssizerelatedlimitations,benchpressresultsarenormallyevaluatedbyposition(i.e.,widereceivers versusotherwidereceivers,defensivelinemenversusotherdefensivelinemen,etc.).Playerswhoplaythesamepositiontypicallyutilizethesameskillsandareof comparableheightandweight,etc. TheWunderlich TheWunderlichisawrittentestthatisadministeredtoallprospectsattheIndianapoliscombine.TechnicallynotanIQtest,thisevaluativemeasureisdesignedto showinnateintelligence(i.e.,theabilitytoreason). Allfactorsconsidered,theWunderlichholdsmoresignificanceforsomepositionsthanothers.Forexample,ateammightbemoreinterestedintheWunderlichtest resultsofanoffensivelinemanthanadefensivelinemanbecauseoftheamountofmentalprocessingthatplayingthepositionofoffensivelinemanrequires. SimilartomanyoftheothertestsconductedattheIndianapoliscombine,thequestionofthedirectapplicationoftheWunderlichtestresultsisafactorthatmustbe considered.Theissueisinnateintelligenceversusfunctionalintelligence(i.e.,thereistakewrittentest''smarts,"andthereisonthefield"smarts").Somesuccessful papershavebothtypesofintelligence,whileotherstendtobemoreinclinedtowardfunctionalintelligence. SteveYoung,thetalentedquarterbackfortheSanFrancisco49ers,isanexampleofaplayerwhopossessesbothinnateandfunctionalintelligence.Youngis extremelybright,hasalawdegree,andisanexceptionalperformeronthefield.Ontheotherhand,therehavebeenHallofFamequarterbackswhoweregreat footballplayers,intensecompetitors,andinsightfuldecisionmakersonthefield,yetwouldnothavescoredinthehighestpercentileonawrittentestlikethe Wunderlich. Anexampleofanindividualwhodidnothavethehighestscoreonthisparticularmeasure,yetexhibitedextraordinaryfunctionalintelligenceonthefootballfieldwas PhilSimms.AnyonewhohaseverdealtwithSimms,however,knowsthathisintelligenceisextremelyhigh. PerhapsthemostappropriatewaytousetheresultsoftheWunderlichtestforevaluationpurposesistolookforextremes.Thefactthataprospectiveplayerreceived asingledigitscoreonthetest(i.e.,waybelowthenorm)wouldcertainlyhavetobeconsidered.Forexample,wouldthatplayerhavethecapacitytohandlethe intricaciesofacomplexoffensive(ordefensive)scheme?

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MedicalHistory Aplayer'smedicalhistoryisanothertypeofinformationcollected,invaryingdegrees,attheIndianapoliscombineworkouts.Becauseofeachteam'sneedtoexpend availableresourceswiselyandthedemandsoftheNFL'ssalarycap,obtainingandthoroughlyanalyzingthemedicalhistoryofeachprospectiveplayertheteamis consideringisextremelycritical.Anyunusualfactoruncoveredintheanalysisshouldbesystematicallyscrutinized. Itisveryimportantthatateamconductsextensiveresearchonaplayer'shealth,includinghispastinjuries.Unfortunately,it'snotuncommonforacollegetomaskthe injuryhistoryofoneofitsathletes.Theathletictrainersandcoachingstaffmembersofsomecollegesaresoloyaltotheirathletesthattheyareveryreluctanttoshare orreleaseanyinformationonthoseathleteswhichmightbeperceivedasdamagingtotheathletes. Asaresult,insomesituationsitisoftendifficultforateamtogetacompletemedicalhistoryonaparticularplayer.Thisreluctanceappearstobeevenmoreofafactor whendrugsand/oralcoholareinvolved.Itisimportanttounderstandthataplayer'sschoolmayfeelanethical,aswellaslegal,obligationtowithholdthattypeof information. Severalmedicalrelatedfactors(especiallywhenconsideredcollectively)canindicatethatapotentialproblemexistswithaprospectiveplayer.Forexample,ifa playerhasbeeninandoutofthetrainingroom,evenwithminorinjuries,andhasbeenunabletopracticeongivendaysandismissingpartsofgamesormissinga wholegamehereandthere,thosecircumstanceshavetobeaseriousfactorwhenateamisthinkingaboutcommittingahighdraftpick. Whileitwouldn'teliminateaplayer,itdefinitelywouldbeaconsideration.Certaintypesofinjuriesoftenbecomechronic.Jointinjuries,forexample,haveahistoryof recurringandthendevelopingintoarthriticproblems.Thistypeofconsiderationmustbefactoredinwhenevaluatingaprospect. PersonalInterview PerhapsthemostvaluableevaluativetoolattheIndianapoliscombineisthepersonalinterview.ThemoreshrewdorganizationsintheNFLgothroughthetediousand laboriousprocessofinterviewingvirtuallyeveryprospectinattendance.Attheleast,theyinterviewplayersinwhomtheymighthaveinterest. Conductedbyaprofessionalwhoisthoroughlyknowledgeableintheprocess,thepersonalinterviewinvolvesaseriesofquestionsthatareaddressedtoeach candidate. Theanswerstothesequestionsprovideacommondenominatorthatcanbeusedtomakecomparisonsbetweencandidates.Dr.HarryEdwards,theeminent sociologist,directedthisprogramforthe49ers. Theseinterviewsoftenyieldusefulinformationoraninsightfulperspectiveonaplayer.Moreoftenthannot,iftheinterviewgoesonlongenough,theplayerwillreveal alotabouthimself,includingsomeofhismorediscordantpersonalitytraits.Afewofthesetraitsmaybelessthandesirable.

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Theinterviewmayalsorevealthattheplayerhasahistoryofproblemssociallyorthathehaddifficultiesinhisrelationshipswithhiscoaches.Inaddition,theinterview mightprovideanindicationofaprospect'swillingness,desireorabilitytolearn.Furthermore,byexaminingaplayer'scollegetranscript(i.e.,whatcourseshetook, whatkindofgradesheearned,etc.),acoachcangetanideaofhowseriousthisindividualwasasastudentorwhathemighthavelearnedandretained. Overtheyears,thepersonalinterviewhasbecomeamoreandmoreimportantpartoftheevaluativeprocess.Characterhasbecomeadistinctivefactorinthe process.Asaresult,playerevaluationhasbecomemuchmorepersonalizedthanitoncewas. Forexample,acoachmightaskaseriesofquestionsthataredesignedtogetaplayertoopenupalittleandrevealasideofhispersonalitythatmightotherwisenotbe seen.Forexample,"Whatwasthetoughestclassyoutookincollege?""Whydidyouchoosethemajoryou'rein?""Whatclassoutsideofyourmajordidyouenjoy themost/least?(Why?)"etc. GiventhenatureoftheNFLinthe1990s(i.e.,freeagencysalarycapownershipexpectationsthatateammustwinsooner,ratherthanlateretc.)itiscriticalthata draftedplayer(particularlysomeonechoseninthehighrounds)maketheteamandquicklycontributetotheteaminameaningfulway.Thevalueofapersonal interviewisenhancedbythefactthatmostteamssimplydon'thavetheluxuryofwaitinguntilafteraplayerisdraftedtofindoutifhehasrecurring(chronic)problems withstudying,learning,orrelatingtocoachesandteammates,
Allmenarefrightened.Themoreintelligenttheyare,themoretheyarefrightened.Thecourageousmanistheman whoforceshimself,inspiteofhisfear,tocarryon. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

EvaluatingPlayersbyPosition Therequirementstoplayapositioneffectivelyvarygreatlybyposition.Thefactorseachorganizationemploysinthisregardalsovarysomewhatfromteamtoteam. ThissectionofthebookdiscussesthecriteriaandconsiderationsthatmanyNFLteamsusewhenevaluatingplayersataparticularposition.Thedescriptionofeach positionincludesastatementofwhatconstitutesan"idealsize"foranindividualwhoplaysthatposition. The"idealsize"representsanaverageofwhatsizeplayerateammightexpectandwantatthatposition.TheheightandweightoftheNFC's1997ProBowl

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playersatthatpositionarealsolisted(exceptforthecenter,fullbackandweaksafetypositions,whereboththeNFCandAFCplayersarelisted).Theactualsizesof theProBowlersunderscorethevariationthatoccursbetweenplayers,evenatthesameposition. Alltoooften,greatplayersdonotmeetrecognizedheightandweightstandardsestablishedbypersonnelpeople.Onoccasion,theyaremeasurablybelowthe requirementsthatscoutsembraceasnecessary. WideReceivers Idealsize,63,210 1997NFCProBowlers IsaacBruce CrisCarter HermanMoore JerryRice average Team St.LouisHams MinnesotaVikings Detroitlions SanFrancisco49ers Ht 6.00 6.03 6.04 6.02 6.02 Wt 200 206 210 200 204

Toplayeffectively,awidereceivermustpossessseveraltraitsandcharacteristics.Forexample,awidereceivershouldhaveahighlevelofagility.Theabilityto changehisbodyposition(sometimeswhileofftheground)isessentialifawidereceiveristobeabletogethishipsturnedandhishandsinpositiontocatchaballthat wasnotperfectlythrown.Bodycontrolisparticularlycriticalforawidereceiverwhowantstogettothehighesttierofplay(e.g.,JerryRice,CrisCarter,etc.). Widereceiversmustalsoberelativelystrong.Strengthcanhelpwidereceiversinseveralways.Forexample,strengthplaysaroleinawidereceiverbeingableto maintainhisbalanceafteracollisionwithhisdefenders. Strengthalsoaffectsareceiver'sabilitytogoupfortheball(i.e.,verticaljumping)andhisabilitytomaintainhisperformancelevelasthegameprogresses(i.e.,delay theonsetofmuscularfatigue).Finally,allfactorsconsidered,thestrongeraplayeris,thelesslikelyheistobeinjured(arelationshipthatexistsforallplayers particularlythoseinvolvedinviolentcontact). Softhandsarealsovital.It'sagiventhattohavealegitimatechancetoplayintheNFL,areceivermusthaveoutstandinghands.Thekeyistobeabletocatchtheball inacrowdedsituation,whileonthemove. Almostallpotentialreceiverscanrunundertheballandcatchitintheopen.Inreality,however,mostcatchesintheNFLmustbemadewiththeballandthedefender closingatthesameinstant.Insuchasituation,thereceivermustgethisbodyinpositiontocatchtheball,actuallycatchtheballandbehitallatthesamemoment.

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Widereceiversmustalsohavetheabilitytofocus.Theymustbeableto"find"theball,focusonit,andisolateitfromeverythingelsethatishappeningaroundthem. Whenacoachisevaluatingvideotapesonaparticularwidereceiver,helooksforandevaluatesthoseplaysthatdemonstratesituationswheretheplayermustbe focused. Speedalsoplaysarole.Whilepure(track)speedmaybedesirable,theabilitytoincreasehisfootspeedasneeded(i.e.,explosiveness)andhisfullstridespeedare moreimportantfactorsforawidereceiver.Accelerationhasanumberofobviousapplicationsforawidereceiver. Fullstridespeedenablesareceiverwhohastheballintheopenfieldtobeabletokeeptheseparationwiththeclosingdefendersuntilhecrossesthegoalline.He doesn'thavetooutrunthedefendersorgaingroundonthemjustgettothegoallinebeforethedefendersdo.Thissituationrequiresfullstridespeed,ratherthan trackspeed.Forexample,MikeQuick,whenhewaswiththePhiladelphiaEagles,hadjustanaverage40yarddashtime,butonceintheopenfield,hislongstrides gavehimthefunctionalspeedtostayawayorgetawayfromdefendersintheopenfield. TheNFLhasalsohadafewwidereceiverswithOlympiclevelsprintingspeedwholackedfullstridespeed.Asaresult,theyweren'tabletoscorewhenevertheygot tangledupwithadefenderandweren'tabletogetbackintofullstridequicklyenough. "Coachability"isanotherfactorthatisimportantthatwidereceivershave(asitisforallplayers).Coachingcanhelpenhanceareceiver'sabilitytoevadeadefenderat thelineofscrimmage,toreadtheformofcoverage,andtochangeapatternaccordingly. Widereceiversmustalsobedurable.Durabilityisafactorbecausereceiversgethitalot.Often,they'rehitwhenthey'reinavulnerableposition(i.e.,beinghitbya muchlargeropponentafterrunningahookingpatternagainstalinebacker). Widereceiversarefinelytunedathleteswhoneedtobeintopconditiontoperformwell.Iftheyarehurtorinjured,itcanbeverydifficultforthemtofunctionathigh level.Unlikeafewotherpositions(e.g.,offensivelineman),widereceiversmustbealmosttotallyinjuryfreetoperformwell. Duringmycareer,Ihadtheopportunitytocoachanumberofgreatwidereceivers,includingChipMyers,CharlieJoiner,JamesLofton,KenMargerum,IsaacCurtis, DwightClark,JohnTaylorandtheincomparableJerryRice.Atonetimeoranother,allofthemwereeitherProBowlplayersorAllAmericansincollege. Each,however,wasuniquelyqualifiedanddifferentfromtheothers.Forexample,ChipMyerswas6'5",whileCharlieJoinerwasonly5'10"IsaacCurtiswasan NCAAsprintchampionDwightClarkrana4.640yarddash,etc.Theonethingthattheyhadincommon,however,wasthattheywereallbrilliantperformers. Itisimportanttorememberthatnoteveryoneisfortunateenoughtoplayouttheircompletecareer.Forexample,BillKellar,averytalentedwidereceiverwhoplayed formeatStanford,wasanoutstandingcollegiateperformerwhohadhisNFLcareershortenedbyinjuries.

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TightEnd Idealsize64,245 1997NFCProBowlers KeithJackson WesleyWalls average Team GreenBayPackers NewOrleansSaints Ht 6.02 6.05 6.04 Wt 258 250 254

Therequirementsforplayingtightenddependprimarilyonthesystemateamdeploys.Accordingly,eachteammustfindtheathletewhobestfitstheteam'sapproach tooffensivefootball. Someteamswantatightendwhohasgirth,ballastandstrength.Fortheseteams,thetightendisoneoftheprimarykeystotheiroffensivesystembecausehehasthe sizeandphysicaltoolstosecurethepointofattack.Ifthetightendisabletoblockadefensivelinemanwhoispositionedontheedgeoftheoffense,thenateam automaticallyhasanincreasedlikelihoodofhavingarunninggamewithjustthatsinglefeature. Inmanyofthedefensivealignmentsofthe1990s,defensivelinemenareliningupadjacenttooracrossfromthetightend,whereasyearsagotheyweren't.Ifthetight endcanblockthosedefensivelinemen,thentheentireoffensehasafocalpointfromwhichtowork. Thistypeoftightendcanbeadominatingfactor.Heisbiggerandstronger,thoughlessquickandagile,thantheothertypeoftightend.Teamstendtofashiontheir passinggamewithhiminthevicinityofthelinebackers.Accordingly,hemusthaveboththeabilitytoabsorbaballasheisbeinghitandsofthands.Onvirtuallyevery passthrowntohim,heisgoingtobehitalmostsimultaneouslywiththecatch. Thistypeoftightendalsodoesnotneedtopossessgreatspeeda5.0timeonthe40yarddashwillgetthejobdone.Themajorshortcomingattendanttohislack ofextraordinaryspeedisthefactthatheisnotgoingtobeabletocleardefendersoncertainpasspatternstohelpotherreceivers.Allinall,thatlimitationisnotthat significantcomparedtoalltheblockingcapabilitiesheprovides. TheotherextremewouldbeaBrentJonestypetightend,whocanbeamajorfactoralloverthefield.Thistypeoftightendhastheabilityandthefootspeedtogo anywhereonthefieldquicklyacrossthefield,totheoutside,downthefield,etc. Intheprocess,hewillbeabletoeitherbringdefenderswithhimorfindopeningsinthedefenses.Thiskindoftightendneedsthebodycontrol,thegreathandsanda lotoftheskillsofwidereceiver,althoughmoregirth(size)thanawidereceiverbecausemanyofthepasseshecatcheswillbeinthevicinityoflinebackersandeven defensivelinemen. Thequickerandfastertypeoftightendwillutilizeanalltechnique(ratherthanbulk)approachwhenblocking.Itisessentialthathelearnsanddevelopsthoseblocking techniquesthathecanusewithareasonablelevelofeffectivenessagainstdefensivelinemenandlinebackers.Unlikethestronger,biggertypeoftightend,hewillnot beabletouseamassagainstmassapproachtoblocking.

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Athirdkindoftightendalsoexiststhegreatallaroundtype.Thistypeoftightendissogifted(athletically)thathecandoallofthethingsbothoftheothertypesof tightendswouldnormallybeexpectedtodo.WithHallofFamelevelskills,thistypeofplayermakesthetightendpositiontrulyvaluableintheNFL. Amultitalented,allaroundtightendwhoisbothagreatblockerandagreatreceivergiveshisteammultipleoffensiveoptions.InthehistoryoftheNFL,onlyafewof theseindividualshaveexisted.Possibly,thetwobestexamplesofanallaroundtypeoftightendareMikeDitkaandJohnMackey,bothofwhomhavebeeninducted intoProFootball'sHallofFame. Iwasveryfortunatetohavecoachedseveraloutstandingtightendsinmycareer,includingBobTrumpy,CharleYoung,RussFrancisandBrentJones.Atsomepoint intheirNFLplayingdays,eachwasnamedtotheAllNFLteam. Eachindividualhadmeasurablydifferentphysicalcharacteristics.Allofthem,however,weregreatchampions. OffensiveTackle Idealsize:64,310 1997NFCProBowlers LomasBrown WillieRoaf ErikWilliams average Team ArizonaCardinals NewOrleansSaints DallasCowboys Ht 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.05 Wt 275 300 324 300

TheNFLhasanumberofhighlyskilledoffensivetackleswhoweigh330poundsorso.Inreality,theseathletesplaywellinspiteofweighing330,notbecauseofit. Theonlyapparentbenefitofweighingthatmuchistoattracttheattentionofthetelevisioncameracrew.Whilemostofthemmightenhancetheirplayingskillsand performanceiftheylostasubstantialamountofweight(i.e.,getdownto300pounds),thefactisthattheyplayprettywellattheircurrentweight. Theoneabsoluteessentialtraitforalloffensivelinemenisnaturalbodygirth.Inadditiontogirth,offensivetacklesmustbeverystrongandhaveahighlevelofagility (bodycontrol). Becauseanoffensivetackletendstofunctionmostofthetimeinthegameinatwoyardsquarearea,theabilityofthisindividualtomovehisfeetquicklyand purposefullywithinthisareaisabsolutelycritical.Asubstantialpartofthisabilitycanbedevelopedandenhancedtoadegree.Ontheotherhand,ifanoffensivetackle has"slowfeet,"hemayimprovesomewhat,buthewillalwaysbelimited. Anoffensivetackleshouldalsohavestrong,longarmstofacilitatethoseblockingtasksinvolvingleverage.Fromablockingperspective,however,thetimingofthe blockitself(i.e.,thetimingoftheextension)isthecriticalfactor.Inaddition,the

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offensivetacklemusthaveanintuitivesenseoffeelingorknowingwheretointersectdefenders. InNFLfootballinthe1990s,theoffensivetacklemustalsobeabletoanticipateandbereadytohandleanyoneofthreetofourdifferentsituationsthatmightoccur. Historically,theoffensivetackleonlyhadtodealwithoneortwopossiblescenarios.Overtheyears,however,asNFLdefenseshavebecomemorecomplex,the possibleadjustmentstheoffensivetacklemustmakehavebecomemorediverse. Forexample,theoffensivetacklemustbeabletoadapttoasituationwherealinebackerblitzesfromtheoutsideandthedefenderhewasexpectingtoblockdrops backintopasscoverage.Asaresult,theoffensivetacklemustbesharpenoughtoquicklyidentifythescenarioandbeabletomoveandadjusttothecircumstancesas needed.Hemustalsobeextremelywellversedandpreparedintheskillsandthetechniquesrequiredtohandleavarietyofsituations. Thenatureofthepositionofoffensivetacklealsorequiresthatathleteswhoplaythispositionpossessalevelofinnerconfidenceandnaturalselfcontrolthatenables themtodealwithfrustration(e.g.,thedefenderheadslapshim,theplayisstoppedfornogain,etc.)and,onsomeoccasionsinafootballsense,disaster(e.g.,hisman sacksthequarterback).Regardlessofthecircumstances,theoffensivetacklemustbeabletoregainhisfocusandfunctionatahighlevelofperformancewithin3040 secondsorless.Inreality,someathletesappeartohaveabetterdispositiontodealwithpotentiallydisruptiveelementsthanothers. Duringmycareer,IhadtheopportunitytoworkwithanumberofProBowltalentedoffensivetackles,includingHarrisBarton,KeithFahnhorst,BubbaParisand SteveWallace.Similartogreatplayersattheotherpositions,eachindividualexhibiteduniquephysicalcharacteristics. Eachofthesegreatplayers,however,wasanexcellenttechnician.Moreimportantly,allofthemexhibitedthepoiseandthepatiencetotakeonthechallengeeach weekofdealingwithsomeofthebestpassrushersinfootball. OffensiveGuard Idealsize:63,300 1997NFCProBowlers LarryAllen RandallMcDaniel NateNewton average Team DallasCowboys MinnesotaVikings DallasCowboys Ht 6.03 6.03 6.03 6.03 Wt 326 277 320 308

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Similartosomeoftheotherpositions,therequirementsforplayingguarddependtoagreatextentonthetypeofoffensivesysteminwhichheplays.Inthisregard,two obviousoptionsexist:eithertheoffensiveguardhastobeselectedbasedonhiscapacitytocontributetoateam'sexistingsystemofoffenseorateamhastostyleits offenseaccordingtowhoitsguardsare.Typically,thelatteroptionprevails.Ateamadaptsitsoffensivestyletotheabilitiesofitsguards. Anexampleofhowateamadaptsitsoffensivesystemtoitsguardsoccurswhenaparticularoffensiveguardcanorcannotdosomethingtohisrightorleft.Iftheleft guardcanpullandtrap,thentheteamismorelikelytorunplaystotherightwiththeleftguardpulling(andviceversa).Theguardpositionsare"personalized" accordingtowhattheycando.Typically,oneortheotheroffensiveguardonateamisstrongerorweakerinaparticulartechniqueortheabilitytogetthejobdone Asarule,greatoffensiveguardspossessseveraltraits,includingquickness,agility,explosiveness,theabilitytopullandtrap,andtheabilitytogoinsideoutona linebacker.RandallMcDanieloftheMinnesotaVikingsisanexcellentexampleofthistypeofoffensiveguard.Althoughheonlyweighsapproximately280pounds,he isanoutstandingplayerineverysense. Offensiveguardsmustalsobeabletopassblock.Generallyspeaking,girth,stabilityandbodybalanceareessentialfactorsinthisskill.Becausetheoffensiveguard canusuallygethelpasapassprotector,hejusthastohaveenoughpowertoavoidbeingknockedback.Justthesheernumberofpeopleinsidewillhelptheguard passblock.Asaresult,theguardcanhavesomelimitationsasapassblockeraslongashehasenoughgirthtokeepthedefensivetacklefrompickinghimupand movinghim. Theoffensiveguardpositionrequireslesstechniqueforpassprotectingthanisessentialforanoffensivetackle.Ontheotherhand,theoffensiveguardpositionrequires moreblockingandmovementskills.Forexample,theguardisusedonnumerousblockingcombinationswherehemustgetfrompoint"A"topoint"B,"pullingthrough ahole,trapping,pullingonsweeps,cominginsideoutonablitzinglinebacker,etc.Collectively,thiscapabilityrequiresthattheoffensiveguardhasagility,mobility,and arefinedleveloftechniques. IwasfortunatetohaveworkedwiththreeoutstandingguardswhileIwascoachingthe49ersRandyCross,JohnAyersandGuyMcIntyre.Eachhadmobility, strengthandexplosiveness. Allfactorsconsidered,theyaremostnotablyrecognizedfortheiralmostaestheticlevelofgraceaspullingguardsonthe49ers'"Bob"sweep.EachearnedAllPro honors. WhileIwasatStanford,IhadtwootherexceptionallytalentedoffensiveguardsJeffBuckeyandBradBadger.BotharecurrentlystartingonNFLteams.

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Center Idealsize:62,290 1997ProBowlers RayDonaldson DermonttiDawson average Team DallasCowboys PittsburghSteelers Ht 6.03 6.02 6.03 Wt 311 288 300

Theoffensivecenterhasacriticalroleintheteam'soffensivesystem.Notonlymusthestarteveryplaywithaflawlesslyexecutedsnap,heistypicallythekeymanin makinglinecalls.Thesecallsarevital,andthereisnowayateamcandowithoutthem. Forexample,withtheconstantdefensivechangesthatoccurduringagame,theoffensivelinemustreacttothosechangesifanadjustmentintheblockingschemeis required.Becauseheisliterallyatthe"center"oftheaction(i.e.,inthemiddleofthings),thecenteristheobviousmemberoftheoffensivelinetoidentifyand communicatetotheotheroffensivelinemenwhatblockingadjustmentmustbemade. Asaresult,thecentermusthaveathoroughcommandoftheoffensivelineblockingsystem,thegameplan,andindividualdefensiveplayershisteamisfacing.Inafew isolatedinstances,someteamsuseanoffensiveguardtomakelinecallsbecausetheguardiseithermoreexperiencedormoreadeptatmakingthem. Asageneralrule,thecenterdoesn'thavetobeanexceptionalblocker.Thecenterusuallydoesn'thavetoblockthenosetackleoneonone,althoughifhecan,it providesaconsiderableadvantagetohisteam.Thecenterwhocanisolateoneononeswithanosetacklewilltaketremendouspressureoffoftheoffensiveline, particularlytheguards. Mostteamstypicallyfindawaytohelpthecenterwiththenosetackle(e.g.,slidealine).Iftheotherteamisinalignmentthatdoesn'thaveanosetackle(e.g.,the43 defense)orhasthenosetacklestuntawayfromthecenter,thecenterhelpsateammatewithhisblockingresponsibilities. Oneadditionalfactorrelatedtothecenterthatsometeamsaddressishisheight.AlthoughtherehavebeensuccessfulcentersintheNFLwhowererelativelytall, manyteamsfeelthat,allfactorsconsidered,ashortercenterisbetter.Notonlydoesashortercenterhavelowercenterofgravity(therebyfacilitatingbodybalance), healsotendstobemoremobileatraitthatofferssignificantbenefitstoanindividualwhomustoperateinarelativelysmallarea. Alargebodycanbeahindranceinasmallarea(somewhatanalogoustothelimitationsimposedonajockeywhoweighsmorethan150pounds).Mostteamsprefer acenterwhoisabletoquicklymoveinbetweenpeople.Inmostcases,ashortercentercandothatbetterthanatall,rangyone. AtSanFrancisco,IhadtwooutstandingProBowlcenters,FredQuillanandJesseSapolu.Jessewasanequallyfineguard.Bothplayerswereintelligent,

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communicativeperformers.Physically,bothwereextremelynimbleathleteswhocouldadjustandadaptsimultaneouslyasneeded. ChrisDalman,whowasaveryfineplayeratStanford,inheritedJesse'sspotwiththe49ersandhassinceplayedverywell.Chrishasthatlowcenterofgravitythatis sovitalforthecenterposition. Quarterback IdealSize:63,210 1997NFCProBowlers TroyAikman BrettFavre SteveYoung average Team DallasCowboys GreenBayPackers SanFrancisco49ers Ht 6.04 6.02 6.02 6.03 Wt 223 220 205 216

AlogicalargumentcanbemadethatnopositiononanNFLteamismoreimportantthanthequarterback.Playingquarterbackrequiresseveralskillsandtraitssome ofwhichcanbedevelopedthroughpracticeandsoundcoaching,andotherswhichareinherited(i.e.,genetic''gifts"). Oneofthemostobviousrequirementsforaquarterbackistheabilitytopass.Ifanindividualcan'tpass,hewon'thaveanychancetoplayasaquarterbackinthe NFL.Thedaysthata"flinger"or"slinger"(i.e.,someonewithaJoeKapptypearm)wouldbegivenalegitimateopportunitytomakeanNFLrosterasaquarterback arehistory.Itisimportanttorealizethatarmstrengthandbeingabletopassarenotsynonymous.Someplayerscanthrowafootball80yards,buttheyaren'tgood passers.Goodpassinginvolvesaccuracy,timing,andthrowingaballwithenoughtouchsothatitiscatchable. Goodpassingalsorequiresunderstandingboththeoffensivesystemandthereceiversinthesystem,andhavingagreatsenseofanticipation.Whileitiscertainly admirabletobeabletothrowaballonalinefor35yards,iftheballisofftargetorarrivesinsuchawaythatitisdifficulttocatch,suchanabilityisofdubiousvalue. Thefundamentalgoalofpassingaballistomakesureit'scaught...bytheintendedreceiver. Oneofthemoreimportantcriteriaforassessingthepropotentialofaquarterbackistowhatextentdoeshehavetheabilitytothrowa"completeinventory"of passesfromscreenpassestotimes,shortpassestomediumrangepassesanddownthefieldthrows.Nothavinga"completeinventory"ofpassesinhisarsenal doesnoteliminateaquarterbackfromateam'sconsiderations,butitcanbeameaningfulfactor.Whileanumberofextraordinarilytalentedquarterbackshaveplayed intheNFLwhowerenotabletothrowacompletearrayofpasses,havingsuchanindividualquarterbacktheteamwouldlimitthetypeofoffensethattheteamcould runeffectively.

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Severalotherfactorsinvolvinghowwellaquarterbackcanperforminthepassinggamesegmentofateam'soffenseshouldalsobeconsidered,includingaquick delivery,touch,theabilitytoreaddefenses,mobility,andanabilitytoavoidapassrush.Aquickdeliveryisessentiallytheabilitytogettheball"upandgone"withno wastedmotion. Whileaquickdeliverycanbeacquiredtosomedegreebylearningandpracticingthepropertechniquesforpassingaball,suchareleaseisprimarilyrelatedtoan inheritedmotorskillthequarterback'sreactiontime(i.e.,howlongittakesbetweenwhenthequarterbackspotshisreceiverandwhenheactuallythrowstheball). Particularlywhenit'snottelegraphedinsuchawaythathelpsthedefense,aquickdeliveryisanadvantageforthequarterbackoncehe"sees"hisreceiver.Thefaster hereleasestheball,thelesstimethedefensehastoreacttothesituation. Theabilityofaquarterbacktothrowapasswiththepropertouchisalsoimportant,especiallyinamediumrangepassinggame.Therighttouchonathrowenablesa passtobemoreeasilycaughtbyareceiverwithouthavingtobreakhisstride.Oneofthebest"touch"passersinthehistoryoftheNFLwasJoeMontanaoftheSan Francisco49ers. Successfulquarterbacksalsohavetheabilitytoreaddefenses.Suchaskillisnotsomethingthatmostquarterbackshavelearnedtoahighdegreecomingoutof college.Eveniftheyhave,theyfaceverydifferentdefensesintheNFL.Regardlessofwhetherquarterbacksarerequiredtoreaddefensesincollege,most intercollegiateoffensivesystemsrequirequarterbackstolookattheirprimaryandsecondaryreceivers,usuallybasedonthedefenseconfrontinghim. Ifareviewofgamefilmsindicatesthatthequarterbackisabletolocatehissecondaryreceiver(orevenanemergencyoutletreceiveronoccasion)withease,orwitha senseofurgency,thisplayerhasachancetobeaconsistentperformerintheNFL.Thequarterback,however,mustbeabletohandlesuchsituationsinacomposed, systematicmanner(i.e.,initially,lookforhisprimaryreceiversthen,immediatelyseehissecondaryreceivers).Mobilityandtheabilitytoavoidapassrusharealso essentialcriteriaforquarterbacks.Quarterbacksmustbemobileenoughtoavoidapassrushwhentheyfeelpressureinthepocket. Ifthrowingaballwastheonlyaspectofplayingquarterback,evaluatingthepositionofquarterbackwouldbearelativelyeasytask.Becauseofthedynamicrolethata quarterbackplaysonateam,hemusthavephysical,mental,emotionalandinstinctivetraitsthatgowellbeyondhisabilitytopassthefootball.Aquarterback,for example,mustbecourageousandintenselycompetitive.Becauseheistheindividualwhoisleadingtheteamonthefield,histeammatesmusthaveconfidenceinboth hisskillsandhisabilitytowithstandthepressurepackedsituationshewillface.Hisintestinalfortitudemustbeunquestioned.Inthisregard,twoofthebestinthe historyoftheNFLwereBartStarrandBobGriese. Agreatquarterbackalsohasexcellentinstinctsandintuition.Hehasa"feel"forthegamethatgoeswellbeyondknowingtheplaybookandhisteammates,and understandingthenuancesofthedefensiveschemeshisteam'soffensemustface.Allfactorsconsidered,quarterbacksarebornwithsuchinstinctsandintuition.Asa rule,thereisnotmuchthatcoachescandotodevelopthisarea.

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Theabilitytomakesuperior,spontaneousdecisions(especiallyatcrucialtimes)isanothertraitthatgreatquarterbackspossess.Bycombininghisexperience,vision, andwhatmightbetermed"instinctivegenius,"agreatquarterbackalmostalwaysseemstobeabletomakethe"rightcall"atthe"righttime." Finally,quarterbacksmusthavetheabilitytofunctionatanappropriatelevelwhileinjured.Theproseasonisalmosttwiceaslongasthecollegeseason.Thelevelof intensityandpunishmentquarterbacksmustendureisalsoconsiderablyhigher.Everytimeaquarterbackgoesbacktopass,heisvulnerabletobeinghithard.Hemust havetheabilitytowithstandthehitting,toavoidbeingrattled,andtocontinuetoexertahighlevelofleadership. IhavebeenextremelyfortunateinthenumberofverytalentedquarterbackswhomIhadtheopportunitytocoach.ThisgroupthatincludesGregCook,VirgilCarter, KenAnderson,GuyBenjamin,SteveDils,DanFouts,JoeMontanaandSteveYoung(twoAllAmericans,fourNFLmostvaluableplayers,andthreeNFLHallof Fameperformers)makesmerealizehowreallyfortunateIwastoworkwiththem. Fullback Idealsize61,245 1997ProBowlers LarryCenters KimbleAnders average Team ArizonaCardinals KansasCityChiefs Ht 5.11 5.11 5.11 Wt 215 230 223

Inmanyways,thefullbackpositionparallelsthetightendposition.Thetraitsateamshouldlookforinafullbackwilldependontheoffensivesystemrunbytheteam andthetypeoffullbackthatisavailabletotheteam. Ifateamhasafullbackwhoisadevastatingblocker,hecanbethefocalpointoftheoffense(similartothewaythatagreatblockingtightendisused).Sucha fullbackcanbedirectedatanydefendernearthelineofscrimmage.Inahighpercentageofsituations,hewillbeabletoeffectivelyblockthedefender.Insucha scenario,ateamwillbeabletoimplementawidearrayofrunningcombinationsinitsrunninggame. Fullbackscanalsoplayacriticalroleinpassprotectionsituations.Ifthefullbackisstout(andskilled)enough,hecantakeonachargingpassrusherifnecessary, eitherwithareplacementblockoracleanupblock. Hemustbeabletofocusonaspecificdefender,findhim(i.e.,readtheplay),andtakehimonsuccessfully.Thisskillrequiresfunctionalintelligence.Hemustbeable toprocessthearrayofvariablesthatoccuronaparticularplayandrespondtotheminsuchawaythatheisaconsistentlyeffectiveblocker.

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Forablockingtypefullback,speedisnotamajorconsideration.Ideally,afullbackwillbeabletorun40yardsin5.0secondsorless.Hemust,however,have ballast,girth,andahighlevelofstrength. Fullbackswhoaredevastatingblockersmustalsobeverydurable.Ahighlevelofdurabilityisimportantbecausefullbacksprobablyenduremoreintensecontactthan anyoneelseonthefield,consideringthevelocityofthehitstheyexperienceoften,playafterplay. Blockingtypefullbacksshouldalsobeadequatereceivers.Ifhisreceivingskillsaresatisfactory,hecanserveasanoutletreceiver.Often,asthelastpersonwho releasesoutofthebackfield,thefullbackgetstheballclearofdefenders(thereby,providinghimwithagoodopportunitytogainyardage). Theotherkindoffullbackismoreofahalfbacktypefullback.Comparedtotheblockingtypeoffullback,thisindividualismoreskilled.Althoughhemaybeonlyan adequateblocker,heisusuallyanextraordinaryreceiverandaterrificballcarrier. Thistypeofathleteistypicallythefocalpointofhisteam'soffensiveattackbecause,fromhispositiononthefield,hecangoanywhereandcanprovidesomany offensiveweapons.RogerCraig,whoplayedonmanyoftheSanFrancisco49ers'greatestteams,isanexcellentexampleofahalfbacktypefullback. Inalimitednumberofinstances,fullbacksmaybegreatblockers,aswellasgreatreceiversandballcarriers.Onthoseoccasions,thefortunateteamsforwhomthey playhavemultipleoffensiveoptions. The49ersmanagedtowinseveralSuperBowlswithtwodistinctlydifferentstylesoffullbacks.RogerCraigwasabrilliantperformerattheposition,whencoupled withWendellTyler.Bothplayerssharedblockingandrunningduties,withRogerasthefeaturedpassreceiver.Inactuality,itwasatwohalfbackoffense. Later,ImaneuveredinthedrafttoselectTomRathmanagreatblockingfullbackfromNebraska.Subsequently,Tomdevelopedintothebestpurefullbackin footballasablockerforCraig. Halfback Idealsize:Largeenoughtotakepunishmentandretainstamina 1997NFCProBowlers TerryAllen BarrySanders RickyWatters average Team WashingtonRedskins DetroitLions PhiladelphiaEagles Ht 5.10 5.08 60.1 5.40 Wt 208 203 217 209

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Atalentedhalfbacktypicallypossessesanumberoftraits,includingdurability,stamina,purerunninginstincts,blockingskills,receivingskills,anddiscipline.Size requirementsforthepositionvary.Somerelativelysmallerhalfbacks"playbig."Duetotheirsize(i.e.,whichenhancestheirbody'sabilitytoabsorbphysical punishment),largerhalfbacksaresomewhatmoredurableandmorelikelytopossesstheabilitytofallforwardwhenhitbyadefender. Durabilityis,perhaps,themostoverlookedrequirementforeffectivehalfbackplay.Asageneralrule,ahalfbackisgoingtobehitalotduringthegame.Asaresult,he mustbeablenotonlytowithstandthephysicalabuse,hemustalsobeabletomaintainhisfocusandconcentrateondoinghisjobwelloneveryplay.Histeammustbe abletocountonhimifthehalfbackisakeypartofhisteam'soffensivephilosophy.Ifahalfbackisn'tdurable,allofhisothertalentsdiminishinvalue. Staminaisanimportantfactorbecauseahalfbackmustbenearlyaseffectiveinthefourthquarterashewasinthefirst.Suchagoalwillbeimpossibleifhis performanceislimitedbyphysicalfatigue. Alltalentedhalfbacksalsohavepurerunninginstincts.Everytalentedrunningbackhashisownintuitivestyle(whichdiffersfromrunningbacktorunningback).This styleenableshimtodothe"little"thingsonthefieldthatmakehimsuccessfulknowingwhentocutbackorchangedirections,knowinghowtoavoidbeinghitatfull forcebyadefender,knowingwhentochangehisrunningspeed,beingabletobreakpoorlyexecutedtackles,etc.Withoutsuchinstincts,anindividualwillnotbeable toplaythehalfbackpositionatanacceptablelevelintheNFL. Ideally,ahalfbackwillalsopossessanadequatelevelofbothblockingandreceivingskills.Ifhecanblock,histeam'soffensewillhavemanymoredimensions.Asa receiver,heshouldatleastbeadeptatscreenpasses.Bydegree,thefurtherdownthefieldhecangoandcatchtheball,themoredimensionalhisteam'soffensecan become. Finally,ahalfbackmusthavethedisciplinetogetthefirstfouryardswithinhisteam'soffensivescheme,andthenmustbeabletorelyonhisinstinctstotaketheplay beyondthatpoint.Althoughtimesoccurwhenaninstinctivehalfbackhastooccasionallydothingsonhisownearlyinaplay,hewillnotbeabletogaintheyardage thathisteamneedsconsistentlyifheleavesthedesignatedplaytooearlytoooften. Greatrunningbackscomeinallsizes.Manyofthebestperformers,however,havebeenundersixfeetandhaveweighedapproximatelytwohundredpounds.Inmy experience,thebestI'veworkedwithhavebeenDarrinNelson(180lbs.),PaulHofer(195lbs.),WendellTyler(200lbs.)andRogerCraig(220lbs.). Thisprofileisatoddswiththegreattalentsandextraordinarycareersofseveralrelativelylargehalfbacks,forexample,FrancoHarris,JohnRigginsandEric Dickerson.Ontheotherhand,theprofileisreinforcedwhentheabilitiesandcareersofplayerslikeWalterPayton,TonyDorsett,BarrySandersandEmmittSmith areconsidered.

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DefensiveTackles Ideasize:62,290 1997NFCProBowlers JohnRandle EricSwann BryantYoung average Team MinnesotaVikings ArizonaCardinals SanFrancisco49ers Ht 6.01 6.05 6.02 6.03 Wt 277 295 276 283

Adefensivetacklemusthaveseveralqualitiestoconsistentlyplaywell.Itisessentialthathehasenoughgirth(ballast)toholdoffanoffensiveguard,ortostepintoan offensivetackle'sblockwithoutbeingknockedoffthelineofscrimmage. Itisalsocriticalthatadefensivetacklehasquick,stronghandsandquickfeet.Greatdefensivetackleshavethephysicaltools(upperbodystrengthandquick,strong hands)tocontrol(grabandpull)andwardoffpossibleblockers.Theyalsohavequickfeetthatenablethemtotakeadvantageofamovingman(i.e.,gettinghimoff balance). NFLteamsplaceparticularvalueondefensivetackleswhocandemonstratelateralquicknessinarelativelysmallarea.Suchdefendersareabletogetmoving quicklyoverandthroughpeople.Ifnecessary,theyhavetheabilitytomovedownthelineofscrimmagewhilepursuingtheballcarrierandmakethetackle. Anindividualwhogetsknockedoffthelineofscrimmage,orgetsmovedsideways,orgetsknockedoffbalancecannotplaythepositionofdefensivetackle effectively.Becausetheymustbeableto"worktheirway"throughblockerstogettotheball,theymusthaveaboveaverage,totalbodystrength. Thebestdefensivetacklesareabletomovetheoffensiveguardbackintothequarterback.Whiletheymaynothaveasmanyquarterbacksacksassomeoftheir teammates,defensivetackleswhocanmoveindividualsbyblockingthembackwardshaveanessentialskill.Thisscenariocreatesadisruptivesituationwherethe quarterbackhastoavoidhisown(backtracking)linemanasifhewereanoncomingpassrusherbeforehethrowsthepass. WhenIreflectbackonthegreatdefensivetacklesthatIwasassociatedwithovertheyears(e.g.,JeffStover,PierceHolt,MikeReid,MichaelCarterandBryant Young,amongothers),Ican'thelpbutthinkaboutthefactthateachoftheseextraordinaryathletespossessedgreatclosingspeed,quicknessandexplosiveness. Inordertodominateontheinside,aplayermusthavethisdimension.EarlyinmycoachingcareerwiththeBengals,Ihadtheopportunitytoworkwithoneofthe quickestathletesevertoplaythispositionMikeReid. Steady,solidperformersareanintegralpartofachampionshipteam.Amongthedefensivelinemenwhofulfilledthisroleforthe49erswerePeteKugler,Archie ReeseandJimStuckey.

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DefensiveEnds Idealsize:65,275 1997NFCProBowlers WilliamFuller TonyTolbert ReggieWhite average Team PhiladelphiaEagles DallasCowboys GreenBayPackers Ht 6.03 6.06 6.05 6.05 Wt 280 263 300 281

Talenteddefensiveendstypicallypossessseveralimportantcharacteristics,includingtheabilitytomoveinanexplosivemanner,extraordinaryupperbodystrength, andquickness.Collectively,thesetraitsenabledefensiveendstoachievetheirprimarypurposeonthefieldputpressureonthequarterback. Inordertobeagoodpassrusher,adefensiveendmusthavetheabilitytocovergroundquicklyinthreetofiveyardsofspace.Hemusthavethequicknesstogethis shoulderpasttheshoulderoftheoffensivetackle. Upperbodystrengthisalsoanimportantfactorforadefensiveend.Suchstrengthenableshimtoexecuteanyoneofanumberofcountermoveswhenanoffensive blockerreactstothedefensiveend'sinitialmoves.Forexample,adefensiveendstartstheplaybytakingastepinonedirectionandwhentheoffensiveblockermakes anappropriateresponsetothatparticularmove,thedefensiveend(ifheisquickenough)canarmoverhimorslugpasthimandcomeunderneathhim. Itisimperativethatadefensiveenddoesnotallowhimselftobeturnedout(i.e.,turnedtotheoutside,awayfromtheplay)onaconsistentbasis.Hemusthaveenough girthandskilltoavoidbeingknockedoffbalanceandbeingturnedout.Ifhedoesnot,hewillnotbeabletorecoverbackinsidetodefendagainstrunningplayswhen theycomehisway. Theapplicationofupperbodystrengthintheplayofadefensiveendissomewhatdifferentthanintheplayofadefensivetackle.Whileadefensivetacklecomesinto immediatecontactwithablockeronthesnapoftheball,adefensiveendusuallydoesn'tmakecontactwithablocker(i.e.,theoffensivetackle)untilafterthedefensive endhasdeterminedthetacticalsituation,orafterhehassetuptheblocker.Adefensivetackletendstorelyonbruteforce,whileadefensiveenduseshishandsand skillstogetpastablocker. Similartothemoretalenteddefensivetackles,somedefensiveendsalsohavetheabilitytoforcethemanblockingthembackintothequarterback.Thisabilitymakes adefensiveendjustaseffective(andperhapsevenmoreso)asadefensiveplayerwhosacksthepasseronceortwiceagame.Aquarterbackwhohastoavoidone ofhisownmenbeingpushedintohispathwaywillhavehisrhythmbroken. Inmycareerwiththe49ers,wehadseveralgreatdefensiveends,includingFredDean,DwaineBoard,KevinFaganandCharlesHaley.Asbatteringpassrushers, theywereextraordinarilytalented.

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Giftedpassrushersareacriticalelementinbuildingachampionshipcaliberteam.Youmusthaveagreat(notjustasolidorabetterthanaverage)passrush.Towin anNFLchampionship,oneorbothofyourdefensiveendsmustbethebestintheLeagueattheirposition. OutsideLinebackers Idealsize:63,245 1997NFCProBowlers KevinGreene KenHarvey LamarLathon average Team CarolinaPanthers WashingtonRedskins CarolinaPanthers Ht 6.03 6.02 6.03 6.03 Wt 247 245 260 251

SeveraltypesofoutsidelinebackersexistintheNFL.Ingeneral,thesetypescanbegroupedintotwocategoriesweak(side)outsidelinebackersandstrong(side) outsidelinebackers. Theweaksidecategoryisfurtherbrokenintotwoadditionalsubgroupingsthepassrusherlinebackerandthepursuitcoveragelinebacker.Veryfewlinebackers areeffectiveatbothroles(LawrenceTayloroftheNewYorkGiantsandDerrickThomasoftheKansasCityChiefsaretwoofthelimitednumberofplayerswho havesuchallaroundskills). Thepassrushtypeofweaksideoutsidelinebackerhastakentheplaceofthedefensiveendinthe34defensivescheme.Althoughmanyteamshaveshiedawayfrom usingthe34defenseinthepastfewyears,itisimportanttorememberthatthepopularityofaparticulardefensiveschemetendstobecyclical(moreoftenthannot,a team'sregardforadefenseisdirectlyrelatedtotheskillsandcapabilitiesofthepersonnelontheteam). Ina34defense,thepassrushtypeofweaksideoutsidelinebackercangoalloutonthepassrushbecausehehasinsidehelprightnexttohim.Asaresult,hecan usehisquicknesstoworkthatmuchharderatbeatingtheoffensivetackleatthelineofscrimmage. Thepassrushtypeofweaksideoutsidelinebackerisapassrusherfirstandthenarundefender.Insomeinstances,hehasaroleincoveragesituationsasagame dropdefender.Herarelyisaskedtohelpprovidemantomancoverage.Hemusthavethesize,footspeed,andquicknessnecessarytorushthepasser.Inthat regard,hecan"sellout"aslongashecoordinateshiseffortswiththedefensiveendonhisside. Inadditiontohavingquickness,passrushingweaksideoutsidelinebackersshouldpossessnaturalinstinctsforhandlingoffensivetackleswhomaybeupto100 poundsheavier.Forexample,theymustknowhowtouseleverage,howtogetunderneaththelargerman'spads,andhowtoworkbacktowardthequickness.They mustalsobestrongenoughtobounceoffattemptedblocksandstillmaketheplay.

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Theothertypeofweaksideoutsidelinebackerrequiresacombinationoftheskillsneededtoemploylateralpursuitagainstrunningplaysandtoprovidemantoman orzonepasscoverage.Anathletewhoishighlyproficientatbothpasscoverageandpursuitshouldplaythisposition. Becauseheplaysontheweaksideandisnotprimarilyapassrusher,hemustbeabletofunctionintheopenspace.Ontheotherhand,hemusthaveenoughstrength toavoidbeingknockedaroundbyblockerswhenhepursuesaballcarrier(i.e.,hegoesacrossthefaceofanoffensivelinemantogettotheball). Thesecondgeneralcategoryofoutsidelinebackersisthestrongsidelinebacker.Alignedoppositethetightend,thestrongsidelinebackershouldbestrongerand larger(approximately64,250)thantheweaksidelinebacker.Hetypicallyplaysonthesideofthetightend.Hisprimaryresponsibilityistoholdtheedgeofthe defense. Playingthepositionofstrongsidelinebackerrequiresspecificskillsandabilities.Hemusthavethestrength,thehands,andtherangetoholdupthetightendandtoget throughthefullback(orwhoeverisblocking)tomakecontactwiththeballcarrier.Hemustbeabletomeettheofftackleplayofeitherthefullbackorthepulling guard.Heshouldbeabletoblitzeffectivelyagainstanattemptbyarunningbacktopassblockhim. Thestrongsidelinebackerpositionisnotascommonasitoncewas.ManyNFLteamshaverevisedtheirdefensivealignmentsbyshiftingthelinesothatadefensive linemanispositionedoverthetightend.Thestrongsidelinebackeristhenstackedbehindthedefensivelineman. Allfactorsconsidered,however,thesametypeofathlete(stronger,bigger)isstillrequiredtoplaystrongsidelinebacker.Theprimarychangeinthisregardisthat whenthestrongsidelinebackerisstacked(andprotected)behindadefensivelineman,heisassignedimportantcoverageresponsibilities.Previously,thestrongside linebackerdidnothaveakeycoveragerole. Evenwiththephilosophicalchangesthathaveoccurredinrecentyears,teamsstillfloptheiroutsidelinebackers.Accordingtothedefensivesituation,theyhavea pursuitlinebackerandarundefenderlinebacker. AnydiscussionofgreatoutsidelinebackerstendstoincludementionofextraordinarilytalentedplayerslikeLawrenceTaylor,JackHamandBobbyBell.The49ers alsohadseveralverygoodoutsidelinebackers,includingWillieHarperandDanBunz. DuringmytimewithSanFrancisco,however,thebestplayerwehadatthispositionwasKeenaTurner.Hewastheultimateathleteatoutsidelinebacker.Possessing remarkableallaroundskillsandabilities,at6'3"and220lbs,hecouldcover,passrush,meetblockersandpursueandwasagreatopenfieldtackler. AtStanford,IhadtheopportunitytocoachthreeverytalentedoutsidelinebackersMiltMcColl,RonGeorgeandDaveGarnett.Nicknamed"theBird"becauseof hisganglyframe,McColldidanoutstandingjobfortheCardinal.DraftedbySanFrancisco,McCollalsoplayedverywellforthe49ers.McColl,wholaterbecamea physician,couldrushthepasserwithgreateffect.At6'6",hehadgreatrangeandnaturalinstincts.

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GeorgeandGarnett(bothofwhomwere6'0",215lbs.)providedStanfordwiththequickestoutsidelinebackercombinationinthecountry.Eachwasaveryskilled playerandatirelessworker,whoplayedwithgreatintensity. Inside/MiddleLinebacker Idealsize:62,250 1997NFCProBowlers SamMills HardyNickerson average Team CarolinaPanthers TampaBayBucs Ht 5.09 6.02 5.11 Wt 232 229 231

Aninside(middle)linebackermusthaveseveralqualities.Itisveryimportantthatheisbigenoughandstrongenoughtomeetblockerscomingfromanyangleandto notbeeasilyknockedfromhisposition.Hemustbeabletogetoffablock,shedtheblocker,andthenmovetotheball,almostwithoutwastingastep. Hecannotattempttoavoidalotofblockerswhilegoingfortheballcarrier.Ifhedoes,hewon'tbeabletodohisjobproperly.Ifhegoesaroundsomeonetoavoid beingblocked,hehas,ineffect,beenblocked. Aninsidelinebackermustalsohavequickness.Quicknesscanhelphimgeta"jump"onsomeoneattemptingtoblockhim,byenablinghimtomeet(andshed)the blockerbeforetheblockerwasfullyreadytoengagehim. Instinctisanotheressentialtraitforaninsidelinebacker.Aninsidelinebackermustbeabletowatchtheballtoreadtheblocking.Instinctcannotbetaught.Players whohaveitarethosewhoalmostalwaysfindawaytogettotheballcarrierandmakethetackle. Aninsidelinebackermustalsohavearelativelyindestructiblebody.Giventhelevelofintense,aggressivecontactthatthepositioninvolves,itisnotsurprisingthatover theyears,anumberofNFLmiddlelinebackershavesuffereddebilitatinginjuries.Suchinjuriesnotonlypreventsomeathletesfrombeinginthegamewhenthey're needed,theyalsodiminishtheeffectivenessofthoseindividualswhocontinuetoplaydespitebeinginjured. Aninsidelinebackerdoesnothavetohavegreatcoverageskills.Teamshavetheoptionofdesigningtheirpasscoveragearoundtheirmiddlelinebackers.Whileitis desirablethataninsidelinebackerhastheabilitytohelpincoveragesituations,hecanbeprotectedbyateam'sdefensiveschemeifhedoesnot. Ifthemiddlelinebackerisagreatnaturalpursuerandacleantackler,issomeonewhocanworkrightthroughpassblockers,andisabletomoveinstantaneouslywhen hemakeshisreads,thenateamisusuallywillingtooverlook(i.e.,makeconcessionsfor)anylimitationsinhispasscoverageskills.Suchlimitationsaremorethan compensatedforbysuchrareinstincts.Possibly,thetwogreatest

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middlelinebackersofalltimewereDickButkusoftheChicagoBearsandMikeCurtisofthe(then)BaltimoreColts. The49erswereblessedtohaveaprototypeplayerlikeJackReynoldsattheinsidelinebackerposition.Possessingapowerfulgirth,hecouldstunablockinglineman, pursuetheballandthenmakethetackle.Hewasatirelesscompetitor,withgreatstamina,andwasatruestudentofthegame,whoseworkethicinspiredhis teammates. Overtheyears,however,therequirementsofthepositionhavechanged.Explosive,quick,groundcoveringplayershavecometodominatetheposition.Giventhe passorientedoffensesintheNFLinthe1990s,athleteswithafullydimensionalgamearebestsuitedforinsidelinebacker(e.g.,MikeSingletary,ChicagoBears JuniorSeau,SanDiegoChargersHardyNickerson,TampaBayBuccaneersetc.). Cornerback Idealsize:62,195(goodones,however,comeinallsizes) 1997NFCProBowlers EricDavis DeionSanders AeneasWilliams average Team CarolinaPanthers DallasCowboys ArizonaCardinals Ht 5.11 6.01 5.10 5.11 Wt 185 190 190 188

Mostteamstendtopreferagoodsizedcornerback(tobebetterabletocoveroversizedreceivers).Inreality,however,talentedcornerbackscomeinallsizes. AlthoughsomeofthebestcoveragemenintheNFLhavebeenrelativelysmallandhavebeendwarfedbysomeofthereceiverstheywereaskedtocover,theywere stillabletodotheirjobbecausetheyhadquickness,explosiveness,andtheabilitytoanticipate. Regardlessoftheirsize,greatcornerbackshavetheabilitytoplayaphysicalgamewithreceivers.Theyhavethecapabilityofbumpingareceiveronhisreleasefrom thelineofscrimmage.Moreimportantly,however,theyhavetheabilitytogoupforaballandnotbeoverwhelmedorknockedoffthepassbythereceiver. Itisessentialthatacornerbackhasbothquicknessandexplosiveness.Bothattributesareimportant,particularlyinpasscoveragesituations.Ideally,acornerback shouldbeabletorun40yardsinunder4.5seconds.Whilehavingsprint(track)speedisbeneficial,anumberofcornerbackshaveplayedataProBowllevelof performanceintheNFLovertheyearswholackedgreatstraightaheadspeed.Whattheylackedinfootspeed,theymorethanmadeupforinothertraits. Notonlyaretalentedcornerbackshighlyeffectiveinpasscoveragesituations,theyarealsoverygoodagainsttherun.Asageneralrule,cornerbacksserveasupport roleonrunningplays.Theyhavetheabilitytotaketheballcarrieroneononeafteralloftheblockershavecommittedthemselves.

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Inafewinstances,somecornerbacksalsohavetheability(andcourage)tocutdownanapproachingpullingguardbygoingunderneathhim.Theresultingpileupof playersobstructstheballcarrierwhoisfollowingtheguard. Thosecornerbackswhodon'thaveextraordinarylevelsofquickness,explosiveness,andsenseofanticipationcanmakeadjustmentsintheirgametocompensate.For example,thistypeofcornerbackcantightenuponthereceiverheiscoveringandcanbeasphysicalaspossibleinordertoinhibitthereceiver'squickness.Sucha cornerbackisparticularlysuitedforbumpandruncoverage(andsomewhatlesssoformantomancoverage). Inadditiontothephysicalqualitiesrequiredtoplaycornerback,thecornerbackmustbeemotionallyresilient.Hemustbeabletomaintainhiscomposure,evenwhen hehasallowedapasstobecompletedinacriticalsituationorallowedatouchdownpasstobethrowntohisman.Hemusthaveaninnerconfidencethatenableshim tocontinuetofunctionatahighlevelofperformanceregardlessofwhathasoccurredinthegame. Oneoftheprimaryreasonsthatthe49erswonfiveSuperBowlsduringa14yearperiodwasbecauseofgreatnessatthecornerbackposition.Talentedathleteslike RonnieLott,EricWright,DonGriffin,MarquezPopeandDeionSandersallowedSanFranciscotouseitsfullpackagedefensivetools.Forexample,wecouldblitz wecouldzoneandwecouldisolateindividualreceiversinaoneononecoverage.Asaresult,ourgreatpassrusherscouldunloadontherush. Justasimportant,however,werethetacklingskillsofcornerbackssuchasLottandWright.Theirextraordinaryskillsenabledthemtobeattheblockersandstopthe sweep.Inrecognitionofthegreattalentinthe49ers'defensivebackfield,allfourofourstarterswerenamedtotheProBowlin1985thefirstandonlytimethishas occurredinthehistoryoftheNFL. Safeties Idealsize:Weak:62,200 1997ProBowlers MertonHanks SteveAtwater average Team SanFrancisco49ers DenverBroncos Ht 6.02 6.03 6.03 Wt 185 217 201

Idealsize:Strong:63,215 1997NFCProBowlers LeRoyButler DarrenWoodson average Team GreenBayPackers DallasCowboys Ht 6.00 6.01 6.01 Wt 200 216 208

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Dependingonthesystemthatateamplays,adistinctdifferencecanexistbetweentherolesandresponsibilitiesofaweak(free)safetyandastrongsafety.Insome systems,however,nodifferencesexist.Inthissituation,playersareassigneddualresponsibilitiestoplaybothpositionsaccordingtothedefensiveformationcalled. Mostteams,iftheyhadtherightpersonnel,wouldprefertohaveastrongsafetywhocanproviderunsupportandaweaksafetywhocancoverground,seetheentire field,makeaplayonaballthrownhighintheairwhilemovingtohisleftorhisright,andmakealloftheaudiblecallsforthesecondary.Becausemoreaudibilizing frequentlyoccursinthesecondarythanonthelineofscrimmagebythequarterback,theweaksafetyisoftenthemostimportantfieldgeneralinthegame. Thetalentedfreesafetyhastherangeofacenterfielderinbaseball,naturalinstincts,theskillstomakethegreatcatchandtheabilitytomakethebighit.Typically, suchasafetyisrelativelytall(i.e.,62to63)andweighs190200pounds.Hehasexcellentrangeandspeedmuchlikeahurdlerintrack. Becausehehasthespeedandquicknesstogoforaballandhasexcellenthands,hecanbeamajorfactordefensivelyfromsidelinetosideline.Ifhecancoverground infullstridetotheextentthathecan''work"eithersidelinewhentheballisintheair,hispotentialvaluetothedefenseisimmeasurable. Anallproweaksafetyismuchlikeastarrunningback.Hehasthenaturalinstinctstoplaythegame.Heisnoteasilyfooled.Hehastheinherentabilitytorespond(in anonverbalsense),react,andseetheentirefield. Aneffectivefreesafetyalsohastheabilitytomakethebig,pulverizinghit.Hecanmeettheballcarrierintheholeandstoptheplay.Hecanfinishofftheballcarrier. Historically,thestrongsafetyistherunsupportplayer.Typically,hemusthaveseveralofthetraitsfoundinatalentedlinebacker.Hecanhitandstoppeople,respond spontaneouslytotheplayasitunfolds,andgototheball.Often,heisfearless.Ifheisn'tthetypeofplayerwhowillphysicallycommithimselfoneveryplay,histeam mustundertakespecificdefensiveadjustments. Thebetterhiscoverageskills,themorehecanbelineduponanyreceiver.Occasionally,anNFLteamwillhaveastrongsafetywhoisasbigasalinebacker,yet possessesanextraordinaryabilitytocoveralltypesofreceivers. Someteamsemployadefensivesystemwhere,bothsafetiesplayatwodeepcoverageandonlyoccasionallycomeoutofthemiddleofthefieldtosupporttherun.In thistypeofsystem,bothsafetiesplaytheballintheair,inthemiddleofthefield,andonthesidelines.Inthissituation,theemphasisisthenonthecornerbackstobe thesupportmen. Teamsshouldkeepinmindthevariousdefensivephilosophieswhenconsideringwhattypesofcornerbacksandsafetiestheywanttoputtogethertoformtheir defensivesecondary.Obviously,theirabilitiesshouldbecomplementary.Theyshouldalsoattempttomatchtheirplayerstothesystemtheywanttoemploy.Iftheir playersdon'tsuittheirdesiredsystemexactly,teamsshouldadjusttheirsystemsandassigntheirpersonnelaccordingly.

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WithCarltonWilliamsonandDwightHicksatthesafetypositionandRonnieLottandEricWrightatthecorners,the49ershadasecondaryunitcomparabletothe talenteddefensivebackfieldgroupsoftheRaiders,SteelersandDolphinsduringtheirdynastyyears. Hickswasagreatleaderandasmart,headsupballhawk.Hedirectedtheunitwithgreatcompetenceviaaudibleadjustmentsandcoveragecalls. Williamson,ontheotherhand,wasanoutstandingdownfieldhitter.Heservedasanexemplarysupportman,whooftencameupwithcriticalinterceptions. Anotherverytalentedsafetywhoplayedforthe49erswasJeffFuller.Fullerhadeverythingsize(6'3",220lbs.),speed(4.5inthe40yddash),agilityand competitiveintensity.HehadaHallofFamefuturebeforebeinginjured. DuringthetimeIcoachedatStanford,oneofthebestsafetiesIhadtheopportunitytoworkwithwasJohnLynch,whoiscurrentlystartingfortheTampaBay Buccaneers.Lynchwasagreathitterandanoutstandingathlete.HishitsonJeromeBettisofNotreDamewereinstrumentalinourvictoryovertheFightingIrish.

Thisiswhathappenswheneverpeopleonateamdecidenottotrust:everyonewillgeardowntheireffortuntil they'redoingjustenoughtogetby.Theywant,subconsciously,toenrolleveryoneelseintheircycleof disappointment. PatRiley HeadBaseketballCoach MiamiHeat fromTheWinnerWithin

DeterminingtheFutureDynamicsofPlayerProfilesintheNFL Overtheyears,theprofileofthetypicalNFLplayerhaschangeddramatically.Asphysicaltrainingmethodshaveimproved,asindividualshavebeenmore knowledgeableabouthowtoproperlytakecareofthemselves,andaseachsucceedinggenerationhasgenerallygrowninsize(i.e.,tallerandheavier),thisprofilehas beenaffectedaccordingly.Assuch,thefuturedynamicsofplayerprofilesmaybereflectedinthefollowingattributesandcircumstances: Playerswillhavemorenaturalability. Playerswillbebigger,faster,andstronger. Playerswillhaveahigherlevelofskillsandtechniques(manyofwhichtheywilllearnandmasterontheir own). Playerswillreceivebettercoachingonanindividualbasis,beginninginhighschool.

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Players'careerswilllastlonger(i.e.,moreseasons). Playerswillbemoredurable. Sportsmedicinetechniquesandmethodswillcontinuetoimprove.Assuch,playerswilltakeadvantage oftheseservices,andtheirinjurieswillbetreatedmoreeffectively. Soundnutritionwillbeevenmoreimportanttoadedicatedathlete. Teamswillgiveevenmorelatitudetoindividualathletesindecisionsandtactics. Playerswillworktogethertoanevengreaterdegreetodeveloptheirskillsandtechniques.Playerswill attempttoemulategreatperformersevenmorethantheyhaveinthepast. Teamswillhighlightindividualplayersandtheirskillstoanevengreaterdegree. Teamswillhaveevenmoregiftedplayersparticularlyattheskilledpositions.

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Chapter7 AcquiringTalentedPlayers
"WhenIwasselectedtoleadthefirstmissionIwasresponsibletonamewhowouldflywithme.Verysimply,Ipickedthebestflyers,menIcouldtrustintheheatofdeadlycombat. Thiswasserious.Rank,credentials,efficiencyreportsdidn'tmeanathing.Itwouldbetheguyswhocouldflyandshoot." AdmiralJimStockdale,U.S.Navy PrisonerofWar,196573 VietnamConflict

Findingthewinningedge... Itisalwaysacombinationoffactorsthatadduptotherightperson.It'shislevelofnaturalability.It'shis competitiveinstincts.It'salsothehistoryofthatathletehisabilitytolearn,retain,andapplywhathehaslearned andhisabilitytoworkunderstresswithotherpeople.Thenyouhavetobeabletoprojectthosequalitiesintothe slotorrolethatathletewouldplayforyourteam. BillWalsh,"ToBuildaWinning Team,"HarvardBusinessReview, JanuaryFebruary1993.

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ThemostsurprisingandunexpectedtradethatoccurredwhileIwaswiththe49erswastheacquisitionofWendellTyleroftheLosAngelesRams.Los AngeleswaslookingforasmoothtransitiontoEricDickerson.SanFranciscohadreplacedtheRamsasthetopteaminthedivisionandLosAngeles wantedtomakechangesquickly. Manyorganizationsareencumberedwithacommitteetypedecisionmakingprocessandareunabletomovequickly,especiallyifquestionsexistabouta player,butourstructuremadeitpossibleforustoactquickly.LosAngelescalledJohnMcVay,the49ers'generalmanagerwhosedutiesincludedserving asthecontactmanforotherteamsintheLeague.McVayandImovedquicklyanddecidedtoacquireTyler.Thetradewasextraordinarilyadvantageous toSanFrancisco.Tylerwasoneofthequickest,mostexplosiverunningbacksintheLeague,andpairedwithRogerCraig,hegaveusagreatcombination thatledthewaytoourchampionshipin1984. Ourstrategiesweresuccessfulbecauseofoursmooth,professionalapproach.McVaywasnonconfrontationalandnonabrasive.Hedidnotattemptto upstagetheotherperson. Whenacquiringplayers,anorganizationmustbedecisive.Inmycase,IhadauthoritytomakedecisionsandthefullconfidenceofEddieDeBartolo.This tradewasthelaststepthatmadeusoneofthefourorfivegreatestNFLteamsofalltime. AnotherimportanttradewasthetradeforFredDean.Atthetime,hewasconsideredthebestpassrusherinalloffootballandwasthemainstayofthe SanDiegoChargers'defensiveunit.Hewasdifficulttocommunicatewith,however,andhadacquiredanagentwithwhomitwasdifficulttonegotiate. Deanwasundercontractbutwasalsounderpaid.HisagenthammeredSanDiegoownerGeneKleintorenegotiatehiscontract.Genewasatoughowner whobelievedthat"adealwasadeal,"andinsteadofrenegotiating,hedecidedthatDeancouldbetraded. Hisagentwantedanewcontractbeforethetradeoccurred.BecauseSanFranciscocouldmeetthisrequirementandEddieDeBartolowasdeterminedto improvetheteam,thedecisionwasmadethatDeanwasworththemoney. IwasplayingtenniswhenIreceivedthecallabouttheproposedtrade:wewouldgiveSanDiegooursecondrounddraftpickandswitchfirstroundpicks. Intheprocess,weacquiredapremierplayerwhocouldchangetheteam'sfortunes.Infact,SanFranciscoreachedtheSuperBowlthatyear,andtheloss ofDeanmayhavekepttheChargersoutofthechampionship. Inthisinstance,anownercompromisedhisteam'stalentforahigherprinciple:herefusedtobeoutmaneuveredbyaplayer.WhileIstronglybelievethat anorganizationmustadheretoitsfundamentalvaluesandmoralorder,Ialsofeelthatatsomepointanorganizationshouldweighttheimportanceof eachpossibledecisionagainstthe"bigpicture." AthirdkeyacquisitionwasthatofJack"Hacksaw"Reynoldsinearly1981.TheLosAngelesRamshadanoutstandingteamorganizedandputtogetherby DonKlosterman,oneofthegame'sbrilliantadministrators.Donhadauniqueabilitytoidentifyathletes,negotiatewithotherclubsandgetwhathe needed.

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TheRamsreleasedReynoldsbecausehewashighlypaidandtheyhadsomeonetoreplacehim.Thereleasecameasasurprisebecausemanyteamswould havetradedforReynolds,butitmeantthathewasabletoselectwhereheplayednext.TheherdmentalityintheNFLwassuchthatmanyteamsfeltif Klostermanreleasedsomeone,thatplayerwasofdubiousvalue. Atthetime,SanFrancisconeededmatureleadership.WeadmiredReynolds'dedicationtothegame,andourdefensiveunitneededsomeonewhowould assumealeadershiprole,sowebegancompetingwithotherteamsforhisservices.Fortunately,the49ersorganizationwasstructuredinsuchawaythata criticaldecisioncouldbemaderelativelyquicklywithouttheproblemsofdecisionmakingbycommittee. Reynoldswasimpressedbyouroffense,whichwasonlyafewkeyplayersawayfromsuccess.Ipointedouttohimthathisleadershipcouldturntheteam around,andthatChuckStudley,ourdefensivecoordinator,wasextremelyenthusiasticabouthisexperienceandability. Reynoldsexceededallofourexpectations.Inadditiontobeingagreatplayer,heestablishedaworkethicandtruecommitmentthroughouttheteam.His attentiontodetailandhistediousstudyofhisopponentcreatedanatmosphereinwhichthedefensiveunitthrived.JackReynoldsisthe"ultimatewarrior." <><><><><><><><><><><><> ThethreeprimarymethodsforacquiringtalentedplayersaretheNFLDraft,freeagency,andtrades.Themoreadeptateamisateachofthesethreemethods,the morelikelyitwillhaveplayerswhocanmakeameaningfuldifferenceintheteam'sperformance.
Ifthecompetitionhaslaptopcomputersandyou'restillusingyellowlegalpads,itwon'tmatterhowlongandhard youwork,they'regoingtopassyouby. BillParcells HeadFootballCoach NewYorkJets fromFindingaWaytoWin

TheNFLDraft OnceayearinApril,theNationalFootballLeaguedraftisconductedinahotelballroominmidtownNewYorkCity.Theprocessinvolvessevenrounds,heldover atwodayperiod.Providedateamhasnotgainedorlostdraftchoicesthroughtrades,eachteamhasoneselectionperround.Everyround,allteamsselectininverse ordertotheirwinlossrecordthepreviousseason.Eachteamthenselectsaplayerfromthe

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availablepoolofplayerswhoareeligibleforthedraftwhenitsturntochoosecomesup. Inrecentyears,thedraftingprocesshaschangeddramatically.Theadventofseveralfactors,includingthesalarycap,freeagency,andamajorreductioninthe numberofrounds(seven)inthedraft,hascreatedanenvironmentwherelittleallowanceexistsforateamtoconsidertakingchances,toundertakegambles,ortoput upwith"projects." ThechangednatureoftheNFLdraftinthe1990sisillustratedbythecommentsofBillPolian,thehighlyregardedgeneralmanagerfortheCarolinaPanthers,who observed:"Atthisstageoffreeagency,teamshavespentthemselvestotheveryedgeofthelimit.Fromnowon,goingintothedraftyou'llhavetolookatwhereeach teamstandsinrelationtothecap,whichoneswillspendthe$6millionbonusonatopdraftchoiceandwhichoneswilltradeoutordowninthetoprounds." Poliangoesontopointout,"Icountfourthingsthatgointothetradedownmentality:One,thefirstguydraftedprobablywillholdout,whichmeanshewon'tbeable tohelpyourightaway.Two,peoplewanttodraftmoreforneednowthanwiththeoldbestavailableathleteoutlook.Three,you'regoingtohaveaplayerfora limitednumberofseasons,andthenyou'lllosehim(tofreeagency).Finally,youcanpickupaveteranandplughimintoaspot,andhe'llbealotcheaperthanatop draftpick." GiventhedivergentfactorsaffectingtheNFLdraft,itwouldnotbeimpossibletoenvisionadraftinwhichplayerssuchasJoeMontanaandDwightClark(bothof whomweredraftedbyandwentontostarfortheSanFrancisco49ers)mightnotbeconsidered.Atthetime,Montana(whowastakeninthethirdroundofthe1979 draft)hadnotestablishedhimselfasaconsistentstarterincollege(NotreDame). Inasimilarvein,ClarkwasconsideredfartooslowfortheNFL.Althoughhehadgoodsizeat64,215,Clarkhadcaughtonly12passesinhissenioryearat Clemson.Asaresult,hewasavirtualunknown,whowastakenassomewhatofa"gamble"alsointhe1979draft. Historyshowsthatbothplayerswereextraordinaryselections.MontanabecameaHallofFameplayer,whoiswidelyconsideredoneofthebestquarterbacksinthe historyoftheNFL.Clarkwentontosetreceivingrecordswiththe49ersandwasnamedSportsIllustrated'sNFLPlayeroftheYearin1982whenhemadeoneof profootball'smostmemorableplays,whichwillbeforeverknownas"TheCatch." TheseeminglyabsurdscenariowhereMontanaandClarkwouldnotbedraftedshowshowdemandingtherequirementscanbeforNFLdraftprospects.Teamsmust identifyanddraftplayerswhocancontributeimmediatelyandquickly,andcanfulfillasolidroleonthefield. Thisfactorisimportantforboththeplayerandtheteambecauseinapproximatelyfourorfiveyears,thatplayerwillbeeligibleforfreeagency.Ifquestionsconcerning theabilityofaparticularplayertomakeasubstantialcontributiontotheteamstillexistaftertheplayer'sinitialcontractexpires,thewholefreeagencyissuebecomes evenmoredifficultfortheteamtoevaluate. Forthemostpart,teamscan'taffordtotakeachanceonadraftprospectwhomightotherwisebeconsidereda"project."Givenanenvironmentwhereteams

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areexpectedtowinsooner,ratherthanlater(i.e.,asreflectedbythefactthatelevenNFLteamshadnewcoachestostartthe1997season),mostteamsdon'thave theluxuryofmakingadraftdaygamble,evenonanintriguingprospect. Becauseoffreeagency,thedraftisnolongerperceivedbymostteamsastheprimarymeansforstockingtheirrosters,particularlywiththehigherrounds.Itisvital thatthehighdraftpicksbeprojectedtoplayearlyintheircareers. Athleteswhoarenotprojectedtobedraftedinthehigherroundsalsohaveacertaindegreeofappealtomanyteams.Notonlycanplayersdraftedinthelower roundshavepotentialandabilitiesthat,forwhateverreason,havebeenheretoforeunfulfilled,theviabilityofsuchplayerstoaparticularteamcanbeenhancedbecause theyhavesalariesthattendtoberelativelystable(andmorecapfriendly)fromyeartoyear. Regardlessofwhereheisdrafted,aplayerenteringthedraftinthe1990sisexpectedtobefurtheralonginhisskills,furtheralonginthelevelofcompetitionthathe hasfaced,andfurtheralongphysically.Thatadditionalmaturitywillbeneeded.Inmostinstances,adraftprospectmustbeabletodemonstratethathealreadyhasthe naturalinstinctsandabilitiesnecessarytoplayintheNFL.Uponjoiningateam,he'sexpectedtohavesomedegreeofspecializedskillsthatcanbeofimmediate value.Ifhedoesn't,hischancesofmakingthesquadaregreatlydiminished. Allfactorsconsidered,anindividualselectedinthedraftisgoingtohavearelativelyshorttrialperiodtodemonstratethatheshouldsurvivethefinalsquadcut.Atbest, theAugusttrainingcampandfourgamepreseasonscheduleprovideonlyalimitedamountoftimeforanorganizationtomakedecisionsregardingwhichplayerswill maketheteam. Playersdraftedinthelowerroundsandindividualstryingtomaketheteamasundraftedprospectswillhavestiffcompetitionintheireffortstobeontheroster.Atthe startoftheseason,alongwiththeteam'shighdraftchoices,theircompetitionwillcomefromagingveteranswhomaybewillingtotakeasalaryreductiontoremainon thesquadasbackupsandfromadeptjourneymenwhohavelearnedovertheyearstoadapttotheircircumstancesbyidentifyingsomeplacewheretheyfitinand, subsequently,movingfromteamtoteam. Becauseteams,asarule,don'thavethelatitudetoconsideryoungprospectsaslongtermprojects(i.e.,adoptanattitudethatproclaims"ultimately,ayoungplayer willbebetterthananagingveteranorbetterthanajourneymanwhohasplayedintheLeagueforseveralyears"),mostprospectsmustovercometheircompetition almostimmediately.Theirabilitytoprevailwilldependonseveralfactors,includingthelevelofcoachingtheyreceivedandthecompetitiontheyfacedatthecollegiate level. Freeagency,theshorteneddraft,andtheheightenedurgencytowinmayaffectthetypeofplayerselectedandtheabilityofaparticularplayertomaketheteamin otherways,including: Comparedtothepast,playersfromsmallercollegeswillbelesslikelytomakeNFLrosters.The shorteneddraft(sevenroundsdownfromitshistoricalhighofseventeenrounds)andthereduced numberofplayersinvitedtotrainingcampcombinetoincreasethepossibilitythatteamswilloverlook suchplayers.

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Thegravityofthesituationfacingsmallcollegeplayersisillustratedbythefactthatunderthe circumstancesofthe1990s,smallcollegeplayerssuchasNFLgreatsTerryBradshaw(LouisianaTech), KenAnderson(Augustana),andJackieSmith(NorthwesternState),maynothavebeendrafted.The obstaclesfacingsmallcollegeplayersmaybeevenmoreacuteforathletesfromthepredominatelyblack colleges.Historically,blackcollegeshaveprovidedsomeofthemosttalentedplayersintheNFL, includingsuchHallofFamemembersasWillieBrown(Grambling),ArtShell(MarylandEasternShore), andWillieLanier(MorganState). Morewillbeexpectedfrombackupplayers.OneofthebasicelementsoftheNFL'slaboragreement withtheNFLPlayersAssociationinvolvesarestrictiononthesizeofateam'sroster(i.e.,thenumberof activedutyandpracticesquadplayersateamispermittedtocarry).A"limited"rosternecessitatesthata teammustmaximizeitsuseofitspersonnel.Asaresult,backupplayersareexpectedtobeableto contributemorethanjustservingonspecialteams.Theseplayersmustbeabletostepinandplaywellin theeventofaninjurytoastarter. Thefactthatdraftedplayerscannotcomeinandworkfulltimewiththeteamthatdraftedthemuntilafter the1stofJunewillmakethechallengeofearningarosterspoteventougher,exceptforthoseathletes whohaveexceptionalskills.Previously,draftedplayershadtheoptionofspendingtheirtimeworking withtheirnewteamandfulfillingtheirschoolobligationsastheysawfit.Thechangeinrulesthat eliminatedthiscriticallearningperiodfurtherencumbersadraftedplayer'sabilitytoassimilateintothepro game. Dependinguponthepositiontheyplay,someplayerswillhaveabetteropportunitytoovercomethe draftrelatedlimitationsofthe1990s.Forexample,becausereceiversanddefensivebacksareableto demonstratetheirskillsintheopenfield,theirpotentialtocontributecanbemoreeasilyevaluated.Bythe natureofthepositiontheyplay,theycanbeatleastparttimeplayersintheirrookieseason.For example,anewlydraftedreceivermaygettheopportunitytoplayinsituationsthatinvolvethreeorfour receiversonthefieldatatime.Conversely,suchsituationsmayenablearookiedefensivebacktoget intothegameasafifthorsixthdefensiveback,inwhatarecommonlyreferredtoasnickelordime defenses. Evaluatingthepotentialofoffensiveanddefensivelinemenisamoredifficulttask.Theprimaryproblem involvesthefactthatwhatoffensiveanddefensivelinemenarerequiredtodoincollegecanoftenbequite differentthanwhattheywillbeexpectedtodoinprostyleoffensesanddefenses.Thedifficultiesare furthercompoundedbythefactthatthesenseofurgencythatdemandsthattheseplayerscomeinandbe firstlinebackups(orstartersinsomecases)doesnotpermittheseplayerstohaveacoupleofseasonsto learnthenuancesofhowtoplaytheprogame.Asaresult,anorganizationmustbemoreastuteandhave aclearerinsightintowhatitwilltakeforanoffensiveordefensivelinemantostepinandmakea contributiontotheteam.

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Identifyinga'Good'DraftChoice Decidingwhetheranindividualisa"good"draftchoiceisasubjectivematter.Differentpeopleusedifferentcriteriawhenaddressingthisissue. Forexample,manysportswriterstendtobelievethatifanindividualisselectedinthefirstorsecondroundofthedraft,thenthatathleteshouldmeetProBowl standards.Inreality,suchaperceptionisneitherwarrantednorreasonable. Personally,Ibelieveamoreobjective,realisticapproachtoassessingthevalueofaparticulardraftchoiceinvolveslookingathisspecificeffectontheteam.Inthat regard,ifadraftedplayercontributestotheteaminameasurablewayforatleasttwoyears,heshouldbeconsidereda"good"draftchoice. DuringthetimeIspentastheheadcoachofthe49ers,wedraftedseveralplayerswhomIconsideredtobe"good"draftchoices,includingJimStuckey,EarlCooper, ToddShell,DanStubbs,LarryRoberts,andCraigPuki.Althoughtheseindividualswereinstrumentalinthe49ers'threeSuperBowlvictoriesduringtheperiod,they wereneverProBowlselections.Theseathleteswerethe"guts"ofourteams,yetwereneveracknowledgedbythemediaasmeaningfuldraftchoices. Accordingly,thebestapproachfordetermininga"good"draftchoiceisnothowthemediaratesaparticularselection,butratherhowwelltheathleteperformsupto thestandardsoftheorganization.Andyes,thereweresomedraftchoiceswhosimplycouldn'tcutitasanNFLplayer.Thankgoodness,thereweren'ttoomany otherwiseIwouldn'tbewritingthisbook. DecidingWhenEnoughisEnough Astheheadcoach,youshouldbeawareofthefactonoccasionyouwillselectatalentedplayerinthedraftwhojustisn'tabletodohisjobatanacceptablelevelin thegameforwhateverreason.Thepointtokeepinmindisthatnomatterhowlongandhardyoupractice,nomatterhowthoroughanddetailedyourteaching,ifa playeritdysfunctionalduringthegame,it'sawasteofeveryone'stime. Aplayerwhosimplycan'tcompeteorperformwithpoise(regardlessofhisphysicalskillsandpotential)willnotonlydisappointyou,hecanliterallydestroyeverything everyoneelseisaccomplishing.Thissituationisespeciallytrueatthequarterbackposition. Arecenteventbroughtthispointhomevividlytome.Agoodfriendofmine(oneofthegreatcoachesintheNFL)committedhimselftoayoungquarterbackwhodid nothavethepoiseandcompetitivezealtocompeteagainsttoplevelteams.Theathletepossessedallofthephysicaltoolstobeoutstanding,butwhenplayingagainst topflightopposition,heselfdestructed. Uponacceptingtheduorolepositionasheadcoachandgeneralmanager,mycolleague"inherited"thisyoungquarterback,whohadfailedtoachievethegreatthings expectedofhim,despitehisobviouslyhighleveloftalent.Subsequently,inextremeconfidenceandtodemonstrategoodfaithinthisyoungman,mycolleaguepublicly announcedthatthisparticularathletewouldbehisteam'squarterbackofthefuture.

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Uponreviewingthesituation,myfrienddecidedthatthroughgoodcoaching,detailedattentiontothepropertechniquesandavocaldemonstrationofhissupport,he couldmoldthisyoungquarterbackintotheaccomplishedperformerthatmanyindividualsfeltwastheathlete'sdestiny. Hundredsofhourswerespentworkingwiththeplayerduringtheminicampsandtrainingcamp.Inturn,hehadseveralverygoodperformancesintheteam's preseasongames.Hecontinuedtoshowpromiseasaperformerinthefirstgameoftheregularseason,althoughagainstaveryweakopponent. Inthesecondgame,however,hisfortuneschangeddramaticallywhenhefacedoneofthetopdefensesintheNFL.Thecontestwasahomegame,againsta traditionalrivalthathadbeenbadlyweakenedbyinjuries. Everythingwasinplaceforadecisivevictoryonethatwasexpectedtolaunchhisteamtoaterrificseasonthatwouldculminateinbeingintheplayoffsforthefirst timeinseveralyears.Underthestressanddemandsofformidablecompetition,however,thisquarterbackfailedmiserably. Ifsomeotherquarterback,evenanagingjourneyman,hadbeengiventheopportunitytoleadtheteam,mycolleaguewouldhavereceivedabetter"return"onthe investment.Tome,theobviouspointwasthatdespitethefactthatmyfriendisrenownedasoneofthefinestcoachesinthehistoryofthegame,hemiscalculated miserably. Notknowingwhentoconcludethat"enoughisenough"withaplayerontheteamwhoisnotperformingatanacceptablelevelisaslow,butsure,roadtocatastrophe. Ifafterareasonableopportunityaplayerfailstomeetyourexpectations,hemustbereplacedandreleasedtotryelsewhere. Coachesareultimatelyfiredandfranchisessufferasetbackthatmaylastforyearsiftheyareunableorunwilling(forwhateverreason)totakesuchanaction.You mustkeepinmindthatfunctionalinstinctsandcompetitivepoisemustbepresentforaplayertobeofvalue.Neitherelementcanbefabricated.
Thecriticisonewhoknowsthepriceofeverythingandthevalueofnothing. OscarWilde AuthorandPlaywright

FreeAgency Freeagencyisaprocessbywhichaplayeriseligibletosignwithanyteamhewantsafterhiscontracthasexpired.AnintegralpartoftheNFL'sagreementwiththe NFLPlayersAssociation,freeagencyisdesignedtoprovideplayerswiththeopportunitytomarkettheirabilitiestothehighestbidder. Insomeinstances,thefreeagencyprocesshasbeenveryfruitfulforboththefreeagentplayerandtheteamthatacquiredhim.Inmanyothercases,however,free

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agencyhasonlyservedasacatalystforteamstowaste(valuablesalarycap)moneyonoverpricedveteranswhoarebeingpaidmorefortheirpastperformances thantheyareforarealisticassessmentoftheirabilitytocontributetotheirnewteamsinthefuture. Severalexamplesexistthatshowthatfreeagencyhasworkedinthewaythatitwasintended.Ataminimum,ithascausedasubstantialredistributioninplayer salariesforexample,moneythatpreviouslymighthavebeengiventoaveteranbackupquarterbackisnowbeingpaidtofirstlineoffensiveanddefensivelinemen. Freeagencyhasalsohelpedseveralplayersgainanewleaseonlifeandrevitalizetheircareersbyenablingthemtogotoadifferentteam.Inasimilarvein,thefree agencyprocesshasbeenofsignificanthelptothoseNFLteamswhohaveusedittoacquireplayerswhofulfilledaspecialneedortoobtainveteranplayerswhowere available(forwhateverreasons)atbargainbasement(fixedcost)prices. Inreality,however,foreveryinstancewherethefreeagencyprocesshasworkedforboththeplayerandtheteamthatacquiredhim,therehavebeenmanymore caseswheretheprocessdidn'tworkout(e.g.,theplayerdidn'tfitinwithhisnewteamtheacquiredfreeagentwasunabletomakethecontributionexpectedofhim theplayerprovedtobeamajordistractionrelativelyspeaking,the''cap"fundsgiventoaparticularplayercouldhavebeenbetterspentetc.). Asaresult,everyNFLteammusthaveacomprehensiveandsystematicplanforparticipatinginthefreeagencyprocess.Anorganizationthatisconsideringadding oneormorefreeagentveteranstoitsteammustaddressatleasttwokeyissues:first,"Willaparticularfreeagentfitthedynamicsoftheteam?"and,second,"How cantheteamidentifysuchafreeagent?" Severalfactorsareinvolvedwhendecidingwhetheraparticularfreeagentwillbesuitabletothedynamicsofateam.Forexample,willtheplayerfitintothe offensive/defensiveschemeoftheteamandwhatrolewilltheprospectivesigneeplay?Arehisstyleofplay,hisskills,andhispersonalityinaccordwiththeneedsof theteam?Willhebeabletomakeameaningfulcontributiontohisnewclub? Teamsacquiringfreeagentsshouldrealizethatveteranplayerswhohavebeenintheleagueforanumberofyears(i.e.,sixormore)willprobablynotexperienceany dramaticchangesinthewaytheyplaythegame,theirskills,ortheirperformancelevelevenwithintensecoaching.Assuch,ateamcannotrealisticallyexpectto rebuildorreinventthe"game"ofaveteranplayer.Whilesomeadjustmentinanathlete's"game"maybepossible,thekeyforateamwhoacquiresaveteranfreeagent istoidentifythosethingsthattheathletedoesbestandtakeadvantageofthem. Onoccasion,ayoungerfreeagent(i.e.,aplayerwhohasbeenintheLeaguelessthanfiveyears)whosefullplayingpotentialhasyettobefulfilledorevenrecognized duringhisrelativelybriefNFLcareerwillbecomeafreeagent.Suchaplayerisoftensomeonewhoisrelativelyunknownbecausehehasbeenplayingbehindawell knownfrontlineplayer,orwhoisanindividualwhohasbeenlimitedtoplayingstrictlyonspecialteams. Regardlessofafreeagent'slevelofexperienceornotoriety,theheadcoachshouldestablishrealisticandwelldefinedexpectationsregardinghowwellthe

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acquiredplayershouldperform.Ifanorganizationdevelopsunrealisticperformancestandardsforanacquiredfreeagent,anatmospherewillbecreatedwherediscord anddisharmonywilleventuallyoccurbetweentheteamandtheplayer.Toprecludesuchasituation,theperformanceexpectationsforanacquiredfreeagentmustbe basedontheconsideredjudgmentsandseasonedinsightsofanexperiencedstaff. Asageneralrule,mostteamstendtosettheirexpectationsforsuchaplayersomewhereinthemiddleofacontinuumthatrangesfromtheminimumlevelof performancethatwouldbereasonablyexpectedofaparticularfreeagent(i.e.,thelowerendofthecontinuum)tothelevelofperformancethatmightresultfroma player'soverlygenerousinfusionofoptimismthatarisesfrombeinginanewworkingenvironment(i.e.,thehigherboundaryofthecontinuum).Moreoftenthannot, thelowerrangeofthecontinuumprovidesamorerealisticbenchmarkforestablishingexpectationsforafreeagent. Asamemberoftheteam'stopmanagement,itisreasonableforyoutoexpectthataveteranfreeagentwhosignsasizablecontractwillhavesomethingtoproveand, withinareasonableperiodoftime,willsetaboutlearningthesystemofhisnewteam.Suchanunderstandingshouldbeestablishedbeforethecontractissigned. Nothingshouldbetakenforgranted,however. Everyfreeagentyourteamsignsmustbeplacedinanintenseindoctrinationprogram,regardlessofhowmanyyearshehasplayedintheLeague.Thisprogramshould addressseveralfactors,includingascheduleofrequiredsessionsforconditioning,skilldevelopment,andathoroughintroductiontothesystemyourteamemploys.A rigoroustimetableforhimtostudy,train,andworkoutoverthecourseoftheentireoffseasonshouldbeestablished. Yourteamshouldbeonalertandcautiousaboutafreeagentwhohasahistoryofapoorworkethic.Forexample,ifaplayerhaspreviouslyexhibitedabehavior patternofmissingrequiredworkouts,itwouldnotbeallthatsurprisingifhislackofselfdisciplineweretocontinue.Evenifthecoachingstaffmakesanextraeffort (i.e.,resources,attention,time,etc.)withthatfreeagent,hemaystillreverttohisoldhabitsevenatthemostcriticaltimes.Allthismustbetakenintoconsideration beforeateamacquiresaveteranplayer. Toapoint,theteamthatacquiresafreeagentmustdemonstratepatienceandbewillingtoinitiallyaccepttheshortcomingsofthatplayer.Eventually,however,the teammustmakeaconcertedefforttogettheacquiredfreeagenttounderstandwhyhisbehaviormustchange.Althoughsuchanassignmentmaybesomewhatofa challengeforyou,itisacriticalfunctionthatyoumustbewillingtoundertakeintheNFLinthe1990s. Itisalsoimportantforyoutomakeanacquiredfreeagentunderstandthathemayhaveadistinctivelydifferentroleonhisnewteamthanhehadonhispreviousteam. Thechangeinroleswillimpactmostonthoseindividualswhogofrombeingasecondlineplayertobeingastarteroronthoseplayerswhogofromonesystemtoa drasticallydifferentone. RegardlessofthenumberofyearsaplayerhasspentintheLeague,theprocessofafreeagentadaptingtoanewrolewillinvolvegrowingpainsparticularlyatthe quarterbackposition.Forexample,learninganewsystem,developingacritical

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senseoftimingwithhisreceivers,gettingafeelfortheprotectioncapabilitiesofhisoffensiveline,andestablishingaleadershiprolealltaketimeforaquarterback. Accordingly,astepbystepplanmustbeestablishedthatenablesaquarterbacktosystematicallymeettherequirementsofhisnewrole. Understandingwhatcriteriaafreeagentmustsatisfytoensurethathewillbeappropriatetothedynamicsofateamisonethingfindingsuchaplayerisyetanother criticalissuethatateammustaddress.Asageneralrule,thedecisiontoattempttoacquireafreeagentistypicallybasedonseveralfactors,includingsubjective evaluationsofhisskillsandhispotentialtocontributetotheteam,hissalarycapcost,etc.Mostteamsconsidertheopinionsoftheirassistantcoachesasthemost reliablesourcefordeterminingafreeagent'spotentialvaluewithinaspecificsystem.Onoccasion,however,suchevaluationsaremadebytheteam'sdirectorof operationsorbymembersofateam'sscoutingstaff. Coachesoftenhaveauniqueandmoreinclusiveinsightintothe"actual"valueofafreeagent.Forexample,byfollowinganathlete'scareerthroughcollegeandintothe NFL,personnelstaffmembersandcoachescandevelopanappreciationfortheathleteovera"completebody"ofwork.Afterateamlosesaplayerinthedraft,that athletemaybecomeavailableasafreeagentanynumberofyearslater.(Thisfactorillustratesanotherreasonwhycoachesshouldbeusedinateam'sevaluation processforthedraft.)Bythenatureoftheirposition,coachesmaycontinueto"track"aplayerthroughtheLeaguethattheyinitiallybecamefamiliarwithduringthe draftprocess.Subsequently,asaresultofcompetingagainstthatplayerandinteractingwithothercoachesintheLeague,assistantcoachesoftenpossessthemost reliabledatabasetouseintheprocessofevaluatingfreeagents. Notonlymustateamidentifyfreeagentswhomitwishestopursue,itmustalsotakestepstoensurethateveryfreeagentacquisitionmakesfinancialsenseunderthe salarycap.Anorganizationmustavoidgettingintoanunduebiddingwarwithotherclubsovertheservicesofaveteranplayer. Whenanotherteamescalatesthepriceforaparticularfreeagent,yourteammaygetdrawnintoasituationwhereitspendsmorefortheplayerthanheisworthto yourteam.Yourteammustnotlettheevaluationprocessorthesalarycapsituationofanotherclubdictatethevalueofaspecificplayertoyourteam.Toapoint,your organizationshouldestablishacertainvalue(bothmonetaryandpractical)ontheservicesofafreeagentandabidebythefinancialguidelineswhichyourteamhasset. Theonlycircumstancesthatwouldjustifyateamspendingmoreonaparticularfreeagentthanitsinitialallottedbudgetareifateamfeelsitsinitialprojectionsweretoo loworifateamdeemsthatplayertobeworththeelevatedprice.Moreoftenthannot,however,anorganizationthatletsanotherteamforceitintoextendingits resourcesbecausetheorganizationthinkstheotherclubknowssomethingaboutthefreeagentitdoesn'tisusuallysettingitselfupforamajordisappointment. Anotherunderlyingpremisetowhichateamparticipatinginthefreeagencyprocessmustadhereistheoldadage,"letthebuyerbeware."Tothatend,every prospectivefreeagentacquisitionmustundergoathoroughmedicalexam.Asound

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medicalappraisalwillhelpateamaddresstheissueofwhetheritispursuinga"significantasset"oraplayerwhowillhaveconstantmedicalproblems.Ifsuchchronic problemsexist,ateamshouldnotexpecttheathleteorhisagenttorevealtheirpresence. Asarule,freeagentplayerswithchronicjointproblemsshouldundergointensemedicalscrutiny.Attheleast,suchproblemsshouldbeaccountedforfully.Ateam's medicalstaffshouldhaveinputintotheevaluationprocessforfreeagentplayerswhohavepotentiallydebilitatingmedicalconditions.Ifnecessary,relevant accommodationscanbeestablishedforaparticularfreeagentpriortothatplayerbeingsigned(e.g.,plannedrecoverytime,reducedpracticetime,scheduledrehab sessionswiththemedicalstaff,etc.). Teamsshouldalsobeawarethatsomefreeagentsmaybeavailablewhosecareersareonthedecline.Suchplayershavealreadyhadtheir"best"years,andmayonly havevalueaseitherspotplayerswithgreatlyreducedrolesorastemporary(i.e.,oneyear)stopgapmeasures. Aveteranplayermayalsocomeavailableasafreeagentbecauseofasetofcircumstancesunrelatedtohisperformanceonthefield.Anorganizationshouldcaution itselfaboutgoingafterafreeagentwhoseems"toogoodtobetrue."Chancesare,heis.Theremaybeunderlyingcircumstancesthattheorganizationshould,atthe veryleast,beawareofthathavecontributedtotheplayer'sapparent"devaluation"onthefreeagentmarket.Forexample,atalentedplayermaybeadisruptiveforce inthelockerroom,mayhaveahistoryofspousalabuse,mayusedrugs,mayhaveanalcoholproblem,etc. Whileanew"leaseonlife"orbeing"reborn"istheoreticallypossible,itisfoolishforateamtoacquireafreeagentwhosecircumstancesarecontemptibleregardless ofhowwellheperformsonthefield.Ateamshouldevaluateeverysituationonacasebycasebasisanddeterminewhetherafreeagentburdenedbydestructive circumstancescouldchangeandtowhatextentwouldsuchachangemaketheplayeranappropriateacquisition.Adisagreeablefindingineitherinstanceshouldcause ateamtodivertitsattentioninthefreeagentmarkettootherpossibleacquisitions. Trades Manyofthefactorsthatareinvolvedinthefreeagencyprocessshouldbeconsideredwhenmakingatrade.Itisessentialthatateammustensurethatanyplayeritis interestedinobtaininginatrademustbecompatiblewiththedynamicsoftheteam. Athoroughevaluationoftheskillsandabilitiesofsuchaplayershouldalsobefactoredintoanydecisiontotradeforaparticularplayer.Furthermore,the"price"of theplayer(i.e.,players,draftchoices,money,etc.)mustbeappropriatetotheteam'sshorttermandlongtermgoalsandplansandmustfitwithinateam'ssalarycap circumstances. ItisessentialthateveryorganizationhasasysteminplacefortrackingtheplayersonotherNFLrosters.Ifthesituationwarrantsit,ateammustbepreparedtomake atradeonrelativelyshortnoticethatisinitsbestinterests.Forexample,duringtheseason,ateammayloseakeyplayertoinjurywhocanbestbereplacedthrougha

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trade.Anotherscenariomayinvolveasituationwhere,foronereasonoranother,anotherteamwantstoget"ridof"aplayeryourteamcovets. Anorganizationwhichhasaknowledgeablegeneralmanageroradirectorofoperationswhoiswellrespectedandgetsalongwellwithhiscounterpartsonother teamshasadistinctadvantagewhenmakingtrades.TheSanFrancisco49erswereparticularlyfortunatetohavetheastuteJohnMcVayinthisroleforanumberof years. Allfactorsconsidered,theperiodofsignificantplayertradesintheNFLhaspassedbecauseoffreeagency.Inthehistoryofthegame,onegeneralmanagerstands outasbeingperhapsthebestpersoneveratmakingtradesDonKlostermanwiththethenLosAngelesRams. Table71providesanoverviewofthemajortradesthatDonwasabletocompleteinjustasixyearperiod.BecauseofDon'sefforts,theRamswereableto continuouslystockpiledraftchoicesandthenturnsomeofthosechoicesintooutstandingplayers(acquiredthroughthedraft).Eventually,someofthoseplayerswere subsequentlytradedformoredraftchoices,andthecyclecontinued. Ofcourse,themostunbelievabletradeinthehistoryoftheNFLoccurredwhenGeneralManagerMikeLynngaveupmuchofhisMinnesotaVikingsteamfor HerschelWalker.Intheprocess,hedevastatedthefutureoftheVikingsfranchiseandalmostsinglehandedlygavetheDallasCowboystheplayersanddraftchoices theyneededtobecomeworldchampions. TheTwentyPercentFailureFactor Ifapersonneldepartmentisdoinganoutstandingjobofevaluatingandacquiringtalentthroughthedraftandfreeagency,itsfailurerate(i.e.,thenumberofplayers whodon't"panout"forwhateverreason)canbeexpectedtobearoundtwentypercent.Inotherwords,regardlessofhowcapableandefficientyourscoutsand coachesareinidentifying,researchingandprojectingthepotentialvalueofaparticularplayer,afalloutofapproximatelytwentypercentwilloccur. Overtheyears,everyteamintheNFLhasexperiencedsomedegreeofdisappointmentinitsacquisitions.Topdraftchoiceshaveturnedouttobe"busts,"and expensivefreeagentsigningshavenotliveduptotheirexpectations. Thepointtobeemphasizedisthatnomatterhowmuchtimeandeffortateamputsintotheacquisitionsprocess(i.e.,nomatterhowthoroughlyateam"studies"a givenathlete),somemiscalculationswillhappen.Theprocesssimplyinvolvestoomanyvariablestobeabletoaccuratelyaccountforeveryfactor. Ontheotherhand,ifthepercentageofateam'sacquisitionsfailuresclimbstoovertwentypercent,thenshortcomingsexistintheteam'ssystemofevaluatingand acquiringplayers.Ifdisappointmentafterdisappointmentoccurs,theycan'tallberelatedto"badluck." Allfactorsconsidered,afailurerateofapproximatelytwentypercentinthisregardisaboutallafranchisecanabsorbandcontinuetobecompetitive.Capable, experiencedmanagementwillhaveafirmgraspofthisreality.

Page158 Table71.AnexampleofmajortradescompletedbyDonKlostermanoftheLosAngelesRamsduringtheperiod197378. June8,1973:RamstradequarterbackRomanGabrieltoPhiladelphiaforWRHaroldJackson,RBTonyBaker,theEagles' firstroundselectionin1974andtheEagles'firstandthirdroundselectionsin1975. Choice Eagles1st1974: Eagles1st1975: Eagles3rd1975: RamsSelected JohnCappellettiRBPennState(#11) DennisHarrahTMiami(#11) DanNugentGAuburn(#67)

October22,1974:RamstradequarterbackJohnHadltoGreenBayforthePackers'firstroundselectionin1975,Baltimore's secondroundselectionin1975,thePackers'thirdroundselectionin1975,andthePackers'firstandsecondround selectionsin1976. Choice Packers1st1975: Colts2nd1975: Packers3rd1975:* Packers1st1976: Packers2nd1976: RamsSelected MikeFanningDTNotraDame(#9) MonteJacksonDBSanDiegoState(#28) GeoffReeceCWashingtonState(#61) CompensationforsigningWRRonJessie PatThomasDBTexasA&M(#39)

August22,1978:HamstradedefensivebackMonteJacksontoOaklandfortheRaiders'firstroundselectionin1979,third roundselectionin1980,andsecondroundselectionin1981. Choice Raiders1st1979: Raiders3rd1980: Raiders2nd1981: RamsSelected GeorgeAndrewsLBNebraska(#19) LeRoyIrvinDBKansas(#70) TradedMiamiLBBobBrudzinskifortheDolphins'secondandthirdroundselectionsin1981 andTampaBay'ssecondroundselectionin1982(4/28/81).

*'76TradedReeceandswapped2nd'swithSeattletogetNolanCromwell.

Aplayerwhofailstoperformatanacceptablelevel,afterbeinggivenareasonableopportunitytoestablishhimself,mustbemovedon(i.e.,released,traded,etc.).On occasion,youwillhaveanathletewhowillfallshortofexpectations,butmaystillbeofsomevaluetotheteam. Thisplayermaybeanathletewhocancontributetosomedegreeinameaningfulwaytotheteam,yetallfactorsconsideredbeoverpaidfortherolehe'sfulfilling. Logically,hewillbecriticizedbythemedia. Thepointtoremember,however,isthatifthisplayercanhelptheteamandisnotamajordistraction,thenitistheresponsibilityofthecoachingstafftoassimilatethat playerintothesquadandtotakeadvantageofhisskillsandabilities(howeverlimitedtheymaybe).

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Apotentiallyseriousproblemintheacquisitionsystemcanoccurwhensomeoneintegrallyinvolvedintheprocess(e.g.,ascout,acoach,theDPP,eventhepresident oftheorganization)refusestocometotermswiththefactthathis/herdecisionhadtobemistakenwithregardtoacquiringaparticularplayer.Inthisregard,theego factor,oreveninternalcompetitionovertalentdecisions,canbeaverydifficultobstaclewhentryingtomakeaconsidereddecisionwhethertoretainaspecificplayer. Onoccasion,afewindividualswillrefusetoadmit(concede)thattheymadeamistakeintheirevaluationsofagivenathlete.Moreoftenthannot,thesepeoplewilltry toplaceblamefortheplayer'sfailuretoperformasexpectedonsomeotherfactor(e.g.,poorcoaching,achangeinthesystemorstyleofplay,minorinjuriessuffered bytheathlete,etc.). Assuch,theindividualwithintheorganizationwhomakesthefinaldecisiononpersonnelmattersinvolvingtheteammustaccountforthe"failurefactor"and,withsome patienceandthoroughdeliberation,mustdeterminewhethertheathleteisgoingtomakeit."Onceadecisionismadethataplayerisnotworthretaining,youmustnot lookback.Suchdecisionsaresimplypartofthegame. DeterminingtheFutureDynamicsofPlayerAcquisitions Inthefuture,theprocessofdeterminingwhichplayerstoretainandwhichathletestoacquireforateamwillcontinuetobesubstantiallyaffectedbysuchfactorsasthe salarycap,highersalaries,freeagency,etc.Assuch,themakeupoftherosterofNFLteamswillbeaffectedbyseveralofthechangingcircumstancesthatmustbe consideredwhenacquiringplayers,including: Moreplayermovement(teamtoteam)willoccur. Becauseofthesalarycap,morecontractswillberenegotiated. Teamswillhavelessdepthbecauseofthesalarycap. Becauseoftheconstantlevelofplayermovement(resultinginnewplayersontheroster),moreteaching willbedoneinminicamps. Teamswilldevotemoretimeandenergytoteamplayintheirtrainingcampsinordertodevelop cohesivenesswithnewplayersthathaveeitherbeensignedsincelastseasonorhavebeenelevatedto startingroleswithinthesquad. Moreemphasiswillbeplacedonevaluatingnewplayers(theirskillsandparticulartalents)andon determininghowtheywouldbemosteffective. Moreolderplayerswillremaininthegame,butatreducedsalariesasbackups. Firstyearplayerswillbeexpectedtoplayamoreactiveroleontheteamimmediately. Thedegreetowhichateamwillbeabletoexpandeitheritsoffensiveoritsdefensivesystemwillbe limitedannuallybythelevelofthesquad'sdevelopment.

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Spontaneouschangeswilloccurinteampersonnel.Thecoachingstaffmusthavepatienceandmust exhibitflexibilitywhendealingwiththerathershockinglossoffrontlineplayers. Asateambeginstoexperiencealosingseason,soontobefreeagentsmaylosetheirintensityto compete(particularlyoncetheirteamsareoutoftheplayoffpicture). Becauseoffreeagency,ateam'swinlossrecordwilltendtogravitatetowardthemiddle(i.e.,an88 record).Asaconsequence,ateammustbeawarethatitneedstogeneratemomentuminitslastfour games. Playercharacterwillbecomeextremelyimportant,especiallyatthelowerendoftheroster.Although playersinthissituationarepaiddramaticallylowersalariesthantheirteammates,theymay,onoccasion, bestartingbecauseofinjuries.Itisimportantthattheysustaintheirintensityandtheireffortsinthelater stagesoftheseason. Teamswillhaveasignificantnumberoffreeagentswhoremainonthesquadforonlyabriefperiodof time(i.e.,oneortwoyears).Forexample,ateamsignsa32yearoldoffensivelinemantoafouryear contract.Inhisfirstyear,hestartsandplayswell,butbeginstoexhibitsomeevidenceofdecliningskills. Hecontinuestostartinhissecondyear,butperformsonlyatanadequatelevel.Atthatpoint,theteam mustconsidermovinghim.

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Chapter8 DevelopingPlayers
"Footballislikelifeitrequiresperseverance,selfdenial,hardwork,sacrifice,dedication,andrespectforauthority. VinceLombardi HallofFameFootballCoach GreenBayPackers

Findingthewinningedge... Tokeeppeoplefocusedwhenthecompanyanthemdoesn'tinspirethemanymore,narrowthefocusofloyalty. Militaryleadershavelongknownthatthesmallertheunit,theeasieritistofeelallegiancetoit:theregiment,the platoon,eventhesquad,canarousedeeperfidelitythanmoreabstractconceptslikecauseandcountry.Justthe goatitselfmaybeenough.Givepeoplethechancetowinachampionshipordesignthewidgetthatchangesthe world,andyou'llgetattheloyaltyyouneed. Gettingpeopleto"giveadamn"meansharnessingtheirconcernaboutthefuturetoyouradvantage.Thepromiseof theworkplaceisnoLongerthetestimonialdinnerandtheplaque,butthechancetoimproveskillsandbecome morevaluableinthemarketplace.I'vecoachedshorttermplayerswhoknewtheyweregoingtobearoundonlyone ortwoseasons.Buttheyrealizedtheyhadanopportunitytoleavetheteambetterplayersthanwhentheyarrived andmaderealcontributions. BillWalsh,"InsecurityComplex: ManagersMustFigureOutNewWays toGenerateStaffLoyaltyWhenPink SlipsareintheAir,"Forbes,April8, 1996.

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Theneedfororganizationstohaveaprocessandprocedureinplacethatensurethattheskillsandtalentsofeachmemberoftheorganizationarerefined andutilizedinanappropriatewayhasbeendemonstratedtomeseveraltimesovertheyears.Forexample,whenIarrivedatStanfordin1977,the quarterbackatthetimewasayoungmannamedGuyBenjamin.Guyhadbeenportrayedasaveryundisciplined,scramblingquarterbackwhodepended completelyonhisinnatepassingabilities. WhenIarrived,Ibeganteachingmysystemoffootball,the"WestCoastOffense."IpaidparticularattentiontoGuy'sfootwork,mechanicsand techniques.Throughoutspringpractice,Igavehimdrillstoworkonhistechniquesandconcentratedonmakinghimbeconcernedaboutfundamentals. GuywasaStandfordtypestudent.HepickedthingsupquicklyandappreciatedtheextraattentionIgavehim. IwantedthereceiverstoruntheirpatternsproperlyandGuytotimeoutoneverypasshethrew.Hemadeprogressthroughoutspringpractice.Even thoughhewenttohisoutletreceivertooearly,hewaslearningtogothroughthepropersequence(primary,alternate,secondary)andusetheproper footwork.WealsodevelopedareceiverbatteryofBillKellarandJamesLofton. AstheseasonbeganweplayednumberonerankedColoradoinBoulder.Althoughwelost2721,wewereonourwaytoaveryrespectableseason.We cappedtheyearwitha2414victoryoverLSU.GuyimprovedsomuchthatheledtheNCAAinpassingandattheendoftheseasonwasnameda consensusAllAmerican.JamesLofton,whohadpreviouslybeenignored,wasgiventheopportunitytoplayandbecameanAllAmericanand,eventually, anNFLHallofFamer. WhileGuywasreceivingpersonalattentionfromRodDowhowerandme,SteveDils,thebackupquarterback,waslearningbyosmosis.Justpriortothe UCLAgame,Guywasinjured.Inhisfirstgame,SteveledStanfordtoa3129victoryoverUCLA. Asacoach,Ihadtounderstandtheskillsthatwererequiredinmysystemoffootballandthendevelopamethodforteachingthoseskillsthatwouldhelp theathletedeveloptohisfullpotential.In1978,SteveledtheNCAAinpassing,makingthemostofhisopportunitiestofirstlearnfromGuyandthentake overtheteamhimself.Steve'sseasonwascappedbyacomefrombehindbowlvictoryoverGeorgia.SteveplayedseveralyearsintheNFL.Guybecamea backuptoJoeMontanaduringSanFrancisco'sSuperBowlyears.Guy,Steve,andTurkSchonertlearnedfromtheopportunitytoplayacompletesystem offootball. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Ateamshoulddoeverythingpossibletoensurethattheskillsandtalentsofeachplayeronitsrosteraredeveloped,refined,andutilizedinanappropriateway.A team'splayersareobviouslythecorebuildingblocks(i.e.,humancapital)forasuccessfulorganization.Oneofthebestinvestmentsateamcanmakeinthose"building blocks"istoestablishasystematicplantotrainanddevelopitsplayerstotheirfullestpotential.

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Theessenceofsuchaplanistocreateanenvironmentwheremeaningfullearningcanoccur.Severalstepscanbetakentofacilitatelearning,includingensuringthatall playersreceivehandsoninstructiondesignedtodeveloptheirskillsandtechniques.Suchinstructionshouldbeprovidedonaregularbasisbymembersofthe coachingstaff. Stepsshouldbeundertakenperiodicallytofollowuponallinstructionalefforts.Theprogressofeachplayershouldbemeasured.Allinstructiveproceduresand programsshouldbereevaluatedandchanged,asappropriate.Constructivefeedbackandencouragementshouldbeprovidedtoeachplayer. Ateammusthaveastrategyforprovidingsystematictraininganddevelopmentforitsplayers.Thefactorsaffectingsuchastrategywillbedifferentfordraftchoices thanforveteranplayers.

Thereisnogreaterwasteofaresourcethanthatofunrealizedtalent. TheodoreRoosevelt 26thPresidentoftheUnitedStates

DevelopingDraftChoices Althoughorganizationsneedfirstyearplayers(particularlyhighdraftchoices)tocontributetotheirteam'ssuccess,inmostinstances,firstyearplayersencountertoo manyobstacleswhichmustbeovercomeforthemtomakeasignificantcontribution.Severalfactorscaninfluencethedegreetowhichaplayerhasalimitedroleinhis firstyearontheteam,includinghislackofphysicalmaturity,whetherheispronetoinjuries,thefactthathemaybeinasurvivalmodeintrainingcamp,hispossible lackoffocus,thelackofattentionhewillreceiveintrainingcamp,andthemajorchangesinhislifestyle. Astheheadcoach,itisimportantthatyouconsiderthefactthatmostfirstyearplayersarestillmaturingphysically.Suchapointmaybesomewhatdifficulttograsp whentheplayer"undertheteam'smicroscope"isatwentyoneortwentytwoyearoldathletewithahighlymuscularbodyandareputationforbeinga"physical" player. Inreality,evenifafirstyearplayerisconsideredtobetheprototypephysicalspecimen,thatathletemayhavedifficultyadaptingtothephysicaldemandsofthe monthlongtrainingcampandtheupcomingextendedseason(i.e.,twentygamesoverthecourseofthepreseasonandtheregularseasonevenmoreifhisteamis involvedinpostseasonplay).Thelackofphysicalmaturityisevenmorelikelytobeaproblemforthoseunderclassmenwhoenterthedraft. Thefactthatafirstyearplayermaynothavethephysicalmaturityofaveterancanleadtoseveralpossibleproblems.Forexample,allfactorsconsidered,afirstyear playerismorelikelytosufferamusclepullthanaveteranplayer.Many

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playersparticipatingintheirfirsttrainingcamptendtoexpendmoreenergythanisnecessary,whiletheylearnwhatbeingaprofessionalfootballplayerinvolves.In addition,theseplayersoftendonothaveacompleteappreciationforthevalueofusingtheteam'sathletictrainingstaffoverthecourseofalong,arduousseason thewaythatveteranplayersdo. Thecoachingstaffcantakeseveralstepstolessenthepossibleproblemsthatmayarisefromalackofphysicalmaturityinitsnewlysigneddraftchoices.Attheleast, everyrookieplayermustbemadeawareoftheresourcestheteamhasavailabletoassisthisdevelopmentandtoensurethewellbeingofeverymemberoftheteam. Suchresourcesincludetheteam'sphysicalconditioningstaff,theteam'smedicalstaff(i.e.,theteamphysician,orthopedists,athletictrainers,etc.),thetrainingfacilities, andacoachingstaffcapableandwillingtoprovideadvice,insights,andinstructionasneeded. Uponsigning,firstyearplayersmustalsoberequiredtoparticipateinaregularlyscheduled,individualizedphysicaldevelopmentprogram.Suchaprogramshouldbe prescribedandcloselysupervisedbytheteam'sphysicalconditioningstaff.Theprescriptionforeachindividualshouldbebasedonacomprehensiveassessmentof thatplayer'sphysicalabilitiesandmotorskills. Anotherissuethatmayaffectafirstyearplayeristhefactthatduringtrainingcamp,suchaplayeroftenfeelslikeheisinsomewhatofasurvivalmode.Thisattitude maylimithisfocustoapointwherehejustconcentratesongettingthrougheach''new"task(e.g.,reportingtocamp,gettingpastthefirstpreseasongame,dealingwith thesubstantialincreaseinmediaattentionhereceives,etc.).Hisresultingmentalreferencepointmayalsolimithisabilitytoconcentratewellinteammeetings.Asa consequence,hemayoccasionallyseemtobesomewhatconfusedorappeartobeunabletograspandretainessentialmaterial. Thedevelopmentoffirstyearplayersisalsoaffectedbythefactthattheynormallyreceivemuchmoreindividualattentionduringminicamp1thantheydoduring trainingcamp.Oneofthemajorfocalpointsofminicampsistoprovideanenvironmentwherethecoachingstaffcanaddresstheinexperienceandthelackof preparationoftheteam'sfirstyearplayers.Allfactorsconsidered,thecoachingstaffhasrelativelylowexpectationsfortheperformanceoffirstyearplayersinmini camps.Whateveropinionsthestaffhasinthisenvironmentareoftenbasedsolelyontheathleticabilityofeachplayer. Incontrast,theprimaryfocusattrainingcampistopreparetheentireteamfortheupcomingseason.Withthepreseasonandthefirstgameoftheregularseason rapidlyapproaching,thepatienceandtoleranceofthecoachingstaffforthetypicalmistakesandlearningdifficultiesoffirstyearplayersarediminished. Infact,theperformanceofafirstyearplayermaybeadisappointmenttothecoachingstaffforsometimepossiblyfortheentireseason.Eventually,arookie playermaylosehispoiseandhisabilitytofocusinsomecompetitivesituations.Atsomepoint,hemayevenappeartohaveforgotteneverythinghehassupposedly learned. Anothersignificantfactorthatcanaffectthedevelopmentoffirstyearplayersistheoverwhelmingchangethattypicallyoccursintheirpersonallives.Forexample,if anathleteisahighdraftchoice,heprobablywillhavemoremoneythanat

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anytimeinhislife.Possiblyforthefirsttimeinhislife,hewillbelivingonhisown,inanenvironmentdrasticallydifferentfromtheonehelivedinduringhiscollege days. Anathlete'snewenvironmentmayexposehimtoavarietyof"characters"andcircumstancesofdubiousvalue.Inanunfortunatenumberofsituations,afirstyear playerwillattractanarrayof"predators"whoaredrawntohimbyhisnewlyacquiredaffluenceandhiscelebrity"status"asaprofootballplayer.The"baggage''that thesepredatorsbringtotheirrelationshipwithrookiesofteninvolvesdrugs,excessivealcoholconsumption,attemptstofinanciallydefraudtheirnewfound"friends," etc. Asaconsequence,itisimportantthateachteamtakesystematicstepstoacclimateitsrookieplayerstotheNFL.Everyplayershouldbethoroughlycounseledon financialmatters(i.e.,howtomanagemoney,howtochooseafinancialadvisor,etc.),behaviormatters(i.e.,offthefieldcomportment,avoidingindividualsoflow character,etc.),andthedangersofsubstanceabuse(i.e.,drugs,alcohol,steroids,etc.). OneofthemostpositivefactorsforaplayerinhisfirstyearintheNFLoccurswhentheteamestablishesaspecificroleforhimontheteam.Byearninganactiverole onthefieldasapassrushspecialist,aspecialteamsplayer,oranextrareceiverina3or4receiverformation,afirstyearplayergainsameasureofselfrespect becausehiscontributiontotheteamhasbeen"isolated." Byestablishinghisroleontheteamandtakingprideinthefactthatheiscontributinginatangibleway,arookiecanachieveasenseofcontrolinhisprofessionallife. Notonlyisheabletoearnhis"keep,"healsoisabletoacquiretheacceptanceofhisteammates. Inreality,itisunrealisticforateamtoexpectafirstyearplayertoexperiencemuchimprovementasaresultofpracticeduringhisrookieseason.Theonlyareain whichsubstantialdevelopmentwilloccurisintheskillstheathleteneedstofulfillhisspecificroleontheteam. Toomuchishappeningduringtheregularseasonforcoachesorhisteammatestogivemuchdetailedcoachingtoasecondlinebackupplayer.Afirstyearplayer whoisnotreadytobethrustintoastartingpositionmayonlyhaveaminimal,senseof"urgency"tolearn.Asaresult,hisskillsandlevelofpreparednessmayactually erodeoverthecourseoftheseason.Consequently,mostofthedevelopmentoffirstyearplayersoccursintrainingcampandthesubsequentoffseason.
Oneveryteam,thereisacoregroupthatsetsthetoneforeveryoneelse.Ifthetoneispositive,youhavehalfthe battlewon.Ifitisnegative,youarebeatenbeforeyoueverwalkonthefield. ChuckNoll HallofFameFootballCoach PittsburghSteelers fromGamePlansforSuccess

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ComingofAgeasaProfessional ThesecondyearoftrainingcampisamuchmorerealisticmeasuringstickforevaluatingthedevelopmentandtheabilitiesofmostNFLplayers.Bythispointintheir careers,theseathletesshouldhavearelativelyclearunderstandingofthesequencingofpracticing,whatisexpectedofthemduringpractice,andwhatisinvolvedin playingintheNFL. Severalfactorscancontributetosuchanunderstanding.Forexample,betweentheendofhisfirstseasonintheNFLandthestartofhissecondtrainingcamp,every playerundergoesanintenseoffseasonprogramofteachingandtraining.Thisprogramisdesignedtoprovideeachplayerwithathoroughunderstandingoftheteam's systemandtheskillsrequiredofhimtoperformhisjobeffectivelywithinthatsystem. Playersarealsochangedphysicallybeforethestartoftheirsecondtrainingcamp.Notonlyhavetheyundergoneanatural"spurt"ofphysicalmaturationthattendsto occurinmostindividualsbetweentheagesoftwentytwoandtwentythree,theyhavealsoparticipatedinarigorousoffseasonstrengthdevelopmentprogram, supervisedbytheteam'sconditioningstaff. Inaddition,inhissecondtrainingcamp,aplayerdoesnothavetodealwiththeparalyzingsenseofanxietyarisingfromunfamiliarsurroundings.Bytheirsecondyear, mostplayershavefamiliarizedthemselveswiththeirenvironmentenoughtoenablethecoachingstafftorealisticallyassesstheirabilitiestoperformataprofessional level. Developmentally,thecoachingstaffshouldplaceamajoremphasisoncultivatingandrefiningtheskillsofeveryrookieplayerwhohasjustcompletedhisinitialseason intheNFL.Thefocusofsuchaneffortmustbetototallyprepareeachplayerforhissecondtrainingcamp.Eachathleteshouldbea"special"projectforhisposition coach.Inthisregard,thejobofthepositioncoachistoestablishwhatskillsandabilitiesareessentialforthepositionandtotakestepstoprogressivelydevelopthose traitsinthoseplayersforwhichheisresponsible. Amongthefactorsthatapositioncoachshouldconsiderwhenworkingwithsecondyearplayersduringtheoffseasonarethefollowing: Everypositioncoachmustbetotallyversedinthespecificskillsaparticularplayerneedstofunction withintheteam'ssystem. Theconditioningprogramprescribedforeachplayermustenhancehiseffortstodeveloptheskills requiredtoplayhisposition. Everyplayershouldbegiveninformationregardingwhatconstitutessoundnutrition,hownutritioncan affecthisonthefieldperformance,andwhatstepscanbetakentosafelycontrol(manage)hisweight. Everyathletemustbemadetounderstandhowheshouldprepareeachweektomaximizehiscontinued developmentoverthecourseoftheseason. Duringthis(offseason)period,thepositioncoachshouldattempttodeterminethecommitmentlevelof eachoftheathletesheiscoachingtofootball.

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Boththeplayerandhispositioncoachmustlearntocommunicateeffectivelywitheachother.Usingthe vernacular(language)oftheteam'ssystem,itisessentialthattheyareabletoprovideeachotherwiththe criticalinformationthateachneedstodohisjobunderthepressureanddemandsofthegame. Everyplayermustbemadetounderstandhowhisskillsandresponsibilitiesdovetailwiththeother positionsontheteamwithwhichhemustinteract. Everyplayermustbegintodevelopadetailedunderstandingofthecapabilities,strengths,and weaknessesoftheotherteamsintheNFLparticularlythoseinhisteam'sdivision. Everyplayermustlearntoconducthimselfproperlywithinthesocialenvironmentthatexistsfora professionalathlete.

Whenalltheengineersanddesignerswerefinishedspeculatingwhatshouldhappenitwastheexperiencedtest pilotswhotookholdoftherudderandgavepracticalapplicationtowhatwasatthattimejusttheory. ChuckYeager BrigadierGeneral,retired UnitedStatesAirForce

DevelopingtheQuarterback Developingthequarterbackisattheheartofateam'sabilitytocompeteintheNFL.Assuch,thequarterbackpositionshouldreceiveasubstantialamountofattention fromthecoachingstaff.Thisattentionshouldbewellplannedandshouldfocusonsequentiallearning. Theneedforacomprehensiveandwellthoughtoutplanfordevelopingthequarterbackhasbeenheightenedbythefactthatthe"process"ofdevelopingplayersinthe NFLhaschangedmoreforthequarterbackpositionthanforanyotherpositionsincetheadventoffreeagency.Thetraditionalapproachofateamdraftinga quarterback,developinghimoveraperiodofthreetofouryears,andpositioninghimtobethatteam'seventualstarterisnolongerconsistentwiththephilosophyof manyteams. Thischangeinphilosophyisillustratedbythefactthatduringthefouryearperiodof199497,onlyonequarterbackwasselectedperroundineachofthefirstthree roundsoftheNFLdraft.SomeNFLobserversbelievethatsuchasituationisprimarilyanoutgrowthofthelackoftalentedquarterbackscomingoutofthecollegiate ranks.Manyotherindividualsfeelthatmostclubssimplydon'twanttoexpendahighdraftchoiceonsomeonewhoprobablywon'tplayforthembecausehe'llbelost totheteamthatdraftedhimviathefreeagencyprocess. Notsurprisingly,mosttalented,youngquarterbackswhoareeligibleforfreeagencywanttogotoasituationwheretheyhaveareasonablechancetoplay(now).

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Auniquesetofcircumstancesisrequiredforateamtosystematicallyproject,coordinateandarrangeforitsexistingstarting(veteran)quarterbacktoexittheteamat justthe"right"timeforthebackup(younger)quarterbacktoreplacehim. Atleasttwofactorscompoundthedifficultiesfacingateaminthissituation.First,thedevelopmentofthebackupquarterbackmaynothaveprogressedasmuchas expectedorneeded.Second,duringtheperiodwhentheswitchoverwascontemplated,itmaybecomequiteapparentthattheexperiencedquarterbackhasseveral productiveyearsleftinhiscareer. Asaresult,agrowingsentimentamongmanyNFLteamsistousethefreeagencyprocesstoobtaina"new"quarterbackatthepointwhenhe'sactuallyneeded.The prevailingattitudeistoletanotherorganizationspendthetime,money,andresourcesondevelopingayoungquarterback. ThestatisticsbearouttherelativelytransientnatureofNFLquarterbacks.Forexample,atthebeginningofthe1997NFLseason,ofthe103quarterbacksdrafted from1989to1996,onlysixarestartingforthefranchisesthatpickedtheminthedraft,andonly25percentremaininthecitywheretheywerechosen.Ofthe71 selectedfrom19891993,onlyfiveareevenontherostersoftheiroriginalfranchise. Infact,twoofthelastthreeSuperBowlChampionsacquiredtheirstartingquarterbacksbymethodsotherthanthedraft.Furthermore,ofthetoptenrated quarterbacksduringthe1996season(basedonefficiencyratingscomputedbytheLeague),onlyfourarewiththeiroriginalteam.Fourwereacquiredbyfreeagency, whileSteveYoung(TampaBaytoSanFrancisco)andBrettFavre(AtlantatoGreenBay)camebywayoftrades,bothofwhichoccurredpriortotheadventoffree agency.
Ifyouarethequarterback,oneoftherealismsthatveryquicklyhitsyouinthefaceisthatit'snotgoingtobeall cheers.There'llbebooswhenthingsaren'tgoingwell.You'llbecalledagreatleaderwhenyourteamiswinning andalousyleaderwhenitisn't,thoughyoustillarethesamepersontryingtodothesamethings.Idon'tknowof anyquarterbackwhohasn'texperiencedthiskindofrollercoasterexistenceatonetimeoranother,andthat includesthosewhoareintheHallofFame. KenAnderson FormerQuarterback CincinnatiBengals fromTheArtofQuarterbacking

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UnderstandingWhatitTakestobeaGreatQuarterback Nosingle"blueprint"existsforspecifyingwhatskillsandtraitsaquarterbackshouldpossessandhowmuchofeachcharacteristicaquarterbackshouldhave.The veracityofsuchapointisreinforcedwhentheplayingabilitiesofseveralofthegreatquarterbacksinthehistoryoftheNFLareconsidered. Forexample,itisverydifficult(ifnotimpossible)tocompareandranktheagileefficiencyofJoeMontana,tothecourageandthrowingtouchofDanFouts,tothe puremechanicsofKenAnderson,tothesheerathleticabilityofSteveYoung,etc.Inhisownuniqueway,eachgreatquarterbackhasawiderangeofqualitiesthat arereflectedinvaryinglevelsofspecificabilities. Theissueisfurthercompoundedbythefactthatalthoughsomequarterbacksappear,atfacevalue,tohaveeveryqualitythatwouldbenecessaryforthatposition, theyneverdevelopedintoproductiveplayersforwhateverreason.Inthesesituations,thesumofthepartsdidnotequalthewhole,becauseforthequarterback position,thewholeisnormallygreaterthanthesumoftheparts. Ontheotherhand,severalexamplesexistofplayerswhootherwisemightseemtobesomewhatdeficientinsomeofthequantifiablemeasuresdeemedessentialfora quarterbackwhoexcelledontheplayingfieldforwhatevercombinationofreasons.Unquestionably,theillustrationofthissituationisJoeMontanaquitepossibly thebestquarterbacktoeverplayintheNFL. AnumberoffactorsdiminishedMontanaintheeyesoftheNFLtalentevaluators.Helackedtheidealsizeandarmstrength.Heseemedabittooshyandreservedin hisdemeanor.HealsodidnothaveaparticularlysignificantplayingcareeratNotreDame(i.e.,hedidnothaveabodyofworkfromwhichdefinitiveconclusions regardinghisplayingpotentialcouldbedrawn). Asaresult,Montanawasdraftedinthethirdroundbyallreasonablestandards,anextraordinary"bargain"fortheSanFrancisco49ers.Giventheopportunityto play,hebecametheembodimentoftheultimatecompetitorwhoseagility,efficientfootwork,uncannyinstincts,andmarveloustouchandtiming,coupledwithhis amazinglevelofspontaneityandsenseofanticipation,combinedtomakehimthewinningestandmostproductivequarterbackinthehistoryofthegame. IdentifyingtheKeyQualitiesofaQuarterback Collectively,effectivequarterbacksexhibitanumberoftraits,includingthefactthattheyarecourageous,competitive,spontaneous,adaptable,poised,andmentally andphysicallytough.Theyalsotendtopossessthefollowingcriticalqualities: Functionalintelligence.Theabilityofaplayertoorganizeandisolatedifferentcategoriesoftasksthat hemustperforminaparticularsituationiscommonlyreferredtoasfunctionalintelligence.Involvingmore thanstrictlyhisinnateIQlevel,thischaracteristicreflectsthefactthataquarterbackhastheabilityto quicklybreakthingsdown(e.g.,events,situations,circumstances,etc.)toapointofunderstandingwhere hedoesnotoverlycomplicatehisresponsetothem.Thisabilityisthekeytobeingabletoinstantly processinformationinhighlystressfulsituations.

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Abilitytolearn.Aquarterbackmusthavetheabilitytodevelopandadheretothepropermechanicsfor playingquarterback.Forsomeathletes,thelearningprocesswillbeintuitivealmostnaturalrequiring minimaleffortontheirpart.Forotherindividuals,thestepstounderstandandtoingraintheseabilitieswill requiremoretimeandhandsoninstruction. Ontheotherhand,somequarterbackswillneverbeabletodevelopthemechanicsrequiredfortheirposition toanacceptabledegree,regardlessofhowmuchenergytheyexpendtrying.Inreality,iftheyaren'tableto acquiretheproperattributesforplayingquarterbackwithinareasonableperiodoftime,it'squitelikelythey neverwill. Willingnesstoimprove.Aninherentwillingnesstoimproveandlearnisvitaltothedevelopmental progressionofaquarterback.Withregardtothelearningprocess,aquarterbackmusthaveareasonable levelofcompatibilitywiththecoachingstaffandhisteammates. Goodworkethic.Notonlyshouldaquarterbackunderstandthepropermechanicsforhisposition,he mustalsospendanappropriateamountoftimeworkingonthem.Themosteffectiveapproachinthisregard isfrequentrepetitivepractice. Forexample,itisessentialthataquarterbackhasefficientfootwork.Infact,workingonaquarterback's footworkisoneofthemosthelpfulstepsthatthecoachingstaffcantaketoimprovethequarterback'sskills andplayingabilities. Manycoacheshavediscoveredthefactthateffectivequarterbackinginvolvesmuchmorethanhavingthe mechanicalabilitytosit,unencumbered,inthepocketandefficientlysetthefeet,transferweightfromthe backfoottothefrontfoot,andefficientlyfollowthroughwiththearmandshoulder.Whilemanyindividuals mayhavethiscapability,fewthrowsaremadeinsuchararefiedatmosphereoutsideofquarterback exercisesduringwarmupsand7on7drills. Inreality,duringthegame,thequarterbackmusthavethephysicalskillsandthepropermechanicstobeable todelivertheballeffectivelytohisintendedreceiver,whilemovinginthepocket,throwingoffhisbackfoot, orscramblingforhis"life."Inotherwords,aquarterbackmusthavetheabilitytoaccurately,quickly,and withasufficientamountofarmstrengththrowapassnomatterwhatpositionhisfeetarein. Properthrowingaction.Aquarterbackmustmasterthebasicmechanicsofthethrowingaction. Accordingly,hemustregularlyworkonmaintaininghisnatural,normalthrowingmotion. Twocoachingpointsareparticularlycriticalinthisregard.First,duringhisdelivery,hemustneverallowthe tipoftheballtodropbelowhiswaist.Second,hemustalwaysreleasetheballabovehisshoulders. Ontheotherhand,coachesshouldbeawareofthefactthat,forthemostpart,anathleteeitherhastheability tothrowtheballproperlyorhedoesn't.Inreality,coachingusuallyhasonlyminimaleffectonthisskill(i.e., "ifanindividualcan'tthrow,hecan'tthrow").

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Itisalsoimportanttonotethat,allfactorsconsidered,armstrengthisnotamajorfactorinproperthrowing action.Whileanappropriatelevelofarmstrengthisanecessaryattributeforaquarterback,other considerationsareevenmoreimportant(e.g.,touch,theabilitytodelivertheballinasmoothandefficient manner,etc.).

Emotionalstability.Aquarterbackmusthavetheabilitytohandlethestressandpressuresthatoccur duringthegame.Hemustbeabletocontrolhisemotionstoapointwherehecanthinkclearly,evaluatehis options,andactrationally,regardlessofthesituation.Similartootheraspectsofquarterbacking,withina reasonableperiodoftime,anathletewilleithershowthathecandealwithhisemotionsproperlywithinthe frameworkofthegameordemonstratetothecoachingstaff(byhisactions)thatfurthereffortinthisregard isawasteoftime. Leadershipabilities.Aquarterbackshouldleadbyexample.Inthisregard,hisperformanceduringthe gameiscrucial.Whiledifferentquarterbackswillhavedifferentleadershipstyles,rangingfromsomewhat casual,notparticularlydemonstrative(e.g.,JoeMontana)tovocalandverydemanding(e.g.,BrettFavre), allsuccessfulquarterbacksexhibitthepropermindset,thenecessarypoise,andtheabsolutefocusrequired forthepositionwhileonthefieldcharacteristicswhichareoftensubsequentlyemulatedbytheir teammates.

Somuchofwhatyoudophysicallyhappensbecauseyou'vethoughtaboutitandmentallypreparedforit. DanFouts HallofFameQuarterback SanDiegoChargers

DeterminingaTeachingProgression Establishingandimplementingacomprehensiveplanforensuringthatthequarterbackacquiresandmaintainstherequisiteabilitiesforhispositionareabsolutely critical.Notonlymusttheplanencompassdetailedstepsfordevelopingthebasicfundamentalsforthequarterbackposition,itmustalsoaddresshowtheentire sequentiallearningpackagewillbeimplementedwithregardtowhensuchinstructionwilloccur(inseasonversusoffseason)andwheresuchinstructionwilltake place(classroomversusonthefield). TheBasicFundamentalsoftheQuarterbackPosition Thequarterbackpositioninvolvesseveralaspectswhicharecentraltoeffectiveperformance.Amongthefactorswhichmustbeaddressedateveryopportunityare stance,handposition,dropstepfootwork,movementinthepocket,throwingaction,anddropandreadprogressions.

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Stance.Thebasicelementsofaproperstanceremainconstantfromquarterbacktoquarterback.Eachof thefollowingelementsshouldbeemphasizedasoftenasisfeasible: Thequarterback'sfeetshouldbeshoulderwidthapart. Hisweightshouldbeontheballsofhisfeet. Hiskneesshouldbebent,butnotcroucheddownunderthecenter.

Inmanyinstances,muchofthefocusofthecoachingstaffonaquarterback'sstancewillinvolveeliminating afalsestepthatmanyquarterbacksdevelopatonepointoranotherintheirplayingcareers.Twomethods arecommonlyemployedtoeliminatesuchafalsestep. Oneapproachistohavethequarterbackstaggeronefootslightlyinfrontoftheother.Thesecond techniqueinvolveshavingthequarterbackplacehisweightontheinsideoftheballsofhisfeetinapigeon toetypeofalignment. Asarule,oneofthesemethodswillenableaquarterbacktogetridofafalsestep,therebymakinghisdrop moreefficient.Itisimportant,however,thataquarterbackdoesnotoverlyfocusonhisstancetoapoint whereheisthinkingaboutittoomuch,insteadofmorecriticalmatters(e.g.,coveragerotation,protection concerns,etc.). Animportantpointtoremembercanbemadeusingareceiverwhouseshisbodytocatchtheball.While thecoachingstaffwouldpreferthatateam'sreceiversextendtheirarmsandcatcheverythingthrownto themwiththeirhands,thebottomlineiswhateverittakesforaplayertogetthejobdone,thestaffshould justlettheathlete(includingthequarterback)doit. Handposition.Similartothestance,thefundamentalconsiderationsofhandpositionalsoremainconstant fromquarterbacktoquarterback.Thefollowingfactorsshouldbestressedateveryopportunity: Thequarterbackshouldexertpressurewithhisupperhandagainstthebuttofthecenter. Hemustbecarefulnottoapplysomuchpressurethathedisturbsthecenter'sbalance.Toomuch pressurecanalsocausethequarterback'shandstoseparatewhentheballissnappedintohisupper hand. Heshouldhaveaslightbendinhiselbowinordertorideandfollowthecenter. Heshouldmaintaintwohandsontheballwheneverpossible. Theballshouldbeheldchesthigh(atapointjustabovethequarterback'snipples)whenheis droppingback. Hiselbowsshouldbekeptinclosetohisbodywhenhe'sdroppingback.Ifhiselbowsflareout,the balanceofhisdropwillbethrownoff.Asaresult,hewilllowertheballrelativetohisbody.Atno pointshouldthequarterbackallowtheballtodropbelowhiswaist.

Dropstepfootwork.Thecriticalfactorinthequarterbackdropistogetimmediateseparationbetweenthe blockingoffensivelinemenandthementhat

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theyareblocking.Aquarterback'sdropinvolvesthreeprimarycomponents:Drive(separation)steps awayfromthecenter,throttlestepstakenpriortosettinguptoslowhisdrop,andabalance(hitch)stepto bringhisbodyintotheproperpositionforthrowing. Quarterbacksusethreedifferenttypesofdropsinagame:the3stepdrop,the5stepdrop,andthe7 stepdrop.Eachofthesedroptechniquesemploysadifferentvariationofthethreekindsofdropsteps: 3stepdrop Step#1. Step#2. Step#3. Initially,anaggressivedrivestep. Then,aquickcrossover/throttlestep. Finally,abalancestepwhichmustbemadequickly. Thethirdstepofthequarterbackmustlandontheballofhisfoot. Hisheelnevertouchestheground. Hemustbereadytopivotandthrow. Heshouldkeephisvisiondownthefieldinordernottotipaquickthrow. Onpassesinvolvinginsidebreaks(theslant,theshoot,etc.),threebigstepsareusedfor clearanceandtiming.Onoutsidebreaks(thequickoutorhitch),threeshortquicksteps areemployedfortiming. 5stepdrop Step#13. Step#4. Step#5. Initially,threesmoothdrivesteps. Then,acrossover/throttlestep. Finally,aslighthitchtoa5thbalancestep. Heshouldkeephisweightontheballofhisbackfoot. Hemustattempttomaintainhisthrowingbalanceinthepocket. Heshouldbepreparedtohitchstepupintothepocket. Outbreakscallforfivequicksteps(e.g.,outs,etc.),andthenthrowingoffthebackfoot. Inbreaks(e.g.,hooks,etc.)involvefivebigsteps,andtheneitherthrowingofftheback footortakingahitchstepandbouncingforward. 7stepdrop Steps#13. Steps#47. Initially,threesmoothdrivesteps. Then,fourquickstepstoslowhisdrop. Thesixthstepshouldbeacrossover/throttlestep. Heshouldtakeaslighthitchtoexecutetheseventhstep,whichisforbalance. Heshouldkeephisweightontheballofhisbackfoot. Hemustattempttomaintainhisthrowingbalanceinthepocket. Heshouldadjusthisfootworkforthoserouteswhichrequireadesigned,multiplehitch stepfortimingpurposes. Aconcisecoachingpointistohavethequarterbacktakethethreebiggeststeps,followed bythefourshortest.Thequarterbackthentakesahitchstepandbouncesforward.

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Regardlessofwhatkindofdropisemployed,thequarterbackshouldadheretocertainfactorswithregardto hisbodyposition.Amongthekeycoachingpointsrelatingtoaquarterback'sbodypositionwhiledroppingare thefollowing: Thequarterback'sbackfootshouldalwaysbeunderhishipswhenthethrowingmotionisinitiated. Heshouldkeeptheneedforthisbalancestepinmindduringallofhisdropsandwhilescrambling. Heshouldkeephishipsandshouldersperpendiculartothelineofscrimmage. Heshouldnotoverextendhislast(balance)step,therebyforcingunneededhitchsteps.

Movementinthepocket.Duringagame,thequarterbackhastomakesometypeofmovementinthepocket beforehethrowsabouthalfofthetime.Suchmovementusuallyinvolvesaskillfulattempttoavoidtherush, ratherthanafullblownscramble. Thequarterbackmustconstantlyworkonbeingabletomovesmoothlyandefficientlyinthepocket,allthe whileattemptingtoperformabalancestepaftereverymovementhemakes.Oneofthemorecommonerrorsa quarterbackmakesistoraiseupwhilemovingforwardinthepocket,therebycausinghimtolosehisthrowing profile.Topreventsuchaproblemfromoccurring,hemustnotopenhishipsandshouldersifhe'sforcedto moveupinthepocket. Throwingaction.Properthrowingactioninvolvesseveralfactors.Amongthepointswhichshouldbe stressedarethefollowing: Thequarterbackshouldcreatemomentumfortheballtocarrytothereceiverasmuchwithhisthrowing motionandhisfollowthroughaswithhisarm. Heshouldusehiswholebody,pushoffhisbackfoot,androtatehishipsandshoulders. Heshouldbringtheelbowonhisthrowingarmupandfollowthroughwithit,whilehisthrowinghand followsthroughtohisoppositehipaftertheballisreleased. Theelbowonhisnonthrowingarmshouldbedrivendownandback. Hemustnotlockouthisfrontlegorhisfollowthroughwillbehalted.Itisimportanttorememberthat formostsportsinvolvingaball(footballincluded),accuracyinthrowingisestablishedbyproperly followingthrough. Heshouldtrytogetintoabalancedpositionbeforethrowing.Inthisregard,passingwhilemovingis verymuchlikepassingfromadropbackposition. Ifrunning,thequarterbackshouldgaindepthonhisdroptoenablehimtohaveadownhillmotion beforereleasingtheball. Heshouldnotraiseuptoohighonthethrow. Becausemostquarterbackshaveatendencytooverpowerthethrow,heshouldusemorewristwhile throwingsomewhatsimilartothewristactioninthrowingadart.

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Thecoachingstaffshouldalsoemphasizethefollowingadditionalinstructionstothequarterbackregardinghis throwingaction: Heshouldmaintainbothhandsontheballtoenhancehislevelofbalanceandtohelphimsecurethe ball,therebykeepinghimfromfumblinginthepocket. Heshouldneverallowthetipoftheballtodropbelowhiswaist. Heshoulduseahitch(balance)steptohelphimmaintainhisbackfootunderhiships. Heshouldretainthisthrowingpositionevenwhenforcedtomovearoundinthepocket. Hismovementsinthepocketshouldbedistinctandclear. Heshouldsettleandrelaxbeforethrowingifheisforcedtoscramble. Heshouldnotovergriptheballinordertokeephisupperbodylooseandshouldbereadytothrowthe ballatanytime. Hisaimingpointfortheballshouldalwaysallowthereceivertocatchtheballinstrideandrunwithit.

Dropandreadprogressions.Everypassvariesfromeveryotherpassaccordingtothedepthandwidthof thereceiver'sroute.Tobetterunderstandhoweachpassisdifferent,abaseballanalogycanbeusedto illustratethepoint. Forexample,athrowfromathirdbasemantofirstbaseisdifferentfromathrowtofirstbyasecondbaseman. Inturn,boththrowsaredifferentthanathrowfromanoutfieldertotheinfield. Eachquarterbackdropinvolvesaprogressiveread.Thequarterbackfirstlooksathisprimaryread.Ifthe quarterbackdecidesthatthetimingandthemovementrequiredforthrowingtotheprimaryreadarelessthan suitable,hethenturnshisattentiontothealternatereceiversintheprogression. Theprogressionthengoestoathirdalternativetheoutletreceiver.Heshouldlookforthisreceivertocome openlate,nearthelineofscrimmage.Typically,thismangetsheballlateagainstazoneifthequarterbackgets introuble.Afourthoptionshouldcomeintoplayifthequarterbackisrequiredtomakea''hot"throwbasedon hisprotectionscheme. Thecoachingstaffshouldemphasizetothequarterbackhowimportantitisforhimtokeephishelmet(as opposedtohiseyes)positioneddownfieldonhis"hot"throws.Thequarterbackshouldneverthrowblindlyto anyrouteparticularlya"hot"route.Bykeepinghishelmetpositioneddownfield,thequarterbackwillNOT tipthe"hot"throwtothedefender,therebygivinghima"jump"onthereceiver. Eachdropandreadactioninvolvesdifferentmechanicsbythequarterback.Assuch,eachsequenceshould beidentifiedandpracticedwithintheframeworkoftherouteprogressions.Establishingadrillandresponse sequenceforeachrouteentailsseveralstepsthatthecoachingstaffshouldundertake,including: Installtherouteinaclassroomsituation.Theprocessshouldinvolveoutliningthespecifictypeofdrop tobeused,identifyingthe"hot"receiverbasedonthequarterback'sprotectionneeds,anddescribing theprogressionofreadsfromtheprimarytothealternatereceivers.Cutupsshouldbeavailablethat illustrateeachofthepossiblealternatives(i.e.,"hot,"toprimary,toalternateand,ifpossible,fora scramble).

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Workonthemechanicsofeachparticulardropwiththequarterbackonthepracticefieldverbally takethequarterbackthroughthedifferentstepsandmechanicsforeachthrow. Havethequarterbackpracticethedifferenttypesofthrowswithanappropriatereceiverduringa routeperiodstresstheneedforthequarterbacktoadheretothepropermechanicsatalltimesin this"perfect"practiceenvironmentwherenodefenseexists. Placeastationaryreceiverateachofthepossiblepointsthequarterbackmightthrowtobasedon hisread.Asthequarterbackworksthroughhisdropandreads,signalwhichreceivershouldraise hishandstoindicatetothequarterbacktowhomheshouldthrow.

Ifnoreceiverraiseshishand,itisasignalforthequarterbacktoscramble.Whenforcedtoscramble,the quarterbackandthereceiversshouldpracticewhatthereceiversshoulddobasedonthedirectionofthe quarterback'sscrambleandthelocationofeachreceiveroneachroute. Includea"hot"throwoptionintheprogressionthatcanbeemployedinthoseapplicablesituations wherethequarterbackisunderintensepressure(i.e.,whenheisforcedtoextendoffhisbackleg anduseahighdelivery). Havethequarterbackrepeattheprogression,iftimeandpersonnelpermit,withdefendersdictating theprogressionread. Ina7on7period,makearegularhabitofforcingthequarterbacktomoveandadjusthisbalance step,basedontheactionsofaninsiderusher.Usingabandbag(orsomesimilaritem),aballboyor acoachcanbeemployedasthepassrusher.

Afterthequarterbackhasthrowntheball,thepassrushercan"tap"thequarterbackwiththebag(while beingverycarefulnottogetinthewayofthequarterback'sthrowingaction).Aquarterbackwillnotgetas muchoutofa15minute7on7periodifheisfreetositbackinanorush"comfortzone"andwork unimpededagainstthesecondary. Inthisstep,thecoachshouldhavetheoptionofyelling"scramble"atanytimetosignalthequarterbackto breakcontain.Onthesignalforthequarterbacktoscramble,thereceiversshouldruntheirpredetermined "scrambleroutes."

Habitgivesstrengthtothebodyingreatexertion,tothemindingreatdanger,andtojudgmentagainstfirst impression. CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWarAcademy Prussia fromOnWar

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DevelopingtheQuarterbackintheClassroom Somecoachesmistakenlybelievethattheycanimproveaquarterbackstrictlyinaclassroomenvironment.Theyareerroneouslyconvincedthatifaquarterbackis shownenoughvideoandtalkedthroughenoughsituations,hecanbepreparedforeverythingthatmighthappenduringthegame. Inreality,classroommeetingsbetweenthequarterbackandappropriatemembersofthecoachingstaff(e.g.,theheadcoach,theoffensivecoordinator,etc.)tendto havetwoprimaryobjectivestoclarifycommunicationandexchangeinformation. Itisveryimportantthatthequarterbackandthosecoacheswithwhomhemustinteractclarifyhowtheywillcommunicatewitheachotherduringthegame.Giventhe stressandpressurethatcanoccurduringthegame,theymustbeabletocommunicatewitheachotherinameaningfulyetsuccinctway.Asaresult,theywillbe betterpreparedtoprovideeachotherwiththeinformationtheyneedtobasetheirdecisionsoninthe"heatofbattle." Classroommeetingsalsoprovideausefulforumforinformingthequarterbackwhatisexpectedofhim.Forexample,itiscriticalthatwhenthedevelopmentalprocess ismovedfromtheclassroomtothepracticefield,thequarterbackmusthaveaclearanddefinitiveideaofwhateachdrillandinstructionalperiodrepresentsandwhat thecoachingstaffislookingforineachteachingsegment. Astheheadcoach,itisimportantthatyoucarefullyconsiderwhatlearningpointsyouwanttomaketothequarterbackinaclassroomsituation.Youshouldnot attempttocoverallaspectsofhisplay. Ifyouattempttoemphasizeeverything,youhaveinessenceemphasized"nothing."Accordingly,everypointyoushare(review)withthequarterbackshouldhave aspecificpurpose(e.g.,toreducetheuncertaintyhefacesinanygivensituation). DevelopingtheQuarterbackonthePracticeField Itcanbearguedthattruelearningoccurswhenthereisaneedtoknow,aconcreteunderstandingofhowtolearnexists,andbothcoachesandplayersrealizethata particulargoalcanbeachieved.Forthequarterback,thesinglemostcompellinglearningenvironmentisthepracticefield. Whileitisbasicallytruethat"thereisnoexperiencelikegameexperience,"actuallyplayingthegamedoesnotprovidethequarterbackwiththerepetitivepracticehe needsfordevelopingandrefininghisskillsandtechniques.Suchessentialrepetitionscaneasilybearrangedinawelldesignedpractice(refertoChapter11fora detailedoverviewofhowtoorganizepracticesessions). Severalfactorsneedtobeconsideredwhendesigningapracticetoensurethatthequarterbackisexposedtoanappropriatelearningenvironmentonthefield, includingproperlywarmingup,developmentaldrills,theoffseasonscheduleandinseasonmatters.

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Warmup.Asmanydifferentandviablemethodsforproperlywarmingupexistastherearedifferenttypes ofquarterbacks.Theoneconstantfeatureofallsuchwarmuproutinesisthattheyemphasizetotalbody stretchingpriortoeveryworkout. Asoundstretchingprogramforaquarterbackfocusesonthemajormusclegroupsinboththeupperbody andthelowerbodynotjustthemusculatureinhisthrowingarmandshoulder.Becausehiscalves, hamstrings,hips,lowerback,abdominals,andtorsoareanintegralpartofhisthrowingaction,aquarterback mustwarmupthesekeyareasalso. Stretchingproperlyhelpstopreparethevariousmusclegroupsforactionbywarmingupthemusclesand eliminatinganytightnessinthem.Combinedwiththefactthat,overtime,stretchingenhancestherangeof motionthataparticularmusclecangothrough,suchpreparationservestoprotectthequarterbackfrom sufferingamusclerelatedinjury(e.g.,pull,strain,etc.). Oneofthemostpivotalcharacteristicsofasoundstretchingroutineisthefactthatit,indeed,staysroutine. Astheheadcoach,youshouldbeawareofwhatstepsyourquarterbacksareundertakingtoproperly warmupbeforeeachpracticeandgame,andthenfollowuptomakesurethateachathletemaintainshis warmuproutineoverthecourseofthe(long)season. Itisalsocriticalthateverypracticebecloselymonitoredbythecoachingstaffsothataquarterbackisnot putintoasituationwhereheisidleforanextendedperiodbeforehehastoresumethrowingwithout rewarmingup.Forexample,ifthepracticesessionincludesalullincircumstanceswherethequarterbackhas tothrowtheball,heshouldbealertedwhenthenonthrowingperiodisabouttoendandallowedtimetore warmup. Anotherimportantpointinvolvingthewarmupperiodistoensurethatthequarterbackadherestothe propermechanicsofhisdrop,evenifheisjustengagedinacasualgameofcatchbeforepractice.Hemust alwaysuseafinalcrossoverandabalancestepinthrowing. Heshouldneverstandflatfootedandthrowtheball.Instead,heshouldtakeadvantageofeveryopportunity topracticethelasttwostepsinthemechanicsofhisdrop. Developmentaldrills.Oneofthemostusefultoolsfordevelopingandrefiningtheskillsandtechniquesofa quarterbackareproperlydesigneddrills.Assuch,acomprehensiveplanfordevelopingaquarterbackmust includeasubstantialamountofdrillwork. Drillworkprovidesatangibleopportunityforinvaluablerepetitivepractice.Suchpracticeshouldbe conductedonayearroundbasisparticularlyduringtheoffseasoninthespring.Tables81and82 presentalistof25drillsfordevelopingaquarterback'smechanicsthatcouldbeincorporatedintoapractice sessionandaslateofpossiblestepsthatcouldpossiblybeusedtovaryeachdrill,respectively.

Page179 Table81.Sampledrillsfordevelopingaquarterback'smechanics. THREEQUICKHitchQuickOut. THREEQUICKToAlternate(TEBKS)MoveFeet. THREEBIGSlantHBFlat. THREEBIGHOLDSlant(vs.coverages)StickFadeFlyColorado. THREEBIGHOLDToAlternateMoveFeetRun. FIVEQUICKSquareOutSeamPost. FIVEQUICKMOVEFEETToAlternateOutlet. FIVEBIGPivotHookBasicCrossRead. FIVEBIGHOLD"Y"OutAlternate. FIVEBIGHOLDMOVEFEETAlternateOutletRun. FIVEBIGHITCHSTEPSquareInHook. FIVEBIGMULTIPLEHITCHSTEPSWAITINGAlternatesOutletsRun. SEVENSTEPSHITCHSTEPComebackDigDeepOverGo. SEVENSTEPSMULTIPLEHITCHSTEPSWAITINGAlternatesOutletsRun. SEVENSTEPScreen. FIVESTEPScreen. THREESTEPPLAYPASS(e.g.,331H200,etc.)PrimaryAlternateRun. FIVEQUICKSTEPSPLAYPASS(e.g.,FOX23)PrimaryAlternateOutletRun. FIVEBIGPLAYPASS(e.g.,P4243H23)PrimaryAlternateOutletRun. SEVENSTEPPLAYPASS(e.g.,H23)DeepOverComebacketc.PrimarySecondaryOutletRun. ACTIONPASSWAGGLEACTION(SPRINT)(PullUpOrContinue,FiveStepOrMoving)PrimaryAlternateRun. ACTIONPASSPEEL(PullUporMoving)PrimaryAlternateRun. ACTIONPASSDRIFT(FiveStepMove)PrimaryAlternateOutletRun. ACTIONPASSROLL(LAG)PULLUP(Continue)PrimaryAlternateRun. OTHERGoalLineBoot,etc.

Page180 Table82.Possibleoptionstoaddvarietytothedrillsdesignedtodevelopthemechanicsofaquarterback. Talkthequarterbackthroughhisdrops.Callthereceiver'spattern.Callthealternates(e.g.,outlets,runs,etc.). "Call"offtheprimarytimedpass.Thencallthealternates(e.g.,outlet,runs,etc.). Call"move"(havinggivendirections)asthequarterbackisworkingthroughhisreceiverselection. Stationreceiversatspecificpoints(e.g.,primary,alternate,outlet,etc.).Thensignaltothereceivertowhomtheball shouldbethrowninpropersequence.Ifnoneofthesereceiversissignaled,thenthequarterbackshouldruntheball. Havethereceiverrunatimedpattern.Thereceiverthenremainsathisdesignatedpointformorethrows. Employdefenderstotakespecificdropsversuseachindividualreceiver(forexample,themiddlelinebackerversusthe tightend). Addalatepassrushertothebasicdrills.Eitherthequarterbackmustavoidthepassrusher,throwquicklytothe alternate,throwtheballaway,orrun. Add"scramble"tothecallthereceivermakesanappropriateadjustmenttothescramble. Runa"hot"receiverdrill(wherethequarterbackextendsoffbacklegandusesahighdelivery)thedefenderrushes ordropsoff. Addan"audible"tothedrill(i.e.,thequarterbackchangestheplay).Forexample,thequarterbackswitchesfroma squareouttoa"Denver"call. Practice"outlet"options(e.g.,whilemoving,eitherthrowingtoanoutletreceiverwhoissignalingorrunningthe ball). Employactionpassescontainment,etc. Employplaypassesfaking,fakingandthrowing,etc. Havethequarterbackexecutehisdropmovementinthepocketuponasignalfromthecoach,whoisfacinghim.The numberofstepsinthedrop(57)isindicatedbythecoach,whothensignalswhichdirectionthequarterbackshould move(i.e.,toavoidthepressure)inthepocket.Thequarterbackthenthrowstoastationaryreceiver. Addasignalthatscramblesthequarterbackinaparticulardirection.Thequarterbackthenthrowstothereceiverwho issignaling. Havethequarterbackattempttothwarttheattentionofthedefenders(e.g.,lookawayfromhisreceiverbefore throwing,pumpthrow,etc.).

Page181

Thecoachingstaffshouldemphasizeatleastsevenkeypointstothequarterbackregardingproperdropmechanicswhenheisengagedindrillwork: Bouncewhiledroppingback(i.e.,don'tmoveflatfooted). Maintaintwohandsontheballwhiledroppingback. Retaintheproperthrowingpositionwhiledroppingback. Move(getclearofpressure,usingdistinctmovements). Keep"cool"ifforcedtoscramble(relaxbeforethrowing). Havetheabilitytothrowtheballatanytime(usewristaction). Useahighreleasewhenthrowingtheball(thereceivershouldcatchallballsatchestheightorhigher).

Dependingonthedrillbeingrun,certainpersonnelarerequiredtoperformeachdrill.Aquarterback,areceiverandtwoservicepeoplearenecessaryforalldrills. Additionalpersonnelinvolvementvariesaccordingtotheprimarydevelopmentalfocusofthedrill: Tightendwork.Atightendandoneormoreinsidelinebackersareneeded.Subsequently,astrong safetyandoneormoreoutsidelinebackerscanalsobeemployedinthedrill. Widereceiverwork.Awidereceiver,acornerback,andasafetyarenecessary.Subsequently,an outsidelinebackercanbeaddedtothedrill. Runningbackwork.Tworunningbacksandtwooutsidelinebackersarerequired.Subsequently,an insidelinebackercanalsobeutilizedinthedrill.

Westressthepointfrequentlythatcoachingis,teachingofthehighestdegree,andagoodcoachisagood teacher. Paul"Bear"Bryant HallofFameFootballCoach UniversityofAlabama fromBuildingaChampionshipFootballTeam

DevelopingtheQuarterbackintheOffSeason Properplanningcanenabletheoffseasontobeanextremelyproductivetimeinthedevelopmentalprocessforaquarterback.Itisessential,however,thatthe coachingstaffkeepsinmindthefactthattheminicamps,thetrainingcamp,thefourpreseasongames,andthe16gameregularseasonschedulecollectivelyaddupto averylongyear(andthatdoesn'tevenincludeanypostseasongamesinwhichtheteammaybeinvolved).

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Thepointthatmustberememberedisthataquarterbackcanberequiredtodotoomuchintheoffseason.Ifhe,is,hisperformancewillsuffer,andhemayincuran armorshoulderproblemthatdoesnotmanifestitselfuntiltrainingcamp.Whenthosetypesofinjuriesoccur,therehabilitationprocesscaninvolveseveralmonths. Often,shoulderandarminjuries(dependingonthenatureandextentoftheinjury)arenotabletobetreatedsuccessfullyuntilaftertheseason. Asaresult,thenumberofthrowsaquarterbackmusttake(orisallowedtomake)duringagivenperiodoftimeshouldbecloselymonitoredparticularlyduringa minicamp.Quarterbacksshouldbeencouragedtodosomethrowingbeforeaminicampto"toughen"theirarmsandshoulderstothedemandsthatwillbeplacedon theirbodiesduringthesubsequenttrainingsessions. Iftheywaituntiltheminicampandoverextendthemselvesallatonce,theyheightenthelikelihoodofbeinginjured.Theireffortstopreparethemselvespriortoamini camp(orthefalltrainingcamp)shouldbeconductedoverareasonableperiodoftime(i.e.,threetofourweeks)andshouldinvolveprogressivelyincreasingthe numberandtypesofthrowsbeingmade.Theirpreparationschedulesshouldalsoprovideforanadequateamountofrest(i.e.,nothrowingatall). Table83presentsanoffseason(springtime)workoutprogramforquarterbacks.Involvingtenworkoutslastingforseventyminuteseach,thisinclusiveprogramis designedtoaddressalloftheprimaryfactorsofquarterbackplay. Theparticularactionsandproceduresworkedonduringeachworkoutshouldbecloselymonitoredbythecoachingstaffandshouldberecordeddaily.Table84 providesasampleofachartthatcouldbeusedtoretainthescheduleofeventsduringaparticularworkout.
Table83.Offseasonworkoutprogramforquarterbacks. Tenonthefieldworkouts 70minutesperworkout,notincludingtimespentonwarmingup(700minutestotal). Dailyprogramschedule(minutespersegment) 10min. WarmUp

15min.

DropMechanics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 3QUICKOmaha,Thunder,Ind.Slant,Stick(322,370),Lion 3BIGDragSlant,HBFlat 3BIGANDHOLDFade,Colorado,Sluggo 5QUICKDoubleSquareOut,Spot,ArrowFlat,Hank,BreakOut,Winston 5BIGTexas,DoubleGo,HBRead 5BIGANDHOLDIn,HBRead 5ANDHITCHIn,AllGo 5AND2HITCHIn@2ndHole,ShortCross 7(3BIG4SMALLANDHITCH)Double,CB,Dig,Drive,FBArrow,DeepOver,Delay"Y" Dino,BingoCross,ShallowCross,Strike,DoubleCircus 7(TURNANDRUN3BIG4SMALL)vs.BlitzSameRoutes 7AND2HITCHDeepOver,DeepCross

Page183 Table83.Continued. Throwing 15min.

15min.

Withreceiversspottedorrunningpatterns (Aboveroutesasplannedpersession) SpecialCategories 1. 2. ACTION(MOVEMENT)PASSWaggleSolid"Z"Out,FK1819QB,KeepFBSlide,FK1514CTR QBKeep,SprintOption PLAYPASSPass316317Power"X"("Z")Slant,Fox23DSOCBGo,Pass4342"X"DeepOver (DeepCross),LagPass"X"Dig,LagPass"Z''DeepCross,Fox23Dino"Y"Out,Fox23"X"and "Y"Hook SCREENS HOTRECEIVER(HBFBYWR) ProgressionWork(SpecificPlaysReceiversSpotted) CoverPassPlayonBoard(Video) 4PlaysPerSession OnFieldposition3receiversinspotsthrowallprogressionsincorporate"run"skill RunRoutesvs.DefendersExCloud,Sky,LberDrops,Blitzer(Hot)

20min.

3. 4.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5min.

MovementDrill(Aerobic)(Skills) 1. 5Step: A. B. C. D. 5BigHoldHitchandThrow 5BigHitch(rtlt)ThrowRun 5BigHitch(rtlt)MoveThrowRun 5BigBailThrowonMove/Settle

2.

7Step:

3. 4. 5.

Sameasabove

PlayPassFakeswithMovement WaveDrill ScrambleDrillwithReceivers

Continuingworkwithnohuddleaudiblecalls Classroom30minutesasplanned 1. Reads

2. 3. 4.

357StepCutups FrontTapes CoverageTapes

MonitorConditioningProgram Totals 100mins DropMechanics 150mins 150mins 200mins 100mins Throwingwithreceiversspottedorrunningpatterns(asplanned) SpecialCategories:ActionPassPlayPassScreenTechniqueHotReceiver(HBFBYWR) ProgressionWork(specificplaysreceiversspotted) Movementthrow(inpocketscramble)

Page184 Table84.Dailychartofanoffseasonquarterbackworkout.

Page185 Table84.Continued.

Page186 Table84.Continued.

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DevelopingtheQuarterbackDuringtheSeason Thecoachingstaffshouldconsiderseveralfactorsconcerninghowmuch"work"aquarterbackshouldbegiveneachweekduringtheseason.Oneoftheprimary considerationsiswhetheraquarterbackisthestarterorabackup. Thestartershouldgetabout80percentofthesnapsduringtheweekofagame,apercentagewhichshouldprogressivelytailoffattheendoftheweekinorderto keephisarmfresh.Ifaparticularpracticeinvolvesroutineplaysthatthestarterisalreadyexecutingataproficientlevel,thissituationmaybeagoodtimetohavethe backuptakethesnaps,evenifforjustoneplay.Theseplaysareoftenthetypethatwillbecalledifthebackuphastogointothegame(forwhateverreason),soitisa goodtimeforhimtoworkonthem. Similartoaclassroomsituation,thecoachingstaffshouldbespecificastowhatitistryingtoaddressatanygiventimeduringtheworkweek(e.g.,workingonthe mechanicsofhisdrop,developingtheproperreads,etc.).Ifacoachattemptstocorrecttoomanyfacetsofaquarterback'splayatthesametime,thelearningeffect willbegreatlydiminished. Thecoachingstaffshouldalsonotassumeorexpectthataquarterbackwillgetalotofseriousworkaccomplishedathomeduringtheweekofagame.Ifa quarterbackistakinganentiregamefilmhometolookatafterpractice,hemayarriveatsomewrongconclusionsor,attheveryleast,hemaynotgainanymeaningful focusthatcanbeappliedtothegame. Ontheotherhand,homestudycanbeusedinabeneficialway.Forexample,thecoachingstaffmaywanttogivethequarterbackafewspecificfilmclipstolookat, particularlyaspectsthatneedtobeemphasizedeventhoughtheymayhavealreadybeencoveredinpractice. DevelopingtheQuarterbackintheWorldLeague Allfactorsconsidered,theWorldLeagueisanexcellentavenuefordevelopingayoungquarterback.Theopportunityforayoungquarterbacktocompeteina10 gamescheduleofhighlycompetitivecontestsisnotanexperiencewhichcanbeduplicatedinapracticeenvironment.Suchanexperiencecanhelpidentify(and developwhenappropriate)thespecificstrengthsorneedsofaparticularquarterback.Inturn,thatinformationcanbeusedbytheorganizationtoevaluatethe performancepotentialofthatquarterback. OneofthemostnotableathletestobenefitfromplayingintheWorldLeaguewasBradJohnson,thequarterbackfortheMinnesotaVikings.A7throunddraftchoice fromFloridaState,wherehehadlimitedplayingtimeasastarter,JohnsonwasabletoenhancehisskillsanddemonstratehisabilitiestotheVikingsbyparticipatingin theWorldLeague. Asageneralrule,ateamshouldconsideratleastthreecriteriatodeterminewhetheritwantstoutilizetheWorldLeaguetohelpdevelopaparticularquarterback: WouldthetimeaparticularplayerspendsintheWorldLeaguebebetterspentwiththeteam'sstaff duringtheoffseason?Forexample,ifayoungquarterback

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isnewtoateamanddoesnotfullyunderstanditssystem,learningyetanothersystemintheoffseasonmay notbeinhisortheteam'sbestinterests.

IftheindividualwhoiscontemplatingplayingintheWorldLeagueisateam'sbackupquarterback,theteam hastoconsiderwhatwoulditdotoitsprogramifhewereinjuredplayingintheWorldLeague.Underno circumstancedoesateamwanttoleaveitselfvulnerableatthebackupspotgoingintotheseason. ArethesystemandthecoachesaquarterbackwillbeworkingwithintheWorldLeaguegoingtodevelop himinamannerandastylewithwhichtheteamiscomfortable?

Endnotes
1BasedupontheNFL'sagreementwiththeNFLPlayersAssociation,ateammayholdanunlimitednumberofminicampsforrookiesandonemandatoryminicamp

forveterans.Ifateamhiresanewheadcoachaftertheregularseasonends,theteammayholduptotwoadditionalvoluntaryminicampsforveterans.
Page189

Chapter9 HandlingtheProAthlete
"Mygeneralrule,whichIhavefollowedthroughoutmycoachingcareer,isthateveryonedoesn'tnecessarilygettreatedthesameway,becauseI'mnotsurethat'spossible.But everyonehastobetreatedfairly.Moreover,theyhavetoknowandtrustthattheywillbetreatedfairly." DennisGreen HeadFootballCoach MinnesotaVikings GamePlansforSuccess

Findingthewinningedge... It'stheoldmessageofmoderationinallthingsnobleintheory,butoftenmaddeningwhenyoufacethechallenges ofcompetitivelife.Whetheryou'reageneral,aCEOorafootballcoach,findingamiddlegroundbetweenthewell beingofthepeoplewhoworkforyouandtheachievementofagoalisoneofthetrickiestaspectsofleadership. Whilethere'snodefinitivesolutionsituationsvaryfromonedaytothenextsomekindofpersonalstandardon thequestionofpeopleversussuccessisimperative.Thisappliesnotjusttomanagersbuttothemanagersof managers. BillWalsh,"WhatPriceGlory? WalkingtheLineBetweenRuthless andToothless,"Forbes,February26,1996.

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Effectiveleadersmusthavetheability,insight,andcouragetodealwithrelevantissuesinvolvingtheirsubordinates.Theapplicationofthispointbecame particularlycleartomeshortlyafterIhadjustcompletedmysecondseasonastheheadcoachoftheSanFrancisco49ers. Althoughthe49ershadadifficultyearin1980(finishingtheseason214),ouroffensivelinehadgreatpotential,especiallyRonSingleton,ourlefttackle. Duringtheseason,Rondecidedthatheshouldbeamarqueeplayer,andsubsequentlysoundedoffinthelockerroomabouthowheshouldhavebeen receivingcreditandpublicity.Ronhadbeenafreeagentacquisitionoffthestreets.Reflectinghislackofforesight,Singletonwasnotwillingtowaitfor whathebelievedwashisdue.HebroughtanagentintonegotiateanddemandedatopsalaryfromJohnMcVay,the49ers'directorofoperationsatthe time. Ron'sagentcametothelockerroomandverballyabusedseveralpeople,includingourequipmentmanager.HethenclaimedthatIwasunwillingto negotiateproperlysimplybecauseRonwasAfricanAmerican.Icouldtolerateneitherthemistreatmentofindividualsintheorganizationnortheuseof racialissuesinanattempttoforceconcessions.IwaivedRonimmediately,andwewentontowinseveralSuperBowlswithouthim. Thisincidentmadeitcleartoeveryoneintheorganizationthatifasituationcalledfortoughness,Iwoulddeliver.Ourorganizationstoodforhonestyand fairness,andwewouldnottoleratebeinginsulted.RonneverplayedintheNFLagain.Wewereleftwithagapatthelefttacklepositionthatwefilledby signingDanAudick,a245poundguardwhowasforcedtoplayatthetacklepositionin1981.Danstartedeverygamethatseasonandhelpedusachieve ourfirstSuperBowlvictoryinCincinnati. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Effectivelymanagingplayersrequiresmorethanjustensuringthateveryoneunderstandsthegameplan,practiceshard,andplayswellongameday.Itmustalso includeanacuteappreciationofthefactthateachplayerisanindividualwithspecificneeds,interests,andperspectives. Theobviouschallengeforyou,astheheadcoach,istodevelopamanagerialapproachthatenablesyoutocollectivelymoldagroupofindividualsintoawell functioningteam.Atthesametime,toapoint,youmustrecognizeandrespecteachplayer'sindividuality. Oneofthekeypointstokeepinmindisthattheprimaryissuethathastobeaddressediswhatconstitutesasoundmanagerialapproachwhenworkingwithplayers. Themattertoberesolvedis"managerialapproach,"not"managerialstyle." Essentially,managerialstyleisadirectreflectionofanindividual'spersonality.Somecoachesaremoreoutwardlydemonstrativeandvocal,whileothersaresomewhat moreemotionallyreserved.Regardlessofwhereacoachfallsonapersonalitycontinuum,however,hemustemployasoundmanagerialapproachwhendealingwith hisplayers. Inreality,thekindsofapproachesneededtomakeplayersproductiveandrelativelystable(emotionallyandbehaviorally)havechangedenormouslyinrecentyears. Muchoftheimpetusforsuchchangeemanatesfromthefacttheathletesofthe1990sarequitedifferentfromtheirpredecessors.

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Thebraveman,inattentivetohisduty,isworthlittlemoretohiscountrythanthecowardwhodesertsherinthe hourofdanger. GeneralAndrewJackson 7thPresidentoftheUnitedStates

UnderstandingtheAthleteinthe1990s Formostprofessionalfootballplayers,thetimehaslongpassedwhereanathletewillrigidlyacceptandadheretoacoach'scommandoradvicesimplybecausethe coach"saidso."Playersinthe1990snotonlyareconcernedaboutwhen,where,andhow,theyalsowanttoknowwhy. Theirheightenedsenseofinquisitivenessisnottheresultofanewlysparkedsenseofcuriosity.Rather,theathletesofthe1990saretypicallymuchmoredrivenbythe degreetowhichaparticularactionorissueisperceivedtoaffecttheirownselfinterests. Suchanattitudeishardlysurprisinginlightofthechangeswhichhaveoccurredinsocietyovertheyears.Forexample,almosteveryplayerinthe1990swhoplays withanunboundedlevelofenthusiasmandintensityandwhoopenlyisdeemedtobethe"consummateteamplayer"isreferredtoasbeingfromthe"oldschool." The"oldschool"representssuchvaluesasdiscipline,unquestionedauthority,loyalty,accountability,andawillingnesstosacrificeforthegoodoftheteam.The"new school,"ontheotherhand,ismoreintrospective.Inotherwords,a"howdoesthismatteraffectmylife"attitudehasbecomeadominantfactorinmanyissues. Suchadistinctionisnotmeanttoimplythatmostfootballplayersinthe1990sdon'thaveimmensepersonalprideandapronounced"love"forthegame.Theydo. Theyalsotendtohavedifferentprioritiesinlifeandadifferentvaluestructurethantheirpredecessors. Forexample,theeconomicsofthegamehavevirtuallyeliminated"teamloyalty"asafactorinwhereanathleteplays.Notonlyaretheplayersinthe1990smore talented,they'realsomuchmorewellpaid.Asgreedbecomesmoreofaprevailingmindset,manyplayerssimply"followthemoney." Dependingonthesituation,theeconomiccircumstancesintheNFLcaninfluenceplayersinotherwaysalso.Someeffectsarepositive,whileothersaremuchlessso. Forexample,giventheimpactoftheNFL'ssalarycapandtheevergrowingneedforateamtowinsoonerratherthanlater,coachesandplayersalikehaveamore shorttermperspectiveonissuesinvolvingplayingtime.Allfactorsconsidered,coachesarelesspatientwithplayerswhomaynotbeabletomakeanimmediate contributiontotheteam. Bythesametoken,thesituationhasheightenedthecommitmentofmanyplayerstofindsomewaythattheycanmaketheteam(e.g.,playonspecialteamsbearole playerincertainsituationsetc.).Giventhepotentialeconomicupside(i.e.,salary,pension,endorsementpossibilities,etc.)suchareactionishardlysurprising.

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Themoneyhasalsoaffectedtheattitudesofmanyoftheolderplayerswhoareonthedownsideoftheircareers.Forexample,manyveteranplayersdoasmuchas possibletoextendtheirtenureintheNFLanextrayearortwo. The"new"economicshasalsohadanaffectonthoseindividualsincloseproximitytoanathlete(e.g.,hisfriends,agents,family,etc.).Operatingundertheperception thattheiropinionsandactionsareinthebestinterestsoftheathlete,theseassociatesoftenengageinbehaviorthatisdetrimentaltotheplayer. Forexample,somemaytrytofosteranattitudeintheplayerthatheshoulddistinguishhimselffromhisteamandhisteammates.Accordingly,heshouldplacea relativelyhighpriorityon"his"particularimage,"his"personalstatistics,and"his"generalvalueintheprofessionalmarketplace. Eventually,theplayermaydevelopaperceptionthatpersonalsacrificeisproportionalonlytothepotentialbenefits,asopposedtothecollectiveneedsoftheteam.In turn,theplayer'sabilitytoactinateamorientedmannermaybeseriouslycompromised. Forexample,aplayermayfaceasituationataparticularpointintimewherehehasaclearchoiceofactinginamannerthatdirectlybenefitstheteam(e.g.,provide containinanarea,stopablitzingdefender,etc.)butoffersnodirectpersonaladvantageorhecanperformanact(e.g.,aquarterbacksack,aninterception,a noteworthypassreception,etc.)thatwillearnhimasizablebonus.Inthisinstance,aselfcenteredplayermaynotmaketheappropriatedecision. Inaddition,allfactorsconsidered,themoreaplayerbecomesselfcentered,themorelikelyhemaybeaffectedbyhisexternalcompanions.Inaworstcasescenario, theseassociateswillencouragehimtoengageininappropriatebehavior(e.g.,drugs,steroidabuse,excessivedrinking,etc.). Thelackofanappropriateteamorientedfocusmaybejustoneofanumberoffactorsthatcomplicatesaheadcoach'sworkingrelationshipwithaparticularplayer. Forexample,agivenplayermaybelesstolerantandrespectfulofacoachingstaffthathebelievesisunabletorecognize(andshowcaseaccordingly)histrueworth. Asaresult,theplayermayseekcoachinginputfromanothersource(e.g.,amemberofthecoachingstafffromhisformerteam,ahiredspecialist,etc.).Attheleast, suchaplayermaybeexcessivelyjudgmentaltowardtheopinionsandadviceofferedbythecoachesonhiscurrentteam. Allinall,theenvironmentinwhichcoachesandplayersinteractinthe1990sismultifaceted.Totheextentthatcoachesacceptthefactthatcertainfactorsexistthat affectplayercoachrelationshipsanddevelopacarefullyconsideredplanfordealingwitheachfactor,theywillbebetterpreparedtohandlethedemandsattendantto workingwiththeirteam'splayers. Soundplayerrelationsdonotoccurbyaccident.Theytaketime,effort,planningandmanagerialskill.Perhapsnoskillismoreimportantthantheabilitytocreatea workingenvironmentwhereeveryone(coachesandplayersalike)hasaclearunderstanding,appreciationof,andrespectfortheirownandeachother'sroleswithin theorganization. AnexcellentexampleofanNFLcoachwhoiswidelyconsideredtohaveaverygoodworkingrelationshipwithhisplayersisDennisGreen,theheadcoachofthe

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MinnesotaVikings.Inturn,Green'splayershaverespondedtohismanagerialapproachbyplayingwellandmakingtheVikingsoneofthemostsuccessful(andleast problemplagued)teamsintheNFLduringhistenureinMinnesota.Greenhasanexcellentrapportwithhisplayers,yetdoesnotlosehisperspectiveasthemanwho hastomakethedecisionsregardingtheirfuture. Green'swayofhandlingplayerspointsoutthefactthataheadcoachshouldnottakea"onesizefitsall"approachwithhisathletes.Acoachmustbeabletoadapthis styleofcoachingorbecreativeinfindingasolutiontoanyuniqueproblemoneofhisplayersmayhave. Whenappropriate,acoachmustbeabletoadjusthismanagerialapproachtoaccommodatetheintellectual,emotional,and,insomeinstances,thereligiousattitudes ofhisplayers.Thecoachwhodoesnotchangewiththetimesorthesituation(asnecessary)providesarelativelyconvenientexcuseforaplayerwhoislookingfora scapegoatforhislackofsuccess. Thepointtokeepinmindisthatsoundplayerrelationstypicallyinvolveseveralinterrelatedfactors.Amongthestepsthatyoucantake,astheheadcoach,todeal withthesefactorsinanappropriatewayarethefollowing: Treateachplayerwithdignityandrespect. Spendtimewitheachindividualplayeronaregularbasis.Discusshisperformance,hisroleontheteam, yourexpectationsofhim,hisprogresstodate,andyourspecificconcernsaboutmattersinvolvinghim. Blendhonestyanddiplomacyattheappropriatetimewhendealingwitheachplayer. Takeapersonalizedapproachwhendealingwitheachmemberoftheregularsquad.Thisstepinvolves carefullyconsideringeachplayer'suniquephysicalcharacteristicsandtheskillsandtechniquesthatare bestsuitedforthosetraits.

DisciplineisthesoulofanArmy.Itmakessmallnumbersformidable,procuressuccesstotheweak,andesteem toall. GeorgeWashington,1759 IstPresidentoftheUnitedStates

Inturn,youshouldensurethatanindividualized"style"orgameforeachplayerisdeveloped.Thisstepshouldrequireeachplayertomastertechniquesthatinvolve morethanbasicfundamentals. Requireeachplayertocontinuehiseffortstoenhanceandimprovethoseskillsatwhichheisalready adept.Thegoalforeachplayerinthisregardshouldbetoimprovehislevelofsophisticationinskillseach year.Asaresult,hislevelofefficiencyandperformancewillberaised.

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Maintainapositiverelationshiponanindividualbasiswitheachplayerthroughthethoughtfuluseof encouragement,support,andcriticalevaluation. Maintainanupliftingatmosphereatworkthroughtheongoinguseofpositive,enthusiastic,energizing leadership. Allowawiderangeofmoodsintheworkplaceenvironment,rangingfromveryserioustoveryrelaxed.Set thetonebyyourdemeanor.Realizethatplayerswillrespondtoyourcomportment.Takeactiontoensure thatplayersunderstandwhenadead,serioustoneisnecessary,andwhenarelativelylight,easygoing climateisappropriate. Maketheplayersveryawarethattheirwellbeinghasthehighestpriorityoftheorganization.Reinforcethis understandingbyassemblingamedicalstafffortheteamthatischaracterizedbyahighlevelofquality, competenceandprofessionalism. Suchasportsmedicinestaffshouldnotonlybeveryskilled,itshouldalsodemonstrateanappreciationfor thesacrificesmadebytheathletes.Thestaffshouldprimarilybecomposedofahighlytrained,experienced teamofphysicianswhoarehighlyrespectedintheirmedicalareaofspecialization. Theirprimaryfocusandsenseofdedicationshouldbetoservethemedicalneedsoftheplayers.Staff membersshouldnotbeoverlyconsumedwiththeirownlevelofvisibilityorwiththeirbeingaccepted sociallybytheteam'splayers,coaches,andmanagement. Demonstrateanevenhandedapproachtoeveryone.Realizethatgivingflagrant,''V.I.P."treatmentto selectedplayerswillpromoteastratifiedclasssystemthateventuallywillsplitthesquadintotwodistinct groupsthe"haves"andthe"havenots." Makesurethatallmeals,lodgingandtransportationprovidedtotheplayersarefirstclass. Speakinpositivetermsaboutformerplayers.Showrespectfortheeffortsandsacrificesmadeby individualswhowereonceonyourteam,butwhoarenowplayingelsewhere.Displayadmirationforthose athleteswhohaveleftthegame,includingmenwhocompletedtheircareersmanyyearsago. Demonstrateinterestandsupportforaplayer'sextendedfamilyspouse,childrenandparents. Communicateonafirstnamebasiswitheachplayer. Don'tforcetheplayerstoparticipatein"unnecessary"socialactivitieswithcoachesandmanagement. Bedirectandhonestwiththemedia,butframeeverythingwithapositive,supportingspin.

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Setstandardsthatplayersshouldabidebyandliveuptoatalltimes.Realizethatplayersneedstructure withintheorganization.Theyhaveanappreciationforhighstandardsandhighexpectations. Whileafewindividualsmaynotrespondappropriatelytosuchstandards,mostplayerswantateam environmentthatischaracterizedbystructure,disciplineandperformanceexpectations.Thoseplayerswho aretoostubbornorfoolishtoadapttotheirenvironmenthaveadefinitivechoiceeitheradjusttheirmind setandabidebythestandardsorbecomehistory. Standbyyourdecisions.Playersareawarewhenyouvacillateorhesitateregardingaparticularissueor directive.Eventually,yourwaveringwillerodeplayertrustinyourleadership. Maintainwhateverpoliciesthathavebeenestablished.Forexample,afirmstancemustbetakenwithany disciplinaryaction.Anyfinesystemthatisinplacemustbeenforced.Exceptionsshouldnotbemade.Ifyou beginmakingallowancesforthebehaviorofcertainplayers,youruntheveryrealriskofhavingeveryone elseconsiderthesystemtobeafraud. Addressandresolvewhateverdifferencesmaydevelopbetweencoachesandplayersorjustbetween players.Suchdifferencesmustnotbeallowedtolinger. Avoid"pleading"withyourplayers.Suchimploringisoftenviewedbyplayersasasignofweakness. Droningoninsuchamannercaneasilybeperceivedasemptyrhetoricbytheplayers.Inreality,players expectsubstantiveremarksfromyouthattheycanapplytotheirimmediatesituation. Beyourself.Forexample,avoidtryingtocopythevernacularoftheplayersinamisplacedattempttoget close(i.e.,relate)totheplayers.Your"style"evolvesfromyourpersonality.Attemptstochangeitcan readilybeviewedascounterfeitbehavioronyourpart.

Keepinmindthatallfactorsconsidered,playersalwaystendtorespondbesttoacoachwhodemonstratesadefinitiveabilitytohelpthemachievetheirparticular goalsandaspirations.Accordingly,youractionsshouldreflectthefactthatyouareveryknowledgeableinyourareaofexpertiseandshouldconstantlyreinforcethe factthatyourinstructionaladviceisdeeplyrootedinthe"cuttingedge"ofcurrenttechniquesandprocedures.

Withoutconsistencythereisnomoralstrength.Thesecretofsuccessisconstancyofpurpose...Itisnousesaying, "Wearedoingourbest."Youhavegottosucceedindoingwhatisnecessary. SirWinstonChurchill FormerPrimeMinister GreatBritain

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PromotingSoundPlayerRelations Whileeveryoneinanorganizationshouldbeconcernedwithsoundplayerrelations,astheheadcoach,youcantakeatleasttwosignificantstepstoenhancethe likelihoodthatplayersandcoacheswillinteractinaresponsible,appropriatemanner.Onestepinvolvesassigningdirectresponsibilityforplayerrelationstoa particularstaffmembertheotherentailsestablishingacommitteeofplayerstoprovidefeedbacktoyouongivenissues. Itisvitalthateveryorganizationappointsaspecificstaffmembertodirect,coordinate,andberesponsiblefortheorganization'sstructuredeffortsinvolvingplayer relations.Thisindividualmustbegiventheresources(e.g.,funding,assistance,etc.)andthesupportnecessarytobecomeaviablepartoftheorganization'soperating structure. Intheareaofplayerrelations,thisstaffmembershouldbegivenabroadarrayofresponsibilities,rangingfromhelpingnewplayersandtheirfamiliesgetsettledto providingawiderangeofcounselingonfactorsthatcanhaveameaningfulimpactonplayers,duringtheirplayingdaysandbeyond. Typically,thestaffmemberresponsibleforplayerrelationsisaccordeddepartmentalstatus.Assuch,hisdepartmentisresponsiblefordevelopingacomprehensive planforofferingcounselinginawiderangeofissues,includingsubstanceabuse,domesticviolence,financialmatters,careeropportunitiesoutsidefootball,continuing education,andfamilyassistance. Itiscrucialthattheorganizationaddressthesetypesofissuesinordertoestablishanallencompassing,thoughtfulworkenvironmentfortheplayers.Althoughnot everyplayerwillrespondpositivelytosuchanenvironmentforwhateverreason(e.g.,aplayer'sagentmaywanttofosteran"usversusthem"mentality),agenuine efforttocreateapositiveorganizationalatmospherecanbebeneficialtoalmostallpartiesinvolved. Thesecondmajorstepthatyoucantaketoimproveyourabilitytodealwithplayersinasoundmanneristodevelopacommitteeofplayerswhowillactasatwo waysoundingboard.Ononehand,thecommitteecanprovidemeaningfulfeedbackonissuesthatyoubringtothem.Ontheotherhand,itcanmakeyouawareof specificmattersthatareofconcerntotheplayers. Forexample,iftheheadcoachhasa"problem"withaparticularplayer,thecoachcantaketheproblemtothecommittee(e.g.,behaviorofacertainplayer,friction betweentwoplayers,etc.)andsolicitthemembers'opinionsonhowtodealwiththetroublesomematter.Bythesametoken,theplayersontheteamcanpresentan issuetheyfeelstronglyabout(e.g.,thelengthofteammeetings,theamountofscheduledpractice,etc.)directlytotheheadcoachviathecommittee. Oneofthekeystomakingthe"players'committee"workeffectivelyistopickanappropriatemixofindividualsforthecommittee.Committeemembershipshould reflecttheentiremakeupoftheteam'srosterveteranplayers,aswellasyoungeronesindividualsfromthedefensive,offensiveandspecialteamsstarplayers,as wellasjourneymen,etc.

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DealingwithDiversityintheLockerRoom Oneoftheimportantissuesfacingaheadcoachinthe1990sishowtoeffectivelydealwithdiversityinthelockerroom.Assuch,theheadcoachmustpossessthe intellect,thetrainingandtheexperiencetoappreciateandrespectthedifferencesbetweenhisplayersarisingfromsuchfactorsasthefactthat,onoccasion,individuals comefromdifferent"cultures,"espousedifferentvaluesandhavetotallydifferentlifeexperiences. Overtheyears,IhavehadtheopportunitytodiscussthisissueindepthwithDr.HarryEdwards,anotedsociologistandavaluedcolleague.Dr.Edwardsfeels(andI stronglyconcur)thatthestrongAfricanAmericaninfluenceintheNFL(i.e.,approximately66percentoftheplayersintheNFLareAfricanAmericans)hasdistinctly alteredcoachplayerrelationships. Inordertohandlethechallengesimposedbydiversityinanappropriatemanner,theheadcoachshouldadheretoseveralguidelines,including: Theheadcoachmustsetthetoneforwhatisappropriateandwhatisnot.Forexample,raciallybiased humororcommentsareneverappropriateinthelockerroom. Theheadcoachshouldholdallplayerstothesamestandardofbehaviorandperformance.Valuing differencesdoesnotmeanloweringstandardsorquality. Theheadcoachshouldnotappeartobetrying"toohard"torelatetohisplayers.Overthelongterm, suchacosmeticapproachjustdoesn'twork. Theheadcoachshouldnotassumethathecandealwiththeteamalongraciallines.Thestereotypic CaucasianAfricanAmericandichotomyisfartoosimplisticandcanbecompletelyineffectualasabasis forunderstandingindividualdifferences.Itisamistakefortheheadcoachtoassumethatanyindividual willrespondinananticipatedway. Theheadcoachmustlookateachindividualasasingleentitywhohashisownneeds,aspirationsand values,andtreathimassuch. Boththeheadcoachandtheplayermustbewillingtoaccommodateeachother.Whiledifferencesmay exist(e.g.,cultural,chronological,personalexperiences,etc.),eachpersonmustadapttotheenvironment createdbythecoach.Thisapproachisinthebestinterestsofeachathleteandcoachandcollectivelythe entiresquadandorganization.

Areflectivereadingofhistorywillshowthatnomaneverrosetomilitarygreatnesswhocouldnotconvincehis troopsthatheputthemfirst,aboveallelse. GeneralMaxwellTaylor FormerChairman JointChiefsofStaff

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DealingwithSubstanceAbuse Oneofthemostdemandingaspectsofdealingwithathletesishowtohandlesubstanceabuserelatedproblems.Suchproblemsbasicallytendtobemanifestedintwo illegalpractices:usingperformanceenhancingdrugs(e.g.,steroids,growthhormones,etc.)andtaking"recreationaldrugs"forlackofabetterterm(e.g.,marijuana, cocaine,etc.). Anothercommontypeofsubstanceabuseinvolvesconsuminganexcessiveamountofalcohol.Whatevertheform,however,substanceabusecanleadtoseveraldire consequences. Firstandforemost,substanceabuseisillegal.Notonlyisitagainstlocalandstatelaws,italsoisaviolationoftheNFL'ssubstanceabusepolicy,oneoftheleague's policiesforplayers.IndividualswhorepeatedlyabuseeitherdrugsoralcoholaresubjecttospecificpunitivemeasuresbytheLeague. Substanceabusecanalsohaveanegativeimpactinseveralotherareas.Forexample,overtime,itwilldiminishaplayer'sperformance.Hisreactionswillslow.His abilitytomakesoundjudgments(decisions)duringthegamewillbedecreased.Inaddition,hislevelofdepthperceptionwillbeimpaired(whichcanbeaparticular problemforareceiver,forexample).Hisabilitytofocusandconcentratewillalsobehindered. Substanceabusecanalsohaveanegativeaffectonaplayer'shealth.Notonlydodrugusageandexcessivealcoholconsumptionplaceunduedemandsonaplayer's bodilyorgans(e.g.,liver,kidneys,etc.),theyalsoovertaxhisbody'ssystems(e.g.,cardiorespiratory,neuromuscular,digestive,etc.). Forexample,cocaineusehasbeenshowntodisrupttheelectricalsystemoftheheart.Eventually,repeateduseofcocainecanleadtoamassivecoronaryevent (somewhatsimilartothecircumstancesthatallegedlyledtothedeathofbasketballstarLenBias). Theaddictivenatureofmostformsofsubstanceabusecanalsobeamajorhealthproblem.Researchhasfoundthatsubstancedependencyisresponsibleforavariety ofdebilitatingemotionalandphysiologicalproblems. Ataminimum,substanceabusecanleadtoaberrantbehavioroffthefield.Notonlywillaplayer'sabilitytoactrationallybeimpaired,thelikelihoodthathewill associatewithindividualsofquestionablecharacterwillalsobeincreased.Together,thetwofactorscaneasilycauseaplayertoengageininappropriatebehavior. Astheheadcoach,youshouldensurethateveryplayerisinformedaboutthepotentialdangersofsubstanceabuse.Youshouldalsotakestepstoidentifyany individualwhomayhaveaproblemwithsubstanceabuseasearlyaspossible. Realizingthataplayerhasasubstanceabuseproblem,however,cansometimesbeadifficulttask.Forexample,asubstanceabuserisoftensomeonenoonewould everreadilyconceiveashavingaproblem. Thedifficultyinidentifyinganindividualwhohasaproblemiscompoundedbythefactthattheplayerisalmostalwayssomeonewhowillnotadmittohavinga problem.Table91illustratesastepbystepcycleofthestepsthatwereinvolvedinateamrecognizingandrespondingtosubstanceabusebyoneofitstopplayers.

Page199 Table91.Astepbystepcycleofrealizingthataprobowldefensiveplayersuffersfromalcoholanddrugabuse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Theplayerisnotgettingoffblocks. Hefrequentlyisknockedoffthelineofscrimmage. Heisslowtopursuetheplay. Heisnotdiagnosing(i.e.,reading)theplayproperly. Initially,hebeganplayingverypoorlyonlyinthesecondhalf. Thenhebeganplayingtheentiregameinalethargicmanner. Subsequently,hebegantodevelopminorinjuries. Hebeginstakingtimeoffinpractice. Hedemonstratesalackofconcentrationinthemeetingroom. Heisstillsayingthe"rightthings." Eventually,hispositioncoachdeterminestheplayerhasadebilitatingproblem. Aroundthattime,hisliveingirlfriendcontactstheteamandinformsthemhehasnotbeenhomeforthepasttwo days. Sheadmitstophysicalabusebytheplayer. Shealsotellstheassistantcoachtheplayeris"running"withaformerplayerwhoisusinganddealingdrugs. Theplayerperformspoorlyintheclosinggamesoftheregularseasonandintwoplayoffgames.Hedistinctly affectstheteam'sperformanceinitsplayoffloss. Theteam'srecognitionofthepatternleadingtosevereabusewasdelayedbysentimentanditsconfidenceinthe player. Itwasextremelydifficulttobelievethisproblemwasdevelopingwitha"goodperson"whohadbeenso dedicatedtothegameoffootballtherefore,thecoacheshadacceptedtheplayer'searlyexplanationsforhis decliningperformance. Whentheteambeginscontactingtheplayer'sfriends,theyconcedethathehasbeen"outusing"andthat anotherwomanisinvolved. Theplayerisfinallylocated.Hisassistantcoachspeakswithhimandtellshimthattheteamisawareofhis problem. Hereturnshomeandindicatesthatheisgoingtoquit. Inthemeantime,theclubcontactsacounselor.Sheistogetintouchwiththeplayertobeginacounseling program. Whenthecontactismade,theplayerinsistshecantakecareofhisownproblem. Hedisappearsagain,andhisgirlfriendcallstheteam,citingmoreabuse. Theclubdecidestoconsidertradingtheplayer.

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

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Onceaproblemhasbeendetected,however,appropriateactionshouldbetakenbytheteam.Inmostinstances,theinitialstepintreatingsuchaproblemistorequire theindividualtoundergoprofessionalcounseling. Undernocircumstancesshouldasubstanceabuseproblembeoverlooked.Thescenariowhereacoachconvinceshimselfthathehasamoralobligationtohelpan athletewhohasasubstanceabuseproblemanddecides,forwhateverreason(e.g.,extraordinarytalentoftheplayer,thecoach'sdesiretobea"buddy,"etc.),thatthe bestwayhecanhelptheplayeristolettheproblemtakecareofitselfisneverwarranted. Notonlydoesitfailtoaddressthe"realneeds"ofthesubstanceabuser,italsosendsthewrongmessagetotheteamthat,insomesituations,suchbehaviorwillbe tolerated.Inreality,notdealingwiththeproblemservesneithertheplayernortheorganizationwell. DealingwithDomesticViolenceandSexualAbuse TwoothertypesofunacceptablebehaviorinvolvingNFLplayersthathavebeenontheriseinrecentyearsaredomesticviolenceandsexualabuse.Itisextremely importantthatanorganizationhasawellconsideredplantodealwithsuchbehavior. Similartotheapproachusedforsubstanceabuse,theplanfordealingwithdomesticviolenceandsexualabuseissuesmustinvolveatleasttwoproactivesteps.First, allplayersshouldbecounseledaboutwhysuchformsofbehaviorareinappropriateandwillnotbetoleratedunderanycircumstances. Second,everyeffortmustbeundertakentoidentifyasearlyaspossibleanyindividualwhomayhaveaproblemwithsuchbehavior.Staffmembersshouldbefully awareofandabletodetecttheearlywarningsignsthatindicateanindividualhasdifficultiesinthisarea.Upondeterminingthataproblemexists,theplayerinvolved mustbeplacedinaprogramdesignedtopreventsuchbehaviorinthefuture. DevelopingPlayerAssistancePrograms Inadditiontohavingaplanfordealingwithaberrantbehavior,mostteamsrecognizethefactthattheyalsohaveanobligationtoassisttheirplayersonpersonal matters,suchasdealingwithfinancialmattersandpreparingforasuccessfullifeaftertheirfootballcareersarecompleted. Helpingplayersonpersonalmattersisnotaseasyasitmightseems.Mostplayershavea"natural"tendencynottotrusttheorganizationonpersonalissues. Accordingly,theclubmustdemonstratetoitsplayersthattheorganization'sintentionsinthisareaarewellplaced. Someteams,inconjunctionwiththecooperationoftheNationalFootballLeague,haveundertakeneffortstodevelopstructuredplayerassistanceprograms. Designedtohelpplayersandtheirfamiliestomeetthechallengesofaprofessionalsportscareerandtoactivelyplanforthefuture,theseprogramsnormallyfocuson fourgeneralareasfinancialeducationcontinuingeducationcareerinternshipandfamilyassistance.

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Financialeducation.Usuallypresentedinaseminarformat,thefinancialeducationprogramisdesignedto educateplayersonanarrayofmoneymatters,includingbudgeting,personalfinances,cashmanagement, insuranceplanning,checkbookbalancing,realestatetaxes,securingamortgage,andbasicinformationon makinginvestments. Theemphasisoftheprogramisoneducating,notprovidinginvestmentadvice.Playerstypicallyarenot requiredtoattendeveryscheduledsessionintheprogram.Iftheyprefer,theycanattendonlythosesessions thatinterestthem.Mostteamsalsoencouragethespousesofplayerstoattendtheseminar. Continuingeducation.Thisprogramisdesignedtoenableplayersandtheirspousestoearntheir undergraduatedegreesinthecitiesinwhichtheirteamislocated(ifpossible).Currently,theMinnesota VikingsareanexampleofanNFLteamthatreimbursestuitiontoitsplayersforcompletingtheir undergraduateeducation. Careerinternship.Thisprogramisdesignedtoprovideplayerswithopportunitiestodevelopskillsinmany careerfieldswhileeachplayerisstillactiveintheNFL.Thisprogramhasthreeprimarypurposes:To exploretherequirementsofthejobmarketasitexistsoutsideofprosportstoexpandtheemployment experienceofplayersoutsideoffootballinwaysthatwillleadtomeaningfulemploymentwhentheirfootball careersareoverandtonetworkwithcompaniesparticipatingintheinternshipprogramwhoarewillingand relativelyeagertoextendtemporaryemploymentopportunitiestoplayersandspouses. Familyassistance.Thisprogramisdesignedtohelpplayersandtheirfamiliesidentifyandmanageawide rangeofpersonalissuesthat,ifleftunattended,willinterferewiththeplayers'onthefieldperformanceand theirpersonalandfamilylives.Itinvolveseffortstoprovideplayerswiththeopportunitytoworkwitha networkofqualifiedprofessionalswhocanoffercounselingonpersonalissueswhenneeded.

Forexample,thefamilyassistanceprogramcanhelpnewlyacquiredplayersandtheirfamiliesrelocateandacclimatetotheirnewcommunities.Whenappropriate,it canalsohelporganizefamilyselfhelpseminars.Whateverthefocusoftheprograminagivensituation,allpersonalmattersinvolvingproblemswithplayersandtheir familiesmustbeapproachedintotalconfidentialitybytheteam. Iftheydesire,teamscanfurtherexpandtheirplayerassistanceprogramsbyincludingstructuredeffortsthatfocusonmotivationalcounselingandperformance enhancement.Theseeffortscoulddealwithadiversearrayofissues,includinggoalsetting,timemanagement,stress,concentration,fearoffailure,relationshipswith coachesandstaff,lossofconfidence,transitionandretirement. Counselinginjuredplayersisanotherareathatcanbeaddressedbyateam'splayerassistanceprogram.Suchanendeavorcanbedesignedtoassistinjuredplayersto beabletohandlesuchfactorsasplayertrainerrelationships,motivationforrehabilitation,lossofselfesteem,loneliness,andostracism.

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Allaspectsofateam'splayerassistanceprogramshouldbecloselycoordinatedwithotherprogramssponsoredbytheorganization.Forexample,thedecisionof whichplayertousetomakeaplayerappearanceatagoodwillorcharityfunctioncouldbebased,inpart,onrecommendationsfromtheplayerassistanceprogram. DealingwithPlayersWhoLeavetheGame Thesamedynamicsthataffectaheadcoachwhoretires(refertoChapter16foradetailedoverviewofhowsuchasituationcanimpactonthelifeofaheadcoach) alsoexistforplayerswholeavethegameforwhateverreason(e.g.,retirement,beingreleased,etc.).Thelossofrecognitionandpraiseonceanathlete"hangsuphis cleats"unquestionablyoccursinthelifecycleofaplayer. Oneofthemostimportantstepsthatyou,astheheadcoach,cantaketobebetterpreparedtohandleissuesarisingwithaplayerwhohasleftthegameistodevelop anunderstandingofhowthesituationmaybeaffectinghim.Onceyouhavedeterminedthenatureoftheimpactthatthesituationishavingonaparticularindividual, youcandeviseaplantodealwithrelevantmatters(i.e.,providecounseling,careeradvice,educationalopportunities,etc.). Amongthefactorsandthecircumstancesthatmayaffectaplayerwhohasleftthegamethatacoachshouldconsiderarethefollowing: Themostcommonproblemwithplayerswholeavethegameisthatmostoftheseindividualshavealmost fortyproductiveyearsaheadofthem(orasPaulBrownwouldsay..."theirlife'swork")andhaveno ideawhattodowiththoseyears.Unfortunately,manyoftheseindividualsspendanumberofyears aimlesslytryingtofindthemselvesandtryingtodecideondoingsomethingthatisofrealinteresttothem. Theysubsequentlyrealize,however,thatnothingexcitesthemasmuchasplayingintheNFL. TheshockofbeinganintegralpartofsomethingonedayandcompletelyoutoftheNFLthenextdaycan haveatraumaticaffectonaformerplayer.Suddenly,hislifechangesdramatically(e.g.,thephonesstop ringing,invitationstosocialgatheringsaren'treceived,etc.).Inreality,anindividualwholeavesthegame isbasicallyexcludedfromhisformerNFLlifestyle. Suchanexclusionoftenaffectsthespouseofaformerplayeralso.ShemayfeelthelossofNFLrelated socialopportunitiesevenmorethanherhusband. Thewifeofaformerplayermayalsofindherhusband'sresponsetohissituationtobeverydisturbing (i.e.,severelydepressed).Theformerplayermissesthecrowdedcubicleinthelockerroomtoapoint wherehefeelscompletelyaloneinhisspacious,wellappointedhome. Sheprobablyhasneverseenherhusbandinsuchastateofmindbefore.Often,theshockarisingfrom theirsituationtoboththeexathleteandhiswifewillleadtoseveredomesticdifficultiesbetweenthetwo. Uponlookingintothejobmarket,theexplayer(e.g.,a34yearoldindividual)mayfindthathehasto competewitha24yearold,recentcollegegraduateforthe

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sameposition.Thesomewhatdesperatesituationfortheformerplayerisfurthercompoundedbythefactthat theyoungerjobcandidateexudesalevelofenergyandenthusiasmthattheexathletehasn'texhibitedsince hisdaysasarookieintheNFL(adecadeearlier).

Thekeytoresolvingsuchasituationformostformerplayersisreeducationandformaltrainingforanew career.Withoutreturningtotheclassroomorenteringanextensivetrainingprogram,asmoothand productivecareerchangeisvirtuallyimpossibleformostexathletes. Theexplayer'sformerheadcoachshouldrealizethat,alltoooften,alevelofdeepbitternessbeginstobuild uptowardhimbytheathlete.Theathleteperceiveshisformercoachtobethesinglepersonwhohadthe greatestroleintheplayer'sultimatedestiny. Accordingly,thecoachbecomesthesymbolthatservesasaconduitforallofthedepressionandsadness thatovertakestheathlete'slife.Inalltoomanyinstances,anexathletebelievesthathecouldhavecontinued toplay. TheplayermayalsofeelthatotherNFLorganizationswerenotinterestedinhimbecausetheformercoach ruinedhischancesbystatingthathiscareershouldbeover.Rarelyisthisthecase.Coachesseldom(ifever) disparageaplayerinthismannertootherteams. Ontheotherhand,evenifacoachweretopubliclyproclaimhisopinionsaboutwhetheraplayershould retire,mostorganizationsareastuteenoughtomaketheirownjudgmentonwhetheranavailableplayerhas theabilitytomakeameaningfulcontributiontotheirteams. Andyet,anexplayermayharborharshfeelingstowardhisformerheadcoachforyears.Often,these feelingsmaylastuntiltheformerplayerreachesapointinhislifewhereanewfoundmaturityenableshimto becomemoreobjectiveandrealisticaboutwhyhiscareerreallyended. Anevenmoredeplorablesituationmayoccuriftheathletetriestohangontoolongtohisplayingcareer. Forexample,someathleteshavebeensubjectedtoutterhumiliationwhenattemptingtoextendtheircareers byjoininganotherteam. Hisnewteamholdslittleornorespectforhim,otherthanhavinghimserveasanother"body"orasa convenient,shorttermwaytoselltickets.Unfortunately,thescenariofortheacademyawardwinningmovie, "RequiemforaHeavyweight,"(whichtoldthestoryofaformerlygreatboxerwhostayedinthefightgame fartoolong)hasbeenrevisitedfartoomanytimesintheNFL.

DeterminingtheFutureDynamicsofPlayerRelations Similartoothersuccessfulorganizations,theNFLisconstantlyevolvinginresponsetosuchfactorsaschangingconditions,newguidelineprinciples,andnew priorities.Inreality,manyofthefuturedynamicsoftheNFLwillhaveanimpactonplayerrelations.

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Amongthecircumstancesandfactorsthatmayaffectplayerrelationsinthefuturearethefollowing: Playerswillbeevenmorepreoccupiedwith''self." Agentswillbecomeevenmoredominatingfactorsinthelivesoftheplayerstheyrepresenttheseagents willprovidecounselonallmattersinvolvingtheirclientsandwillactinaselfservingmanner. Thepersonalcommitmentofplayerstotheorganization,coachingstaff,andteamwilldiminish. Onlythemostinformed(i.e.knowledgeable)andmosttalented(i.e.,demonstratedabilitytoteach) coacheswillgaintherespectoftheplayers. Becauseofthehighsalarystructureforplayers,thetime,thoughtandvaluesofathleteswillbetakenup byoutsideforces. Becauseofthemoneyinvolved,playerswillbeevenmoreconcernedwiththeircurrentsituation,as opposedtohavingalongtermperspective. Playerswillbelesswillingtomakeasacrificebyplayingwheninjured. Playerswillmakeearningmoneytheirnumberoneprioritytheiragentswillfosterandreinforcesuchan attitude,eventhoughitisseldominthelongterm,bestinterestsoftheathletes. Playerswillgiveevenmoreattentiontotheir"uniqueimage"assuch,themediawillbecomeevenmore ofamajorfactorinaplayer'slife. Astheyearnandaccumulatewealth,playerswillbeevenmoresusceptibletothe"lure"ofan unacceptablelifestyle. Playerswillbeevenmorelikelytocomparetheirsalarieswithotherplayersandtolosetheircommitment toperformingwellatalltimes. Playerswillreprioritizetheirsenseofloyaltytheirallegiancewillbegiventotheiragentsfirst,thentotheir friends,andnexttothemedia.Inthisregard,theteamwillnotfarewell. Playerswillplaceanevenmoreundueemphasisontheirpersonalstatistics.Thesestatisticswillbe perceivedbyaplayertobeamajorindicatorofhisworth,visibility,andrightfulfinancialstatus. Givenaplayer'srelativewealth,institutingfinesasaformofdisciplinaryactiontodiscourage unacceptablebehaviorwillhaveevenlessimpactonhim. Playerswillbeevenmoreinclinedtoengageinhistrionicsonthefieldduringthegame.Suchattention seekingdemonstrationswillcontinuetobeanoutgrowthofaplayer'sattempttoachievenotorietyby drawingattentiontohimself. Thesalarydisparitybetweenthe"haves"and"havenots"onateamwillbecomeamajordisruptivefactor inthelockerroom. Thechangesinateam'scoachingstaffandthesystemthenewstaffplanstoemploywillbeamajorfactor inthecollectivedevelopmentoftheentireteam.
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PARTIV THEGAME

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Chapter10 DesigningaWinningGamePlan
"AdmiralNelsondidnotfightinordertocarryoutaplaninstead,heplannedinordertocarryoutafight." J.F.C.Fuller BritishMilitaryCorespondent TheDecisiveBattlesoftheWesternWorld

Findingthewinningedge... Thegoalofplanningistoremovefromatoughsituationthepanicelementof"Whatthehellarewegoingtodo now?"Thelessthinkingpeoplehavetodounderadversecircumstances,thebetter.Whenyou'reunderpressure,the mindcanplaytricksonyou.It'saterriblemistaketoletoutsideforcesinfluenceyoumorethanthepragmatic realitiesofthesituationalreadyare.Forinstance,ifI'monthesidelineandthewindchillfactoris10degrees,I maydecide,"Damn,it'stoocold,nobodycouldcatchapass."SoI'lldepartfrommyplanandnotcallapass,even thoughtheplayersoutonthefieldarefeelingatotwarmerthanIam. Bettertoreducetheeffectofoutsidevariablesandreverttosomethingyou'vepracticedandpracticed.Whenthings gettenseinafootballgame,Iwanttobeabletomakedecisionsclinically,becauseI'vethoughtthemthrough beforehand,ratherthantakeanadlibbed,seatofthepantsapproach.Sometimesthisworks,butmoreoftenthan not,thesekindsofreactivedecisionswillbewrong.Beingabletogowithawellrehearsedplanisfarbetterthan dependingonheroics,whichworkbetterinfictionthaninreallife. BillWalsh,'WhenThingsGoBad," Forbes,March29,1993

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TheliteratureisfilledwithvolumesofinformationandtheoriesconcerningwhatittakesforanorganizationtobesuccessfulUnquestionably,nofactor affectingsuccessismoreimportantthanpreparation. lhavealwaysbelievedintheabsolutenecessityofhavingacomprehensiveplanforachievingorganizationalgoals.Suchaplanmustdealwithandaddress everyreasonablyforeseencontingency.Thevalueofsuchaplanbecameevenmoreevidenttomein1987,theyeartheplayerswentonstrikeearlyinthe season. Thatseason,theSanFrancisco49ers,alongwithtwoorthreeotherteams,hadpreparedforthestrike.Believingthatgamesplayedduringthestrike wouldactuallycount,NealDahlen,ourheadofscouting,searchedforprospectiveplayerswhomightjointhe49ersifthestrikeoccurred.Wealsokeptin touchwiththoseplayerswhomwehadcutduringcampbecausetheyknewoursystem. Oncetheplayerswentonstrike,weimmediatelycontactedallofthesepotentialreplacementplayers.Subsequently,thoseplayerswhoagreedtoplay duringthestrikeformedaformidableteam.Wewoneverystrikegame,catapultingustoagreatseasonrecord.Thissuccesswaspossiblebecausewedid ourhomeworkandtooktheLeague'smemosseriouslyOtherteamsdidnottheyapparentlyfeltthatifitwasnot"realNFLfootball,"theywantedno thingtodowithit.Wetookastrictlybusinessapproach,assemblingateamwithoutregardtosentiment.Otherorganizationsbecametooemotionally involvedwiththeissue.Becausetheseorganizationsdidn'tseeaclearbottomline,theywereatcrosspurposestoreality.InSanFrancisco,wetreatedour interimplayerswithdignityandrespectandtriedtomakethesituationasinterestingaspossible.Weevenwenttoawishbonestyleattackforagameor twotoaddinteresttopracticesandgames. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Whenwhatisnowknownasthe"WestCoastOffense"wasbeingdeveloped,itwassummarilydismissedbymanypeopleasnothingmorethan"nickelanddime" football.Thearguedthat,asanoffensivesystem,the"WestCoastOffense"wasdevelopedoutofa"desperate''attemptbyateamtocounteractitslackof overpoweringpersonnel.Historyhasshownthattheseindividualswereglaringlymistaken. Allfactorsconsidered,thissystemofoffensiveplayhasproventobeveryeffective.Itssuccessisreflectedinanumberofways,includingthefactthatvariousformsof the"WestCoastOffense"proliferatedthroughouttheNFL.Inaveryliteralsense,the"nickelsanddimes"thatthedevelopersofthe"WestCoastOffense"broughtto thegamehavebecomethecurrent"coinoftherealm." Theformulaforthesuccessoftheoffensewasahighlydisciplined,verystructuredformofutilizingtheforwardpass.Tomakeoursystemworkforthe49ers,Joe Montanahadtomasterthedisciplinestoknowwhichreceivertothrowto,whenandwhy.ThesuccessoftheteamdependedonJoe'sabilitytoworkwithinthat framework.Consequently,thejobofthecoachwastousedrillsandrepetitionsothatJoedevelopedalmostautomaticmovesanddecisionmakingability. Teamswhichattempttoadoptthe"WestCoastOffense"andtoduplicateitssuccesssolelybycopyingtheschematicsandtheblockingschemesaretakinga fragmentedapproachtoinstallingsuchasystem.Inordertofullyunderstandthe

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"WestCoastOffense,"anumberoffactorsconcerningtheparametersofthesystemmustbeconsidered,including: Thetypeofoffenseneeded.Thegeneralruleisthatthelowerthelevelofplay,themorebasictheneedsof theoffensivesystem.Thebasicissuewhichshouldbeaddressediswhetherthe"WestCoast"offensivesystem fitsateam'spersonnelandwhetherthisoffensivesystemisthebestsystemforfacilitatingsuccessonthefield. Theamountoftotaloffenserequired.BecauseeverylevelofplayInvolvesacertainamountofdemands beingplaceduponateam'soffensivestructure,teamsshoulddecidewhetherthe"WestCoastOffense"fits withinascopeofoffensivephilosophywhichisappropriatetotheirlevelofplay. Therequirementsforinstallingandimplementingthesystem.Inthisregard,theprimarypointthatneeds tobeaddressediswhatisinvolvedinproperlyinstallingthe"WestCoastOffense"andimplementingits concept. Forexample,whatarethetimerequirementsforinstallationofthe"WestCoastOffense"?Whatistheproper sequencingforinstallingthecomponentsofthe"WestCoastOffense"?Whatadditionalfactors(e.g.,teaching progressions,masteringthefundamentalconcepts,etc.)shouldbeconsideredwhenimplementingtheoffense? Thepracticalapplicationofthe"WestCoastOffense"ongameday.Applyingthecomponentsofan offensivesystemagainstaparticularopponentinvolvesaddressingfivebasicqueries:Who,When,Where, Why,andHow.Forexample,ataminimum,thefollowingquestionsshouldbeasked: Whowillbethekeypersonnelatthepointofattack? Whenisthebesttimetorunaparticularplayorinitiateaspecificsequence? Whereonthefielddoesaparticularplayorplaysequencehavethebestchanceforsuccess? Whywillaparticularplayorplaysequencebeproductiveversusthisparticularopponentorthis specificdefense? Howoftenmayaparticularplayorplaysequenceberepeatedwithrelativeassuranceofitssuccess andhowshoulditbeadjustedifitistoberepeated? Howdotheenvironmentalconditions(e.g.,fieldconditions,weatherconditions,etc.)affectthepotential forthequalityofplay? Inturn,anoffensivesystemdesignedwiththeseparametersinmindwill"naturally"providethehead coachwithinsightintotheallimportantquestion"whatshouldbedone."Ateammustknowwhatto doinagivensituation.Forexample,askingthefollowingtypesofquestionscanenableacoachtobe betterpreparedtohandlespecificcontingenciesastheyarise. Whatadjustmentsinassignments,techniques,orschemesshouldacoachanticipatewillbeneededtoimprove aplayorexpandaplaysequence?Andwilltheseadjustmentssetupacomplementaryrunorplaypass? Whatdefensivealignmentsorschemesdoesaparticularplayorplaysequencemosteffectivelyattack?To whatdefenseisaplaybestsuited?Thispointmust

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beconsideredwhendevelopinganaudiblepackageforagameandsettingtheconditionsforitsuse.

Whatplayersareindispensabletothesuccessofaplayorplaysequence?Whichplayerorplayers,iflostto injury,wouldcauseaparticularplaytobedroppedfrom(orattheveryleastdroppeddown)theplaycailling list. Whatrisksareinvolvedinrunningaparticularplayorplayseries?Whatisthecostbenefitratio?Ononehand, aparticularplaymayhavearelativelylowpercentagechanceofsuccesswhileontheotherhand,itmayprovide substantialbenefits. Forexample,adeeppassdownthefieldmaybealowpercentagethrow(i.e.,3of10).Iftwoofthethree completionsresultintouchdownsandthethirdproducesa40yardgainontheplay,thatkindofpasswould typicallybeviewedasinvolvinganacceptablerisk.

Tosomedegree,most(ifnotall)oftheissuesinvolvingwhattodoinagivensituationareaddressedinaproperlydesignedoffensivesystem.Ontheotherhand,a coachmustnotallowthesomewhatmundaneroutineofpracticingaparticularsystemtocausehimtooverlooktheneedtoconsiderhowthesystemappliestoeach differentopponent.Neglectingtoassesshowtheteam'soffensivesystemwillbeaffectedbyaparticularopponentcanbeacostlymistake.

Nodefensivecoachwilladmitit,butittakeslongertoprepareonoffense.NowthatIamoutoffootballIcansayso. Withdefense,itisamatterofsettingaplanandreactingtowhathappensonthefield.Itisfarmorecomplicatedon offense.Youhavesomanydetails:blockingschemes,passprotections,blitzpickups,passpatterns,reads, adjustments,andsoon. JoeGibbs HallofFameFootballCoach WashingtonRedskins fromGamePlansforSuccess

IdentifyingandImplementingEssentialSkills Acriticalpartofthegameplanningprocessistoidentifytheskillseachplayerneedstoperformthesteps(tasks)involvedinaparticularplayorplaysequence.After identifyingtheskillsneededbytheplayer,ateammusthaveaprocessinplaceforensuringthattheirplayersdeveloptheseskillssothateachplayorplaysequenceis productive.Takingstepstodeveloptheseskillsineveryplayeroccursintwostages:isolatingtheskillsandteachingtheskills. Isolatetheskills.Thefirststepinthegameplanningprocessshouldbetoanalyzethetasksinvolvedin theassignmentofeveryplayer.Next,adecisionmustbemaderegardingwhethertheplayershavethe abilitytomasterthenecessaryskills.ifitisdeterminedthattheabilityoftheplayersdoesnotmeshwith the

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skillsrequiredforaspecifictask.Iftheydonot,theheadcoachdiscardthispartofhisoffensiveplanoralter theplayorplaysequencetofittheleveloftalent. Whatevertheheadcoach'sdecision,hisdecisioncanbemadeeasierifhestrictlyadherestooneofthe cardinalprinciplesoftrainingspecificity.Specificityreferstothefactthat"anindividualgetswhathetrains for."Allfactorsconsidered,themorespecifichisplayers'preparationforaparticulargame,thebettertheir performance.

Teachtheskills.Collectively,teachingplayerstheskillstheyneedinvolvesanevolutionalprocessof promoting,enhancing,practicingandrefiningeachfacetofthecapacitybeingdeveloped.Inthisregard,the rudimentaryteachingprogressionof"hearitseeitdoit"isasapplicableasiteverwas.

Employingtheproperteachingsequenceispossiblythemostviablewayacoachcanimpactthegame,certainlyatthepositionlevel.Accordingly,astheheadcoach, youmustmakeadecisionastowhatleveloftheteachinghierarchyyouwishtoutilize. Forexample,withregardtoteachingskillstoyourplayers,youmustdecidewhethertorelyonhavingtheplayerslearnbyrotememorizationortorequirethemto utilizecriticalthinkingskillsandacquireamorecomprehensiveknowledgeoftheoffensivesystem.Youshouldkeepinmindthatthemoreplayersaretaughtto criticallyanalyzetheirresponsibilitiesandtounderstandtherelationshipoftheseresponsibilitiestothetotalstructureoftheoffense,themoreproductivethesystemwill be. Bygraspingabetterunderstandingofthestructuraldynamicsofthesystemandhowoneaspectoftheoffenseinteractswithanother,theplayerswillbebetter #preparedtofunctionasa"team"ratherthansimplyacollectionofelevenbodiesfollowingaprescribedactionwhichtheylearnedthroughrotememorization. Astheheadcoach,youshouldalwaysendeavortoteachwithabroadstroke(i.e.,keepthe"bigpicture"inmind).Atalltimes,however,youmustremainawareof thefactthatsomeplayersare"betterlearners"thanothers.Forthosewhohavelearninglimitations(forwhateverreason),youmustbeabletofindateachingvehicle thatenablesthemtoreachtheirfullpotential,despitetheirlearningdifficulties. Successonthefielddoesnotoccurbyaccident.Simplyput,preparationprecedesperformance.Themostbrilliantlydesignedschemeandgameplanisvirtually worthlessunlessawellorchestratedmethodofpresenting,installingandpracticingthatschemeandplanexists. Asarule,suchaplanisimplementedintwoformats:meetingsandpractice.Ineachformat,averyspecific,definableandfiniteamountoftimeisallottedto accomplishwhatisrequired.Acriticalpartofthistriad(presentation,installation,andpractice)istherealizationthataphysicalandmentallimitexistsregardingthe amountoftimeaplayerorgroupofplayersshouldbeexpectedtofunctionefficiently. Forexample,anexperiencedcoachisnormallyawareofthefactthatthereisaspecific"timewindow"formaximumlearning.Inmostinstances,acoachcannot adequatelycoverasubjectinlessthantenminutes.

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Ontheotherhand,manyplayershavedifficultymaintainingtheirfocusandgivingtheirundividedattentiontoaparticularsubjectforlongerthantwentyminutesata time.Asaresult,coachesmustmakeoptimaluseofthetenminutewindowofopportunitythatexistsforeffectiveteachingandlearning. Asateacher,thecoachhasanobligationtobetirelessinhiseffortstoheightenthelearningcurveofhisplayers.Allthelatesttechnologicaldevelopments(e.g.,video, digitalfilming,computers,etc.)mustbeusedtofacilitateoptimallearning. Inreality,however,oneofthebestwaysforacoachtoenhancethelearningprocessforhisplayersisbybeingorganized.Wastingtimeduringtheweeknotonlycan drainthephysicalandmentalenergyoftheplayersandcoachingstaff,itcanresultinalackofconcentrationandalackofacentralfocus. Playersshouldalwaysbeinformedaboutwhattheywillbedoinginpracticeandwhytheywillbedoingit.Forexample,thepurposeofanydrillconductedinpractice, aswellasthetechniquesorskillsthedrillisintendedtodevelop,shouldbecommunicatedtotheplayers.Particularlyontheprofessionallevel,aneffortmustbemade tomakethepurposeofdrillscleartotheplayers. DevelopingaStandardPerformance Theoldadagethatateamdoesn'twinongamedaybutinthemeetingroomsandonthepracticefieldduringtheweekleadinguptothegamemaybeoverlysimplistic, butitdoesunderscoreacriticalpoint.Astheheadcoach,youhavethegreatestopportunitytoimpacttheoutcomeofagamepriortogameday. Whilethestandardofperformancethatyou,astheheadcoach,areheldaccountableforismanifestedongameday,thisstandardisestablishedduringtheoffseason, trainingcampandweeklypreparationtimes.Theprocessbeginswithyouinsistingthatyourplayersexhibitanuncompromisingworkethic. Theplayersmustbemadetounderstandthatfootballshouldinvolveabusinesslikeatmosphereoneinwhichtheplayersmustconductthemselvesaccordingly.In thisregard,thereareseveralstepsyoucantaketohelpfacilitateapropertrainingatmosphere,including: Enlistandutilizethesupportoftheveteranplayers. Convincetheplayersofthevalueofastrongworkethic. Maketheplayersunderstandthevalueoftime(i.e.,becausealimitedamountoftimetoprepareexists,it mustnotbewasted). Convincetheplayersoftheneedforprofessionalismintheirworkandbehavior. Maketheplayersfeelateasewiththedirectionoftheteam'sleadership. Appreciatethevalueofusinghumorandaneasygoingmannerinthelearningprocess,aslongassuchan approachdoesn'tdivertthepresentleveloffocusandconcentrationoftheplayersonthetaskathand. Ensurethattheassistantcoachesmaintainthecontinuityoftheprogram.

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Demandingahighstandardofperformancerequiresthecoachingstafftobeverysensitivetotheneedtousetheplayers'timewisely.Thecoachingstaffhasan obligationtotheplayerstokeeptheprocessforinstallingthegameplanmeaningfulandvibrant. Towardthatend,thecoachingstaffshouldnotwastetheplayers'timewithsuperfluousmeetingsorpointlesspracticesessions.Itisalsoimportantthatallcoaches continuallydemonstratethehigheststandardsofcoaching. Perhaps,thekeyfactorinestablishingaproperworkenvironmentisthefactthatcoachesandplayersmusthaveaprofessionalrespectforthevalueofeachother's roleintheprocess.Coachespreparetheteamtoplayplayersmakeacommitmenttolearningandtoapplyingwhattheyhavelearnedinthegame. Gettingtheteamreadytoplayrequiresthecoachingstafftoputtheplayersinalearningenvironmentthatisdesignedtoconditionandpreparethemforeverypossible contingencytheymightfaceinagamesituation.Inotherwords,theprimaryresponsibilityofthecoachingstaffinvolves"thereductionofuncertainty"asimple,but eloquent,descriptionoftheabsoluteessenceofteaching. Thecriticalpointthatthecoachingstaffshouldkeepinmindisthatiftheinformationthathasbeenprovidedtotheplayersdoesnotinsomemeasurablewayreduce theirlevelofuncertaintyorhesitationwithregardtotheirbasicunderstandingthenitisinformationthateitherisnotneededorhasbeenpresentedinanineffective manner. Astheheadcoach,youcanundertakeseveralstepstooptimizetheplayers'learningcurveandtoreducetheirlevelofuncertainty,including: Drivetheplayerstoconcentrate.Beassertiveinyourinsistencethattheyfocusonthetaskathand. Individualizeyourteachingapproachtofitcertainindividuals,whennecessary.Giveextratimetothose playerswhoneedit. Beaspreciseaspossiblewhenteaching.Alwaysusethesystem'sterminologyasacommonlanguage. Bepatient,butdemanding.Requireyourplayerstoadheretopropertechniquesatalltimes. Teachtheskillsprogressively.Adheretoasystematicmethodologyofteachingthatallowstheplayersto improveandenhancestheirlevelofconfidenceinyourcompetenceandprofessionalism. Keepyourfingeronthepulseofthesituation.Bealerttotheintensityleveloftheplayers.Besensitiveto signsofthosefactorswhichcanaffectthelearningcurve(e.g.,fatigue,enthusiasmofcoaches,etc.). Neveroverlookthefundamentalrealityoftheteachingaxiom,"qualityrepetitionsarethemotherofall learning." Keepthemeetingsquality,notquantity,oriented.Useavarietyoflearningtoolstoenhancethelearning environmentandtohelpstimulatetheplayers'levelofconcentrationandfocus(e.g.,computergraphics, overheadprojection,videotape,etc.).

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Demonstratethehighestlevelofknowledgeaboutthesubjectmatterbeingtaught(e.g.,position techniques,gamestrategy,theopponent,etc.). Teachtheplayersinaprofessionalmanner.Unlessyou'retryingtoelicitaspecificemotionalresponse fromyourplayers,refrainfromscreaminganddemonstrativebehavior.Keepinmindthatsuchbehavior seldom,ifever,enhancesthelearningcurveparticularlyifthesubjectmatterinvolvestechnical information. Evaluatetheplayers'performanceonadailybasistoensurethattheyareprogressivelymasteringthe techniquesrequiredtoperformthetaskstheyareassignedinaneffectiveandefficientmanner.

Rapidityistheessenceofwartakeadvantageoftheenemy'sunreadiness,makeyourwaybyunexpectedroutes,and attackunguardedspots. SunTzu ChineseMilitaryStrategist fromTheArtofWar

Anotherteachingtechniquethathasproventobeveryeffectiveistohaveplayersemulatethetechniquesandactionsofotherathletes.Forexample,ifplayerswatch videoshowingJerryRicerunaparticularpatterninacertainway,you(astheheadcoach)cansingleoutandstressparticularcoachingpoints,byusingRiceasthe caseinpoint. Allfactorsconsidered,playerstendtorespondmorefavorablytoanactualvisualrepresentationofaparticularteachingpointthantoanabstractillustrationofthat pointdrawnuponachalkboardorwrittenupinaplaybook.Thislearningtechniqueistypicallyreferredtoas"modeling." Assuch,modelinghasbeenshowntohaveapositiveeffectonthelearningprocess.Withvideoasitsprimarymedium,modelingisa"natural"teachingtoolformost athletes.VeryfewcompetitiveathletescannotrecalltheirboyhoodexperiencesofwatchingafavoritesportsheroperformsomeHerculeanactontelevision(e.g., throwingagamewinningtouchdownpass,makingakeyinterception,etc.),andthengoingtotheirlocalplaygroundwiththeirfriendtoplayandimaginingthatthey wereequallyheroicwhileimitatingthehero'severymove. Anexampleofusingmultiplesettingstomakeapointmightinvolveasituationwhereyouwanttoaddressyourbeliefthatengaginginhistrionics(i.e.,undue demonstrations)afterascoreproducesanunacceptabledistractiontoboththeplayersparticipatinginthetheatricsandtheirteammates.Initially,youmightcoverthe subjectinateammeeting. Realizingthatmoreneedstobedoneinthisarea,youmightthenfollowupthateffortinthenextfewdaysbygoingintotheindividualpositionmeetingsandreinforcing yourmessageonhistrionics.Finally,whilewalkingoffthefieldaftera

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practice,youmightemphasizethepointindividuallytosomeofthoseplayerswhoaremostpronetothatkindofbehavior. Whateverthesequenceandtheselectionofsettings,youshouldvaryyourmessagesomewhateveryyear.Forexample,ifyougivethesamespeechyearafteryear, theplayerswhohavebeenassociatedwithyouforanylengthoftimemayarbitrarilytuneyouout. Ifyoudon'tperiodicallyalteryourtalk,youmay,inthissituation,begreetedwithacollectivesighof"ohno,heregoesthenodemonstrationsintheendzonespeech again."Accordingly,itisincumbentonyoutoconstantlyfindnewwaystopresentthe.samematerial. Ifthereisapointyoufeelparticularlystronglyabout,youmustincludeyourassistantcoachesintheprocessofreinforcingyourmessage.Forexample,ifyourstaffis madeawareofaparticularthemeortopicthatyouaregoingtoaddresswiththeteam,yourassistantcoachescanpreparematerialstofacilitatetheobjectivesofyour talk. Attheveryleast,yourassistantscangivesomethoughtastohowtheymightreemphasizesomeofthebasicconceptsattendanttothefundamentalpointyouwant madeintheirdailymeetingsandinteractionswiththeplayers.Havingboththeheadcoachandhisstaffemphasizeaparticularpointwillgivetheplayersarealsenseof theimportanceofagiventopicandwillpreventyourplayersfrommisconstruingyourmessageassomethingthatjustoccurredtoyou. Anexampleofusingboththeheadcoachandhisstafftocommunicate,fortifyandsupportaparticularmessagemightinvolveasituationwheretheheadcoachwants tomakeathemesuchas"beattheopponenttothepunch"amajorteamfocus.Earlyintheplannedefforttomakethethemeanintegralpartoftheteam'sthought processes,thepointcouldbecoveredbytheheadcoachonnumerousoccasionsduringminicampsandtrainingcamps. Theheadcoach'smessagecouldbeconveyedinseveralways(e.g.,prelecturecommentsvideoclipsfromothersports,suchasboxingetc.).Theassistantcoaches couldthenreinforcethetheme,notonlyintheirdailymeetingswiththeplayers,butalsoverballyonthefieldintheirteachingprogressions. Ateveryopportunity,theimportanceandthepracticalapplicationofthethemeshouldbeaccentuatedbyeverymemberofthecoachingstaff.Eventually,the"beat themtothepunch"themeshouldbestressedtoapointwhereitbecomesanintegralpartofeveryplayer'smindsetduringthegame.
Firmrelianceonselfmustmakehimproofagainsttheseemingpressureofthemomenthisfirstconvictionwillinthe endprovetrue. CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWarAcademy Prussia fromOnWar

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AccountingforSituation,ContingencyandReactiveOffense Oneofthemostdifficulttasksaheadcoachfacesismakingcrucialjudgmentsunderseverelystressfulconditions.Thebetterpreparedtheheadcoachis,themore capablehewillbeofactingunderpressure. Becausepreparationisbasedonprobabilityratherthancertainty,astheheadcoach,youmustaccountforeverysituationandcontingencythatcanbereasonably anticipated.Anticipatingthefactorswhichmaycauseyoutoexperienceseverestressduringthegamecanbehelpfulinseveralways,including: Reducesthelikelihoodthatyouwillhavetodotoomuchguessingunderthestressofthegame. Enhancesyourabilitytomakeadjustmentsduringthegame. Providestheplayerswithapreviewofwhattoexpectincriticalsituations. Takestremendouspressureoffthesignalcaller. Givesconfidencetotheplayersandthestaffinknowingthatyouarepreparedforallpossible circumstances. Allowsyoutobelieveinandstaywithyourgameplan.

Preparingforpotentialproblemsdoesn'tmeanyouaretakinganegativeoutlook.Forexample,practicingyourgoallinedefensedoesn'tnecessarilyreflectthefactthat youthinkyourdefensewillbesoftandallowtheopponentonthegoalline. Bythesametoken,practicingthe"scrambledrill"doesn'tmeanyoufeelthatyourquarterbackwillprobablybeunderpressureallday.Rather,practicingforevery reasonablesituationandcontingencymeansthatyouareupholdingyourprimaryresponsibilitytotheteamreducingthelevelofuncertaintybythoroughlypreparing theteam. SituationalOffense Theterm"situationaloffense"referstothespecificsituationswhichhavetobeaddressed,invaryingdegrees,duringthegame.Eachoftheseinvolvesveryspecific conditions(e.g.,down,distance,fieldposition,etc.).Atleastninedifferentcategoriesofthesituationaloffenseexist: Normaldownanddistanceintheopenfield.Thissituationofferstheheadcoachthemostlatitudeto establishhispreferredstyleandtempoofplay.Asarule,fiftypercentoftheoffensiveplaycallsduringa gamewilloccurwithintheparametersofnormaldownanddistanceintheopenfield.Onfirstandsecond down,thenormaldownanddistancesituationintheopenfieldshouldbeattackedwiththreemain objectivesinmind:getafirstdownoraseriesoffirstdownspositiontheoffensiveunitinafavorable thirddownsituation(e.g.,3rdand4,3rdand2,etc.)andscoreorrunanexplosiveplay(i.e.,makea biggainthatestablishesdominantfieldposition).

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Movingthechainsonfirstandseconddownisahallmarkofagoodoffense.Mostofateam'sattentionina 1stand10situationshouldbefocusedonpositioningtheoffenseinafavorabledownanddistancesituation (i.e.,keepingthedistanceconvertible). Statisticsdemonstrate,however,thatonly2535percentofateam'sfirstdownsaregeneratedonthird downconversions.Theremaining6575percentoftheteam'sfirstdownsaregeneratedonfirstandsecond down.Consequently,ateam'sthirddownconversionratio,whileanimportantfactor,istypicallynota primaryfactorinwinningthegame. Astheheadcoach,youshouldnotonlyconsiderthebestmethodforconvertingthenecessarythirddown, youshouldalsoattempttoobtainthemostfavorablethirddownfieldpositionpossible.Toensurea favorablethirddownsituation,yourplayselectionshouldemphasizecallswithahighprobabilityofatleast 4+yardsefficiencyonbothfirstandseconddown. Anefficientfirstdownlevelofsuccessisdefinedbytheratioofthenumberofgainsof4+yardsonfirst downtothetotalnumberoffirstdownopportunities.Statistically,thefirstdownratiohasbeenshowntobe oneofthemajordeterminantsaffectingtheoutcomeofthegame. Ateam'sthirdobjectiveinanormaldownanddistancesituationintheopenfieldshouldbetostrikewithan explosiveplay.Firstandseconddownarenormallythebestdownsforcallinganexplosiveplaybecauseof themultipleconcernsthatadefensemustprepareforonthesedowns. TheNFLdefinesanexplosiveplayasaplaythatresultsinagainof20yardsormore.Statisticsshowthata teamwhichachievesa+2advantageinexplosiveplays(i.e.,hasatleasttwomoreexplosiveplaysthanits opponent)winsthegame8085percentofthetime. Explosiveplaysmayeitherbebydesignortaketheformofabrokenplaywhichresultsinascoreorabig gain.Ifyoudeterminethatyouroffenseisbeingcontrolledtothepointwhereithasbeenunableto successfullyexecuteexplosiveplays,youmustchangethesituationbyinjectingahigherdegreeof explosivenessintoyouroffensethroughplannedplaysthathavebeenspecificallydesignedtostrikea "decisiveblow." YoushouldkeepinmindthateventhetopNFLteamsdemonstratetheabilitytosustaindrivesoftenplays ormoreonly1520percentofthetime.Asaresult,theinclusionofexplosiveplaysisacriticalstepwhen planningasituationaloffense.

Backedup.Themostcriticalsituationtoconsiderwhendevelopingasituationaloffensiveplaniswhena teamisbackedup(i.e,,whentheoffensetakespossessionoftheballinsideofitsowntenyardline).The criticalnatureofabackedupsituationisevengreaterwhentheoffensetakespossessioninsideitsownfive yardline.

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Amongtheprioritieswhichyoushouldconsiderwhenyourteamisoperatingwithintheconfinesofthebacked upsituationare: Movingtheballpastatleastthefiveyardline. Selectingcoreplayswhicharelowrisk. Reducingthechancesoffumblingbylimitingtheballhandlingtokeyplayers Selectingplaysfromtheshortyardagesectionofyourgameplan. Cuttingoffdefensivepenetrationwithadoubletightendformation. Utilizingacloseflankertoblocktheblitzingstrongsafety. Selectingpassesthatemphasizeballcontrol. Selectingballcontrolpasseswhicharethrowntotheoutside(i.e.,passesthrownoverthemiddleare morelikelytoresultineitheraninterceptionorafumblecausedbyaforcefulhitonarelativelyexposed receiverbyadefender). Throwingtheballdeeptochangethemomentumandkeepthedefenseoffthefield. Throwingpassesonlytothestronghandsideofthequarterback(i.e.,arighthandedquarterback shouldpasstohisright). Avoidingplaysinwhichbothguardspull. Attackingthedefensebetweentheends. Decidingiftakingasafetyisanacceptableoption.

Thirddown.Oneofthelesscomplicatedsituationsduringagameforwhichateamhastoprepareisthird down.Mostteamshaveveryspecifictendencieswithregardtotheirdefensivepackageandstrategyonthird down.MostNFLteamstypicallyfaceanaverageoftwelvetofourteenthirddownsituationsagame. Statisticsshowthattenofthesethirddownsituationswilloccurintheopenfield.Asarule,the''better"NFL teamsconverton3rddownsituationsatthefollowingrates: 3rdandlong(7+yards) 3rdandmedium(26yards) 3rdandshort(oneyearorless) 2025percent 4550percent 8085percent

AstatisticalanalysisofthemoresuccessfulteamsintheNFLrevealsthenecessityoffocusingongettingthe offenseintoafavorablethirddownsituation(e.g.,either3rdandmediumor3rdandshort).Forexample,a 3rdandmediumyardagesituationisconvertedattwicetherateofthethirdandlongsituation. Theimportanceofthisfactorisfurtherunderscoredbythepreviouslydiscussedfirstdownratio.Aproductive firstdownratiointheopenfielddirectlyaffectsthenumberoffavorablethirddownsituationsattained. Fourthdown.AlthoughtheaverageNFLteamrarelyattemptstoconvertonafourthdownsituation,the criticalnatureofthistypeofsituationdemandsthatateam'splanningeffortsforfourthdownsituationsbe givenahighpriority.Ateamshouldplanforthreedistincttypesoffourthdownsituations:4thandinches,4th andshort,and4thandlong.

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Factorssuchasthecaliberoftheopponent,whetherateamisathomeorontheroadandthedefensivestyle ofateam'sopponentareexamplesofcircumstanceswhichshouldbeconsideredwhenateamiscalculatingits chancesofsuccessinthissituationandisdevelopinganappropriatefourthdownconversionstrategy.The situationinwhichafourthdownconversionattemptwillbemadeshouldbewelldefinedpriortothegame.

Redzone.Inthe1990s,NFLteamshaveaveragedthreeredzone(i.e.asituationwhereateamisonoris within20yardsofitsopponent'sgoalline)possessionsagameandscored8085percentofthetime.A recentdefensivetrendtowardtheuseofafouracrosszonecoverageintheredzonehasgreatlyreducedthe levelofeffectivenessofthetraditionaloffensivestrategyofattackingfavorablemantomanmatchupsinthe passinggame.Whenyouareestablishingtheprioritiesofyourredzoneoffense,thefollowingstepsshouldbe considered: Runtheballifpossible. Usemotiontoisolatethedesiredmatchups. Runplayswhicharedesignedtobeattheblitzandmantomancoverage. Passtheballtotheunderneathroutes. Runplaysthatdonotrisklosingyardagetheoffenseshouldnotbetakenoutoffieldgoalrange. Groupyourplaycallingwithregardtothetenyarddivisionsoftheredzone(e.g.,30yardline,20 yardline,10yardline).Onceinsidethe20yardline,thepassinggameshouldnormallybeopenedup sincethedepthofthedropislesslikelytoresultinasackwhichcouldtakeyourteamoutoffieldgoal range.Inaddition,sincedefensestendtobasetheirredzonestrategyaccordingtothelocationofthe ballwithregardtothetenyarddivisions,consideringthesedefensivetendencieswhenestablishinga redzoneoffensecanproducepositiveresults.KeepinmindthattheredzoneIsanexcellentareaofthe fieldtorundifferentplaysfromformationspreviouslyshownintheopenfield. Anticipatetheblitzandrunapackagedesignedtotakeadvantageoftheblitzwhenyourteamis positionedsomewherebetweenthe15and25yardlines.Asageneralrule,thedefenseisunlikelyto blitzonbacktobackplaysinthisarea.Throwtheballintotheendzone.Usemotiontoisolatethe desiredmatchupwithyourbestreceiver. Selectrushingplays,becauseinmostinstances,thedefensetendstostayinabasefrontwhenthe offenseispositionedbetweenthe10and15yardlines.Alertthequarterbacktoaudibleifthedefense jumpsintoagoallinefront.

Firstandgoal.Statisticsindicatethat,ontheaverage,ateamshouldplanonhavingabouttwolstandgoal opportunitiesinagame.Afirstandgoaloffensivepackageshouldincludetwoorthreerunsandoneortwo passesoffofthoseformations. Don'thesitatetogiveseriousconsiderationtothrowingtheballonthegoalline,particularlyfromawkward situations(e.g.,1standgoalfromthe9yardline,2nd.andgoalfromthe7yardline,etc.).Sincevirtually everypassthisclosetothegoallineinvolvesathrowintotheendzone,thequarterbackmustbeveryfocused onwhatheexpectstoseebeforehethrowstheball.

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Inthisareaofthefield,itisverydifficulttoaccountforeverydefender.Asaresult,thequarterbackis vulnerabletobeingintercepted.Youshouldkeepinmindthatnothingtendstodemoralizeanoffensemore thanmovingtheballthelengthofthefieldandthenturningitoversoclosetothegoalline.

Goalline.Similartothefirstandgoalsituationaloffense,theoffensivepackageforthosesituationswherea teamiswithinthreeyardsofitsopponent'sgoallineshouldbecarefullyplanned.TheaverageNFLteamwill encounterthegoallinesituationapproximatelythreetimesagame. Accordingly,ateamshoulddecideexactlywhichgoallineplaysitplanstouseduringagameandhowmuch yardageitexpectstogainoneachplay.Furthermore,foritsrunningplaysonthegoalline,itisdesirableto distinguishbetweenthoserunningplayswhichwillbeusedfromthethreeyardlineandthosethatwillbe calledwhentheteamiswithinayardofthegoalline. Youshouldplantorunaplayinonlyonedirection,eithertotherightortotheleft.Playsshouldnotbe flippedfromsidetoside. Thisapproachwilleliminatesomeoftheguessworkthatmayoccurduringthepressuresituationsofagame andwillhelpbringmorefocustoateam'sweeklypreparation.Whenrunningtheball,ateamshouldcalla playthatgivestheballtothebackwhorunsmosteffectivelybehindtheteam'sbestblockers. Becauseitisoftenextremelytoughtoruntheballwellinagoallinesituation,ateamshouldplantohave passesas50percentofitsgoallineoffense.Furthermoreateamshouldhaveaplanforwhatplayitwillcall (runorpass)whenitonlyneedstogaininches. 2pointplay.IntheNFL,theaverageteamrunsonlyoneortwo2pointconversionattemptsayear. Becauseateamwilltypically(atbest)faceonlytwothirddowncallsagameinsideitsopponent's10yard line,itmaybesensibleforateamtocombinethesetwosituationalelementsoftheoffenseintoathreeto fourplaypackagethatencompassesbothitsfirstandgoalcallsandits2pointconversionplays. Decidingwhattocallinthissituationiscompoundedbythetacticalcircumstances.Ononehand,thethree yarddistancemakesrushingfora2pointconversionachallengingassignment.Ontheotherhand,the relativelycompactareaofthefield(i.e.,aworkingdepthof13yards)makesitsomewhatdifficulttopass. Themajorcoachingpointforyourquarterbackistorecognizethataninterceptioncannotbereturnedfor points.ThisruleappliesonlytotheNFL.Accordingly,ifthequarterbackisabouttobesackedonatwo pointconversion,heshouldgodownfightingandtakehischancesbythrowingtheballupfor"grabs." Thisadviceisobviouslyconfinedsolelyto2pointconversionattemptsintheNFL.Itcertainlydiffersfroma situationinvolvinga3rddownattemptfromthesameareaonthefieldwheretheoptionofkickingafield goalstillexists.Itisalso

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differentfroma4thdownsituationwhereanerrantpassattemptcanbereturnedforpoints.

Blitz.Mostteamsnormallycarrytwoorthree"blitzbeaters"intheiroffensivegameplan.Blitzbeatersare specificplaysandprotectionsthatcanbecalledoraudibledtoinordertoenableateamtotakeadvantage ofadefensiveblitz. Allfactorsconsidered,thebestwaytodiscourageateamfromblitzingisto"hurtit"andto''hurtitbig"(i.e., eitherscoreorgainsubstantialyardageonaparticularplay).Therealityofthesituationisthatconservative measureswillnotstopanopponentfromblitzing. Oneofthebestwaysto"hurt"adefensiveteamthatblitzesistoexercisethe"hot"optionofabasicpass play.The"hot"optioninvolvesasituationwherethequarterbackhasthechoiceofdroppingtheballofftoa designatedreceiverforwhichthedefensecannotaccountwhenblitzing. Forexample,asightreadoftheblitzmayenablethequarterbacktohitaquickslantthatoccursasaresultof arouteadjustmentbyhisreceiver.Bythesametoken,thequarterbackmayaudibletoaneightman protectionschemethatenableshisreceiverstopushtheirroutesfurtherdownfieldagainsttheoneonone coveragethatoccursduringablitz. Bothofthesescenariosareexamplesofsituationswherethecountermeasurestoablitzarelikelytoresultin abiggain.Ineitherinstance,itisimportantthatyourteamunderstandswhyyouareusingthisplayandwhen youexpecttoemployit. Itisalsoimportantthatateamdoesnotrelyonaneightmanprotectionschemeasthefoundationofitsblitz beaters.Someteamsoftenspendaninordinateamountoftimeonpracticingtheeightmanprotection scheme,yetemployitonlyafewtimesayear. Thepointtoconsiderinthisregardisthatifaschemeisonlygoingto,beusedonaveryinfrequentbasis(i.e., ateamaudiblestoitonlyinextremesituations),itisnotlikelytobesomethingthattheteamisgoingtobe abletoexecutewithagreatdegreeofconfidence. Amoredesirableapproachwouldbetodevelopaviableoffensivepackagetocountertheblitzthatismore apartofyourteam'sbaseoffense.Asaresult,becausethiselementoftheoffensewouldbesomethingthata teamwouldperformonamoreregularbasis,theteam'schancesforsuccesswouldbeincreased substantially. Finally,itisveryimportantthatyouaddresstheemotionalandmentalcircumstancesofablitzingsituation. Youshouldtaketheapproachthattheblitzisan"opportunity,"ratherthanaforebodingevent.Accordingly, ablitzingsituationoffersanexcellentchancefortheoffensetomakeabiggain(i.e.,achieveanexplosive play).

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OnereasonIsoseldomreactedtoabigCowboys'playwasbecauseIhardlyeversawanyofouroffensiveplays.I alwaysknewwhatplaywehadcalled.Ididn'thavetowatchit.Theonlyuncertaintywashowtheopposition reacteditwastheirdefenseIneededtowatchandanalyzesoIwouldknowbesthowtocounterit.Onceaplay ended,Ineverhadtimetoreact,immediatelyshiftingfocustomygameplantodecidewhatplayIshouldsendin next. TomLandry HallofFameFootballCoach DallasCowboys fromTomLandry,AnAutobiography

ContingencyOffense Thecontingencycomponentofateam'soffenseisdesignedtodealwiththosesituationswhicharetimerelated.Contingencyoffensivesituationsmaynotevenarisein agame. Whentheydoarise,however,theyarecriticaltothesuccessofyourteam.Thetwobasictypesofcontingencyoffensivesituationsarethefourminuteoffenseandthe twominuteoffense. Fourminuteoffense.Theprimarygoalofthefourminuteoffenseistotakeasmuchtimeofftheclockas possible,whileenablingateamtoprotectitslead.Thistypeofoffenseinvolvesfourbasicobjectives: Movingtheballontheground. Makingfirstdowns. Keepingtheclockrunning. Protectingthefootball.

Everyplayershouldbeawareofthefactthataplaythatdoesnotgooutofboundsnormallywilltakea minimumof35secondsofftheclock.Asaresult,everyballcarriershouldstayinboundsunlesshehasa verydistinctopportunitytomakeafirstdownbygoingforthesideline. Othercoachingpointsinvolvingthefourminuteoffensethatshouldbemadetotheplayersinclude: Theballcarriershouldnotstruggleforextrayardageunlessheisgoingforafirstdown.Struggling for"inches'mayneedlesslyexposetheballtothedefenders. Theballcarriershouldanticipatethatthedefenderswillattempttostriptheball.Accordingly, downfieldblockersshouldmakeeveryefforttokeepadditionaldefendersfromtakingashotatthe ballcarrier. Thequarterbackshouldfollowtherunningplayinacaseofafumble. Thequarterbackshouldtakeasack,ratherthanthrowariskypass. Thequarterbackshouldrundownthe30secondplayclockwheneverpossible.

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Thequarterbackshouldbepreparedtoruntheballonanypassplay. Thereceiversshouldbeawareofthedistanceneededtogetafirstdownandtokeepthedrivealive. Thelinemenshouldbealertforstuntsandblitzes Eachfirstdownmadeeithertakesatleast90secondsoftherunningclockorforcesthedefensetouse ittimeouts Poiseiscruciallateinthegamewhentempersoftenflarebecauseofthefrustrationoftheopponent. Playersshouldnotretaliateunderanycircumstances. Playersmustavoidpenalties.Anoffensivepenaltynotonlystopstheclock(therebygivinganopponent 35extraseconds,itcanalsohaveanimpactontactics(i.e.,leadstoapotentialclockstopping incompletepassinanattemptbytheteamtomakeupthepenalizedyardage).

Amongthestrategicconsiderationsthatshouldbefactoredinwhendesigningafourminuteoffensearethe following: Usingtightformations(i.e.,acloseflanker,twotightends,atightwidereceiver,etc.)tohelpprotect againstoutsideblitzingorpenetration. Usingaconsistentandshortsnapcountinordertoavoidillegalprocedurepenalties. Usingbasictimingpasspatternswhenthrowingtheballiftheteamisinamustpasssituation. Usingplaypasses. Avoidingreversesandothertypesofplaysthatinvolveextraballhandling. Avoidingspecialplaysoruntestedplays. Remindingtheplayerstokeepthepaceslow(i.e.,useatleast30secondsperplaygetupslowlyoff thepileofplayersonaballcarrieretc.). Avoidingtheunnecessaryshufflingofpersonnelintothegame. Alertingthepuntertopunttheballashighaspossibleandinformingthepuntteamtocoverbutnot downtheballoutsideoftheredzone. Alertingthepuntreturnertoeitherfaircatchoravoitheball. Decidingiftakingasafetyisappropriatewhenpuntingfromabackedupsituation. Beingpreparedtoattackthegoallinedefenseastheclockwindsdown. Knowingwhentocallthe"victory"formationandhavethequarterbackdowntheball.

Twominuteoffense.Thesecondtypeoftimerelatedcontingencyoffenseisthetwominuteoffense.Atwo minuteoffenseisdesignedtoenableateamtoaccomplishspecificobjectiveswithinthelimitedamountoftime available. Theoffensemusthavetheabilitytoactivatethetwominuteoffensewithinthebodyofadrive.Atwominute offenseisusuallydrivenbythespecificconditionsofthegame. Forexample,atwominuteoffenseactivatedpriortotheendofthefirsthalfisusuallydirectedtogettheteam intopositionforamediumrangefieldgoal.Ifthe

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twominutedrillisemployedneartheendofthegame,theobjectiveisusuallytosecurewhateverpointsare neededforawinoratleastatie. Ifafieldgoalisnecessaryforatie,ateamshouldgetwithinreasonablefieldgoalrange(i.e.,tothe20yardline) beforetakingashotatawinningtouchdown.Ontheotherhand,ifafieldgoalwillwinthegame,theteam shouldjustworktogetascloseaspossibleduringthetwominuteoffense. Amongthecoachingpointsinvolvingthetwominuteoffensethatshouldbeemphasizedtotheplayersarethe following:

Ifthesituationpermits,thequarterbackshouldbepreparedtodiscussstrategiesandmakeplansfor dealingwiththeimmediatecircumstances.Inaddition,theentireoffensiveunitshouldgathertogetherto discusstheparametersofwhattheoffenseisplanningtodoandtoberemindedofthetacticalsituation (i.e.,reviewtheexpecteddefensivescheme). Thequarterbackshouldalerttherefereethathewillbecallingaquicktimeoutiftheballstaysinplay. Thequarterbackshouldbealerttohavetheteamlineupatthelineofscrimmageassoonaspossibleif theclockisrunning. Thequarterbackshouldcallouttheformationassoonaspossible. Thequarterbackshouldcalltheplaywithoutahuddleiftheclockisrunningorifthereisconfusionona playcall. Thequarterbackshouldkilltheclockbyspikingtheballifnecessary. Thequarterbackshouldbesuretouseadistinctmovewhendowningtheball. Thequarterbackshouldplaywithpoiseandavoidalldesperateacts. Thequarterbackshouldrememberthat,dependingonthesituation,anincompletepassmaybebetter thanacompletedpassinvolvingashortgain. Thequarterbackshouldemployhighriskthrowsonlyinthewaningsecondsofthegame(half). Thewidereceiversshouldbepreparedtoremainonthesamesideofthefieldasthepreviousplay(i,e., Xstaysonleft,Zonright,etc.),unlessthequarterbackdirectsthemtomove. Thewidereceiversandtheoffensivelinemenshouldbepreparedtoreacttothequarterback scrambling. Therunningbackshouldknockdownthe"meaningless"catch(i.e.,acatchthatcouldresultinaloss andtheclockcontinuingtomove). Therunningbackshouldbepreparedtoreceivealateraldownfieldfromthereceiveriftheclockis windingdown. Therunningbackshouldnotstruggleforextrayardsit'sawasteofvaluabletime. Thelinemenshouldavoidanysuspicionofholding. Thelinemenshouldhustletothelineofscrimmage. Everyoneshouldbealerttoanohuddlecallbythequarterback. Hustlebackacrossthelineofscrimmageaftereachplayeveryoneshouldassumethatthenextplayisa nohuddlecallandlineupimmediately.

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Theentireunitshouldestablisharhythmaspracticednooneshouldpanicoractinahysterical manner. Everyoneshouldmaintainhispoise(i.e.,concentrate)beforetheballissnappedeachplayershould rememberthatitisbettertoinitiatehismovementsomewhatlatethantomovetooearly. Everyoffensiveplayershouldassumethatthedefensewillblitzontheplaynoonemustbe surprisedbyablitz. Aballcarrier(orreceiver)whoisgoingoutofboundsshouldgetcompletelyacrossthesideline,on hisfeet. Theteamshouldgetafirstdownonathirddownpass(andcertainlygainoneonfourthdown). Nooneshouldbeprovokedordistractedbythedefenderssuchareactionisawasteoftime. Everyone(runningbacks,widereceivers,thequarterback)shouldprotecttheballwhenrunningthis possessionmaybethelasttimetheofoffensehastheballinthegame. Allrunningbacksandreceiversshouldcatchtheballbeforerunningwithitoncetheycatchtheball, theyshouldruninadecisivemannerandavoiddesperateactions. Iftheclockisrunning,everyoneshouldkeepinmindthatafieldgoalattempttakesapproximately 15secondstogetthefieldgoalkickingunitontothefieldandtokicktheball. Everyplayershouldfocusonthefactthattheteam'sbestchanceforsuccessisforeveryoneto properlyexecutetheirresponsibilitiesasplannedandpracticed.

Amongthestepsthatyou,astheheadcoach,shouldtakewithregardtothetwominuteoffensearethe following: Beawareofthetwominutewarningifpossible,lettheclockrundowntothewarning. Planplayswhichmaybeusedforconditionsthatmaydevelop. Gathertheoffenseonthesidelinewheneverpossiblekeepeveryoneelseclearofthearea. Makeadecisiontoreturnapuntortofaircatchbeforethereturnteamtakesthefield. Keepmessengersreadytorunmessagesintothegame. Besurethatyourkeypersonnelareonthefield. Havetheballsnappedon"set,"unlessotherwiseindicatedinthehuddle. Haveplayscalledatthelineofscrimmageinordertoincreasethepressureonthedefense. Callarushingplaythatisdesignedforaseconddownsituationagainstanickelpackage. Avoidcallingspecialplaysornewplaysbecausetheyhavealimitedchanceofsuccessbecauseof thestressfulnatureofthesituation. Alertthefieldgoalteamtobereadyifcalledupon.

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Dependinguponhowmuchtimeisleftinthegame(orhalf),ateamshouldvaryitsoffensivestrategyasfollows: Threeminutesremaining. Speeduptheoffense(i.e.,getsetupquickly). Alternateusingahuddleandrunninganohuddleoffense. Stoptheclockasoftenaspossiblebyhavingtheballcarriergooutofboundsonrunand passplays. Considertakingatimeoutwhenfacingacriticalthirddowncall(beforepunting). Takeadvantageofthegameclockbeingstoppedatthetwominutemark. Realizethatarunningplayisappropriateifthegameclockisapproachingthetwominute mark(i.e.,upto2:10leftontheclock). Twominutesremaining. Employthenohuddleoffenseunlesstheclockisstopped. Runyourbasicofoffense. Utilizeoneofyourthreeremainingtimeouts. Stoptheclockwithsidelinepassesorquarterbackruns. Utilizeallfourdownswhencallingplaysattheendofthegame. Ninetysecondsremaining. Utilizeanohuddleofoffenseafterabiggain,unlesstoomuchtimewillbetakeninthat instance,spiketheball. Mustbeginusingtimeoutswiththeclockrunningsaveonetimeout. Bedecisiveincallingatimeoutmustnotwasteprecioussecondsdecidingwhethertouse atimeoutgetimmediatelytotherefereetocallatimeout. Beawarethatusingatimeoutforaconferencebetweenthequarterbackandthecoaches canbeveryworthwhile. Mustbewillingtouseyourtimeoutsdon'tleavethemontheboardwhenthegameends. Oneminuteremaining. Throwdownfield(tothesideline,ifpossible). Realizethatyoucanaffordthrowingonepassinsideifyouhaveoneremainingtimeoutyou cancallorifthequarterback"spikes"theballtokilltheclockonthenextsnapoftheball beawarethataspiketypicallytakes1020secondstoexecute. Useatimeoutorspiketheballiftheclockisrunningwhentheplayends. Fifteensecondsremaining. Throwapassandhavethereceivergooutofboundsaftercatchingtheballorimmediately callatimeout. Runthepasspackagethatyou'veplannedforthelastfivesecondsandhopeforan interferencecallontheplay.

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Realizethattheteammustfirstgetintopositionfora"reboundpass"onaballthrowninto theendzone(orintofieldgoalrangeifthetacticalsituationwarrantsit).

Dependinguponateam'soffensivegameplanandthetacticalsituation,ateamhasseveralplaycallingalternatives,including: Scenario#1:Theclockisstoppedasingleplayiscalledfromthepressbox. Iftheclockisrunningaftertheplayiscompleted,utilizeanohuddleoffense(callabasicpassorrun play). Iftheclockisstoppedafteraplayisrun,starttheplaysequenceagain. Iftheclockcontinuestorunafterthenextplayiscompleted,eithercallatimeoutpriortothird downorcontinuetousethenohuddleoffenseuntiltheclockisstopped(eitherbytheresultsofthe playorbyutilizingatimeout). Eveniftheclockisstoppedafterthefirstplayiscompleted,continueonandrunthesecondplay thatwascalled(unlesssuchaplayisinappropriateforthesituation). Then,gotoanohuddleoffenseunlessit'sathirddownsituationifit'sthirddown,callatimeout. Inafourdownsituation,youmustcalltimeoutimmediatelybeforethefourthdownthisstep enablescallstobemadethatarenotpartofateam'saudiblepackageorthatrequireadditional information(e.g.,motion,formation,etc.)inthehuddle. Thisapproachputsmorepressureonadefensebylimitingthedefensefrommakingpersonnel changes(onthefly)orinhibitingtheabilityofthedefensetomaketheproperdefensivecalls. Becauseofthecriticalnatureofthesituationfacingtheoffense,ateam'soffensiveplaycallingmay besomewhathurriedinthenohuddleoffenseanditsoptionsmayberelativelylimited.

Scenario#2:Theclockisstoppedtwoplaysarecalledfromthepressbox.

Scenario#3:Anohuddleoffenseisutilizedregardlessofwhethertheclockisstopped.

Ifyoumakeamistake,admititquicklyandemphatically,anddon'tdwellonit. JohnMadden FormerFootballCoach OaklandRaiders

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ReactiveOffense Similartotheiroffensivecounterparts,defensivecoachesbasemuchoftheirgameplansontheoffensivetendenciesoftheiropponents.Suchtendenciestypically evolvefromtheoffense'sreactiontosuchfundamentalfactorsasdown,distance,fieldposition,personnel,situationalcircumstances,andcontingencyplans. Inresponse,defensesoftendevelopplanstocounterateam'soffensivetendencies.Accordingly,ateamshouldincludeplaysinitsoffensiveattackthatoffsetitsown tendenciesortakeadvantageofadefense'sprobablepredispositiontoactinacertainwayinaparticularsituation. Collectively,thesespecialplaysarecommonlyreferredtoasateam's"reactiveoffense."Astheheadcoach,youshouldensurethatyourteamisproperlypreparedto reactinallconventionalreactivesituations,including: Afirstdowncallaftergettingafirstdownrushing. Afirstdowncallaftergettingafirstdownpassing. Afirstdowncallafterthecompletionofanexplosivepass. Afirstdowncallafteranexplosiverun. Afirstdowncallafterapositivepenalty(i.e.,1stand5). Aseconddowncallafterasack. Thenextfirstdowncalltostartaseriesafteryourteamhaslosttheballonafumbleorinterception. Afirstdowncalltostartaseriesafteryouropponent'slossofapossessionduetoaturnover.

Winthewar,thenfightthewar. SunTzu ChineseMilitaryStrategist fromTheArtofWar

EstablishingOpeners Anintegralpartofmanyteams'offensivegameplanistoscript"openers."Openersareapreparedlistofplays(i.e.,1015plays)thatateamplanstousetostart ("open")thegame. Asarule,playerstendtoliketheuseofopenersbecausetheprocedureenablesthemtoknowaheadoftimewhattheywillbedoingontheirfirstoneortwoseries. Scriptingopenersoffersseveralotheradvantages,including: Allowstheheadcoachtomakedecisionsinadetachedandthoughtfulmanner.Thispoint recognizesthefactthateventhebestofgamedaycoachesmustplan

Page229

aheadforallpossiblecontingenciesifthecircumstancesthatateamwillinevitablyfaceeachweekaregoing tobehandledeffectively.

Allowstheheadcoachtodetermineanappropriatebalancebetweenrunningplaysandpassingplays onfirstdown.Forexample,mostteamsprefertoachievea5050balancebetweenrunsandpasseson firstdowns.Oneofthebestwaystomaintainsucharatioisthroughthescriptingofopeners. Allowstheheadcoachtobemorecreativeinhisteam'spersonnelgroupingsearlyinthegameby havingtheoffensivesequenceplannedaheadoftime.Bycontrollingthesequencingofhisteam's openers,theheadcoachcantakeamuchmoredetailedapproachtoestablishinglegitimateplayactionand playpassesbasedontheformationsandthepersonnelgroupingsthatwillbeemployedearlyinthegame plan.Inaddition,openersprovidethoseplayerswhohavealimitedroleintheoffensewithanopportunityto seeexactlywhereandhowtheywillhaveachancetocontribute. Enablestheheadcoachtobeabletoquicklydeterminehowthedefensewillreacttospecific formationsandpersonnelgroupings.Openersareanexcellentwaytotestthedefensetoseewhatits gameplanis,basedontheoffense'sformationsandpersonnel.Inturn,byanticipatingwhatadjustmentsa defensewillmake,theoffensecanbedesignedtocounter(andtakeadvantageof)thoseadjustments. Allowstheheadcoachtogivehisassistantcoachesanopportunitytocheckfordefensivefactors whichmightaffecttheeffectivenessofaparticularplayoroffensivesequence.Byknowingaheadof timewhatplayswillberun,whensuchplayswillberunandwhattheyshouldwatchfor,thecoachingstaff willbebetterpreparedtoprovidemeaningfulfeedback(i.e.,suggestalternativeplays)concerningthe defense'sreactiontoateam'sopeners. Allowstheplayers,especiallythequarterback,togetintoanappropriaterhythm.Allfactors considered,whenplayershavepracticedaparticularsequenceofplays,theytendtoderiveacertainlevel ofconfidenceinthesequencefromtheexperience. Thisconfidenceincreasesthelikelihoodthattheseplayerscangetintoandmaintainasenseofrhythminthe game.Whenanoffenseisinrhythm,acertaindesirablelevelofpacingexistsinthehuddle,aswellasonthe lineofscrimmage. Allowstheheadcoachtoscriptspecific"special"playsandincreasesthelikelihoodthattheywill actuallybeemployedinthegame.Mostteamshaveacoupleofspecialplaysthatarepartoftheirgame plan(e.g.,sometypeofreverse,auniqueroutecombination,etc.). Frequently,teamspracticethesespecialplays,butdon'tusetheminthegame(forwhateverreason).By scriptingtheseplaysaspartofitsopeners,ateamcanguaranteethattheywillberunandcanpredetermine whenandhowtheywillbeused. Multipliestheconfidenceofateamwhenascriptedsequenceresultsinascore.Thelevelof confidencethatateamhasinthegameplan,thecoachingstaffanditsownabilitieswillbesubstantially increasedwhenasuccessfuloffensivesequencehasbeenestablishedaheadoftimeintheclassroomandhas beenrefinedonthepracticefield.

Page230

Increasestheversatilityoftheoffensewithouthavingtorunalargeorunmanageablenumberof playsorhavingtouseanexcessivenumberofformations.Byscriptingthepropersequenceof openers,theoffensecanconfuseandcausehesitationinthedefenseasthedefenderstrytoadjusttoa numberofdifferentlooksandplays.Intheprocess,theoffensecantakesomeoftheaggressivenessout ofthedefense.

MakingdecisionsBillWalshstandingnexttohisstarpupil,JoeMontana.

Ayoung,impetuousgroupofmenwhodecidedtowinthe1981SuperBowl.

BillWalshinthecompanyoftwobrilliantperformerswithatotaloffiveSuperBowlvictoriesbetweenthem.

FourofthegreatestRonnieLott,KeithFahnhorst,KeenaTurner,andJoeMontana.

ChampionshipdefenseagainsttheRaiders.

BillWalshwithtwogreatHallofFamersfromtheSanDiegoChargers widereceiverCharlieJoinerandquarterbackDanFouts.

JerryRiceandJoeMontanathetwogreatestofalltime.(photobyDavidGonzales)

BillWalshcongratulatesRogerCraigafterhesurpassed1,000yardsinbothrushing andreceivinginasingleseason.Craig'sperformanceepitomizedthesuccessofthe WestCoastOffense.(photocourtesyofSanFranciscoExaminer)

WhileatCincinnati,BillWalshemployedtheProBowltalentsofrunningbackEssex JohnsonandwidereceiverChipMyerstohelpfueltheBengal'shighpoweredattack.

AllProandLeagueMVPKenAndersonreceivedhisearlytutelagefromBill WalshwhenWalshservedasquarterbackcoachfortheCincinnatiBengals.

NotonlydidDwightClarkmakethemostfamous''Catch"inNFLHistory, buthewentontoholdevery49erreceivingrecorduntilJerryRice rewrotetherecordbookfortheentireLeague.

BillWalshwithhisthreeProBowlreceiversinCincinnati CharlieJoiner,BobTrumpy,andIsaacCurtis.

BillWalsh'sWestCoastOffensehashadahugeimpactonmodernfootball.

BillWalshstandingnexttotwoofthegreatestcoachesofalltimeDonShulaandChuckNoll.

Abanquetforgreatquarterbacks.AllarepupilsofBillWalshVirgilCarter,DanFouts, GregCook,KenAnderson,SteveDils,GuyBenjamin,JoeMontana,andSteveDeBerg.

HallofFamecelebrationJuly31,1993,Canton,Ohio.

TheteamofBillWalshandEddieDeBartolo,Jr.developedafranchise thathasbroughtfiveNFLchampionshipstoSanFrancisco.

AgroupofworldchampionswhonowjustplaygolfRonnieLott,KeenaTurner,Bill Walsh,JoeMontana,EricWright,andJohnTaylor.(photobyRodSearcey)

Dr.HarryEdwards,renownedsociologistandfriend.(photobyDavidGonzales)

BillandGeriWalshachampionshipteam.

Page231

Chapter11 PreparingtoWin
"Onceyouhaveaplan,youmustsellittotheplayers.Itisnotenoughtoputitontheblackboardandsay,'Okay,hereitis.'Youhavetoconvincetheplayersthattheplanisagood oneandshowthem,inspecificways,whyitwillwork.Ifyoudo,yousendthemouttothepracticefieldwithmoreconfidence." JoeGibbs HallofFameFootballCoach WashingtonRedskins

Findingthewinningedge... Thebottomlineinprofessionalsportsiswinning.Everythinghastofocusonthatproduct:winningfootballgames. Otheroffshootsthepublicrelations,themerchandising,thehighsoundingphilosophicalapproachmeanlittle comparedwithbeingsuccessfulontheplayingfield. Butwinningdoesnotnecessarilymeanbeingavictorineverygame.It'snotwinningeverygameatanycost.We havetoremindourselvesthatit'snotjustasinglegamethatwearetryingtowin.Itisaseasonandaseriesof seasonsinwhichtheteamwinsmoregamesthanitlosesandeachteammemberplaysuptohispotential.Ifyouare continuallydevelopingyourskillsandrefiningyourapproach,thenwinningwillbethefinalresult. BillWalsh,"ToBuildaWinning Team,"HarvardBusinessReview, JanuaryFebruary1993.

Page232

Whencoachesareintentonhavingtheirteamsattheirbest,theymaytaketheteamtoofarinpreparation,extendingthemsomuchinpracticethatthe playersbecomestaleorfatigued.Coachesmaymaketheirpreparationtooelaborateortediousandtheirpracticestooarduousandtimeconsuming.In general,whenyouchangeyourapproachtoprepareforanupcomingopponent,youcanthrowyourownteamoutofsync. Imadethismistakeattheconclusionofthe1987seasonwhenwewarepreparingtomeetMinnesotaintheplayoffs.The49ershadbecomeagreatteam, andweweredestroyingeveryoneweplayed.OurfirstplayoffgamewasagainsttheVikings,whohad"backed"intotheplayoffs.SimilartotheJapanese atMidway,wefeltwewoulddemolishtheopposition. WehadtwoweekstopreparefortheVikings.Ihadnotfullydevelopedourdeeppassinggameandthereforewasnotsatisfiedwiththisdimensionofour offense,sowespentalotoftimepracticingit.Thepracticestiredmyplayersandtheybecamestale.Isensedtoolatethattheywerebecomingfatigued.We hardlydidanythingthelasttwodaysofpractice,butthedamagewasalreadydone. MinnesotawasvastlyunderratedandhadagreatdefensethatincludedKeithMillardandChrisDoleman.Itbecameevidentearlyinthegamethatwe wereinforabattle.Bythemiddleofthesecondquarter,Iknewwewereindeeptrouble.Theirdefensiveschememadeitdifficultforustorun,andtheir offensehadhadseveralgreatplays. Asthegameprogressed,wewerenotsharp.Weshouldhavebeeneasingupinsteadwewerehavingtodoubleup.Ihadmadethecommonmistakeof losingsightoftheneedforplayerstobeattheirbestbothphysicallyandmentally,andwelostthegame3624. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Noaspectofcoachinghasamoresubstantialoramorelastingeffectontheplayersandtheirperformancethanthemethodsandtechniquesusedtoinstallandteach theteam'ssystem(e.g.,offensiveanddefensiveschemes,etc.).Ontheotherhand,itisinterestingtonotethatnoprocedurehasmoredramaticdifferencesin philosophyandpracticalapplicationfromoneteamtothenextthantheapproachateamutilizestoinstallandpracticeitssystem. Whatevertheoffensiveordefensivephilosophyoftheheadcoach,however,thecoreofanytypeofdetailedpreparationistheneedformaximizingmeaningful repetitions.Accordingly,astheheadcoach,youhavetodevelopandimplementaplanthatensuresthateveryplayergetsthemeaningfulrepetitionsheneedstorefine hisskillsandtechniques. InstallingtheSysteminTrainingCamp Mostofateam'seffortstoinstallits(offensive/defensive)systemoccurintrainingcamp.Accordingly,itisabsolutelycriticalthatallavailabletimeinthisperiodisused purposefullyandwisely.Inthisregard,astheheadcoach,oneofyourfirststepsmustbetocarefullyreviewyourteam'spreseasoncalendarofeventsinitsentirety.

Page233

Subsequently,youhavetomakeseveralimportantdecisionsregardingyourteam'spreseasonscheduleoftraining,includingwhatkindsofpracticestohaveeachday, whatobjectivestoaccomplisheachpractice,howmuchtimetoallottoeachtask,whatstepstotaketoensurethatthegoalsofeachpracticeareachieved,etc. Beforeyoucandecidewhattheteamshoulddoduringeachpractice,youhavetodeterminehowmanyhourstheteamshouldreasonablybeexpectedtopractice (work)eachweek.Itisimportantthatthescheduleofrequiredtrainingdoesnotplaceunduephysiologicaldemandsonyourplayers. Althoughphysicalconditioningmustobviouslybeanintegralpartofanathlete'seffortstopreparefortheupcomingseason,greatcaremustbetakentoavoid overtrainingyourplayers.Unfortunately,itappearsthatovertrainingisacommonoccurrenceatallcompetitivelevelsoffootball. Overtrainingcanleadtoseveralnegativeconsequences.Forexample,itcanresultinexcessivephysicalandemotionalfatigue,therebyexposingaplayertoahigher riskofbeinginjuredanddiminishinghiscapacitytomasteraparticularskillorsubject. Trainingthatdoesnotprovideadequatetimeforrecoverycanalsobringonstalenessandadecreasedlevelofperformance.Furthermore,thistypeoftrainingcanlead toasenseofapathy,irritabilityandanalteredappetiteinyourplayers. Somewhatsurprisingly,severalresearchstudieshaveshownthattheaveragefootballplayerismostfatiguedpriortothefirstgameoftheseason,notattheendofthe seasonwhenmostpeoplemightexpect.Theseinvestigatorsattributedthisfactortothetolloftwoadaypracticesandtheamountofcontinualhittingthatusually occursinpractices. Onceyouunderstandtheperilsofovertrainingandtakespecificmeasurestoavoidit,yourteamwillgainasignificantadvantageoveryouropponentswhofailto adoptasimilarapproach.Accordingly,oneofyourtopprioritiesmustbetomakesurethatyourteamisas"fresh"aspossiblewhentheseason'sopenerdrawsnear. Afteryouhavedecidedhowmanyhoursofpracticewillbeconductedduringagivenweekandhowthosepracticeswillbedividedamongthevariousdaysofthe week,yournexttaskshouldbetodeterminehowbesttousethevarioustimeperiodsavailableduringeachpractice. Bydevelopingacomprehensiveplanfortrainingcamp,youcandecidethemosteffectivewayforinstallingandimplementingeachaspectofyourteam'ssystem(e.g., fundamentals,techniques,situationalandcontingencyoffense,defensiveblitzscheme,etc.).Allottingspecifictimeperiodstoaccomplishparticulartaskshelpsto ensurethatyourpracticesareconductedinasystematic,goalorientedmanner. Asageneralrule,NFLteamstypicallyconductthreedifferenttypesofpracticesduringtrainingcamp.Eachtypeofpracticeinvolvesadifferentlevelofphysical contactthatisgermanetowhattheteamistryingtoaccomplishduringaparticularpractice.Dependinguponthedegreeofcontactwanted,threedistinctformsof practicedress(i.e.,uniform)arewornfullpads(heavycontact),shells(controlledcontact),andshorts(nocontact). AconventionalpracticescheduleisoutlinedinTable111.Thisscheduleindicatesthatthetypicalpracticeisdesignedtoenabletheplayerstoprogressfrom

Page234 Table111. TypicalPracticeOutline AM:90minutes(pads) 15min 15min 10min 15min 20min 15min

Individual Group 9on7/3on4 7on7 Team PostPractice

workingontheirindividualskillstoworkingincombinationwithotherplayerswithwhomtheydirectlyinteractonthefield. Finally,theteachingprogressionadvancestothe7on7andteamperiodswherethevarioussubgroupscometogethertopracticetheoffenseorthedefenseasan entiregroup.Everyteamand7on7periodisusuallyidentifiedintermsofrelatingtowhattypeofsituation(e.g.,base,nickel,redzone,etc.)willbeaddressedduring theperiod. Teamsalsovarythewaytheyapproachtheirdevelopmentaltrainingneedsduringtwoadaypractices.Asarule,oneofthestepstheyundertakeinthisregard involvesmixingthevarioustypesofpracticesinawaythatisdesignatedtomaximizelearningandtominimizeunduephysicalfatigue. Table112illustratesexamplesofthreedifferentcombinationsoftwoadaypracticeschedules.Teamsmustcarefullyweighthespecificteachingobjectivesfora particulardayagainsttheirchoicesofpossiblepracticeschedules. Plan"A"isanexampleofatypicaltwoadaypracticeformatwiththemorningpracticedesignedtobethemostdemanding.Thissessionwouldbefollowedbya lighterafternoonpracticeinsweatsthatwouldbegearedmoretowardateachingsequence. Plan"B"isaschedulethatfeaturesatwoadaypracticeformatthatinvolvesaveryphysicallydemandingpracticeinthemorning.Thispracticewouldthenbe combinedwithanafternoonsessionthatcouldbeusedforeitherastrengthtrainingworkout,aspecialteamswalkthrough,orclassroommeetings. Plan"C"isanexampleofatwoadaypracticeformatinwhichboththemorningandtheafternoonworkoutsinvolveahighlevelofphysicalcontact.Otherthan enhancingthephysicalenduranceleveloftheplayers,itisaschedulethatmayonlybeappropriatefortestingthephysicalandmentaltoughnessofyourteam. Ontheotherhand,thepossiblebenefitsofconductingtwoconsecutivephysicallydemandingpracticesshouldbecarefullyweighedagainstthelossofpreparationtime duetotheadditionaltimeneededfortheplayerstorecuperatefromtheunduefatiguethatmayresultfromthistypeofschedule.Notsurprisingly,mostNFLteams employplan"C"onaninfrequentbasisinthiseraofcaplimitedrosters.

Page235 Table112.

7:15pm 7:158:00am 7:158:45am 9:0011:30am Noon 3:003:45pm 4:155:15pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 9:30pm 11:00pm

PlanA OnePaddedOneShortWorkout

7:15am 7:158:00am 7:158:45am 9:0011:30am Noon 1:302:45pm 3:003:46pm 4:155:15pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 9:30pm 11:00pm

PlanC DoubleWorkoutDay(pads) Wakeupcall Breakfast Tapeschedule Practice(pads) Lunch Tapeschedule Groupmeetings Practice(pads) Dinner Specialteamsmeeting Staffmeeting Curfew

Wakeupcall Breakfast Tapeschedule Practice(pads) Lunch Groupmeetings Practice(sweats) Dinner Specialteamsmeeting Staffmeeting Curfew PlanB

OnePadsAfternoonMeetings 7:15am 7:158:00am 7:158:45am 9:0011:30am Noon 4:005:30pm 6:00pm Nightoff 11:00pm Wakeupcall Breakfast Tapeschedule Practice(pads) lunch Groupmeetings Dinner

Curfew

InstallingtheOffense Astheheadcoach,oneofyourprimeobjectivesintrainingcampmustbetheinstallationofyourteam'sbasicoffense.Thefoundationofwhateverbasicoffenseis installedintrainingcampmustsustaintheteamthroughouttheseason. Theteammustbeabletoaccesstheplaysinitsbaseoffenseatdifferenttimesduringtheseason(i.e.,wheneverthey'reneeded).Thekeypointthatyoushouldkeepin mindisthata"new"playinstalledinasingleweek'stimeduringtheseasondoesn'tstandareasonablechanceofsucceeding. Accordingly,youmusttakestepstoensurethatyourteamdevelopsaninclusivebaseoffenseinthetimeallowedinminicampsandtrainingcamp.Itisimportantthat yourteammastersacompleteinventoryofoffensiveplayspriortothestartoftheseason. Byusingacomprehensivetrainingcampplanasaguideline,youcandetermineexactlyhowmuchtimetheoffensecananticipatehavingformeetings,individualskill

Page236

practice,grouptechniquepractice,etc.Inturn,oncethepositioncoachesseetheprogressionofhowtheoffensewillbeinstalledandtheallocationofpracticetime, theymustcompilethetotalnumberofminutestheywillhaveduringtrainingcamp,identifytheskillsandfundamentalsthatmustbetaught,anddeterminetheoptimum useoftheavailabletime. Properpreseasonplanningalsoenablesthecoachingstafftoschedulemoreproductivecrossgrouptrainingperiods.Acrossgroupperiodinvolvesasituationwhere thepositioncoachesworktheirplayersagainsttheircounterpartsontheoppositesideoftheball(e.g.,tightendsversusoutsidelinebackers,widereceiversversus defensivebacks,etc.). Table113providesanexampleofhowIspecificallyorganizedthe49erpracticesoneyear.Thistableisnoteworthyforbothitsattentiontodetailandthefactthat thescheduleisverythoroughwithregardtotheteam'sneeds. Table114providesamorebasicexampleofhowpracticescouldbebrokendowntocoverateam'sbaseoffense.Thisspecificexampleprovidesanoverviewof howtimeinthefirst15sessionsleadinguptoateam'sfirstpreseasongameshouldbeallotted.Thischartillustratesexactlyhowmanyminutesapositioncoachhasfor aparticulardrilloraparticularsubject(e.g.,technique,situationalfactor,etc.). Inthisinstance,thetrainingcampsituationoutlineshowsthepositioncoachesthattheyaregoingtohaveatotalof120minutestoworkonindividualskillsand techniquesinthefirst15practices.Thecoacheswillalsoseethattheywillhaveatotalof60minutesforboth1on1(widereceiversversusdefensivebacks)and3 on4(tightendsandrunningbacksversuslinebackers)work. Thesame15practicescanalsobebrokendownaccordingtothenumberofsituationalandcontingencyplaysrun.Table115illustrateshowtheoffensive coordinatorandhisassistantscandeterminethesizeandthescopeoftheoffensiveinventorywhichwillbecoveredpriortothefirstgamebyplacingaparticular emphasisonspecificplays. Table115indicatesthata"mockgame"isscheduledduringtheseventhpractice.A"mockgame"isaspecializedscrimmageconductedinshorts.Itsprimarypurpose istotaketheentireteamthroughasmanydifferent''administrative"situationsaspossiblethatcollectivelyforceboththecoachesandtheplayerstoadjustquicklyto theflowofthegame. Theheadcoachservesasthe"referee"forthemockgame.Inthatcapacity,youtakeboththeoffenseandthedefensethroughasmanydifferentscenariosasyoucan withina"semigame"environment(e.g.,arbitrarilyinstitutea10yardpenalty,dictateahugegainbytheoffense,ruleachangeofpossession,determinethatakey playerisinjuredandoutofthegame,etc.). Itisalsoimportantthatadetailedscheduleofmeetingsbetweenthecoachingstaffandtheplayersbeanintegralpartofateam'scomprehensiveplanfortrainingcamp. Suchaschedulewillallowtheassistantcoachestoplanproperlyfortheirmeetingswiththeplayersbydecidinghowtousethetotaltimetheywillhaveavailableto them,giventheamountofoffensetheyneedtocover.

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Table116providesanexampleofatrainingcampmeetingschedule.Thisscheduleindicatesthetimeofeachmeeting,whatpracticethismeetingisdesignedto service,andthesituationsthatwillbecoveredinthatparticularpractice. Thecoordinatorsthenidentifythesubjectmatterandthematerialsthatwillbedealtwithduringeachmeeting.Subsequently,eachpositioncoachisexpectedtofillout theteachingoutlinesinaccordancewiththecoordinator'smastermeetingschedule. Almosteveryprofessionaleducatorshouldeasilyrecognizethestrongsimilaritybetweenacoachcompletinghisoutlinesforthemastertrainingcampmeetingschedule andateacherfillingoutlessonplansfortheupcomingschoolyear. Thekeypointtorememberisthattakingadetailedapproachtopracticeschedulingisthebestwayateamcanadequatelyprepareitscoachesandplayerstotakefull advantageoftheavailablepracticetime. Certainly,circumstancesmayarisewhichmayforceateamtochangethelessonplanitdevelopedandrefinedinthepreseason,butthistypeofschedulinghasbeen proventobeveryreliable(i.e.,8085percent)inpasttrainingcamps.Itshouldbenotedthatthispracticeformatwillprovideateamwithover450offensivesnaps (notincludinglivescrimmageplays)initsinitial15trainingcampworkouts.BecausetheaverageNFLteamrunsapproximatelyathousandplaysduringtheregular season,the450+offensivesnapsrepresentsjustunderahalfaseason'sworthofwork. Preparinginsuchafashionallowsateam'scoachestoplantheirtrainingcamppracticeswellinadvance,duringtherelativecalmoftheweekpriortowhencamp starts.Suchanapproachhelpstopreventtheneedforcoachestostayuplateduringthelongtrainingcampdaystoscriptthenextday'spractice. Allfactorsconsidered,coacheswhogetmorerest(i.e.,theydon'thavetoburn"themidnightoil")willbefresherandmorealertforthemostimportantpartofthe trainingcampdaypractice.Toooften,manycoachesmistakenlybelievethatlatehoursand"dropdead"fatiguearedirectlycorrelatedtohardworkandpersonal commitment. Inreality,undernormalcircumstances,latehoursandfatiguearenotvalidindicatorsofanythingotherthanpoorplanning.Giventheextendedlengthoftheseason(i.e., itbeginsinmidJulyand,hopefully,endsinlateJanuary),properplanningisthemosteffectivemethodofensuringthatmembersofthecoachingstaffwillbeableto maintainreasonablelevelsofenergyandattentivenessoverthecourseoftheseason.
Iamnotabitanxiousaboutmybattles.IfamanxiousIdon'tfightthem.IwaituntilIamready. GeneralBernardMontgomery,ViscountofAlamein Commander,AlliedLandForces WorldWarII

Page238 Table113.Anexampleofthe49ers'practiceschedule.

Page239 Table113.Continued.

Page240 Table113.Continued.

Page241 Table113.Continued.

Page242 Table113.Continued.

Page243 Table113.Continued.

Page244 Table113.Continued.

Page245 Table114.Abasicscheduleofhowpracticescouldbebrokendown.

Page246 Table115.Sampletrainingcamppracticeschedule.

Page247 Table116.Sampletrainingcampmeetingschedule.

Page248

EstablishingthePaceofPractices Itisveryimportantthatyou,astheheadcoach,makesurethatyourcoachesandplayersunderstandwhatyouexpectfromthemconcerningthetempoandpacingof theteam'spractices.Inthisregard,youshouldrememberandbesensitivetothefactthatanuptempo,fastpacedpracticeoffersthemostconduciveenvironmentfor learningonthefootballfield. Committingtoanuptempo,fastpacedpracticedoesnotmeanthatsuchapacemustbemaintainedatalltimes.Inreality,occasionally,asituationmayarisewhen youmusttemporarilyslowdownthepaceofpracticeinordertoemphasizeaparticularpoint. Asageneralrule,however,thebasicpaceofpracticeshouldencouragetheplayerstoexhibitahighenergylevelonethat''forces"themtokeepupwiththetempo. AnexampleofafastpacedpracticeisshowninTable117.

Table117.Anexampleoffastpacedpractice.

Tables118and119illustratethepointthat,byfocusingonproductivity,youcandevelopapracticeformatthatenablesyoutosignificantlyshortenthelengthofa practiceonmostoccasions(e.g.,fromthreehourstotwohoursorless).Notsurprisingly,playerstendtorespondfavorablytotheconceptofshorterpractices. Playersshouldbemadetounderstand,however,thathavingshorterpracticescomesata"price."That"price"requireseveryplayertoapproacheverypracticewitha highleveloffocusandconcentration. Thepointshouldbeemphasizedtotheplayersthatbecausetheyonlygetalimitednumberofrepetitionsofaparticularplayorsituation,theymustmakeafullefforton everyrepetition.A"wasted"repisalostopportunitythatwillbeverydifficulttomakeuplater.

Page249

Animportantcorollarytotheprocessofdevelopingandimplementingfastpacedpracticesisthefactthat,astheheadcoach,youshouldhaveasystematicwayof takingnotesduringeverypractice.Basedonyourobservations,thesenotesshouldessentiallyaddresswhatyourassistantsaredoingduringpractice,anyquestions youmayhaveaboutpractice,andanycorrectiveactionsyoufeelmayhavebeenoverlookedormayneedtobeexpanded. Subsequently,youshouldfollowuponthepointsinyourpracticenoteswithyourstaffinastaffmeeting.Takingnotesduringpracticeisimportantbecauseitis unrealisticforyoutorelyonyourmemory.Notonlyisitimpossibletoremembereveryobservation,yourmemorymaynotprovideatotallyaccurateaccountofthose concernsyoudorecall.

Don'tmistakeactivityforachievementpracticeittherightway. JohnWooden HallofFameBasketballCoach UCLA

EstablishingaPracticeFormat Asageneralrule,theformatusedbyNFLteamsforpracticesinvolvessevendistinctsegments:individualwarmup,fundamentals,skillandtechniquework, combinationandgroupwork,theunitdrill,7on7drills,and3on3drills.Althoughthedegreetowhicheachoftheseelementsisaddressedmayvaryfrompractice topractice,itisimportanttorememberthateachsegmentisavitalpartofaneffectivepracticeschedule.Withfewexceptions,thesevensegmentsarecommontoall systemsandcompetitivelevelsoffootball. Individualwarmup.Eachpracticeshouldbeginwithathreetofiveminuteperiodofindividualwarm upsthatisdirectedbythepositioncoach.Thissegmentisusuallyfollowedbyateamstretchingperiodor aperiodofteamcalisthenics.Theindividualwarmupperiodmaybesupplementedwithsomeverylight agilitydrillsthatrelatetotheresponsibilitiesofanindividual'sparticularposition. Fundamentals.Eventhoughfundamentalsmaybeperceivedastoosimplistic,tooroutine,ortooboring, everyplayermustcontinuetoworkonthem.Acreativepositioncoach,however,searchesfornewways tomakepracticingfundamentalsanacceptableandrelativelyinterestingactivitytohisplayers. Fundamentalsshouldbepracticedatleasttenminutesaday,evenintheNFL.Theyaretypically practicedbyposition(e.g.,offensiveline,receivers,quarterbacks,etc.). Apositioncoachcanusuallykeepthetempoofthedrillsfordevelopingfundamentalsrelativelyupbeat byeitherinjectingsomeformofcompetitivenessintothedrillorbyaddingatimefactor.Forexample, timingthemovementsofthe

Page250 Table118.Exampleofa49ers'morningpracticeformat.

Page251 Table119.Exampleofa49ers'afternoonpracticeformat.

players(e.g.,timinghowlongittakesablockertodriveasledtenyardsmeasuringhowlongittakes defensiveplayerstoshuffledowntheattacksledetc.)isanexcellentwaytoenhancetheplayers'attitude towardpracticingfundamentals.Itisimportantthateachpositioncoachisverydemandingduringthisphase ofpracticeandencouragestheplayerstostriveforperfectiononeveryrepetition.

Skillandtechniquework.Usuallylastingforfifteenminutes,thissegmentofpracticeisdevotedtoworking onthosespecificskillsthathavedirectapplicationtothedemandsofthegame.Thewayinwhichthisperiod ismanageddistinguishesthe"great"coachesfromthe"good"coaches.

Page252

Thefirststepinthisprocessinvolveshavingeachpositioncoachidentifywhatskillsandtechniquesthe playersneedtodeveloptodotheirjobs.Next,thepositioncoachhastodecidethemosteffectivewayto teachthetargetedskillsandtechniques.

Forexample,thewidereceivercoachmayidentifytwelveskillsandtechniquesthatmustbemasteredto playthepositionofwidereceiveratanappropriatelevel.Thecoachthendevelopspracticaldrillsto enhancetheteachingoftheseskillsandtechniques. Coachesshouldinvestalotoftime,personalresearch,andthoughtfulinquirywhendesigningand implementingthesedrills.Forexample,theyshouldconsultwithothercoacheswhohaveheldasimilar positionandshouldaskfortheiropinionsregardingtheutilityofeachdrill.Aswithallotheraspectsof practice,thedrillsmustfitwithintheteam'sexistingsystem. Eventhoughthepositioncoachmaybefamiliarwithcertaintechniques,ifthosetechniquesarenot appropriatetothesystememployedbytheteam,anassistantcoachwhoinsistsonteachingthoseskillsis wastingeveryone'stimeandinvitingconflict.Theresponsibilityforcheckingtomakesurethatthenatureof thedrillsusedbythepositioncoachesiscompatiblewiththeteam'ssystemlieswiththeheadcoach.

Practicewithoutimprovementismeaningless. ChuckKnox FormerHeadFootballCoach SeattleSeahawks

Combination(group)drills.Comparedtootherkindsofdrills,combination(group)drillsarethemost difficulttypetoadminister.Theyrequireanumberofplayersandcanberelativelydifficulttosetup. Typically,combinationdrillsareonlyemployedintrainingcamp. Twobasictypesofcombinationandgroupdrillsexistcompetitiveandinstructional.Drillswhichare "competitive"innatureinvolvebringingtwogroupstogethertoworkagainsteachother.Eachgroup attemptstoachieveaspecificobjectiveagoalthatisatoddswiththeobjectiveoftheothergroup. Forexample,acompetitivepassingdrillmayfeaturethedefenseworkingfromitsschemeagainsttheof fense,whoistoilingfromitsbasepackage.Another(somewhatmoreextreme)exampleofacompetitive combinationdrill(sometimesreferredtoasaperimeterdrill)isasituationwherethedrillisdesignedto givethedefensivebacksanopportunitytogainexperienceinrunsupportandthewidereceiversa chancetoperformliveblockingdownfield.Inbothinstances,twogroupstwoconflictingobjectives.

Page253

Acombinationdrillthatis"instructional"innature,ontheotherhand,focusesonasingleobjective.Inan instructionalcombinationdrill,onegroupofplayersisusedto"service"theneedsoftheothergroup.

Duetotheheavylevelofcontactthatmaybeinvolvedandthefactthataparticularcombinationdrillcan sometimesdevelopasmanyundesirablehabitsasgoodhabits,onlyafewrepetitionsofthistypeofdrill shouldbeperformed.Thus,theneedforqualityrepetitionsiscritical.Asageneralruleofthumb,however,if acoachhasaquestionaboutthevalueofaparticularcombinationdrill,thatdrillshouldn'tbeused. Becauseofthetimethatmayberequiredtosetupacombinationdrillduringahighlystructuredpractice,it isveryimportantthatsuchadrillisefficientlymanaged.Accordingly,eachdrillshouldfirstbethoroughly explainedtotheplayersinthelectureroom. Thedrillshouldthenbedemonstratedonthefield.Initially,thefirstfewrepetitionsofthedrillonthefield shouldbeperformedathalfspeed.Allotherrepetitionscanbedone"live"(i.e.,atfullspeed). Dependingontheabilityofacombinationdrilltoachieveitsprimaryobjective(i.e.,teachtheproperskill techniquesandresponses),thedrillcanberepeatedasoftenasdesiredwithverylittlechange.Thekeyisto assesswhetherthesedrillshavemeaningfulvaluetotheteam. Ifthey'redesignedproperlyandperformedwell,combinationdrillscanserveavaluableroleintheteaching process.Ontheotherhand,iftheydon'tachievetheirintendedpurposeorifthey'renotexecutedproperly, combinationdrillscanbeacompletewasteoftime. Unitdrills.Inthistypeofdrill,twocompletesegmentsoftheteamarebroughttogethertowork competitivelyagainsteachotherorinserviceofeachother(similartocombinationdrills).Ifthey'reproperly administeredandifthey'renotallowedtobecomesocompetitivethattheirteachingvalueisgreatly diminished,unitdrillscanbeinvaluable. Oneofthemainstayexamplesofaunitdrillisthe9on7combinationdrillwhichfeaturesnineoffensive players(excludingthewidereceivers)versusthefrontsevendefenders(sometimeseightwhenthestrong safetyisincluded).Suchadrillisaveryeffectiveway,shortofafullscrimmage,todevelopateam'srunning game. Typically,aunitdrilliscarriedoutwithaquickwhistleandwithouttackling.Mostimportantly,however,unit drillsmustbeconductedundersimulatedgame,scrimmageconditionsandmustinvolveextensivecoaching. Forexample,everyunitdrillshouldbescriptedsothatthecoachingstaffcanmoreeasilyevaluatethe offense'sexecutionoftheplayorthedefense'sreactiontotheplayasitevolves.Furthermore,coachesmust notlettheplayersgetcarriedawayemotionallyduringthesedrills. Withaveteranteam,anemphasiscanbeplacedonaspecifictypeofplay.Forexample,anoccasional playpasscanbeincorporatedintotheplaysequence

Page254

duringa9on7drilltoensureamorerealisticresponsefromthedefense. Atypicaltwelveplaysequenceina9on7drillmightinvolveeightinsideruns,twoplaypasses,andtwo 3stepdroppasses.Becauseallkindsofrunpasscombinationsarepossible,structuringanimaginative playsequencecanenhancetheenthusiasmandconcentrationlevelsoftheplayers. 7on7(skeleton)drills.Aformofacombinationdrill,a7on7drillinvolvesthecenter,the quarterback,andalloftheeligiblepassreceiversgoingagainstallofthepasscoveragedefenders.Using avariedcadencehelpstomaintaintheintegrityofthedrillandtogivebothsidesarealisticsenseof timing. Forexample,conductingthedrillinthismannerisessentialifbothsidesoftheballaretopractice(and retain)thedisciplineofrespondingtothecenter'ssnapoftheball.Inaddition,thisapproachtothedrill requiresthequarterbacktorealisticallytimehisdroppatterns,insteadofunknowinglybeginninghisdrop beforethereceivers'release. Asageneralrule(particularlyduringtrainingcamp),defendersin7on7drillsshouldbeallowedtoplay theballintheairinordertoworkonimprovingtheirtiming(i.e.,reactions,responds,etc.)andtohave thecoachingstaffscrutinizeanytendenciestheymighthavetowardsfouling.Oncetheregularseason begins,however,7on7drillsareusuallyconductedonanoncontactbasisinordertoavoidanyfreak injurythatmightotherwiseoccur. Situationalfootballshouldbeafactorinall7on7work.Allplayersinvolvedinthedrillshouldbe requiredtoknowwhattheoreticalgamesituationtheyarefacinginthedrill.Toredundantlypractice7 on7drillswithoutconsideringspecificgamesituationsisalostteachingopportunityforthecoaching staff. Accordingly,thecoachingstaffshouldcovervarioussituationsduring7on7drills.Thedownand distancecircumstance,aswellasthetimefactor,shouldbeindicatedpriortoeachrepetitionofadrill. Duringtrainingcamp,competitivemovetheball7on7drillsareanexcellentmethodforteaching techniquesandinstillingproperhabits.Forexample,ifthequarterbackholdstheballtoolongduringthis typeofdrill,thecoachingstaffwhistleshimasbeingsacked. Typically,incompetitivemovetheballdrills,almosteverydownanddistancesituationarises.Asa result,differenttypesofpassesarecalled,anddifferentkindsofdefensivetacticsareutilized. Firstdownsmovethechains.Astheballmoves,thedefensivetacticschange.Inaddition,thecoachcan whistlevariousballplacementsituationsfortheteamtoworkon(e.g.,firstandten,longyardage,third andthree,onedowntomakeextremelylongyardage,5yardline,redzone,goalline,backedup,short yardage,etc.). Aformof7on7drillworkforeachofthesesituationsshouldbeincludedinthestructuredcalendarof trainingcamp.Anothervariationofa7on7combinationdrillthatshouldbeemployedintrainingcampis thecoachoncommandquarterbackscramble.

Page255

Inthistypeofdrill,thecoachsignalsthequarterbacktoscrambleoutsideofthepocket,therebyforcinghis receiversandthedefenderstoadapttothecircumstances.Asaruleofthumb,if20passesarescheduledfor a7on7drillsession,atleasttwoshouldinvolvequarterbackscrambles.

3on3drills.AdheringtoaformatthatwepopularizedwiththeSanFrancisco49ers,3on3drillsinvolve asituationwherethreelinebackersworkagainstthetightendandtworunningbacks.Thesedrillsalso includeaquarterbackandacenter(and,onoccasion,astrongsafety). 3on3drillsareconductedbyalternatinggroupsatthesametime7on7drillsarebeingheld.Usually,a3 on3drillisrunonthesamefield,justbehinda7on7drill,butfacingintheoppositedirection. Asaresult,playerscanbeinterchangedatanytimebetweenthetwotypesofdrillsespeciallythe quarterbacks.3on3drillsaredesignedtopracticeallpasspatternsinvolvingthetightendandtherunning backs.Thelinebackerscoveraccordingly. Blitzingcanbeemployedina3on3drilltogivetherunningbacksanopportunitytobeexposedtothe realitiesofacompetitivesituation.Similarto7on7drills,itisveryimportanttoinvolveacenterinthedrill. Playpassesandactionpassesshouldalsobeanintegralpartof3on3drills,inordertoforcethethree linebackerstoeachmakethenecessaryrecovery.A3on3drillprovidesbothtightendsandrunningbacks withasubstantialopportunitytodeveloptheirpassreceivingskillsandtopracticerunningprecisionpass routesnecessaryworktheymightnototherwisegettodeveloptheirskills.

Untutoredcourageisuselessinthefaceofeducatedbullets. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

DesigningandInstallingtheGameWeekSchedule Thesameapproachthatateamusestoplanitspracticeschedulefortrainingcampshouldbeemployedtoplanitsgameweekschedule.Anexampleofhowagame weekscheduleshouldbelaidoutisshowninTable1110. Astheheadcoach,youshouldkeepinmindthatveryspecificlimitsexistregardingthenumberofplaysthatcanbeefficientlypracticedinagivenweek.Accordingly, themostappropriatewaytoformulateaweeklypracticeformatisbyevaluatingthreekeyfactors: Thelengthofateam'spractice.

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Howthepracticesaredividedintospecificperiods(e.g.,individual,groups,andteam). Whataspectoftheoffenseorthedefenseispracticedineachperiod.

Subsequently,thetotalamountoftimeavailableforpracticeshouldbedividedbytheoffensiveordefensiveemphasisforeachgivensituation(e.g.,redzone,third downs,etc.).Proportionally,theresultantareasofemphasismaydifferslightlyfromtheactualgamecallsduetothediversenatureofagivencontest. Table118illustratesaformatthatcouldbeusedforpracticesduringgameweek.Allfactorsconsidered,theweeklypracticeformatshouldnotchangedrasticallyas theseasonprogresses. Ateammayneedtomakeslightadjustmentstoitspracticeformat,however,inresponsetoitsneedsataparticularpointintheseason.Theneedsofateamare usuallydeterminedbyanalysingtheteam'smeasurableproductionononeormorecriteria(e.g.,rushingyardage,sacks,explosiveplayproduction,redzoneefficiency, interceptions,etc.). AsTable1111shows,eachteamperiodisidentifiedasaspecificsituation.Thisstepenablesyoutoisolateexactlyhowmuchtimetheteamisspendingineacharea. Italsohelpsboththecoachingstaffandtheplayerstobetterfocusonwhatisbeingcalledinagivensituation. Whateverparticularpracticestructureateamemploys,itshouldberelativelyeasyforyoutolookatthatstructureanddeterminehowmuchtimeisbeingdevotedto grouporteamperiodsandhowtheseperiodshavebeenbrokendownsituationally.Table1112providesanexampleofanoverviewofsuchadetailedbreakdown. ThenumbersinTable1112representanyscriptedperiodwheretheoffenseworksagainstalivedefense.Itisimportanttonotetheinteractivewaythetotaloffensive packageshowninTable1112isproportionedfromgameplantopracticestructuretoactualgamecalls. GiventhefactthattheaverageNFLteamrunsapproximately63offensiveplayspergame,thepracticeformatdetailedinTable1111andchartedinTable1112 providesateamwithslightlymorethandoubletheoffenseitwilllikelyuseduringagame(i.e.,129playspracticedversus63playsrequired). WhatTable1112doesnotshowaretheindividualandgroupperiodswheretheteamworksonitsownparticularneeds."W.T."isawalkthoughperiodwhichis conductedinshorts. TherelativelysmallnumberofsnapsonFridayisduetotwofactors.First,theteamusesateamperiodtorunalivetwominutedrill.Inaddition,theteamemploysa separateteamperiodtorunasemilive"movetheball"drill,wheretheheadcoachstartstheoffenseonthe30yardlineandgivesthem810situationstowhichthey mustreact.

Page257 Table1110.Asamplegameweekschedule. MONDAY 11:00am

1:00pm 2:00

Individualcoachesfinishviewingandgradingvideo. Viewfilmasanoffensive/defensivestaff. Writtencommentsforeachplay. Catalogcommentsbybothplayerandplayforanalysis.

2:30

Staffmeeting. Teammeeting. Specialteamsviewingofgame. Offensive/defensiveviewingofgame. Coordinatorreviews1520keyplayswiththeentireoffense,denotingmajorpointsofemphasis. Breakuppositionallytoreviewfilm.

4:15 4:45 6:00 9:00

Onfield(practice). Practiceends. Dinner. Therunningback,offensiveline,andtightendcoachesmeettooutlinebasicrunsandpassprotection schemesformorningmeetingwiththecoordinator.

TUESDAY 8:00am 8:30 10:00 11:30 2:00pm 44:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 (Coachesonlyplayers'dayoff) Personnelreportonopponentbytheteam'sDirectorofProPersonnel. Offensivestaffmeetsanddiscussesbaserunsandpassprotections. Offensivelinecoachesbeginrunandprotectionsheets,andviewgoalline,shortyardage,andredzone situations.Theoffensivecoachingstafflistsbasepass,playaction,andactionpassesandspecials. Lunch,workout,miscellaneous. Listnickelpassesandnickelruns. Beginscriptingsheets. Reviewblitzsituations. Dinner. Finalize: Scriptsheets. Scriptsandcards. Scoutingreportsandinstallationslides.

9:00

Beginshortyardageandgoallinediscussions.

Page258 Table1110.Continued. WEDNESDAY 7:30am 8:15 Staffmeeting. Quarterbackmeeting. Basicdefensiveprofile. Runchecks. Protectionperimetersandconcerns.

8:30 9:00

9:30

Specialteamsmeeting. Teammeeting(5). Scoutingreport. Installbaseruns,nickelrunsandprotections.

10:00 11:15 11:45 12:45pm 1:15 1:30 2:00 4:15 5:15

Theoffensivelinebreaksoff. Installbase,playaction,actionandnickelpasses. Individualmeetings. Walkthrough. Lunch. Individualmeetings(viewvideoofopponent). Meetingsend. Specialteams. Practice. Practiceends. Coachesreviewpracticevideo. Finalizeshortyardageandgoallineoffense. Finalizeredzoneoffense. Reviewbackedupandfourminuteoffenses. ReviewscriptsheetsandpreparecardsforThursday'spractice.

THURSDAY 7:36am 8:15

8:30 9:00

Staffmeeting. Quarterbackmeeting. Reviewblitz. Outlineredzoneapproach.

9:30 10:30 11:15 11:45 12:45pm

Specialteamsmeeting. Teammeeting(5). Viewpractice(theoffensivelineisseparate). Offensetogetherinstallshortyardage,goalline,redzoneandbackedupplans. Individualmeetings(viewvideoofopponent). Walkthrough. Lunch. Individualmeetings(viewvideoofopponent).

Page259 Table1110.Continued. 1:15 Meetingsend. 1:30 Specialteams. 2:00 Practice. 4:15 Practiceends. 5:00 Coachesreviewpracticevideo. Discussopeners. FRIDAY 7:30am 8:15

8:30 9:00

Staffmeeting. Quarterbackmeeting. Discussopeners. Specialteamsmeeting. Teammeeting(5). Reviewpracticevideo(theoffensivelineisseparate). Offensereviewthechecksandalertsreviewthegameplanbypersonnelandformation. Individualmeetings. Practice. Practiceends. Finalizeoffensivesidelinesheet. Listopeners.

9:45 10:00 11:30 1:00pm

SATURDAY 9:00am

10:30 11:15 6:008:00pm 9:00 9:30

Reviewpracticevideo(theoffensivelineisseparate). Individualmeetingshandoutfinalgameplan. Practice. Practiceends. Checkintohotel. Specialteamsmeetings. Offensive/defensivemeetings. Reviewopeners. Usecutupstosupportopeningcalls. Viewgamevideotogiveplayersaflavorofthegame. Planandreviewkeysituations(e.g.,shortyardage,goalline,blitz,etc.).

10:00 10:05

Teammeeting. Snack.

Page260 Table1111.Asampleweeklypracticeformat.

Page261 Table1111.Continued.

Page262 Table1112.Asamplesituationalbreakdown.

EstablishingaSchedulefortheHeadCoach Theheadcoachshouldestablishaweeklyworkscheduleforhimselfingenerallythesamewaythatheschedulesandplanstheweekforhisstaffandhisplayers.Ifhe doesnotdevelopadetailedscheduleforhimself,herisksthepossibilitythatotherprojectsandtimeconsumingsituationswilldiverthimfrommorelegitimatepriorities. Table1113givesanexampleofaweeklyscheduleforaheadcoach.Suchascheduleshouldincludetheinvolvementoftheheadcoachinanyfacetofthe organizationthateitherentailsdirectcontactwiththeplayersorhasadirectbearingonthegameitself. Theterm''involvementbytheheadcoach"doesnotnecessarilyimplyorrequiretheheadcoach'sparticipationininstructivemeetingsthattakelargeblocksoftime. Meetingsinvolvingtheheadcoachshould,however,beconductedinarelativelyroutine,consistentmanner. Itisimportanttoeveryoneinvolvedinsuchmeetingsthattheycancountonascheduledmeetingtakingplaceandcanknowwhatmaterialsorsubjectswillbe addressedatthemeeting.Theheadcoachwhotakesaslipshodattitudetowardthesemeetingsrunstheriskofcreatingarealbottleneckwithintheorganization. Becausehissubordinatesareunabletoplanonanyparticularsetschedule,they'llfrequentlyhavetoadjusttheirowntimetableofevents.Intheprocess,theplayers willusuallywindupwaitingontheheadcoach. Allmeetingsinvolvingtheheadcoachshouldbesubstantive(i.e.,haveaspecificpurpose).Iftheindividualinchargeofthemeetinghasnothingofnotetocover,he cansimplycommunicatethatfacttotheheadcoach,andthemeetingcanbecanceled. Regularlyscheduledmeetingsbetweentheheadcoachandhisstaffalsoprovideanopportunityforeachassistantcoachtoaddressaparticularissuethatmaybeof concerntohiminarelativelyopen(i.e.,anenvironmentthatisconducivetothe

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interchangeofinformationwithoutafearofbeingputdown)atmosphere.Suchasituationtendstopreventasetofcircumstanceswhereaparticularstaffmember wouldfeelthatitwouldbenecessaryforhimtogotohisheadcoachwithaproblemonnumerousoccasionsinthesameday. EstablishingaPolicyonHazinginTrainingCamp TheproperapproachtoestablishingapolicyonhazingrookiesintrainingcampisverystraightforwardsimplyfollowtheadviceofthelegendaryPaulBrown:"There shouldbenoneofit."Rightfullyso,Brownbelievedthatanyformofhazingundulycompromisesateam'slearningprocess. Inreality,rookieshavealottodointrainingcamp,includinglearninganewsystemandadjustingtoatotallynewenvironment(i.e.,primarilythehugedifferenceinthe size,abilityandexperiencebetweenprolevelplayersandcollegelevelplayers).Ifthey'regoingtosucceed(i.e.,maketheactiveteamroster),thoserookieshaveto giveeverybitoftheirattentiontohandlingtherelativelytraumatictransition. Anyformofhazingthatdisruptstheabilityoftheserookiestofocusonthetasksathandcanbecounterproductive,notonlytothemselves,buttotheteamaswell. Dependingonthecircumstances,suchhazingcanhavemoreofanegativeimpactonsomeplayersthanothers. Forexample,hazingtypicallywillnotpreventahighdraftchoicefrommakingtheteam.Havinginvestedalotinthistypeofaplayer(i.e.,money,ahighdraftchoice, etc.),ateamisusuallyquitereluctanttogiveupontheplayerbyreleasinghim. Thesituationisquitedifferent,however,forthosemiddlerounddraftchoices,undraftedsignees,freeagentpickups,andthoseperennialtrainingcampplayerswhotry outfortheteamdespitehavingnorealchanceofmakingtheroster.Theseareathleteswhoareliterallyfightingfortheirprofessionallivestoprovethattheybelongin theNFL.Hazingdiminishestheirchances. Youngplayershavefarmoretoworryaboutthangettingupandsingingtheiralmamaterinfrontoftheteambeforedinner.Dependingupontheformatandthe circumstances,hazingcanbeembarrassing,humiliatingandcruel. Unfortunately,asthoughtlessashazingmaybe,someveteranspersistinsuchdeplorablebehavior.Whengivenanopportunitytodemeanvulnerable,youngrookies, thoseveteranswhoarelessintelligent,whohaveadysfunctionalsenseofreasoning,orwhomayviewhazingasameansforwreckinganycompetition(forjobs)that therookiesmayprovidewillundoubtedlysurface. Hopingtobeacceptedbytheveterans,mostoftherookieswillendurethesetaunts,ashumiliatingastheinsultingbehaviormaybe.Eventually,however,some rookieswilltakeonlysomuchandwillturnontheirpredators. Thekeypointtorememberisthathazingisdehumanizing.Itdoesnothingtobondathletestoeachother.Bondingbetweenplayersoccursonthefieldwhenthe veteranslearntotrustandrespecttheabilitiesandcommitmentoftherookies. AnexcellentexampleofthenegativeaspectsofhazingoccurredrecentlyinanNFLtrainingcamp.Afirstyearplayeractuallylefttheteamhewastryingoutforrather thanhavehisheadshaved.

Page264 Table1113.Sampletrainingcampoffensiveinstallationandmeetingschedules.

Page265 Table1113.Continued.

Tothisplayer,hishairwasanintegralpartofhisselfrespect.Eventhoughhehadlittlechanceofmakingtheteamasafreeagent,hegaveupwhatchancehedidhave ratherthanagreetoanactionheconsideredanassaultonhissenseofdignity. Ratherthanreceivingempathy,respectandappreciationforhisvalianteffortstomaketheteam,hewashumiliatedbyafewthoughtlessveteranplayers.Inresponse, the,playerleftcamp.

Page266

Thecoachingstaffofthatparticularteamshouldhavebeenattunedtothefactthathazinginanyformcanhaveaparticularlynegativeimpactontheprogressofthe team(especiallyintheethnicallydiverseatmosphereoftheNFL). Undernocircumstancesshouldanathlete'scareerbedisruptedbythesophomoricactionsofafewinconsiderateindividuals.Thecoachingstaffshouldconstantly remindeveryoneoftheneedtoheedthewordsofPaulBrowninthisregard,whosaid:"We'reallprofessionals." OneofthecontributingfactorstothefiveworldchampionshipsthatwewoninSanFranciscoinfifteenyears(arecordthatsomeNFLfollowerscall"dynastylevel" proportions)wasthefactthatweexpectedthe49erveteranstodoeverythingpossibleto"bringalong"theteam'srookies.Allhazingwasstrictlyprohibited. Theissueoftheveteransactingresponsiblytowardtherookieplayerswasopenlyanddirectlyaddressedwiththeteamandthecoachingstaff.Everyeffortwasmade toreinforcethefactthattheteamshouldtakeprideinwelcomingthenewplayerswhocouldhelptheteamwinandwhocouldhelpcarryonthe49ers'winning tradition. Acoachwhowillinglyacceptsortolerateshazingissomeonewhoeitherdoesn'thavetheunderstandingorthementaltoughnesstomeetthisissueheadonorwants desperatelytobelikedbytheveteranplayers.Ineitherinstance,suchacoachisdemonstratinga"lackofcontrol"atraitthatsuggeststhathemaynotlastmuch longerinhispresentposition.
Page267

Chapter12 PuttingItAllTogether
"Thecoachmusthaveadefiniteplaninwhichhebelieves,andtheremustbenocompromiseonhispart." Paul"Bear"Bryant HallofFameFootballCoach UniversityofAlabama

Findingthewinningedge... Inarealsense,GrantlandRice'saxiomprovedout:It'showyouplaythegamethatmatters,notwhetheryouwinor lose.Ifyoudowhatyoudowell,you'reeventuallygoingtosucceedwithouthavingtosetthebaratsomedaunting height. Asalways,thisrequiressingularleadership,constantandunswerving.Onepersonhastosiphonoffthepressure thatfailureandfrustrationcreate,andholdtogetherpeopletemptedtosay,"Mygroupisdoingfine,buteveryone elseisscrewingup."Everyoneinanorganizationneedstofeelconnectedwiththeconceptofconstant,daily improvement. Fordcanbuildcarsofthegreatestquality,butifmarketingdoesn'tknowhowtosellthem,thatqualitywon't matter.Whenyourgoalissteadydevelopmentratherthandramaticvictories,thepiecesfallintoplaceinwaysyou can'tinitiallypredict.Talentrisesfromwithin,inspiredbychallenge. BillWalsh,"Winning:TheOnly Thing?SometimestheBestWayto BuildaChampionshipTeamisto TakeYourEyesoffthePrize,"Forbes, December4,1995.

Page268

Inbusiness,aswellasinsport,anumberoffactorsaffectsuccess.Theinterrelationshipbetweenthesefactorshasbeendemonstratedtomeonnumerous occasionsovertheyears.Forexample,myfirsttwoseasonstaughtmethatevenindefeatyoucanmakeprogressifyouhaveconfidence,patience,aplan, andatimetable. Oneofthegreatestdifficultiesofcoachingisthatsomepeoplearoundyoueitherdonotunderstandwhatisrequiredtogetthejobdoneortheylosetheir nerve.Thesportspagesalwayshaveinstantcriticismsorsuggestionsforquickfixes.Headcoachesareunderpressurefromowners,fans,themedia, assistantcoaches,andplayers. Thesepeoplemayfeelyouaremovingtoofastornotfastenough.Theownersareoftenthehardesttodealwith.Theteamistheirinvestmenttherefore, nervesandegointerferewithrationality.Theyneedtofeelyouareundertheirthumbbothwhentheyhireyouandwhentheyfireyou. WithSanFrancisco49ersownerEddieDeBartolo,Jr.,Ialwaystriedtogivehimawrittenversionoftheplanthatwehaddevelopedandwere implementing.Idevelopedanoperationsmanual,apersonnelmanual,abudgetmanual,andanoverallsetofjobdescriptions.Ioutlinedthejobofeach playerandevaluatedeverymemberoftheteam.Ialsoputinwritingourgoalsandexpectationsforwherewewereandwherewewantedtobe. Ahighdegreeofdocumentationhelpsownersbelievetheirinvestmentisincapablehands.IwasfortunateEddieneverinterferedwithanychangesI wantedtomake.Intheearlyyears,helistenedtomeandwasenthusiastic.Unfortunately,astimewentby,hedidnotlistenquiteaswell. Inthefaceofeverything,youhavetoberesoluteaboutwhereyouaregoingandhowyouplantogetthere.Eventhoughyoumightfail,oryourplanmay notdevelop,youcannotgiveintopanic.Manypeoplebringonfailurebytheirreactiontopressure.Alotofcoacheslosetheirnervelateinagame.When thisproblemoccurs,playersoftenturnoneachotherinanattempttoprotectthemselvesfromcriticism.Aasoonasthissituationarises,thecoachisfaced withpeoplewhoareworkingagainsttheirownbestinterests. Thecoachwhohasthenervetostaywithhisprogramallthewaytothebitterendistheonewhowillmostoftenhavethebestresults. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Administeringtheeventsoccurringongameday,onandoffthefield,hasbecomesomewhatofalostart.Alltoooften,acomprehensiveplanforhandlingtheseevents andtheattentiontodetailforimplementingthisplanare"lost"becausethearrangementsforensuringthatthisplaniscarriedouteffectivelyarenottakentotheirlogical conclusion.Astheheadcoach,youmustsettheexampleby"finishing"yourpreparationeffortswithawellorchestratedgameplan.Youmustrememberthatan extraordinaryplanisrelativelyuselessunlesstheheadcoachcan"putitalltogether." "Puttingitalltogether"requiresthattheheadcoachtakespecificstepstoensurethatallgamedayeventsandissuesareaddressedinaprofessionalmannerbyeither himselforhisstaff.Severalfactorsmustbedetailedinacomprehensivegameday

Page269

plan,includinggamedaymanagement,gamedaysequencing,communicationduringthegame,dealingwithsituationalcircumstancesduringthegame,andlayingout thegameplan. Givinganappropriateamountofattentiontoeachofthegamedayfactorscanhaveasubstantialeffectonthelevelofsuccessachievedbyateam.The"actofputting italltogether"demandsthatnolessattentionbegiventoeachgamedayfactorthantotheindividualaspectsofthegameitself. Oneofthemarksofaneffectiveheadcoachishisabilitytoseethe"bigpicture."Inotherwords,heisabletoidentifyandaddressallcircumstancesthatcanhavean impactonhisteam'sperformance.Forexample,a"winning"coachestablishesparameterswhichmaximizethetimehisteamhasavailableforinstruction. Aninsightfulheadcoachalsorealizesthatathleteswhoareoptimallyprepared(i.e.,athleteswhofeeltheyarereadyforeverycontingency)aremorerelaxedand focusedwithregardtotheirspecificdutiesandresponsibilities.Themomentofclosureisnotthetimetowonderifeverythingistakencareofproperly.Post preparationanxietyisanunproductiveandunnecessaryelementofstressforbothplayersandcoaches. GameDayManagement Thewellpreparedheadcoachestablishesasituationalchecklistofprocedurestofollowwhenundertakingparticulargamedaytasks.Aneffectiveheadcoachdoes notflybytheseatofhispants.Rather,heismorelikeacommercialairlinepilotuponwhosemeticulousattentiontodetaildependsthewelfareofhundredsof passengers. Oneofthemostcommontoolsthataheadcoachemploystoensurethatgamedaytasksaredoneisthegamedaychecklist.Suchachecklistisdesignedtoenable theheadcoachorhisdesigneetobebetterabletoeffectivelymanagethelistoftasksorobjectivesthatmustbeperformed.Amongtheareastobeaddressedandthe actionstobetakenthatshouldbeincludedinsuchachecklistarethefollowing: Discusstheavailabilityandoperationalstatusofthefieldphoneswiththeequipmentmanager. DiscusstheoperationalstatusofthePolaroidprocessingmaterialswiththeequipmentmanager. Discusstheavailabilityandlocationofcoachingmaterials(e.g.,chalkboards,chalk,"dryball,"kicking tee,kickingnet,etc.). Discusstheneed,availabilityandlocationofthefoulweathergearandtowels. Discussanyneedforanycoolingorheatingapparatusatthesideline.

PlayCallingMechanism Reviewcommunicationmechanicswiththeoffensivesignalcallerandthequarterbacks. Reviewcommunicationmechanicswiththedefensivesignalcallerandthelinebackers.

Page270

Meetwiththecoordinatorsandrestatetheproceduresforsubstitutingpersonnel.

Ageneralshouldsaytohimselfmanytimesaday:Ifthehostilearmyweretomakeanappearanceinfront,onmy right,oronmyleft,whatshouldIdo?Andifheisembarrassed,hisarrangementsarebadthereissomethingwrong hemustrectifythemistake. Napoleon RenownedGeneral EmperorofFrance

DecisionMakingProcess Meetwiththequarterbacks,thecoordinatorsandthesignalcallerstoreviewtheplanforclockmanagement andtheuseoftimeouts. Meetwiththeteamcaptainsandcoordinatorsto: Reviewthecommunicationprocessforacceptingorrefusingofpenalties. Discussthedesiredoptionfortheopeningkickoff. Discusstheutilizationoftimeouts.

Meetwiththecoordinatorsandreiteratethekickinggamestrategy,(e.g.,puntversusfieldgoalstrategy, whomtokickto,whomnottokickto,etc.). Meetwiththecoordinatorsanddiscussthe2pointstrategy,detailingthesituationswhena2pointplay shouldbeattempted.

ContingencyFormula Discusstheplanforspecialconsiderationsinthematterofclockmanagementwiththequarterbacks,the offensivecoordinator,andthesignalcallerwithregardto: Leadingbyasmallmarginlateinthegame. Leadingbyalargemarginlateinthegame. Trailingbyasmallmarginlateinthegame. Trailingbyalargemarginlateinthegame.

Detailtheguidelinesforthefourminuteoffensewiththequarterbacks,theoffensivecoordinatorandthe signalcaller. Detailtheguidelinesforthetwominuteoffensewiththequarterbacks,theoffensivecoordinatorandthe signalcaller. Detailtheguidelinesforthetwominutedefensewiththelinebackers,thedefensivecoordinatorandthe signalcaller. Discussspecialoffensivecircumstances(e.g.,theopeningseries,thelastthreeplays,etc.)withthe quarterbacks,thecoordinatorandthesignalcaller.

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Discussspecialdefensivecircumstances(e.g.,thegoallinedefensereadiness,surprise2pointplay planning,4thdownsituationalplanning,etc.). Discussspecialconsiderationsforthekickinggamewiththekickersandthecoordinators(e.g.,takinga safety,theopportunitiesforafake,thedegreetowhichtheenvironmentalconditionscouldaffect performance,etc.).

Thereareonlythreeprinciplesofwarfareaudacity,audacity,andAUDACITY. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

GameDaySequencing Astheheadcoach,youmustestablishaspecificandstructuredsequenceofgamedayevents.Miscommunicatingormisunderstandingthepropersequenceofgame dayeventscancauseanunduelevelofdistraction.Theendresultofsuchadistractioncouldrangefromthedisturbanceofanindividualplayertoalossoffocusfor theentireteam.Earlyplanningandadherencetothegamedaymanagementplanwillpreventadisruptionofgamedaysequencingwhileallowingyoutoprovidea supportiveenvironmenttoenhancetheathletes'levelofmentalconcentrationandpregamepreparationefforts. Aswithanysuccessfulorganizationalplan,theprincipalfeaturesofthedesignmaybeinterconnectedtosuchadegreethattheindividualfeaturesbecomecoincidental throughouttheplan.Tothisend,thedevelopmentofgamedaysequencingiscloselyrelatedtotheheadcoach'seffortstodevelopadetailedgamedaychecklist. Bydevelopingacomprehensive,systematicgamedaychecklist,youwillhelpFacilitateasmoothersequenceofthegamedayeventsforbothyourplayersandyour staff.Adetailedgamedaysequenceshouldevolvefromextensivediscussionsandplanningbetweenyouandyourstaff.Whencompleted,anappropriatelysequenced listofgamedayactionsbytheheadcoachshouldincludenumeroussteps,including: Organizeatimetableandanitineraryforthegameday,includingalleventsinvolvingpostgametravel. Givetheplayersapersonalcopyofthetimetableandtheitinerarynolaterthantwodayspriortothegame. Postthetimetableandtheitineraryinthefacilitiesatleasttwodayspriortothegame. Organizeadetailedplanforpregamelockerroomactivities. Providethesecuritypersonnelwiththenamesofthoseindividualswhoareallowedaccesstothe lockerroom.

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Detailtheproceduresandlocationof"taping"opportunities. Postapregamescheduleofgroupsessions. Postafieldoutlinewhichdiagramswarmupareasandspecificwarmuptimes. Advisetheassistantcoachesoftheirassignedgroupmeetingareas,meetingtimes,stretchingtimes, andanyspecialconsiderationsforthepregameritual. Meetwithassistantcoaches,reviewthewarmuproutine,thegameassignmentsandthehalftime procedures. Meetwithteamphysicianstoreceiveupdatedmedicalinformation. Ensurethattheequipmentproceduresarebeingfollowedandthattheequipmentmanagerisableto meetallplayerneeds. Confirmthestatusofthebenchfacilitiesandthefieldequipmentwiththeequipmentmanager. Meetwithteamcaptainstodiscusspregameoptions.

Meetwithgameofficialsandexpressanyconcerns. Planadefinitivepregamefieldroutinewhichprogressivelymeetsindividual,group,andteamneeds. Maintainacontrolledpregamelockerroomatmosphereandsupportitwithpositivestatements. Sharpenthefocusoftheteamontheheadcoachandthemissionstatement. Indicatethattheteamisto"takethefield." Supervisetheonfieldcommunication,monitorthecoordinators,evaluatethestrategyandpersonnel. Directtheflowofthegamestrategy. Gettothelockerroomquicklyathalftime. Dismissassistantcoachestomeetasindependentgroups(e.g.,offense,defense,specialteams). Meetwiththetrainerandtheteamphysiciantoevaluatedispositionofinjuredplayers. Allowthecoordinatorstimetolistentotheassistantcoachesandevaluatethechartsprovidedbypressbox spotters. Directthepositioncoacheswhentomeetwiththeplayers. Breakuptheassistantcoaches'meetingsinordertogatherthesquad. Listentotheinputofthecoordinators. Unexpectedoffensivestrategiesofopponentareidentified. Unexpecteddefensivealignmentsareidentifiedastotype,frequency,andsituationsused. Notabletendenciesoftheopponentareevaluated. Prioritiesfortheopeningseriesofthesecondhalfareidentified. Thestatusofanyinjuredplayerisdiscussedandcompensatoryadjustmentsmadeduetoanyinjury.

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Allowcoordinatorstomeetwiththeirrespectivegroups. Makebriefremarkstoboththeoffensiveandthedefensivegroups. Receivethereportofthegameofficialontheremainingtimeleftinhalftime. Addresstheteamandleadthemonthefieldinatimelyfashion. Directtheflowofthegamestrategy. Takecontrolofthepostgamelockerroomatmosphere. Allowabriefmomentforemotionalventing. Calltheteam'sattentiontotheproperperspective. Underlinethevalueofthevictory. Placethelossinperspective. Interveneinthefingerpointingmentality. Clarifythestatusoftheteam'splayoffstanding. Setthetonefortheteamtoaddressthemedia.

Refrainfromprematureevaluationsofstrategyandpersonnel.

CommunicationDuringtheGame Astheheadcoach,youmustsetupadefinitecommunicationsystemthatallowsinputfromthosewhoarecriticaltothedecisionmakingprocess.Thissystemmust alsoprovideameansoflateralaccessforthoseindividualssothattheymaycommunicatewithoneanother.Importanttoanysystemofcommunicationisaproper chainofcommand.Adheringtoachainofcommandallowsforconcisecommunicationamongthestaff. Achainofcommandisimportantiftheinformationistobedeliveredinamanageableandconstructivemanner.Itshouldbenotedthatthechainofcommandisslightly morecomplexforaheadcoachwhoservesashisownoffensiveordefensivecoordinator. Theheadcoachwhodesirestomonitorthepressboxoffensivecoordinatorandthepressboxdefensivecoordinatormayswitchbackandforthbetweentheoffensive anddefensivechannelsonhisheadphone.Coordinatorswhoremainonthefieldareinfacetofacecontactwiththeheadcoach. Theheadcoachmusttakecaretorestrainhisemotionsinthepresenceofanonfieldcoordinator.Theheadcoachwhoberatesacoordinatoronthesidelinesduringa gamewilldisturbtheconcentrationofthecoachesandpossiblyaffecttheperformanceoftheplayersinanegativemanner. Effectivecommunicationduringthegamealsorequiresthatasystematicprotocolshouldbeestablishedtotalktoandobtaininformationfromtheteamtrainersand doctors.Forexample,amedicaldeterminationofanincapacitatedplayer'sconditionmustbeimmediatelyreportedtotheheadcoach.Twobasickindsofprotocol arecommonlyemployedtoreportaplayer'sinabilitytoparticipateinthecontest. Theinjuryiseitherreporteddirectlytotheheadcoachbythesidelinemedicalstaffmemberortheinformationontheinjuryisconveyedtoadesigneeofthe

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coachingstaff,inwhichcasethedesigneeimmediatelynotifiestheheadcoachoftheplayer'scondition. Asspecifiedinthegamedaychecklist,administrationofthebenchfacilitiesiscrucialtomaintainingorderonthesideline.Theheadcoachmustbeabletoimmediately locateanactiveplayerbywalkingovertoadesignatedbenchareaandfindingthatparticularplayer. Accordingly,allplayersmustbeassignedbygroups(e.g.,offense,defense,etc.)tospecificareasonthesideline.Thelocationoftheseareasandwhoisassignedto themisasubjectwhichshouldbeamattercoveredinthepregamemeetings. Forexample,acommonsidelinegroupingprovidesforanoffensivelineareamannedbytheoffensivelinecoach,adefensiveareamannedbythedefensivestaff,a widereceiverareamannedbytheskillpositioncoachesonthesideline,andastagingareaforthespeciallyteam.Atypicalsidelineoffensivestaffingofaheadcoach whoservesasoffensivecoordinatormightincludetheoffensivelinecoach,anotherpositioncoach,andthesignalcaller. Inthepressbox,thetightendcoachisassignedtochartthedefensivefrontsandtendencieswhilecommunicatingwiththeoffensivelinecoachonthefield.The offensivelinecoachisresponsiblefortheonfieldblockingadjustments.Heanalyzesthepressboxinformationanddecidesonthemostadvantageousscheme available. Thequarterbackcoachinthepressboxchartsthedefensivecoveragesandidentifiesmatchupsonthebacksidewidereceiverwhileindirectcommunicationtothe headcoachwhoiscallingtheplays.Ifanadditionalcoachispresentonthesideline,thatcoachisoftenassignedtowatchthequarterbackmechanicsandthebackfield action.Thiscoachreportshisobservationstothequarterbackcoachwhoislocatedinthepressbox. Inasystemofplaycallingwhichinvolvescommunicatingmanually,thesignalcaller'ssoleresponsibilityistosignalintheplays.Hehasfacetofacecommunication withtheheadcoach.Usingdummycallerstosignalbogusinformationisastrategythatmanyheadcoachesemploywhentheirteamsareusingamanual communicationsystem.Dummysignalersinhibittheopponent'sabilitytostealthesignals. Infact,manyNFLcoachescurrentlyemployadualsystemofsignalingintheformationswhileverballycommunicatingwhichplaytheywantcalled.Anotherrelatively recentNFLinnovationisthehelmetcamatoolwhichisdesignedtofacilitatecommunicationbetweenthequarterbackandtheoffensivecoordinator. Everymemberofthecoachingstaffmustfocusonandbepreparedtoprovideinstantaneousinformationpertainingtoeverysingleaspectoftheopponent's performanceonthefield.Forexample,assistantcoachesshouldbeabletoimmediatelyprovidetheheadcoachwithanswersinregardtotheopponent'soffensive pointofattackanditsoffensivebackfieldexecution. IntheNFL,Polaroidphotographsareaparticularlyvaluableandcommonlyemployedtoolforobtainingaccurateobservationsofanopponent'soffensiveordefensive alignmentinspecificsituations.Eventhisphaseofthegamemustbepracticedandrefinedduringtrainingcampandinthepreseasongames.Thepointtorememberis thateffectivecommunicationduringthegamecanonlybeachievedbypracticingeffectivecommunicationpriortothegameitself.

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Nothingissosubjecttotheinconstancyoffortuneaswar MigueldeCervantesSaavedra SpanishAuthor fromDonQuixote

DealingwithSituationalCircumstances Thewellpreparedheadcoachhasasystematicplanfordealingwithsituationswhichoccurduringthegamethatdeviatefromthenormalflowofthegame.A contingencyplanfordealingwithsituationalcircumstancesallowstheheadcoachtoovercomeanunexpectedsetback,aswellastakeadvantageofanunanticipated actofprovidence. Athoroughlypreparedheadcoachdevotesasufficientamountoftimeconsideringwhathisteamshoulddoifitencountersunusualsituationsduringthegame.For example,amongtheuniquecircumstancesthatapreparedheadcoachshouldconsiderarethefollowing: Whatifwefallbehindbytwoorthreetouchdownsearlyinthegame? Whatifwefallbehindbytwotouchdownsinthe4thquarter? Whatifweareaheadbytwoorthreetouchdownsearlyinthegame? Whatifweareaheadbytwotouchdownsearlyinthe4thquarter? Whatifthebasicgameplanistakenawaybytheopponentorbythegameconditions? Howdowetakeadvantageofanunexpectedopportunity? Howdowerespondtoanopponent'sunexpectedopportunity? Howdowetakeadvantageofanotedphysicalmismatch? Howdowerespondtocounteradisadvantageousphysicalmismatch? Whatcanwedotoreviveastrugglingoroutofsyncoffensiveunit? Whatcanwedotoupliftandinspireastrugglingdefensiveunit? Whatisaneffectivecounterstrategywhentheoffensiveunitisbeingoverwhelmed? Whatisaneffectiveadjustmentwhenthedefensiveunitisbeingoverwhelmed? Howcanwetakeadvantageofaninjurytoakeyopponent? Whatisourcontingencyforaninjurytoakeyplayer? Whatisthebestoffensivestrategywhenenjoyingastrongwindatourback? Whatisthebestdefensivestrategywhenenjoyingastrongwindatourback? Whatisthebestoffensivestrategywhenfacingastrongwind? Whatdoweconsiderdefensivelywhenfacingastrongwind?

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Whatisthebestoffensivestrategyinaheavyrain? Whatoffensivestrategywillbeleastinhibitedbypoorfieldconditions? Whatconsiderationsshouldbemadewithregardtothegametemperature? Whatstepscanbetakentoensureeffectivecommunicationoverthedinofhostilespectators?

Successfulgeneralsmakeplanstofitcircumstances,butdonottrytocreatecircumstancestofitplans. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

LayingOuttheGamePlan Thelayoutofagameplanissomewhatdependentuponthepersonallearningstyleoftheheadcoach.Personalpreferenceandsightlinesplayapartintheformatfor thedevelopmentofthegameplan.Regardlessofthedegreetowhichthestructureofagameplanlayoutissubjecttopersonalcreativity,allgameplansshareseveral basicfunctionalfeatures,including: Agameplanistheresultofthecombinedthoughtsofthecoachingstaff. Agameplanisaninteractivetoolforbothplayersandcoaches. Agameplanmustbeflexibleenoughtofacilitateminorstrategyadjustments. Agameplanfacilitatesthebreakingoftendencieswithoutstrayingfromtheplan. Agameplanprovidesforalternativestrategiesthatallowthecoordinatortostaywithinthescheme. Agameplanaddressescertainspecialsituationsandallowsforcreativitywithinthescheme. Agameplanprovidesforasituationalresponse(i.e.,2ndandlong,3rdandshort,etc.). Agameplanallowsforacountertoaspecificstrategyoftheopposition(i.e.,34defense,fourwide receivers,46defense,bunchset,etc.). Agameplanallowsforspecificstrategiesthatconsiderfieldposition.

Theformatthataheadcoachusestoorganizeandcharthisgameplanforaspecificopponentistoalargedegreesubjectiveandbasedonhisownpersonalopinion regardinghowsuchinformationshouldbecatalogued.WithintheNFL,avarietyoffunctionalgameplanformatsexists.Whatevertheformatused,however,an offensivegameplanshouldaddressanumberoffactorsincludingapracticedstrategyfordealingwiththesituational,contingency,andreactiveaspectsoftheoffensive package.

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Asageneralrule,coachesputthepertinentinformationconcerningtheirgameplanoneitheraonepageoratwopagechartwhichtheycarrywiththemduringthe gameinordertohaveimmediateaccesstothecataloguedinformation.Tables121and122provideanexampleofatwopagechart(frontpageandbackpage) whichdetailsthedynamicelementsofacomprehensivegameplan. Onthefrontpage: Baserunsandpassesalistingofbaserunningplaysandpassesgroupedbytype,personneland/or formation. 3rddownfromtheopenfield,apackagetailoredforthefollowingdownanddistancesituations:3rd andshort(i.e.,2to4yards),3rdandmedium(i.e.,5to7yards),3rdandlong(i.e.,8to11yards).Also includedinthe3rddowncategorysectionofthegameplanaresectionsthatallowforaplanagainstthe nickelblitzandnickelzonedefense. Playpassesandactionpassesalistofplaypassesandactionpasses. Redzoneplaysthatarenormallyrunonceateamreachesthe+20yardline(i.e.,theredzone)the playsarelistedforeachoftheareasoftheredzone,progressingin5yardincrementsdowntothe+5 yardlinewithrespecttothedefensivetendenciesoftheopponent.Theredzonesectionofthegameplan includesscriptedrunsandpassesfor3rddownsituationsinallofthesegments(i.e.,+20yardline,+15 yardline,+10yardlineand+5yardlinesegments). Goallineand2pointplayspecifiesavailablegoallineplaysanda2pointplay. Shortyardagedetailsavailableplaystouseinshortyardagesituations,includingdownanddistancesof 3rdand1yardorlessand4thand1yardorless.

Onthebackpage: Attackingfrontslistsplaystouseversusaspecializeddefensivefront,suchasthe46defense,the Navajopackage,etc. Baseblitzoutlinesrunplaysandpassplayswithaudiblecapabilitythataredesignedforunexpected blitzsituations. Twominuteandfourminuteoffensedetailstargetedplaysfromtwominuteandfourminuteoffense package. Lastfourplaysliststhelastfourplaysofthefirsthalf. Bestplayerliststheplayswhichhighlighttheteam'sbestoffensiveplayerandincludesthespecific situationalcriteriatowhichtheplaysareapplied. Basecoveragescategorizestheplayswithregardtotype,personnel,andformationversusthebasic coveragesavailabletothedefense. Attackingcoveragesliststheplaysdesignedtoexploitaparticularcoverage. Backeduptargetstheplayswhicharetobeusedwhentheoffenseisbackedupagainsttheirowngoal line. Mustcalldetailsaspecificlistofplayswhichareexpectedtoproducebigresultsagainstaparticular defensivescheme.

Page278 Table121.Samplegameplan(frontsheet).

Page279 Table122.Samplegameplan(backsheet).

Reminderslistspersonalnoteswithregardtoopponent'stendencies,personnel,etc. Nickelrunsbestrunningplaysversusadefensehavingsixdefendersintheboxoranotherdefense characterizedbyuseofnickelpersonnel. Screensandspecialsalistofavailablescreensandspecialplays. Secondhalfconsiderationspossibleopeningsecondhalfplays.

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''Puttingitalltogether"requiresintensivepregameplanningandaresolutecommitmenttofollowtheplan.Theplanmustbeinclusiveandcomprehensiveinits attentiontodetail.Managingthegameday,sequencingtheeventsofthegameday,communicatingduringthegame,dealingwithsituationalcircumstancesduringthe game,andlayingoutthegameplanareissueswhichtheeffectiveheadcoachmustaddressinordertocreateanenvironmentconducivetosuccessfortheteam.An unwaveringbeliefindeveloping,implementingandadheringtoawellthoughtoutplanforgamedaysituationsisaprerequisiteforafirstclassorganization.

Theplanwasthedistilledandconcentratedessenceofextremedaring.Jacksonwouldtaketwentyfivethousand men,marchthelengthofHooker'sfront,circlearounduntilhewasduewestofhim,andattackhisexposedright flank.Themarchwouldtakethebetterpartoftheday,andtoformlineofbattleinthetracklesswildernesswhere Hooker'sflankrestedmighttakehoursitwouldbeearlyeveningbeforeJacksoncouldmakehisfight.Untilthen LeewithfewerthantwentythousandmenwouldhavetoconfrontHookerandhiseightythousand.Indeed,merelyto confronthimwouldnotbeenoughhewouldhavetopretendtobefightinganoffensivebattle,andthepretense wouldhavetobeconvincing,becauseifHookereverfoundoutwhatJacksonwasuptoorlearnedhowsmallLee's forcereallywashecoulddestroytheArmyofNorthernVirginiabeforethesunwentdown.Hookerwouldfindout nothing,forLeehadhiminhishandsandwastoyingwithhim.Jacksonmadehismarch(itwasdiscovered,butin theparalysisthathadcomeuponhisspiritHookerwasquiteunabletointerpretthemeaningofhisdiscoveryhe concludedfinallythatpartofLee'sarmymustberetreating,andhesentoutacoupleofdivisionstoprodthe fugitivesalong).Leegaveamasterfulimitationofageneralwhoisabouttoopenacrushingattackallalongthe line,andkeptHookerlookinghiswaywithoutinducinghimtolooksoattentivelythathecoulddiscoveranything. AndalittlewhilebeforesundownJacksonstruckHooker'sexposedflanklikethecrackofdoom. BruceCatton PulitzerPrizewinningAuthor fromThisHallowedGround

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Chapter13 StrategiesandTacticsforDealingwithaHighlyCompetitiveAdversary
"Themodernarmycommandermustfreehimselffromroutinemethodsandshowacomprehensivegripoftechnicalmatters,forhemustbeinapositioncontinuallytoadapthis ideasofwarfaretothefactsandpossibilitiesofthemoment." ErwinRommel InfamousGermanCombatGeneral WorldWarII TheRommelPapers,ix.

Findingthewinningedge... Thekeytosuccessisreachingout,extendingyourself,striking,andthen,ifyoufall,bouncingbackanddoingit againbeingsoresourcefulthatfinallywhenthemomentcomesagain,youwon'thesitate.Whatmakesthis situationpossibleishavingaplanthat'sbroadbasedenoughsoanynumberofsituationsmaybetreatedas decisivemoments.Themainthingistoincreaseyourchances,notliveordieononealone. BillWalsh,"CarpeDiemorthe DiemAfterThat,"Forbes,October 25,1993.

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Theaccomplishmentsachievedbyanyorganizationareabyproductofmanyfactors.Perhapsnoneismoreimportantthantheabilityoftheheadcoachto setthe"tone"forsuccess.Everyone(coachingstaffandplayers)mustbepreparedtodotheirjobproperlywhateverthesituation. Thispointwasclearlyreinforcedtomeby"TheDrive"thatbeatCincinnatiinthe1989SuperBowl"TheDrive"wastheculminationandembodimentof notonly10yearsofworkwiththeSanFrancisco49ers,butofalifetimeofstudyandrefinement. Eachplayerknewhisassignmentandcarrieditout.Therewasnopanic,nohesitation.Theplayersknewthattheyhadpreparedforthismomentandthat theypossessedtheabilitiesandthemeanstofinishthejob. Unbeknownsttoeveryone,Iknewthatthiswouldbemylastgamewiththe49ers.IhaddecidedtoretiretheweekoftheSuperBowlandwasconcerned abouttheeffectsofthisannouncementifitwasmadebeforethegame.Ididnotwantmydecisiontobecomeadistractiontotheplayerswiththeresultant, rampantspeculationaboutwhatthiswouldmeantotheplayersandtheorganization.Ievendelayedtheannouncementforafewdaysafterthegamefor theplayerstoenjoytheaccoladestheysorichlydeserved.IdidnotwanttodiverttheattentionawayfromthemwiththesideshowthatIknewwould ensue. EvenmydecisiontoretireinvolvedaprocessthatIbelievedinandtowhichIwantedtoadhere.Ihadalwaysworkedtoconvincetheteamthatnoone wasirreplaceable.Ifaplayerwasinjuredoraveteranwasreplaced,theexpectationsneededtoremainthesameandthestructureandprocesswehad workedsohardtodevelopwouldcarryusthroughwhateverchangesoccurred.Mywholephilosophyofcoachingencompassedthis,andIwantedto maintainittotheend. Withthisdecisionweighinginthebackofmymind,thesignificanceofbeingintheSuperBowl,trailing1613,withonly3:10remaining,sitting1stand10 ontheeightyardlineandstaringat92yardsofturftookonanalmostsurrealquality.Thissituationwouldtesteveryfiberofmyexperienceandchallenge theverycoreofastyleandstructureofplaythatIhadspentalifetimedeveloping.IttookeveryounceofconcentrationIhadtomaintainmyfocusand driveoutthefloodofemotionsandanysenseofdesperationthatwoulddivertmyattention. The12playwinningdriveconsistedoftheabsolutecoreconceptsofoursystem.Weknewwehadtoexecuteandhadenoughconfidencenottopanicor attemptany"heroics."Wewouldcountonprecisionandexecution.Onlythelastscoringplay(20HBCurlXUp)wasanythingclosetobeingoutofour normalsequenceofourbaseoffense.EventhisplaywasevaluatedandconceivedafterdetailedanalysisofCincinnati'sdefenseinthisspecificsituation. Atthismoment,yourealizethatcoachingisnotanexactscience.Allyoucandoisbeasthoroughwithyourcontingencyplanningaspossible,playthe percentages,andtakewellcalculatedrisks,fullycognizantthatatsomepoint"fate"maytakeahand. The12playsequenceofplaysseemedtoutilizeeverydimensionofouroffensiveparadigm:the2minuteprocess,theproperuseoftimeouts,theaudibling mechanism,theeffectivecommunicationwiththepressbox,theuseofspecialmotiontoisolateaspecificreceiver,andthecourageofconvictionstostay withinthesystem.

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"TheDrive"reflectedwhatIlovemostaboutfootball.theartistry.Peopleoutsidetheprofessionsometimesfindithardtothinkofwhatwedointermsof orchestration,artistryandcompositionbecauseofthebruteforcethatisthegame'snatureandthefinalityofthecompetition.Yetitisthisunique confluenceofqualitiesthatsocaptivatesmeandotherswhosharethisprofession. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Overtheyears,organizationshavedevotedconsiderabletimeandexpendedsubstantialresourcesinasearchforthe"absolute"formulaforsuccessintheNFL. Obviously,nosingle"best"formulaexists.Ifitdid,everyteamwouldadoptit. Ontheotherhand,successintheNFLinvolvesnumerouscommondenominators.Perhaps,noneismoreimportantthanacomprehensiveplanthataddressesevery onthefieldandoffthefieldfactorthatcouldreasonablebeexpectedtohaveanimpact(directlyorindirectly)ontheperformanceoftheteam.Atthecoreofsucha planareoffensiveanddefensiveschemesthathavebeendesignedtoenabletheteam'splayerstobestutilizetheirskillsandabilities. DevelopinganOffensiveSystem Ifateamknows,weekinandweekout,thatitwilloutmanitsopponent,offensivestrategyandtacticsarenotahighpriority.Unlikethecollegiatelevelwhere Nebraska,NotreDame,Florida,USC,etc.havehadthisadvantageforyears,suchasetofcircumstancesdoesnotexistintheNFL.Asaresult,theneedtoestablish aneffectiveoffensivesystemiscritical. Opinionsregardingwhatconditionsarenecessarycomponentsofaneffectiveoffensivesystemtendtovaryfromorganizationtoorganization.Somecoaches,for example,believethatthenumberonepriorityforhavingasuccessfuloffenseistoestablishtherunninggame.Inreality,however,thelogicbehindsuchanapproachis somewhatfaulty. Whatateamactuallyneedsisafullydimensionaloffensivesystemthatprovidesitwiththelatitudetoaccesswhateveraspectoftheoffenseitneeds,wheneveritneeds it.Afullydimensionalapproachtooffensefeaturesabalancedoffensethataccountsforallreasonablecontingenciesthatcanoccurduringthegame.Itprovidesa mechanismtoaddresseachcontingencyorsituationasitdevelops. Ratherthancompelateamtodependonasingledimensionofoffensivestrategy,afullydimensionalsystemgivesateammultipleoffensiveweapons.Havingseveral optionsavailablecanbeparticularlyvaluabletoateamwhenaspecificaspectofitsoffensivegameplanisnullifiedbycircumstances(e.g.,playingconditions,the caliberofthecompetition,injuriestokeyplayers,etc.).Inotherwords,ifonedimensionofateam'soffensivearsenalis"shutdown,"afullydimensionaloffensive systemgivesateamtheopportunitytosucceedwithintheexistingcircumstances. Afullydimensionaloffensehasseveralcharacteristics.Ataminimum,itmustbefunctionalitmustbeinteractiveitmustfeaturedescriptiveverbiagethat

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facilitatescommunicationbetweenthecoachingstaffandtheplayersitmustbeflexibleand,toadegree,itmustbeinnovative. Ateam'soffensivestructuremustbedesignedinsuchawaythatithasalogicalprogressiontoitthatboththecoachingstaffandtheplayersunderstand.Notonlymust itbefundamentallysoundconceptually,itmustalsobebased,toadegree,onadetailedanalysisoftheresponsibilitiesofeachplayerandonaprioritizedsenseof appreciationregardingwhatskillsareneededtoplayeachpositioneffectively. Therunninggameandthepassinggameshouldcomplementeachother.Thebasicformationsandmotionsemployedinateam'soffensiveschememustbeequally functionalinbothphasesofthegame. Itisalsoimportantthatateam'soffensivesystemutilizesuserfriendlylanguage.Ateam'splayersandcoachesmustbeabletocommunicatewitheachotherquickly andeffectivelyinpressuresituationsduringthegame. Properlydefinedlanguageiscriticalinanumberofways.Forexample,verbiagethatisclear,concise,andeasilyunderstandablecanenhanceaplayer'sabilitytograsp andassimilatetheteam'soffensivesystems.Inturn,thisfactorfacilitatesthetransitionofplayers(newandveteran)intotheteam'soffensivestructure.Similartothe systemitself,theverbiageusedtoinstall,employandmanagetheoffensivesystemmustbefunctional,conciseandrelevant. Ateam'soffensivestructuremustalsohaveenoughflexibilitytobeabletoreadilyassimilatenewplayers.GiventheadventoffreeagencyintheNFLinthe1990s, organizationsmustdesigntheiroffensivesystemsinsuchawaythatthesystemscanbeadjustedorchanged,asnecessary,dependingontheskillsandabilitiesofthe playersontheteamataparticularpointintime. Inreality,somecoachesareeitherunwillingorunabletorecognizethefactthattheirteam'soffensiveapproachmustbealterediftheleveloftalentontheirteamis insufficienttomeetthedemandsoftheirstyleorphilosophy.Suchasituationmakesthealreadydifficultdecisionwhethertoabandonapotentiallyproductivepartof theoffenseevenmoredifficult. Acoachwillmakeaseriouserrorinjudgmentifhetriestoforceaparticularplay/sequenceonateamthathasonlyaminimalchanceofperformingiteffectively,and thenblamesitslackofsuccesssimplyontheinadequaciesofhisplayers.Everycoachmustrememberthatasystemshouldneverreducethegametoapointwhere theplayersareblamedforthefailureofthesystembecausetheydidnotphysicallyoverwhelmtheopponent. Finally,ateammustbeopentochange.GiventhedynamicstateoftheNFLinthe1990s(e.g.,playersarebigger,fasterandstrongerdefensiveschemescontinueto evolveetc.),ateammusthaveanoffensivesystemthatissufficientlyinnovativetokeepabreastofchangingcircumstances.Evenifaparticularelementoftheoffense hasbeensuccessfulinthepast,noguaranteeexiststhatitwillworkinthefuture. Oneareaoftheoffensivestructurethathasundergoneconsiderablechangeinrecentyearshasbeentheteachingprogressionthatteamsusetogroupandteachthe skillsinvolvedinaparticularoffensiveschemeortechnique.Forexample,technologicaladvances,suchasthetelecasteranddigitalvideo,haveprovidedcoacheswith "cuttingedge"toolstoenhancebothteachingandsequentiallearning.

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TheNoHuddleOffense Teamsemploythenohuddleoffenseinavarietyofways.Someteamsutilizeitaspartoftheirpredesignedgameplan.Othersuseitinsituationswheretheiroffense mustspeedupplayafterfailingwellbehindasthegameprogressed. Anotherinstanceinwhichthenohuddleoffenseisappropriateinvolvesthedefense.Ifyouropponent'sdefensivetacticsareunexpectedorintheextreme(suchas extensiveuseofhighriskblitzing),anohuddleschememayeitherreducethenumberofvariationsadefensemayemployorforcethedefenseintoautomatic defensiveschemestocopewiththequickenedpace. Whilethenohuddleoffensecanbeutilizedatanytime,itiscriticalthatitbeextensivelyandthoroughlypracticed.Assuch,theschemeshouldbeutilizedonanongoing basisinpractice,throughoutbothminicampsandtrainingcamp. Duringpractice,necessarycorrectionsandadjustmentstothewaythenohuddleoffenseisbeingruncanbemadeastheplayersawaitthesnapatthelineof scrimmage.Suchmodificationscanbeundertakeninarelativelyleisurelyfashion,asopposedtorushingthem. Practicingthisoffensiveschemeatamethodicalpacesimplyconditionseveryonetofunctionwithoutahuddle.Thisprocesscanbespeededuporchangedasdesired. Forexample,duringpracticeattheteam'sregular(huddle)offense,everyonemustbealerttotherequiredpersonnel,theformationandtheplaycalled,assubstitutions arebeingmade.Onasignalfromacoach,thequarterbackcallsacodewordoraphraseforthenohuddleoffense(e.g.,"huddlehuddle"). WhenIcoachedthe49ers,weusedthephrase"ApacheApache."Asaresultofthisapproachtopractice,thenohuddleoffensebecomesalmostsecondnaturetoa team.Theteamdevelopsa"comfortzone"inusingitasneeded. UtilizingaManinMotion Teamsincorporateamaninmotionasavariationintheiroffensiveformation.Priortothesnap,aneligiblereceivergoesintomotiontochangethestrengthofthe formation.Diagram131llustratesseveralexamplesofhowamaninmotioncouldbeappliedtoaparticularplay.Usingamaninmotionoffersseveralbenefits, including: Itisafluidwayfortheoffensetochangethestrengthofitsformation. Itforcesspontaneousadjustmentsbythedefense. Itimprovesthepositionofthemaninmotiononhisreleasepointonpassroutes. Itstretchesthedefensebyattackingdifferentpartsofthefieldwithmultiplereceivers. Itenablesthemaninmotiontoavoidbeingheldupbyeitherthelinebackersordefensivebacks. Itforcesthedefensetoindicateitscoverage(e.g.,zone,man,blitz,etc.). Itisolatesindividualdefenders(i.e.,therunningbackonthestrongsafety,etc.).

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Ontheotherhand,usingamaninmotioninvolvesseveraldisadvantages,including: Duringthemaninmotionprocess,theoffensivelinemuststayinaset,stationaryposition.This circumstanceisarealdisadvantagebecauseitisdifficultforaplayertoremaininaprimedstate(i.e., readytomove)andbeexpectedtoholdthatstaticpositionformorethanafewseconds. Thissituationisparticularlycriticalatthegoallinewhenthedefensewillbeexplodingintothegapswhile theoffenseisrequiredtoremainstaticandwaitforthe"motion"tobeactivated. Thedefensecangetasenseofthesnapcount. Amaninmotion,becausehe'smovinglaterally,cannotexplodeupfieldasquicklyasastationaryplayer. Thisfactorisadisadvantagebecausesomeplaysrequirethereceivertosprintupfieldatthesnapofthe ball. Whenchangingthestrengthoftheformationorthereceiverrelationshipsthroughtheuseofmotion,the offensecannotbesureofwhatadjustmentsthedefensewillmake.Inreality,whattheoffenseexpected orplannedonmaynotoccur. Theuseofcountermotion(i.e.,thereceiverchecksbackandforthinanattempttoconfusethedefense) wasrelativelyeffectivewhenitwasinitiallyintroducedintotheNFL.Someyearslater,however,itsuse hasbecomesimplycosmetic.Whileallofthisposturingisgoingon,therestoftheoffensehastoremain instaticpositions,therebylosingwhateverrhythmtheymightneed.

EstablishingtheRunningGame Inrecentyears,therunninggamehasbeen"reborn"intheNFL.Becausemostdefensivelinemenhavebeensointentonsackingthequarterback,theyhavesacrificed theirconcernwiththefundamentalelementof"blockcontrol."Asaresult,theyimmediatelycommitthemselvestogetpastthemaninfrontofthem. Asaconsequence,largeholesareopenedbetweendefenderswhoeachhappentobemovinginoppositedirections.Requiringdefenderstoemploydisciplined, fundamentaltechniqueswhilerushingthepasserhasnotreceivedtheproperemphasis. ThemostphysicallydemandingpartofanNFLteam'soffenseistherunninggame.Inturn,theskillsandabilitiesofateam'splayersmustbethefocalpointofthe runningphaseoftheoffense.Assuch,itisabsolutelyessentialthattheplayersbeplacedinapositionwheretheycanbestgetthejobdone. Accordingly,ifateamhasuniquelytalentedpeople,theymustbeexploited.Akeyelementincoachingishowtotakefulladvantageofagiftedplayer.Theheadcoach mustdeterminetowhatextenttouseaparticularlytalentedindividualbeforehisperformancesuffersortheteam'soffensebecomestooonedimensional. Theabilitytomaximizetheeffectiveutilizationofanoutstandingballcarrierisoftenoneofthebestmeasuresofacoach'sjudgment,patienceandintuitive"feel"

Page287 Table131.Examplesofmaninmotioncalls.

forthegame.Decidinghowtomaintainareasonablelevelofbalancewhilesimultaneouslyemphasizingasingleplayer'stalentscallsforaheadcoachtopossess technicalknowledge,strategicinsightandmaturediscretion. Anotherkeystepthatshouldbetakentoensurethattherunningbackperformseffectivelyisconstantrepetitionofbasicrunningplays.Themorearunningbacksees theblockingonaparticularplay,thebetterthe"feel"hedevelopsaboutthegivenplay.

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Overtheyears,anumberofverytalentedplayershavebeenextremelyoverused,and,intheprocess,havebeencompletelyworndown.EarlCampbell,an extraordinarilygiftedplayerfortheHoustonOilers,isanexcellentexampleofanindividualwhowassubjectedtosuchcircumstances. EricDickerson,whoplayedfortheLosAngelesRamsandtheIndianapolisColts,wasphysicallyworndown(bythewayhewasused)totheextentthathiscareer wasmeasurablyshortened.Ontheotherhand,afewextraordinarilycapableathleteshavefoundthemselvesonteamswheretheywereminimallyutilizedbecausetheir team's"system"camefirstandmaintainingbalanceintheoffenseattackwasthemajorpriority. Whatcoacheshavetokeepinmindisthefactthatsomeathleteshavegreatstaminaanddurability.Bydegree,othersdon't.Forexample,neitherWalterPaytonnor O.J.Simpsonwasconsideredabigman,yetbothcouldcarryatleast25timesagamewithoutbeingundulyphysicallystressed. TwoexcellentexamplesofhowgreatathletesshouldbeusedproperlybytheirteamsinvolveDallasCowboyplayers.TomLandrydemonstratedexcellentjudgment inthewayheutilizedTonyDorsett,andErnieZampesehasappropriatelyemployedEmmittSmithintheCowboys'highlyeffectiveoffensiveattack. Oneoftheshortcomingsinplacingasubstantialemphasisontherunninggameinvolvesthefactthatmostteamssubscribetothisapproach.Asaresult,practically everyoneontheseteamsiswaitingforthissituationtooccur. Successinthesecircumstancesismeasuredbyforwardgains.Inthemeantime,theopponentispassingextensivelyforbigchunksofyardage.Beforelong,theteam thathasabalancedoffensiveattack(i.e.,itsrunsandpassesarecombinedinapproximatelyequalnumbers)hasatwotouchdownlead. Atthatpoint,theteamthathasplannedtodominatethelineofscrimmagemusteitherabandonordrasticallyalteritsoffensivegameplan. Althoughtherunninggameismuchmorephysicallydemandingthanthepassinggame,coachesshouldkeepinmindthatthephysicalmatchupsthatoccurduringthe runninggamearenotaslikelytoenableateamtooverwhelminglydominateanotherteam.IntheNFL,thisstatementholdsparticularlytruebecauserelativelyfew athletesarevulnerabletobeingphysicallyoverpoweredonaregularbasis. Asaconsequence,astheheadcoach,youshouldnotdependonarunninggamethatreliesprimarilyontheabilityofyouroffenseto"outmuscle"youropponent.If yourplayersareunabletodominatetheopponentphysically(i.e.,becauseoftherelativephysicalparityofindividualplayersintheNFL),theymaybecomefrustrated andloseconfidenceintheteam'soveralloffensiveplan. Rather,ateam'srunninggameshouldbedesignedandimpartedtotheplayersinsuchawaythattheyfeeltherunninggamegivesthemadefinitiveadvantage,for whateverreason.Thecoachingstaffcantakeseveralstepstohelpestablishtheoptimalconditionsforsuccessintherunninggame,including: Makeeffectiveuseofformationalvariations.

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Utilizemotionand/orshiftingtoforcethedesireddefensiveadjustmentjustpriortothesnapoftheball. Packagerunningplayswithappropriateplayactionpasses. Utilizespecialplaysdesignedtotakeadvantageofdefensivecommitment,intensityandaggressiveness.

Aneffectiverunninggamecaninvolveseveralconsiderations.Oneofthemostimportantfactorsishowtherunninggameisformatted.Becausefootballisagameof geometricrelationships(relyingonnumbersandangles),ateamshouldfocusitseffortsinvolvingformationalplanningononeormoreobjectives,including: Securinganumericaladvantageatthepointofattack. Creatingblockinganglesthatenhancetheplayer'sabilitytocutofformovehisopponent. Causingdefensivehesitationinreadingtheplay. Softening(slowly)supportofthedefensivebacks.

Ultimately,developinganeffectiverunninggamerequiresthatthreeinterrelatedissuesbeaddressed.determiningthetypesofrunsidentifyingwhatrunningschemeis appropriateforthepersonnelontheteamandestablishingateam'sprioritieswithregardtoitsrunningscheme. DeterminingtheTypesofRuns Anumberofconsiderationsaffecttheprocessforselectingwhichkindofrunningplaysareappropriatetoateam'srunningscheme.Threeofthemoreimportant factorsaretheblockingschemeemployedonaparticularplay,thedegreetowhichmisdirectionplaysaresuitabletoanoffensivesystem,andtheabilityofthe quarterbacktoruntheball. Thekindsofblockingschemesusedinanoffensivesystemhaveaneffectonthetypesofplaysthatareincludedinarunninggameplan.Overtheyears,alimited numberofrunblockingschemeshavewithstoodtheongoingevolutionofoffensivefootballstrategy.Mostofthepresentdayblockingschemesfallintoeitheroftwo timetestedcategoriesmanschemesandzoneschemes.Afullydimensionaloffenseincorporatessomeformofthesetwoblockingschemes: Manschemesschemesthattakeadvantageoftheoneononematchupsbyisolatingblockersonsingle defenders. Zoneschemesschemesthatrequireblockerstocontrolanareaofthedefensivefront,ratherthana specificman.Asaresult,ablockerisabletocontroladefenderwhoismovingthroughaparticulararea ofcontrol.Zoneblockingschemesallowblockersfortherunninggametoaccountforamoreactive defensivefront(i.e.,stuntingfront),aswellasaccountforawkwardlyshadeddefensivealignments(e.g., the43slidefront,overshifted34,etc.).

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Aneffectiverunninggameisabsolutelycriticalincertainsituations(e.g.,goalline,shortyardage,latestageofthegamewhenateamwhoisaheadneedstokeep possessionoftheballandusetheclock,etc.).Intheseinstances,thebaseblockcategoryofmovingtheballisthelogicalandmoreappropriatetool. Employingmanonmanblocking,baseblockedplaysistheuniversalfoundationforrunningthefootball.Asarule,larger,strongerlinemenwithmorenatural capabilitiesarebestsuitedforthisaspectofthegame. TheeffectivenessofbaseblockedplayswasfurtherenhancedbytheeffortsofMonteClark,therenownedoffensivelinecoachwiththeMiamiDolphinsduringtheir dynastyyears.Hedevelopedandrefineda''combo"systemwithtwolinemenwhowouldinitiatetheirblockonasingledefensivelineman.Oneofthemwouldthen releasethelinebacker. ThroughtheuseoftheblockingtechniquedevelopedbyClark,MiamiwasabletodominatetheNFLalmostexclusivelywithitsrunninggame.Intheprocess,Larry Csonka,MercuryMorrisandJimKiickbecamepremierrunningbacks. Acriticalelementinabaseblockedrunningschemeisthetightendwhoservesasa"man"blocker.Hemustbeabletoeffectivelysustainablockagainstadefensive end. Anotheressentialelementofthisschemeisafullbackwhocanconsistentlytakeonandhandlethelinebacker.Manyteamscurrentlyutilizeanextratightendinplace ofthefullback. Inabaseblockedplay,theballcarrieristypicallygivenasingledefensivelinemanto"breakoff."Uponmakinghisfirstbreak,hethenbreaksoffthenextdefender.A leadbackorapullingbacksideguardcanalsobeincorporatedintotheplay.Diagram132providesanexampleofabaseblockedrunningplay. Thedesignofarunninggameplanisalsoinfluencedbythenumberandtypesofmisdirectionplaysthataredeterminedtobesuitableforaparticularrunningscheme. Asageneralrule,misdirectionplayscanbegroupedintothreecategoriescounter/trapplays,drawsandspecialplays.

Diagram132.Anexampleofbaseblockingprotectiononarunningplay.

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Counter/trapplaysareplaysthataredesignedtoproducedefensiveconflict(i.e.,tocausethedefensetohesitatewhilereadingaspecificcombinationortoquestion whatthedefendersareactuallyseeing).Theirprimarypurposeistoallowtheoffensiveteamtotakeadvantageofanoverlyaggressivedefensivechargeora conflictingdefensivereaction. Aconflictingdefensiveresponseoccurswhenadefenderproperlyreactstoanoffensivekeyorplay,butbydoingsobecomesvulnerabletoa"companion"play.As such,developingandexploitingdefensiveconflictscanplayacriticalroleinarunninggamepackage. Drawplaysaredesignedtotakeadvantageofdefensivereactionthatcanhappenwhenpassrushingdefendersandlinebackersreacttopassinggamekeys.Adraw playcanbeaneffectivecountermeasuretothehardupfieldchargeofthedefensiveline.Anothersituationinwhichadrawplayissuitableoccurswhenthelinebackers "bailout"uponrecognizingtheirpassblockingkeys.Usingadrawplayattheappropriatetimesmaypreventthelinebackersfrommaximizingtheirpasscoverage dropsandcloggingthedownfieldtrafficlanes. Specialplaysareintendedtoprovidetacticalsurprise.Sometimesreferredtoas"gadgetplays,"specialplaysareanothermethodforanoffensivesystemtodevelop defensiveconflict.Areverseplayoffersanexcellentexampleofthebasicpremiseofmostspecialplays,whichistohavedefendersoverlyreacttotheflowoftheball ortheplay. Thethirdfactoraffectingtheultimatemakeupofarunninggameschemeisthedegreetowhichateam'squarterbackcanruntheball.Incontradictiontothelongtime NFLattitudeofminimizingtheexposureofaquarterbacktobeingundulyhit,moreandmoreteamsareattemptingto"stretch"thecapacityoftheiropponents' defensesbyaddingthequarterbackintotheirrunninggameplan. Quarterbacksgetinvolvedintherunninggameinavarietyofways.Sometimes,theplayisunplanned(i.e.,thequarterbackscramblesforyardageafterhispass protectionhasbrokendown).Othertimes,theplayutilizesthequarterbackbydesignandinvolvesalmostnoriskofinjury(e.g.,thequarterbacksneak). Stillothertimes,thequarterbackscarrytheballonpreplannedplaysinvolvingasomewhathigherdegreeofriskofthequarterbackbeinginjured(e.g.,thequarterback bootleg,thequarterbackdraw).Theseplaysare"special"playsandshouldbeusedassuch.Teamsshouldnotgetintoasituationwheresuchplaysareessential elementsoftheiroffensivestrategy. Becauseateamshouldnotexposeitsquarterbacktodefendersthatanticipatehewillbecarryingtheball,thistypeofspecialplaymusthaveadefiniteelementof surprise.Thelowerthelevelofsurprisetotheplay,thehighertheriskofinjurytothequarterback. Inrecentyears,someteamshavebeguntofactoraquarterback'srunningabilityintotheirevaluativeprocess.Dependingonthetypeofoffensiveschemeateam employs,aquarterbackwhocanrun(i.e.,scramble,carrytheballonspecialplays,etc.)willreceiveadditionalattentionasaprospect.

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Identifyingan"Appropriate"RunningScheme Theprimaryprerequisitefordeterminingwhatrunningschemeateamshouldemployishowwellaparticularschemesuitsthetalentlevelofthepersonnelontheteam. Inotherwords,theheadcoachmustmatchthedemandsofasystemwiththeabilitiesofhisplayers.Theheadcoachmustalsoensurethattheteam'ssystemisflexible enoughtoaccommodateanychangeinpersonnelthatmaymakeonerunningschemebetterthananother. Whendecidingwhatrunningschemetouse,manyteamsmakethemistakeoftryingtoemployaspecificplayorschemeagainstaparticularopponentsolelybecause anotherteamusediteffectively.Unlessthe"borrowed"playisfirmlybasedonprinciplesthatarecompatiblewiththeteam'soffensivesystem,aspecificplayor schemewhichhasbeencopiedbecauseofitssuccessagainsteitheranopponentorthecoach'sownteamisnotlikelytohavesustainedsuccess. Coachessometimesoverlookthefactthataborrowedplayorschemewassuccessfullyorchestratedbydifferentpersonnelunderdifferentconditions.Forexample,a particularplaythatwaseffectivemayhavebeensetupbyacomplementaryplayoraplayactionpass.Evenwithcomparablepersonnel,ateammaynotbeableto duplicatethesuccessofaparticularplaywithoutcommittingtotheentireoffensivescheme.Thekeypointtorememberisthataborrowedplayorschemeisonly suitableforateamifit"fits"withinthephilosophyandthefundamentalprinciplesoftheteam'sexistingoffensivesystem.
Theimpressionofthesensesisstrongerthantheforceoftheideasresultingfrommethodicalreflection,andthisgoes sofarthatnoimportantundertakingwaseveryetcarriedoutwithouttheCommanderhavingtosubduenewdoubts inhimselfatthetimeofcommencingtheexecutionofhiswork. CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWarAcademy Prussia fromOnWar

EstablishingaTeam'sPriorities Astheheadcoach,youmustalwaysidentifytheprioritiesofyourteam'srunninggamewhendevelopingyourgameplan.Thebasicguidelineforestablishingpriorities requiresthattheheadcoachapplycertaindoctrinalprinciplestotheprocess.Thesefundamentalpreceptshaveservedasmuchoftheconceptualbasisforoffensive footballsincetheadventoffootball'smodernera.Amongthestepsthatyoushouldtaketoapplytheseprinciplestoyourteam'srunninggamearethefollowing: Determinethenatureoftheindividualphysicalmatchups. Isolatethematchupswhichofferanadvantage.

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Exploitthedefensivetendencies. Createanumbersadvantageatthepointofattack. Createadvantageousblockinganglesthroughformationselection. Utilizeformationsthatbestmatchdefensiveovershiftsoralignmentcommitments. Forcealignmentunfamiliarityupontheindividualdefendersthroughtheuseofshiftsandmotion. Identifyanydefensivevulnerabilityinthedefender'ssupportstructure. Attackinherentshortcomingsinthedefense. Redirecttheattackthroughanaudibleoran"over"callifthedefensivealignmenthasmadetheoriginal callinappropriate.

Itisimportantthatallweaknessesinanopponent'sdefensebeidentified.Asageneralrule,suchweaknessescaninvolvepersonnel,strategic,orschematic considerations.Whateverthesourceoftheweaknesses,however,ateamshoulddesignitsoffensivestrategytoattackdefensiveweaknessandavoidstrength. Astheheadcoach,youshouldkeepinmindthat,toadegree,yourteam'sopponentcancorrectpersonnelandstrategicweaknessesmuchmoreeasilythanitcandeal withschematicrelatedproblems.Forexample,ateamthatexperiencesperformancedifficultiesinvolvingaparticulardefendercanreplacethatathleteormovepeople around. Bythesametoken,ateamthathasadefensiveweaknessemanatingfromstrategictendenciesatleasthasthereasonableoptionofmakingappropriatestrategic adjustments.Anopposingcoachcantakenoteofhisowntendenciesandtakemeasurestoalterthetendency.Ifhedoesn't,youmustbeabletorecognizehis strategictendenciesandensurethatyourteamhasasystemoraplanwithenoughflexibilitytobestdealwiththem. Ontheotherhand,aspecificdefensivescheme'stendenciesarebasicallyinnateandcannotbealtered.Itisimportantforyoutorememberthateverydefensive scheme(e.g.,the43,the46,the34,etc.)hasoneormoreinherentvulnerablecharacteristicswhichcanbeattacked.Itstandstoreasonthatifaparticular defensiveschemeexistedthathadnoschematicvulnerabilities,thatschemewouldlikelybeemployedbyeveryteam.Sooften,itisaschemethatdoesnothavetop flightpersonnelateveryposition. Whendevelopingarunninggameplan,itisalsoimportantthatyoushouldconsideryourownteam'stendencies.Installingplaysinyourgameplanthatcounteryour offensivetendenciescandisruptanopposingteam'sdefensivestrategy. Itisimportantthatyourealize,however,thatthepresenceofastrongoffensivetacticisnotnecessarilyindicativethatsomethingshouldbechanged.Aprevalent offensiveproclivitythathasheretoforeresultedinarelativelyhighlevelofoffensiveproductionisundoubtedlyatendencyyouwantyourteamtocontinueto demonstrate.Thebasicguidelineistomakeyouropponentprovethatitsdefensecanstopyourteam'sprimaryoffensiveinstrumentbeforeyoumakemajor adjustments.

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Accountingforyourteam'soffensivetendenciescanbenefityourteaminatleastoneadditionalway.Therelativelysimpleactofbeingawareofwhatyouropponent muststopmayrequirealternativetacticsthatarenotinlinewithyourteam'snormaltactics.Inmanyinstances,incorporatingthistypeoftendencybreakerintoyour offensivesystemcancounteractdefensesdesignedtostopyourkeyplays. Anotherfactorthatshouldbeconsideredwheninstallingandimplementingarunninggameisthe"firststrike"maxim.Ateamshouldalwaystrytobeatthedefenseto the"punch"bothphysicallyandmentally.Thisobjectivecanbeaddressedeitherschematicallyorbythevariableuseofthesnapcount. Iftheoffensevariesthesnapcountproceduresitemploysatthelineofscrimmage(i.e.,hardcount,longcadence,etc.),theoffensiveplayersmaygainasignificant advantage.BecausemanyNFLdefensespridethemselveson"booking"thesnapcountprocedures(i.e.,anticipatingtheiropponent'ssnapcount)andbasetheirentire approachaccordingly(i.e.,"stemming"jumpingintoaslightlydifferentdefensivealignmentjustbeforethesnap),anoffensiveteamcanconfuseoreffectivelycounter thedefense(linemenandlinebackers).Intheprocess,theoffensemaygainameasureoftacticalandpsychologicalsuperiority. ImplementingaPassingGame Similartoitsrunninggame,ateammustconsidertheabilitiesandcapabilitiesofitsskillpositionplayerswhenstructuringitspassinggame.Itshouldalsomakea reasonableevaluationoftherelativeeffectivenessofitsabilitiestoprotectthequarterbackinpassingsituations. Inadditiontothetalentleveloftheteam,designingandimplementingapassinggameshouldalsoinvolveseveralotherconsiderations.Amongthefactorswhichshould beaddressedarethetypesofpasseswhichshouldbeincorporated,thelevelofprecisiontimingthatisachieved,theprotectionpackagewhichcanbeimplemented, theformationsandthepersonnelwhichcanbeutilized,howtoreacttospecifictypesofcoverages,passingintheredzone,andhowtoplanforsituationswhenthe quarterbackhastomoveinthepocketorscrambletotheoutside. Determiningthe"Types"ofPasses Afullydimensionalpassinggameshouldinclude,invaryingdegrees,severaltypesofpasses.Notonlydoeshavingseveralformsofpassinginthepassingschemegive ateamavarietyofoffensiveweapons,italsoenhancestheabilityoftheteamtohandleeachcontingencyconditionandsituationasitoccurs. Dependingupontheeffectivenessofthepassrush,forexample,aquarterbackhasagivenamountoftimetosetupandthrowapass.Thattimeframecandictatethe typeofpassdropthequarterbackemploys.Asarule,a3stepdrop,a5stepdrop,anda7stepdropinvolve0.7,1.2,and1.5secondsrespectively.Themore intensethepassrush,themoreappropriateisadecisiontouseapassdroptechniquetakinglesstime.Thissituationisaninstancewhereanexactingformoftimingis theessenceofthecontemporarypassinggame. Theabilitiesandskillsoftheteam'splayersalsoaffectwhatpassesareincludedinateam'sbasicgameplanandthedegreetowhichtheyareutilized.The

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followingsixcategoriesofpassesareconsideredessentialtoacompletepassingattack: The3stepdrop.Thistypeofpassisdesignedtofacilitatetheballcontrolaspectofthepassinggame.All factorsconsidered,a3stepdropisthemostappropriateplaytouse"fortakingwhatthedefensegives you."Akeyfactortoconsiderwhenusingthe3stepdroppassishowmuchyardageisgainedrelativeto thenumberoftimestheplayisrun. Anoffensiveschemeusing3stepdroppasseswhichdoesn'tproducerelativelysignificantyardage,despite numerousopportunities,maybeservingthedefensemorethantheoffense.Accordingly,thecoachingstaff shouldguardagainstbeing"seduced"bytherelativeeaseofcompleting3stepdroppasses. Thethreemostbasicpassplaysthatutilizethe3stepdropcombinationarethequickout,theslant,andthe hitch.Theyareutilizedmoreoftenaspartoftheaudibleprocessthanmadeasahuddlecall. Aquickoutpassisgenerallysuccessfulagainstan"off''coverage(asopposedtoatight"pressing" coverage).Becauseoftheangularnatureoftheroutetowardthesideline,thequickoutroute'sY.A.C. (yardageafterthecatch)potentialisminimal.Asarule,thequickoutpassyieldsonlytheyardagegainedby thedepthoftheroute(i.e.,7yards). Againstapressingcornerback,thereceivertypicallyturnsaquickoutroutetoafadeoragoroute. Dependingonthecoachingstaffsphilosophyregardingreceiverroutes,thefaderoutecanoccurastheresult ofasightadjustmentoffofaquickoutrouteorcancomeaboutbecauseofapresnapadjustmentmadeoff thequickoutroute. AslantroutepasshasconsiderablymorepotentialforY.A.C.Asuccessfulslantrouteinvolvesatleasttwo elements:Thequarterbackmusthaveanaccuratesenseofwherethe"window"is,andthereceivermust consistentlyruntheproperroute(anglewise).Boththeslantrouteandthequickoutrouterelyonspecific defensivelooksandinvolveprecisetiming. Becausefadestendtohaveaverylowlevelofefficiency,afadeisabetterplaytochecktoagainstateam thatpresentsmultipledefensivecoveragelooksunlesstheoffenseiscertainthatithasunhinderedaccessfor thequickoutroute.Thefadestophasbecomethemostpopulartypeoffaderoute. Afaderouterequiresthereceivertosprintupfield,whileallowingthepressdefendertostayevenorslightly aheadataprescribeddepth(i.e.,15yards).Inthisroute,theballisthrownbehindthereceiver,whostops andcatchestheballasthedefendercontinuesupfield. Theslantisthebestsinglerouteinfootballifpracticedextensivelyagainstthenumerouspossibledefensive responsestoit.Overtheyears,ithasbeenrunforhugegainsbythegreatreceiversofthe49ers. Forexample,JohnTaylor,JerryRice,DwightClarkandFreddieSolomonallmadegamewinningcatches andrunsofftheslantrouteduringSanFrancisco'sdynasty

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years.IcanrecallJohnTaylor,ononeoccasion,catchingaslantpassandgoingseventyfiveyardsfora winningtouchdownlateinthegame. Asaresultofcontinualpractice,JoeMontanaandSteveYoungmasteredallofthebasicroutes.Working withtheirreceiversagainstavarietyofcoveragesdesignedtoensurethattheirreceivershadtoperiodically adjusttheirroutes,thesetwoextraordinarilytalentedquarterbackswereabletoadapttheirthrowsas needed.

The5stepdrop.Thistypeofpassnormallyformsthebackboneofateam'stimingpatternpackage. Designedtobethrownbeforethedefendershavetimetorespond,the5stepdroppasscanbethrown utilizingthreedifferentfootworktechniques:thequick5stepdrop,thebig5stepdrop,anda5stepdrop plusoneortwohitch,steps. Whenaquick5stepdropisutilized,thequarterbackthrowsapassimmediatelyoffhisfifthstep,usinga quickbalancethrowaction.Anexampleofabasicquick5steprouteisthedoublesquareoutroute. Similartothe3stepquickoutroute,thedoublesquareoutrouteisdesignedtoworkbestagainsta cornerbackwhoisplayingoff.Thisrouteinvolvesprecisionandtimingbetweenthequarterbackandthe receivers. Althoughareceiverwhorunsadoublesquareoutrouteisnotlikelytogainyardageafterthecatch,this routeissomewhatmoredesirablethanthe3stepquickoutroute.Thequick5stepdropproducesadeeper completionbecausethereceiverrunshisrouteatagreaterdepth.Intheeventthatthedefensivecoverage createsasituationwherethedoublesquareoutisalowpercentagethrow,thetightendandtherunning backscanserveascontingencyreceiversandrundropoffroutes. Apassthrownusingabig5stepdropinvolvesthequarterbacktakingthreebigdrivesteps,athrottlestepto slowhisdropandafifthstepforbalance.Athirdtypeof5steppassingtechniquerequiresthequarterback tofirstexecutea5stepdropandthentakeoneortwohitchstepsbeforethrowing.Threegreat quarterbacksIworkedwithKenAnderson,DanFoutsandJoeMontanatookfivebigstepsandthrew almosttheinstanttheirrightfoothit. The7stepdrop.Thistypeofquarterbacktechniqueisdesignedtogivethereceivertimetomaneuver beforetheballisthrown.Byprovidingthereceiverwiththetimetotakeadvantageofanymismatchthat favorstheoffensebetweenhimselfandeitherthedefendersorthecoverage,the7stepdropfacilitates maximumseparationbetweenthereceiverandthedefenders.A7stepdropalsoallowsateamto incorporatelayeredroutesintoitsoffensiveattack.Inaddition,a7stepdropletsthereceivermakehis patternbreakoffadoublemoveandgivesthereceivertimetocrossthefieldoffaverticalpush. Theplaypass.Thistypeofpassisspecificallydesignedtodevelopandtakeadvantageofdefensiveconflict. Afundamentallysoundplaythatstrivestocontradictthebasicprinciplesofdefense,theplaypassinvolves gettingthedefensiveteamtoinitiallycommittoa"fake"runandthenthrowingapassbehindthedefenders offofthefake.ThreeexamplesoftheplaypassareillustratedinDiagram133.

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Diagram133.Threeexamplesoftheplaysinvolvingtheplaypass.

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Theplaypassisparticularlyeffectiveagainstdefensiveteamswhoareveryactiveagainsttherun.Theplaypassallowsateamtoexploit(anddeflate)theintensityand zealofafiredupdefense.Inordertoensurethattheplaypassisdesigned,practicedandproperlyutilized,thefollowingkeyelementsmustbeaddressed: Theplaypassmustappearasclosetothebasicrunningplayaspossible. Lineblocking,atleastatthepointofattack,mustsimulaterunblocking. Therunningbacksmustrunthesamecoursesastherunplay,andmustdeliberatelyholdthefake throughthelineofscrimmage. Thequarterback'smechanicsmustduplicatethoseofthebasicrun.Hisactionsonboththepassandthe runshouldbeuniform. Thosedefendersthatarebeingattackedmustbepinpointed.Theycouldbeinsidelinebacker,outside linebacker,weaksafety,strongsafetyorcornerback.Thedesignoftheplayshouldbedirectedata specificdefender. Themoresuccessfulandoftenusedrunningplayisthelogicalactionfromwhichtoplaypass. Ballhandlingandfakingshouldbepracticedaspartofaregularschedule,oftenafterregularpracticeis completed.Hereanappreciationfortheintricaciesofthetechniquesisestablished. Specificperiodsshouldbeestablishedduringthepracticeweekforteamexecution(forexamplea 10playperiodonThursdayforaSaturdaygame). Shortyardageandgoallinesituationscallforaggressiveblockingbelowthepadlevelofthedefensive line.Anyeasingupmakesforeasydiagnosisbylinebackersanddefensivebacks. Thefakingbackandthequarterbackmustknowwhichdefendertheyaregoingafter.Theirfakesare thendirectedtofoolthatman.Adifferenceexistsbetweenfoolingacornerandaninsidelinebacker, etc.

Theactionpass.Thistypeofpassisdesignedtogetoutsidetheperimeterofthedefensebyaddinga dimensionwherethequarterbackmightruntheball.Thequarterbackcanbreakcontaineitheroffaplayfake orbydirectlymovingtheoffensivepocket.Thekeyelementisthathecanshortenthedistanceofhisthrow andcanachieveathrowinglanetothereceiveroutsidethepassrusher. Havingtosimultaneouslydealwiththepossibilitythattheplaycaninvolveeitherapassorarunbythe quarterbackcanplaceextraordinarydemandsonateam'sperimeterdefense.Properlyexecuted,anaction passcancreateasevereverticalstretchinarelativelysmallareaoftheplayingfield,whileatthesametime stretchingthedefensivefronthorizontally.Itstandstoreasonthattheactionpassaspectofateam'spassing attackismuchmoreviableiftheteam'squarterbackishighlymobile. Thescreenpass.Thistypeofpassisdesignedtotakeadvantageofanintensepassrushanddefensive posturing,particularlywhentheoffenseisinadisadvantageousdownanddistancesituation.Itisimportantto notethatscreen

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passesdonothavetoproducesubstantialyardagegainstohaveameaningfulimpactonateam'soffensive package.Justthethreatofthrowingascreenpassonsubsequentplaysisoftensufficienttoslowdownthe defensiverush. Thekeyistokeepdefensivelinemenfromreadingthescreeninglinemen.Manyvariationsexistinthis regardfromquickhittingpastdevelopingscreenstomuchdelayedscreensoffplaypasses.Whenandhow linemenreleasetakesconsiderablecoachingandpracticerepetitions.

RecognizingtheNeedforPrecisionTiming Astheheadcoach,youmustcarefullymonitorthetimingofthepassinggame.Thepassinggameshouldbeconstantlyevaluatedwithregardtothecoordinatedtiming betweenthereceiversbreakingintothepasswindowandthequarterbackreleasingtheball.Severalfactorscanaffectthetimingofapasspattern,including: Theabilityofthereceivertoreadthedefensivecoverages.Areceiverusuallyhastheoptiontobreakoff orconvertaroutebaseduponthedefender'saction.Asaresult,thereceivermustbeabletoproperly readthecoverageanddecisivelymakethenecessaryrouteadjustments.Onmostinsidebreaking patterns,adistinctdifferenceexistsbetweenamanandazonedefense. Theabilityofthereceivertoverticallypushhisroutetotheappropriatedepth.Thereceivermustbein topphysicalconditionsothatheconsistentlyrunshisroutetotherequireddepth.Areceiverwhois fatiguedmayunconsciouslycuthisroutedown,therebydisruptingthetimingofthepass. Thereceivermustburst,thenbreak.Thisburstisdesignedtosetthedefenderonhisheels.Typicallyfor aroutethatdevelopsdownthefield,thereceiverburstsofftheline,comesundercontrol,burststhelast fiveyardsandthenbreaks. Thedepthofthequarterbackdrop.Thequarterbackmaychophissteps,whenheshouldbedrivingoff thelineofscrimmage.Thissituationmaybecausedbyseveralfactorsincludingfatigue,impatience,poor footwork,oranunconsciousreactiontothereceivercuttingdownhisroute.Thequarterbackmustget quickinitialseparationfromhisblockers. Theconsistencyofthecheckdownreceiverindelayinghisreleaseintohisroute.Hemustcheckand releaseinamannerwhichallowshimtobreakopenjustasthequarterbackcompleteshisprogressionor scan.Thisaction,inturn,separateshimfromthepassrusher.Theoutletreceivershouldconcentrateon thequarterback.Hemightgettheballatthelastsecond. Thequalityofpassprotection.Poorpassprotectionmaycausethequarterbacktohurryonthe5step dropsandthe7stepdrops.Ifthereceiverrespondstotheshorteneddropofthequarterbackby compressinghisrouteasheattemptstoadjusttothequarterback'squickerreleaseoftheball,theend resultofpoorpassprotectionmaybeadisruptionoftheprecisiontimingneededbetweenthe quarterbackandthereceiver.

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QuarterbackEfficiency Quarterbackefficiencyisthecornerstoneofafullydimensionalpassingattack.Inorderforateamtoachievecontinuedsuccess,itsquarterbackmustperformata sustainedlevel,weekinandweekout. Throughoutmycareerasacoach,thequarterbacksonmyteamshavebeenrankedassomeofthemostefficientquarterbacksintheirleague.Thissituationbegan whenIwasonthestaffoftheCincinnatiBengals. MyfirstquarterbackwiththeBengals,GregCook,ledtheNFLinthiscategory.Mynextsignalcaller,VirgilCarter,wasratednearthetopfive.LikeCook,Ken Anderson,thelastquarterbackIworkedwithwhileIwaswithCincinnati,alsoledtheNFLinquarterbackefficiency. DuringmyrelativelybriefstaywiththeSanDiegoChargers,DanFoutsmadedramaticimprovementsinhislevelofefficiency.WhenIwaswithStanford,Guy BenjaminandSteveDilsledtheNCAA,andSteveStenstrombrokeallPAC10conferencerecordsforquarterbackefficiency. IntheNFL,49erquarterbacksJoeMontanaandSteveYoungarebothconsideredthemostefficientpassersoftheirera.Eachhasbeenpickedasthemostvaluable playerintheNFLandhasbeennamedastheMVPoftheSuperBowl.Betweenthetwo,theyhavewonsixworldchampionships. ImplementingaProtectionPackage Thecaliberofateam'sprotectionpackageisoftenthesinglebestindicatorofhowcomprehensiveitspassingschemeis.Thescopeandlatitudeoftheprotection schemessetthelimitsofthepassinggamepackage.Afullyfunctionalprotectionschemeallowsateamtoutilizethefullspectrumofitspassinggame. Afullyfunctionalprotectionschemeneutralizesthepassrushsothatateamhastheabilitytothrow"hot,"floodthefieldwithfivemenout,providemaximum protectionwithonlytwomenout,providesolidprotectiontoonesideofthequarterbackoranother,andusecheckdownrouteswiththerunningbacks.Afully functionalschemehasseveraldistinctanddefiniteproperties,including: Standardizedblockingrulesthatapplytoallfronts. Standardizedblockingruleadjustmentsthatapplytofrontswhichemployanoverloadprinciple(e.g., overshifted34defense). Adaptabilityforbothmanandzoneschemes.Certainlivestuntsrequireeithermanorzoneprotection. Linecallsthatinitiategapprotectionwhenneeded(e.g.,againstatriangularblitzfromalinebacker throughthe"A"gapwiththecenterandtheguardcoveredor,onoccasion,the"B"gapwhenthetackle iscalleddown). Aschemethatisdesignedwithregardtothedepthofthequarterback'sdropatthelineofshort protectionforcertain5stepdropsanddeepprotectionfora7stepdrop.

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Anapplicationtoformationprinciples(e.g.,the7mansplitbackprotection,andthe"79"protection whichisusedwhentheoffensiveteamlinesupinasetwherethefullbackisalignedbehindthe quarterback,etc.). Acorrelationwiththe"hot"principlesandthe"sightadjustments."Anexampleofcorrelationwitha"hot" principlewouldbetheguardignoringadelayedlinebackerblitzagainstaonebacksetbecausethe linebackeristhe"hot"read.Theprincipleisineffectwhentherearetoomanyrushersforthenumberof blockers.Inthisinstance,theoutsiderushershouldbetheunblockedman. Anadaptabilitythatallowsateamtodoubleteamadominantpassrusher.

Afullydimensionalpassingattackemploysanumberofdifferentprotectionschemes.Anoffensivepackagethathasalimitednumberofprotectionschemesmaybe constrainedbythefactthatthedefenseonlyhastodesigncountermeasuresagainstafewisolatedprotectionschemes. Protectionschemesmusthavetheflexibilitytoallowalleligiblereceiverstoimmediatelyreleaseononeextremeorofferfullprotectionreleasingonlytworeceivers.It isalsoimportanttohavethecapacitytokeepbigmenonbigmen.Thissteprequiresslidingoffthelinetowardanovershiftwhich,inturn,movesthebackstothe otherside.Thiscallismadebyeitherthecenterorthequarterback. IdentifyingTypesofProtectionSchemes Severalbasictypesofpassprotectionschemesexistdropback,playactionandturnback.Eachtypeisemployedwithaspecifickindofpass. Inturn,therearefourkindsofdropbackpassprotectionschemes:Thequickscheme,the7manscheme,the5and6manschemeandthe8manscheme.The5 manand6manprotectionsaresocloselyrelatedthattheyareconsideredtobeasinglescheme. Thequickscheme.Thistypeofdropbackpassprotectionschemeisanaggressiveschemewhichutilizes man/zoneprinciples.Inthisscheme,theoffensivelinemenmustattackthepassrusherslowandhardand createa"picketline"justacrossthelineofscrimmage. The7manscheme.Collectively,thistypeofdropbackpassprotectionschemeinvolvesagroupof threedifferentprotectionschemes(e.g.,splitback,weakflow,andsinglebackturnback).A7man schemeisemployedinconjunctionwithplaysutilizingdeepprogressionreads.Theseplaysdonotrelyon therunningbacksreleasingtostretchthecoverage. The5and6manscheme.Thistypeofdropbackpassprotectionschemerequiresthequarterbackto actastheseventhmanintheprotectionscheme.Thequarterbackfulfillstheroleoftheseventhprotector bydumpingtheballofftoa"hot"receiver.

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Inordertominimizetheneedforthequarterbacktodroptheballoff"hot,"thesetypesofprotectionswill "dualread"or"fan"alineman(manscheme)oraback(turnbackscheme)toaccountforthesixthrusher.A "dualread"involvesatechniqueinwhichthelineman/backisresponsibleforcheckingtheinsidelinebacker first,andthentheoutsidelinebacker. Ifonlyonedefendercomes,thequarterbackisfreetocontinuewithhisrouteprogression.Ifbothdefenders come,thequarterbackmustutilizehis''hot."Inthismanner,thedefensemustusuallybringsevendefendersin ordertoforcea"hot"throwbythequarterback. The"fan"protectiontechniqueisdesignedtoturntheguardandtackleout(providedtheguardisuncovered) tothetwomostprobablerushers.However,ina5or6man"hot"scheme,thistechniqueleavesthe quarterbackvulnerabletoaninside"dogging"linebacker.Assuch,itshouldonlybeusedwhenyoucan isolateateamthatdoesnotbringitsinsidelinebackersasrushers.Allfactorsconsidered,a5and6man passprotectionschemeisthemostcomplexprotectionprocedureemployedinafullydimensionalpassing attack.

The8manscheme.Thistypeofdropbackpassprotectionschemeischaracterizedbykeepingtherunning backsandthetightendintoblock.An8manprotectionschemeisusedpredominatelyinateam'saudible packagetopickupan8manblitz.Althoughthe8manschemelimitsthenumberofreceiversinthepattern totwo,ifit'sproperlyexecuteditwillgivebothwidereceiversanopportunitytogodeepbyenablingthem tobreakofftheirsecondcut.Adeeprouteinvolvingtwocutsincreasestheprobabilityofa"big"playover thetopofthe8manblitz.Iftheirassigneddefenderdoesnotblitz,eacheligiblemanreleasesasanoutlet receiverversusazonedefense. Twoothertypesofpassprotectionschemesaredesignedforspecifickindsofplaysplayactionplays andactionpasses.Bothprotectionschemesinvolveoneofthreescenarios:ahardplayfakebythe quarterbackwhileheremainsinthepocketinitiallyaplayfakeandthenthequarterbackbreakscontain anda"dash"playwherethequarterbacksimplybreakscontain. Theplayactionprotectionisgenerallyrelatedtotherunplaybeingfaked.Themostcommonplayaction protectionschemeisaturnbackor"uncovered/down"protection.Inthisscheme,thefirst"uncovered lineman"atthepointofattackturnsbackwitheachlinemaninsideofthedownblockalsoturningbackto hiscorrespondingbacksidegap.Theremainingplaysidelineman/backsand/ortightendwillaccountforthe remainingstrongsidedefenders. Actionpassblockingisdesignedtoisolatetheendmanonthelineofscrimmage.Everyblockerontheline ofscrimmageblocksthefirstdefensivethreatalignedintheoppositedirectionofthequarterback'saction. Ondashplays,a"fan"techniqueisutilizedonthebackside,combinedwithareachtechniqueonthe frontside. Withregardtoplayactionandactionpasses,everyteammustensurethathisquarterbacksrealizethat anytimetheyturntheirbackstothedefense,theyareinavulnerableposition.Assuch,aquarterbackmust beallowedtoaudibleoutofmorevulnerablesituations.

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Allwarfareisbasedupondeception. SunTzu ChineseMilitaryStrategist TheArtofWar

UsingFormationsandPersonnelinthePassingGame Astheheadcoach,youcanaugmentandexpandyourteam'spassingstructurebyproperlyutilizingcertainformationsandteampersonnel.Forexample,youcanuse formationsandmotionstoisolatespecificmatchupsandtocausethedefensetomakeadjustmentsthatyoucananticipate. Itisimportantthatyoubeabletoaccuratelypredictthedefensivealignmenttoaparticularformationwhichyourteamisemployingtoisolateafavorablematchup.If thedefenserespondstotheformationinamannerwhichyouexpected,thentheformationisavalidmethodforestablishingafavorablematchup.Ontheotherhand,if thedefensedoesnotrespondintheanticipatedmanner,theformationisnotasuitablemeansforcreatingthedesiredmatchup.Moreimportantly,inthelattersituation, suchaformation(ormotion)mayactuallybedoingmoreharmthangoodifitiscausingconfusioninyourquarterbackoryourreceiversaboutwhatadjustmentsthe defensewillmakeinaparticularsituation. Theproperuseofpersonnelcanbeanotherkeyfactoraffectingthelevelofsuccessachievedbyateam'soffensivesystem.Itiscriticalthatateamhasitsbestplayers inthegametogetthejobdone.Inturn,thesuitabilityoftheseplayerstoparticularoffensivealignmentscanhaveasignificantimpactontheoffensivegameplan.For example,ifateam'smostdesirablepersonnelmatchupscanbeachievedinastandardpersonnelalignment(i.e.,tworunningbacks,atightend,andtwowide receivers),thenthatteamcangainanadvantageonthedefenseinthatoneofthedeterminantsthatdefensestypicallyuseinmakingtheirdefensivecalls(i.e.,down/ distanceandpersonnel)iseliminated. Inturn,ifateam'spersonnelprovideitwiththeflexibilitytobreakintootherformationsfromthestandardalignment(i.e.,arunningbackshiftsoutintoa3wide receiverconfiguration),thentheoffensemaybeabletoachieveameasurableadvantageby"stretching"thedefense'spersonnelonthefieldatthetimefurtherthanthey wantto(andshould)beemployed.Ifthedefensemakesasubstitutiontryingtoanticipatearunorapassfromtheoffense'sbasicpersonnelconfiguration,

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thentheoffensehasattainedanadvantage(e.g.,despitethefactthatthedefenseputsinitsnickelpackageona2ndandlongsituation,theoffenseisabletoexecutea legitimaterunningplaybecauseitstightendandleadbackarestillinthegame). Resourcefulsubstitutionisanothereffectivemethodforenablingtheoffensetodictatetothedefensewhatthedefensecandoonagivendownanddistance particularly,firstandseconddown.Forexample,ifateamcandeterminewhatadjustment(e.g.,specificdefenders,defensivealignment,etc.)adefensewillmakeif certainoffensivepersonnelareinsertedintothegame(e.g.,threewidereceivers),then,inessence,theoffensecandictatewhatthedefenseisgoingtodo. Anextensivestudyshouldbemadeeachweektoevaluatethethirdandfourthcornerbacksyouropponentwillsubstitutethatweek.Thematchupsbetweenyour secondandthirdreceiversandthesecornerbackscanoftenbecriticaltothirddownpassing. Iftheoffensecanvaryitssubstitutionswithanarrayofdifferentpersonnelgroupings(e.g.,twotightends,threewidereceivers,regular,fourwidereceivers,etc.),the defensecanbeputintoapositionofconstantlyhavingtotrytokeepupwiththeoffense'sadjustments.Whateverthesubstitutionpattern,noadditionalinsightintothe offense'sintentionsshouldbegiventodefenseparticularlyonfirstorseconddown. ReactingtoCoverages Apassingattackmusthavebasicelementsthatenablethequarterbacksandthereceiverstomakenecessaryadjustmentswhenitcomestoreactingtozoneversus mancoverages.IntheNFLinthe1990s,offensiveteamscannotisolatetoanyhighdegreeofcertaintythebasiccoveragepackagesthatareemployedbythedefense inaparticularsituation.Teamshavedevelopedmultidimensionaldefensiveschemesandgotogreatlengthstohidetheirintentionstoemployaspecificscheme. Acompletepassingattackiswellversedinanticipatingmanandreactingtozonecoverage.Virtuallyeveryroutecombinationmusthavesomeidentifiablesequencing forthequarterbacktoadjusttobasedonachangefromtheanticipatedcoverage. Ateam'spassingstructuremusthaveadistinctmechanismthatallowstheuseofaudiblestoenablethequarterbacktoreadilyaccessdifferentaspectsofthesystem. Thisaspectisvitalinordertotakeadvantageofaparticularcoverageoraspecificmismatchthatoccurseventhoughateamisnotabletospecificallyisolateitinits playcallingsequenceduetothemultidimensionalnatureofthedefense.Forexample,audiblingtospecific"explosiveplays"allowsateamtotakeadvantageofa particularvulnerabilitythatexistsinaspecificcoverageordefensiveschemebutonethatonlypresentsitselfafewtimesduringagame. PassingintheRedZone Oneofthemostpronouncedchangesthathasoccurredinthegameoverthepastfiveyearshasbeentheattentiongiventodevelopinganeffectiveoffensivestrategy forscoringfromtheredzone.BlanketfouracrosszonecoveragehasbecomeapopularredzonecoverageschemeintheNFL,therebymakingitdifficultfor receiverstoget

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openintheendzone.Becauseofthecongestionintheendzonecausedbythefouracrosszone,themosteffectiveredzonepassingstrategyisusuallytothrowshort passesortodroptheballofftoaskilledreceiverorarunningbackwhoseathleticism(i.e.,theabilitytorunaftercatchingapass)offersthebestopportunitytoscore intheredzone.

Theunknownisthegoverningprincipleofwar. GeneralFerdinandFoch.1919 Commander,AlliedForces WorldWarI

PlanningforSituationswhentheQuarterbackisForcedtoScramble Althoughascramblingquarterbackisusuallyindicativeofthefactthatanoffensivebreakdownofsomesorthasoccurred,establishingguidelinesforthequarterback tofollowinthissituationcansalvageapositiveoutcomeontheplay,Amongtheguidelinestowhichthequarterbackshouldadherewhenheisforcedtoscrambleare thefollowing: Anticipatedthatoneinfivedropbackpasseswillresultinascramble.Asaconsequence,considerable practicetimeshouldbeallottedtothisaspectofthegame. Keephisheadupandlookdeep,scanningfromdeeptoshallowforanopenreceiver.Don'twastethe throw. Looktothenearsidelineforanopenreceiver.Ifeverytimeyouscrambleyoucompleteashortpass (i.e.,afiveorsixyardpass),thedefenseisintheprocessofbeing"broken."Ontheotherhand,ifyour attemptstoscrambleresultinyoubeingsacked,hitorhavingtothrowtheballaway,thedefensewill begintodominatetheoffense.Inturn,theoffensewillunravel. Throwadirectpass,notaleadingpass,tothereceiver. Softenthethrowtooffsettheaddedvelocityofaballthrownontherun. Lookfordefendersmovingontangentstowardthereceivers.

Whenaquarterbackisforcedtoscramble,hisreceiversalsohaveadditionaladjustmentstheyshouldmake.Amongthestepswhichareceivershouldundertakeifthe quarterbackisscramblingarethefollowing: Deviatehispatterntothequarterback'slineofsightwhenthequarterbackleaveshisthrowingposition. Moveinthesamedirectionasthequarterbackonaplaneparalleltothequarterback'sscramble.

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Workbacktowardthelineofscrimmageifthequarterbacktargetsyoubetweenthepassdefenders. Concentrate.Stayalert.Attacktheballifitisthrowntoyou. Slideonthehorizontalplaneifrunningabacksideroute. Remainstationaryifopentowardthesideofthescramble(movetowardthequarterback). Moveupthesidelineifyouarethewidestreceiveronthesideofthescramble. "Sitdown"inthevoidbetweentheshallowanddeepdefenders(movetowardthequarterback). Workbacktothelineofscrimmagetoscreenorlegallyblockadefenderifthequarterbackrunstheball. Scramblingtoyourleftcanbeextremelydangerous.Arighthandedquarterbackgoingtohisleftis vulnerablebecauseunderpressurehecan'tgethisrightarminpositiontothrow.Ashedoes,heis relativelyhelpless.Duringmycoachingcareer,Ipersonallylostthreedifferentquarterbackstoshoulder separationssufferedwhenscramblingtotheirleft,beinghitanddriventothegroundontheirleftshoulder. Ifforcedtogoleft,thequarterbackmustgetgoodclearancefromhispursuersandthenthroworrun.

ExtremeOffensiveSystem Oneofthefactorsthatmustbeconsideredwhendesigninganoffensivesystemisthatthesystemmustaccountforwhatitsowndefensewilltypicallyseefromweekto week.Inthatregard,ifateamemploysanextremestyleofoffense,itsdefensiveunitwon'tgetarealisticopportunitytopracticeagainstanoffensivelookthatitmight actuallyface. Extremeoffensivesystems,suchastherunandshootononeendofthecontinuumandatotallyconservative,"fieldposition,"groundattackteamontheotherend, simplydonothavethenecessaryscopetohelppreparetheirowndefense.Forexample,afourreceiverteamwillbehardpressedtofieldadefensethatwillbe effectiveagainsttherun.Conversely,ateamwhoseoffensiveschemereliesheavilyonrunningtheballandonlyutilizesalimited,unsophisticatedpassinggamewillfield adefensethatisvulnerable(allotherfactorsconsidered)toawellexecutedpassingattack.

Theblow,whenstruck,musttobesuccessfulbesuddenandheavy. GeneralRobertE.Lee CommandingGeneral ArmyoftheConfederacy

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ReinforcingOffensiveAxioms Theabilityofateamtomaintainitsoffensiveproductivityduringthecourseoftheseasoninvolvesanumberoffactors.Theheadcoachshouldtakestepstoensure thattheplayersareawareofthesefactors.Amongtheoffensiveaxiomstheheadcoachshouldemphasizetotheteamandthecoachingstaffeachyeararethe following: Youmustfinishapassrusherwhenthedefendergetsintotrouble.Buryhim. Thequarterbackmustnotbecomedesperateorrecklessattheendoftheplaywhenthedefenseis closinginonhim. Everyoneshouldbeawarethat"big"fumblesoftenoccurattheendof"big"plays.Asaresult,ball carriersmustprotecttheballwhenthey'refatiguedandtackled. Theoffenseshouldmoveexplosivelyatthesnapoftheballandbeatthedefensetothepunch.Beating thedefensetothepunch(i.e.,gettingtherefirst)istheessenceoftheoffensivegame. Theballcarriershouldrunattackatthedesignatedpointofattack,andthenslideifnecessary. Theballcarriershouldcarrytheballdecisively.Effectiveblockingwillenabletherunnertogainthefirst 34yardsafterthatpoint,additionalyardagewillbeproducedbytheeffortsoftheballcarrier. Theoffensivelinemusthavethedisciplinetomaintaintheproperfundamentals,techniquesandcallswhile blocking.Soundcommunicationisindispensable. Blockersshouldnotopentheirhipstothequarterbackwhilepassblocking.Iftheydo,thequarterback willbesacked. Oneofthekeystoeffectivepassprotectionishelpingeachotherplayersshouldmovedecisivelyto assistteammateswhenthey'reforcedtodoso.Iftheylosetheirman,theymustholdandmustnotgive up.Theyshouldlookforsomeoneelsetoblock. Receiversshouldruntheirpassroutesdecisivelyaspracticed.Disciplineddepthandpositionarevital.All routesinthegamemustbeexactlyaspracticed. Receiversshouldrundecisivelyaftercatchingtheballwhetherwhileattemptingtogainextrayardageor whilemakingabigplay.Againstazonecoveragewithsplitdefenders,receiversshouldnotstopand dodgedefenders. Everyballcarrier(whetherit'sarunnerorareceiver)shouldsecurelyholdontotheballwhenhithe shouldthink"ball"whentackled. Thequarterbackshouldtakealossonplaysonwhichheisrunningtheballifnecessaryhemustnot attempttothrow"hopeshotpasses." Theblockermustkeephisheadonthepropersideofthedefenderwhileblocking. Therunningbacksmustemployproperblockingtechniques.Oneoftheprimarykeystotherunninggame istheblockingofthebacks.

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Thereceivershouldseetheballfirst,beforeattemptingtocatchit.Onatimedroute,asheturnshishead, thereceivershouldlookforaballontopofhim,andthentracetheexpectedpathoftheballbacktothe quarterback. Nooneshouldcommitapenaltyattheendoftheplay.Soundjudgmentshouldbeusedbyeveryone.No stupiddisplayoftoughnessshouldbemade. Everyoneshouldbeflexibleenoughduringthegametomakenecessaryadjustmentsintheirtechniques andresponsibilities.Thismattershouldbediscussedanddecideduponwithcoachesbetweenseries. Selfinflictederrorsleadtolossesand,assuch,mustbeavoided.Ifyoumakeone,forgetit,learnfromit andkeepgoing. Mutualrespectforteammatesisimportant.Thisrespectisrelatedtotheperformancethatyoudemandof eachindividual.Hemustperformasexpected. Ballcarrierswholoseyardageonaplayshouldnotlosetheirpoise.Theyshouldlearnfromwhat happened. Theoffense,asawholeandindividually,mustthinkclearlyandefficiently.Thiscapabilityisestablished throughconcentrationinpractice. Offensiveplayersshouldcommunicateplainlyandclearlywitheachotherandthecoachingstaffatall times(i.e.,duringpractices,meetingsonthesideline,andwhileinthegame.

DeterminingtheFutureDynamicsofOffenseintheNFL OffensesintheNFLareconstantlyevolvinginresponsetosuchfactorsasrulechanges,morehighlyskilledplayers,defensiveadjustments,differentpriorities,etc.As aresult,futuredynamicsofoffenseintheNFLmayresultinthefollowingcircumstances: Teamswillhuddleonlywhentheclockisstopped. Teamswillusesinglewordoffensiveaudibles. Thetimingbetweenthequarterbackandthereceiverwillbemoredefined. Thequarterbackwillreceivedirectionfromthecoachatthelineofscrimmage.Becausetheballcanbe putintoplayatanymoment,thedefensemustcommititselfwithitsfrontandcoverage. Substitutionswillenterthegamewhenthewhistleblowsandgoimmediatelytothelineofscrimmage.As theyapproach,thequarterbackwillcallboththeformationandtheplay(ortheaudible).Theballwill thenbeputinplayimmediately. Thequarterbackwilllooktothesidelinetheinstantthewhistleblowsonthepreviousplaytoseewhich personnelcombinationisenteringthegame.Thedesignatedcoachindicatestheformationtothe quarterbackandwhetherheshouldaudiblehisownplayorwillreceiveaplaycallfromthecoach.Allof thesestepswilloccurwithoutahuddle. Thequarterbackwillhaveevenmorelatitudeinaudiblingatthelineofscrimmage.Hisdecisionswill overridethosebythecoachsignalinginaplaycall.

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Theneedtoprotectthequarterbackwillbeevengreaterbecauseofthefactthatthedefenderswillbe larger,strongerandfasterandabletohitharder.Unfortunately,itmaytakesomethingcatastrophic beforetheNFLaddressesthisissue. Newsystems,theoriesandphilosophieswillbedevelopedovertheyears(e.g.,therunandshoot offense,the46defense,etc.).Becausemuchcanbelearnedfromtheseefforts,itisessentialthateachbe examinedclosely.However,fullyembracingthesenewwaysofthinkingwillonlyleadtodisappointment.

DevelopingaDefensiveSystem Similartoitsoffensivesystem,ateamshouldhaveafullydimensionaldefensivesystemthatisbothfunctionalandflexible.Afunctional,flexibleandinnovativedesign providesthebaseforachampionshipdefense.Byitsnature,sounddefensivefootballiscontingencybased.Thecontingencyfactorwhichmostoftendrivesthe defenseisthefieldsituation(e.g.,downanddistance,fieldposition,etc.).Defensesmustalsoaccountforcircumstanceswhicharetimerelated(e.g.,twominutesto goattheendofhalf,etc.).Finally,thedefensivesystemmustbereadytorespondtothereactiveelementsofthegame(e.g.,1stdownafteranexplosivepass,1st downafteraturnover,etc.). Ofthethreeelementswhichadefensivesystemmustbeabletoaddress,thereactivesituationsarethemostintense.Offensesusuallyarestructuredtomaximizethe yardagegainingpotentialofareactivesituation.Oneofthecharacteristicsofasounddefenseisthefactthatalldefendersarefullyawareoftheneedforsharpening theirfocusinreactivesituations. Astheheadcoach,youmustconsidercertainfactorswhendesigning,developingandimplementingyourteam'sdefensivesystem.Amongthestepsthatyoucantake tohelpensurethatyourteamhasasounddefensivesystemarethefollowing: Designadefensivesystemthatisbuiltaroundtheplayers.Asarule,theheadcoachshouldnotfallinto thetrapofholdingtoapuristphilosophyorsystem.Findasystemwhichfitsthetalentsofyourplayers. Playerscannotadjusttheirtalentleveltofitthedemandsofthescheme.Theathletemustbephysically capableofperformingthetasksrequiredofhim. Developadefensivesystemwhichhighlightstheplayers'talents.Notonlymustthetalentfitthesystem, thesystemmustservethetalent.Incorporateelementsofdefensivefootballthatallowthetalentonthe teamtoreachitsfullestpotential. Utilizesimplereads.Avoidexplanationstotheplayersthatinvolvesuperfluousverbiage.Keepinmind thatallfactorsconsidered,anattackingdefensecannotbea"thinking"defense,itshouldbeaninstinctive defense.Thecoachingstaffmustprovidethedefenderswithsimplereadsandmaximumquality repetitionsatrespondingtotheirreads.Repetitioninpracticeiscentraltodevelopinginstincts.

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Employadefensiveschemethatcanmaximizetheabilityofateamtoexploitaoneononematchupthat favorsthedefense.Theschemeshouldallowtheteamtotakeadvantageofanopportunisticmatchup.Two examplesofadefensiveteamaddressingaparticularmatchupinvolve: Usingadefensethatovermatchesthetightend.Adefensiveschemethatisdesignedtocreatea favorablematchupoverthetightendcanproducequiteanadvantage. Usingadefensethatgivesateamtheabilitytodoublecoverareceiver.Squatcoveragesand bracketcoveragesareexamplesoftwoofthetechniquesthatcanbebuiltintothedefensivescheme totaketheoffense'spremierreceiveroutoftheflowofthegame.

Anotherprimaryfeatureofaneffectivedefenseisthatitissufficientlyflexible.Becausesounddefensivefootballissituationdriven,adefensiveschememustbeableto forcefullyaddressatleastfivespecificsituationsifitistobesuccessful.Thefivesituationsforwhichateamshoulddevelopaspecificdefensivestrategyare: Goalline(i.e.,insidethefiveyardline). Shortyardage(e.g.,3rdand2,or4thand2,etc.). Longyardage(i.e.,theoffensemustgettenormoreyardsinasingledown). Prevent(i.e.,extremelylongsituationsortimerelatedsituations). 3rdandthreetheawkwardpossessiondown(i.e.,thedownuponwhichcontinuedpossessionis dependentsituationthatissensitivetotime,score,locationonthefield,etc.).

Despitethewelldeservedaccoladesforthe"WestCoastOffense,"muchoftheSanFrancisco49ers'successovertheyearscanhonestlybeattributedtoitsdefense. TheeffortsofhighlytalentedcoacheslikeGeorgeSeifert,ChuckStudley,BillMcPherson,RayRhodesandPeteCarrolltodesignanddirectthedefenseshada majorimpactonthegridironaccomplishmentsofthe49ers. The49ers'defensewasitselfadominatingforce.Theattackingnatureofthe49ers'defensivescheme,coupledwiththesliding43philosophyonwhichitwasbased, epitomizedthequalitiesofaggressiveness,flexibility,andsimplicity.Aswithanysuccessfuldefensivescheme,the49ers'defensewasbuiltupontheskillsoftheplayers onafoundationofcontrolledmovement. Developingagreatdefensivesystemisquitesimilartoestablishingagreatoffensivesystem.Itmustinvolveateachingprocessthatisproperlysequenced.The defensivesystemmustbeevaluatedastoitsoverallobjectivesandthenpartitionedintospecificteachingunits.Theinstructionofeachoftheunitsshouldthenproceed inaconcisemannerthatresultsinmeasurableoutcomes.Duringthesequencing,thesystemshouldfocusonaddressingthecontingencieswhichitwillfaceduringthe season.

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IdentifyingtheComponentsofanEffectiveDefense Aneffectivedefensemustbesoundagainstboththerunandthepass.Amongotherfactorsonwhichasounddefensiveschemeshouldbebasedarethefollowing: Takesawaywhattheopponentdoesbest. Acriticalaspectofanysuccessfuldefensivegameplanistotakeawaywhattheopponentdoes best.Thisstepdoesnotinvolvediminishingthesoundnessofthedefenseagainsttheotherfeatures oftheopponent'soffense,butitmayentailtakingrisks.Suchanexamplemustbegiventothe playersinplanningandpracticingit. Overloadingcaninvolvemanydifferentdefensivestrategies.Forexample,anoffensiveteamwhich likestospreadthefieldcanbeoverloadedintwoways:eitherbystormingtheweaknessofthe offensiveformationwhileriskingathinperimeterontheoffense'sstrongside,orbyblanketingthe perimeteroneachsideoftheoffenseandmaintainingathininnerdefensiveline.Theprincipleof overloading,ifappliedcorrectly,canresultinatleastoneverymeaningfulstrategicadvantageit canforcetheoffensetomakeanadjustmenttothedefense.Adefensiveschemethatforces numerousadjustmentsbytheoffensealwayshasarelativelylargeadvantageovertheoffense. Keepinmindthattheexistenceofdefensivetendenciescanhaveagreaterimpactthanthepresence ofoffensivetendencies.Asaresult,ateamshouldhaveafullydimensionaldefensethatincludes proceduresformakingimmediateadjustmentsasneeded.Ontheotherhand,thefocusofa defensiveplanshouldnotbeoverlyinfluencedbyananalysisofone'sowndefensivetendencies. Theprimaryfocalpointofadefensivegameplanmustbetheopponent'scapabilities,strengthsand tendenciesingivencircumstances.Accordingly,thedefensivegameplanoffersthedefensive coordinatoramenuofcallsfromwhichtochooseforeachsituation.Forexample,inafirstandten situation,thedefensivecoordinatormayhaveachoiceofa"base,"a"mixer,"ora"stunt"call. Shouldtheongoinggamebreakdownrevealadefensivetendencyinmakingparticularcallswhich haveallowedtheoffensetogainsubstantialyardage,asounddefenseprovidesthedefensive coordinatorwiththeoptionstoimmediatelybreakthattendencywithapreplannedstrategy. Adefensiveschemethatisabletomaintainitsintegrity,despiteundergoingpersonnelchanges,offers asignificantadvantagetothedefensiveteam.Theuseofspecialistscanallowadefensetoattackthe offensivestrategyinamorespecificmanner.Yourbestdefendersshouldbeinthegame.

Overloadstheopponent.

Evaluatesitsowndefensivetendenciesandplansaccordingly.

Developsproceduresforthesmoothtransitionofpersonnel.

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Anytimeateamcanretainthesimplicityofitsdefensivescheme,yetaddadegreeofspecificity,the defenseisplacedinafavorableposition.Forexample,dependingonthesituation,theuseof ''specialists"mayenableadefensetoattackaparticularoffensivestrategyinamorepredetermined manner.Ifaspecificdefensiveschemeallowsateamtointerchangeitsbasepersonnelwith specialists,thedefenseisenhanced.Ifanyquestionsexistwhetherakeypassshouldbesubstituted, youshoulddoso.Furthermore,youshouldthinkpass,morethanrun,ifyouhaveanydoubtsabout aparticularsituation.

Youshouldalsoconsiderseveraladditionalpointswhendesigningtheteam'sdefensivesystem.Acomprehensivedefensiveschemeisonethatisalsocharacterizedby thefollowingfeatures: Takesfulladvantageoftheplayers'individualabilities."Players"arethekeytosounddefense. Minimizesaplayer'sshortcomings.Aplayershouldneverbeaskedtodosomethingofwhichheisnot capable. Isabletobringimmediatepressurefromtheoutside.Thedefenseshouldfeaturequickdefenderswho comeofftheedges. Allowsthebesthittersinthesecondarytogettotheball.Ifatallpossible,theoffensiveformationshould notbeallowedtotakeakeyhitteroutofproximitytotheball.Thesafetiesarethedefendersthatare mostdifficultfortheoffensetogetto. Isabletoaudiblecoverageversusspecificformations.Thisaspectisavitalpartofplanning.Itmustbe rehearsedcontinuallyfromthefirstdayofpractice.Thecallshouldbemadebythesharpest,most experienceddefender. Isabletoaudibleoutofablitz.Goingfromablitztoazoneisexcellent. Canprotectoneoftheinsidelinebackers.Explosivemovementiscritical. Beatsblockerstothepointofcontact(i.e.,"beatthemtothepunch"). Isabletoisolateblockerswhocannotstanduptoaplayerwithsuperiorskills(forexample,adjacent defensivelinemen). Affordsasmoothtransitionwhensubstitutingspecializedunits.Thisstepshouldbepracticedand rehearsed.Youmustdemandthateveryoneisalertforthissituation. Providesflexibilityinpassorientedunits.Variedpositionshidecoverageorputthedefenderwherehe canbestdothejob. Affordstheabilitytodoublecoveraspecificreceiver(viacombinationsofdefenders).Thissituationmust beclearlydelineated. Utilizesplayerswhohaveaccomplishedtacklingskills.Doesnotusethefollowingtypesofplayers:Those withtacklinghabitssopoorthattheycannotbe

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measurablyimprovedthosewhosimplycan'torreallywon'ttackleandthosewhojustdon'tquitemakethe stop(i.e.,theycanhelpotherplayersmakeatackle,butcan'tmakeacleantacklebythemselves).

Utilizesplayersthatsee,move,respondandhit.Thiscircumstancerequiresthattheplayersgetan appropriatenumberofrepetitionsinpracticetohonetheirskillsandtheirinstincts.Allcoachingshouldbe gearedatalevelthatenableseveryone(includingthepoorestlearner)toassimilatethematerial. Hasthetotalconfidenceoftheheadcoach.Ifaproblemoccurswiththedefense,thedefenseisgiventime toworkthroughitsdifficulties(i.e.,thecoachwouldnotdismantlethedefenseatthefirstsignsofdistress).

ThePreventDefense Thepreventdefenseisadefensiveschemeinwhichthecoveragephilosophyisbasedoncontainment.Basically,apreventdefenseisemployedintwogeneral situations. Inone,ateamhasafairlycomfortableleadandeitherwantstoslowdowntheoffenseofitsopponent,therebymakingtheotherteamusealotoftimewhenmoving theball(i.e.,an"eattheclock"philosophy)orwantstokeepitsopponentfromhavingbigplays.Inthisinstance,theteamtypicallygoesintoitspreventdefensewith approximatelyfourminutesleftinthegame. Intheother,ateamhasaleadofonetouchdownorlessandwantstokeepitsopponentfromscoring(i.e.,a"don'tletthemscore"philosophy).Inthissetof circumstance,theteamgenerallyusesitspreventdefensewithtwominutesorlessleftinthefirsthalfofthegame. Asarule,atleastonesignificantdifferenceexistsbetweenapreventdefensewhichisusedattheendofthefirsthalfandoneemployedattheendofthegame.Inthe firsthalf,ateamcangiveupafieldgoalandnotbeoverlyaffected.Attheendofthegame,itusuallycan't. Anyteamexpectingtowinweekafterweekwillfinditselfinthisdefensevirtuallyeverygameoftenwiththeoutcomeofthegameridingonitssuccess.Assuch,your opponentmustnotknowexactlywhattoexpectfromyourteamwhenitisinapreventdefense. Personnelwise,teamstypicallybringinafifth(hencetheterm"nickeldefense")defensiveback,andsometimesasixth,whentheygointoapreventdefense. Dependinguponwhetherthedefensepreferstoemployabendbutdon'tbreakapproachortoutilizeanoverloadcoverageonthereceivers,theoffensecanbe operatingagainsttwodistinctlydifferentkindsofdefensiveplans. Thekeyfactorinthesuccessofthepreventdefenseisthatitmustbepracticedextensivelybeginningintrainingcamp.Somewhatsurprisinglygivenitscritical importance,thepreventdefenseis,perhaps,themostpoorlycoacheddefensivecategoryoffootball. MostNFLteamsonlytouchontheirpreventdefenseattheendoftheweekatimewhenmostplayershavelostsomeoftheirconcentrationandareroutinely finishingtheirFridayoreventheirSaturdaypractice.Severalessentialdetails

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involvingthepreventdefenseareoftenneglectedorfailtoreceivetherequisiteattentionbycoaches,including: Therushlanesarenotcoordinated,whichallowsthequarterbacktostepupbetweenpeopletothrow accuratelydownfield. Theplayersdonotrespondtothethrowdownfieldconvergenceontheballiscritical. Theplayersdecidetoletsomeoneelsemaketheplay.Theirtacklingbecomeshesitant. Theplayersarenotfullyawareofthecriticalcircumstancesataparticularpointinthegame(i.e.,clock, timeouts,whatcanbegivenup,etc.).

DefensiveAudibleSystem Itiscriticalthatteamsatthehighestlevelofcompetitionhaveaviable,functionalsystemformakingdefensiveaudibles.Becauseoftheoffenses'useofmultiple formationsandtheirutilizationofmotionbythetightend,runningbacksortheflanker,thedefensemustbeabletocounter(whennecessary)bychangingthecoverage orslidingthedefensivefront. Asarule,thenecessarydefensiveadjustmentscanbemadeatthetimetheinitialdefensivecallismade.Undercertaincircumstances(e.g.,personnelmatchups, offensivetendenciesagainstaparticulardefensivelook,etc.),however,changingthedefensivecallisfullyjustified. Forexample,ifthequarterbackaudiblesagainstananticipatedblitz,thedefensemusthavetheoptiontoaudibleintoazone.Inthisregard,beingabletoaudibleisan excellentmechanismforallowingthedefensetoplaceadditionaltacticaldemandsontheoffense(i.e.,iftheoffensetakesaparticularcourseofactionaudible/no audiblethedefensehascertainoptionswhichoptiondoestheoffensewantthedefensetoemploywhatactionshouldtheoffensetaketocountereachdefensive audibleetc.). Consequently,ateammustmakedefensiveaudiblinganintegralpartofitsdefensivesystem.Assuch,adefensiveaudiblesystemmustbeinstalledandthenpracticed andrehearsedcontinuously.Evenduringthoseweekswhensuchaudiblingisnotabasicpartofthegameplan,itshouldbetouchedonandreviewed. Theweaksafetyisthemostlogicalsignalcallerforthedefense.Key,codifiedwordsshouldbeusedtocalldefensiveaudibles.Stepsmustbeundertakentoensure thateveryoneonthedefenseiscompletelyawareofthesignalsusedandwhatthosesignalsmean.Theteamshouldalsoestablishandpracticeproceduresforusing "dummy"audiblecalls. ReinforcingDefensiveAxioms Similartothevalueofhavingtheheadcoachtakestepstoensurethathisplayersareawareofthefactorsthatwillhelptheteammaintainitsoffensiveproductivityover thecourseoftheseason,theheadcoachshouldassumeasimilarrolewiththe

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defense.Amongthedefensiveaxiomsthatshouldbeemphasizedtotheteamandthecoachingstaffeachyeararethefollowing: Themoredefenderswhoseetheballimmediately,thebetterthedefense. Everyoneshouldbeawarethat"big"fumblesoftenoccurattheendof"big"plays.Forexample,afteran interceptionorafumblerecoveryandasubsequentrun,adefensiveplayernotusedtohandlingthe ballcanhaveitknockedloose. Defendersshouldkeeptheirheadupduringplay.Theymust"seetheball." Thedefenseshouldmoveexplosivelyatthesnapoftheballandbeattheoffensetothepunch. Defendersshouldfiercelypursuetheballcarrier.Theyshouldnotassumethatsomeoneelsewillmakeor finishthetackle. Whenmakingatackle,adefendershouldgethishipacrossthefarsideoftheballcarrier. Defendersmustmaintaintheircomposureatalltimestheymustnotlosetheirsenseofdiscipline. Individualslosetheirfocuswhentheiremotionsgetoutofcontrol.Asaresult,mentalerrorsoftenoccur insuchasituation. Aftertheirinitialcharge,defensivelinemenmustrecovertoapointwheretheycanreactandadjustto changingcircumstances(e.g.,screenpass,playactionpass,misdirectionplay,scramblingquarterback, thrownball,etc.). Defendersshouldcommitthemselves,and,ifmistaken,should"doubleback."Thispointmustbe emphasizedbybothcoachesandplayers.Whentheballisthrown,defendersshouldgettoit.The receivershouldbehitfromallsides. Defendersshouldemploytheproperanglewhenpursuingaballcarrierdownfield. Defendershouldtakeintoaccountthespeedoftheballcarrier. An"astute"defendergetstoknowasmuchaspossibleabouttheopponentparticularlyasthegame progresses(i.e.,hisindividualtendencies,howheblocks,howhecarriestheball,howherunshispass patterns,etc.). Adefendermustnot"spend"timewithablockerunlesstheblockerisdirectlybetweenthedefenderand theball. Adefenderwhoisbeingblockedshouldrememberthattheplayisjuststartingadefendershouldplay harduntilthewhistleblows(i.e.,heneverconcedesthefactthathecanhelpmakethedefensivestop).

SpecialTeams Effectivespecialteamsplayiscriticaltoateam'ssuccess.Unfortunately,thisphaseofthegameoftenisgiventoomuchrhetoricandnotenoughworkorattention.As theheadcoach,youshouldconsiderseveralfactorswhenyouaddressspecialteamsplay,including: Yourkickingteammusthavekeycoveragepeoplewhohavegoodfootspeedandwhoarestrong enoughtobounceoffblockers.

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Ideally,yourkickingteamshouldincludeatalentedplayerwhoisuniquelycapableofbeatingblockers withspeedandintensitythatenablehimtogettothekickreturnerbeforethereturndevelops.Really successfulteamsoftenhavethreeorfoursuchmen. Yourpuntreturnteammusthaveasurehandedpuntreturnerwhohasanexplosivestart. Yourkickoffteammustincludetwophysicallytoughreturnmenwhocantakeahitandprotecttheball. Championshiplevelteamsarebuiltongreatreturnmen. Anintegralpartofyourteam'sspecialteamsplaymustbeawellcoached,easilycomprehendedscheme ofpuntprotection.Thisschemeshouldrequireaminimumnumberof"callsandadjustments." Yourpuntingteammusthavesomeonewhocanconsistentlypunttheballwellparticularly,theabilityto placetheballinsidethetwentyyardline.Whilethisskillisfrequentlydiscussedalot,itisseldom practicedtotheextentthatitbecomesan"art." Yourkickoffteammusthaveakickerwhocangettheballtoatleastthefiveyardline.Akickoffofthe properheightanddistancecanbeakeytacticalweaponforthekickingteam.Thisfactorisfrequentlynot giventhenecessaryemphasisbyateam.Toomanyteamsappeartouseaplayerinthisrolewhomaybe anexcellentfieldgoalkickerbutwhoonlyhaspoortoaveragekickoffskills. Yourspecialteamsunitmustincludeafieldgoalkickerwhoisbothaccurateandconsistentfromatleast thirtyfiveyards.Thispersonmusthavethefullconfidenceoftheteam. Yourspecialteamsunitmustbecoachedbysomeonewhohasexecutiveabilityandcommandpresence. Thisroleisoftenthemostchallengingpositiononthestaff.

Yourspecialteamscoachmustpossessstrongorganizationalskills.Inaddition,hemustbesomeonewhoisdemanding,intenseandenergeticandmustapproachthe jobasthoughitwereapermanentassignment. Coachingthespecialteamsisacoordinatorpositionthatrequiresthatthepersonfulfillingthisrolehavethefullbreadthofknowledgeinallfacetsofthekickinggame. DickVermeil,wholaterinhiscareerastheheadcoachofthePhiladelphiaEagleswasnamedtheNFLCoachoftheYear,isanexampleoftheidealpersonforsuch arole. DickdidamasterfuljobasthespecialteamscoachforGeorgeAllen,whowastheheadcoachoftheLosAngelesRamsatthetime.Hisdeterminationtobethebest specialteamscoachinfootballandhissubsequentperformanceinthisrolestartedhimonapathtobecomingoneofthetrulygreatheadcoachesofhistime. Thecurrentspecialteamscoachforthe49ers,GeorgeStewart,isanotherexampleofsomeonewhoseskillsandapproachtohisjobreflecttheidealprofileforthis position.SimilartoDick,itmayalsosomedayleadtoaheadcoachingjobforhim.

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Attimesinthepast,someteamshavenotgiventhespecialteamscoachingpositiontheattentionitdeserves.Instead,thejobhasoccasionallybeenawardedtooneof the"goodguys"associatedwiththeteamsomeonewhomayhavelackedtheskillstoassumea"regular"staffposition. Theseteamsthencompoundtheerroroftheirwaysbygivingonlyminimalassistancetotheirspecialteamscoach.Inthe1990s,however,NFLteamswhoexpectto besuccessfulsimplydon'thavethelatitudeofnotmakingtheirspecialteamsunitoneoftheirhighestprioritiesandnotprovidingitwithallthesupportitneeds(e.g., theservicesofothermembersofthestaff). FaultyandTragicTactics Alltoooften,ateamselfdestructsintheclosingminutesrightuptothefinalsecondsaftermakingasupremeeffortfortheentiregame.Moreoftenthannot,itwasa decisionmadebyacoachthatledtothestunningturnofevents.Typically,theresultingcircumstanceshaveoccurredbecauseofafailureonthepartoftheheadcoach totakecontrolofthesituationintheclosingminutes. Itisnotnecessarythattheheadcoachmakeseverycall,buthemustdictatetheoverallstrategyoftheteamandthespecifictacticstobeemployed.Hemusthavea mechanisminplacethattriggershisinvolvementandthatestablishestheconsequentialchoiceshiscoordinatorsmake. Theoffensiveanddefensivecoordinatorsmusthaveanddeserve"direction."Atthiscriticalmomentofthegame,theyoftenseethesituationfromaveryslanted, personalpointofview. Asaresult,theycanlosetrackofwhatitwilltaketowinor,conversely,oftherisksthattheyareconsideringthatcanresultinastunningloss.Moreoftenthannot, somecoordinatorstendtohaveashorttermperspectiveinthissituationandconsideronlytheirsideoftheball. Becausetheyareoftensoengrossedintheirplaycalling(offenseanddefense),theyhavetoleavethe"bigpicture"ofthesituationtotheheadcoach.If,forwhatever reason,theyfailtoaccountforallcriticalfactors(e.g.,thetimeremaining,thefieldposition,etc.),theymayfindthemselvesfocusingonelementswhichwhile essentialareonlypartofthelargerscopeofthesituation(e.g.,"wemuststopthem""we'vegottomovetheball''"wecan'tblockthisblitz""thispassshouldbe wideopen"etc.). Forwhateverreason,anumberof"unbelievable"callshavebeenmadeovertheyearsbycoordinatorsinthefinalminutesofagamethathaveultimatelycostthehead coachhisjob.Thatcoordinatorthenhastogooutandfindanotherjob,allthewhilecountingonreceivingapositiverecommendationfromhisformerheadcoachan individualwhohasjustenduredtheembarrassmentandhumiliationofbeingpubliclyridiculedandfired,inpartbecauseofthecoordinator'saction(orlackthereof). Ontheotherhand,whathappenedtotheheadcoachmayhavebeenhisownfault.Hemayhavecontributedtohisowndemisebecausehedidn'ttakecontrolwhen heshouldhaveorhedidn'tgivehistrustedcoordinatorspecific,clearinstructionson

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howtoproceedinthosefinaldramaticmomentsthatrequiredhisteamtoimplementwellgrounded,thoroughlyconsideredcontingencyplans. Suchplansshouldhavebeendiscussed,conceived,indoctrinatedandpracticedregularlyforweeksorevenyears.Becausethecoordinatorsaregenerallyconsumed withthecallandthesubstitutionsthatarenecessaryattheendofthegame,theheadcoachismuchmoreattunedtobeingincontrolofthedecisionmakingprocessat criticaltimeslateinthegame. Becausetheheadcoachisnotdirectlyinvolvedinmakingcallsoneachplay,hehasthetimetoobserve,sense,evaluateandreflectonthevariousdevelopmentsthat areoccurring(i.e.,hehasthetimetoconsiderandanalyzethesituation).Assuch,theheadcoachshoulddeterminewhattacticsareappropriateincriticalsituationsat theendofthegame. Severalexamplesexistofthiscontemptuoussituationoccurring.Inonerecentexample,theChicagoBearshadjusttakena1713leadinthegamewithlessthanfive minutesremaining. Atthatpoint,theiropponent,theNewOrleansSaints,hadaccumulatedlessthantwohundredyardsoftotaloffense.Furthermore,theyhadnotconvertedasingle thirddownintoafirstdowntheentiregame.Inotherwords,theiroffensewashapless. TheBearshavetheSaintsbackedupontheirowntenyardline.AlmostnochanceexiststhattheSaintscandrivetherequiredninetyyardsforatouchdowninthe timeremaining. TheonlychancetheSaintshaveisforacompletecollapseoftheBears'defensewhichuptothattimehasbeensolidorifsomehowtheBearsgivethemthe opportunitytothrowapassagainstasingledefender.TheonlywaythelatterscenariocouldhappenwasiftheBearscalledanalloutblitzwhich,ofcourse,is exactlywhattheBearsdid. TheBearseventoldtheSaintswhattheyweregoingtodobygettingupinpresspositionsontheoutsidereceivers.Therestishistory.TheSaints'quarterback droppedbacktheBears'defendertrippedwhenhislegsgottangledupwiththereceiverandthereceiverthencaughttheballandwentninetyyardsforthewinning touchdown. Thecriticalissuethatmustbeaddressedishowcouldthatdefensebecalledinthatsituation(i.e.,timeremaining,thescore,theineffectualoffense,etc.).Thistypeof defensiveplaycallingiswhatgetsheadcoachesfiredandgivesdefensivecoordinatorsachancetoselltheirhomesandmovetheirfamiliestoanewcity. Asecondexampleofsuchacaseoccurredsomeyearsago.Inthissituation,theNewYorkJetsheldatwotouchdownleadovertheMiamiDolphinsandhadtheball ontheirowntwentyyardlinewiththreeminutesremaininginthegame.Althoughtheirwinlossrecordfortheyearwasverypoorandtheywereplayingan outstandingMiamiteam,theJetswereplayingathomeandwereplayinginaninspiredmanner.Agreatupsetwasinthemaking. Byrunningtheball,theJetscouldhaveeatenupbetweenaminuteandthirtysecondsandtwominutesinthreedownseveniftheyhadfailedtomakeafirstdown. TheycouldalsohaveusedupatleastoneofMiami'stworemainingtimeouts.

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Instead,theJetsthrewthreeconsecutiveincompletepasseswhichtookatotaloffifteensecondsofftheclock. TheJetsthenpuntedtoMiamiwithtwominutesandfortyfivesecondsremainingontheclock.TheDolphinstooktheballanddrovefiftyfiveyardstoscorewithone minuteandfiftyfivesecondsremainingandwithonetimeoutlefttoreducetheirdeficittosevenpoints. TheJetscouldhaveusedvirtuallyallofthetimethatnowremainediftheyhadoriginallyruntheball.Ofcourse,asYogiBerraisoftenquoted,"Itisn'tovertillit's over." TheJetstooktheensuingkickoffbacktotheirowntwentyfiveyardline.Ontheirfirstplay,theyranonerunningplaythatnettedfouryards.Onthenextplay,with oneminuteandtwelvesecondsremainingontheclock,theJets'quarterbackthrewanincompletepass,whichstoppedtheclock.Theythenthrewyetanother incompletepassthattookonlyfiveseconds.Onfourthdown,theypuntedwithoveraminuteremaining. Miamigottheballbackontheirownfortyyardline.Withonetimeoutremaining,theDolphinsthendrovetheballsixtyyardsforatouchdown,sentthegameinto overtime,andwon. Ontheirlastpossession,theJetshaddonealmosteverythingintheirpowertolosethegame.Foronething,theyhadtakenlessthanfortysecondsofftheclock.In addition,theirdecisiontothrowtheballinsteadofrunningitwasunbelievablefromatacticalstandpoint.HadtheJetsruntheball,Miamiwouldnothavebeenableto conserveitslasttimeout.Asaresult,theDolphinswouldhaverunoutoftimebeforetheyhadtheopportunitytoscorethetyingtouchdown. Notsurprisingly,considerableattentionwasgiventotheissueofwheretoplacetheblamefortheJets'faultystrategyinthissituation.ThemediablamedtheJets' quarterbackforthrowingfiveincompletepasses.Uptothatpointthequarterbackhadagreatgame.IftheJetshadonlyruntheballonthosefiveplays,thereisno waytheycouldhavelost.HadtheJetsbeenabletomakeafirstdownbyrunningtheball,their14pointleadwouldhaveheldup. Afewweekslater,theseasonended,theJets'coachwasfiredandhisoffensivecoordinatorgottheopportunitytogojobhunting.Althoughhewasanexcellentman, theJets'headcoachcontributedtohisowndownfall.Hehadnoplantodealwithusingtheclocktocontrolthefinalmomentsofthegame. AsomewhatsimilarsituationconfrontedtheOaklandRaidersinarecentgame.TheRaiders,afterplayingagreatallaroundgame,losttotheKansasCityChiefson thefinalplayofthegame.TwoactionsbytheRaiderscontributedtotheirowndownfallOakland'sfailuretorunmoretimeofftheclockontheirlastpossessionand beinginapoorlysuitedcoverageinthelasttensecondsofthegame. Asaresult,theChiefshadonelastshotattheendzonefromtheRaiders'thirtyyardline.KansasCityproceededtowinthegameonabeautifullyexecutedthrowand catch.ThepointtorememberisthatKansasCityshouldneverhavehadthatopportunity.Mistakenly,themediablamedaRaidercornerback. Alltoooften,thoseincrediblecomefrombehindvictoriesthatoccurinthelastsecondscouldhavebeenavoidedifthelosingteamhadonlyemployedbetter

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tacticsontheirlastpossessionoreventheirlasttwopossessions.Teams,intimesensitivesituations,havetobeabletoruntimeofftheclock.Theyalsohavetoknow exactlywhattypeofdefensivecoverageisappropriateforagivensituation. DuringmyyearswiththeCincinnatiBengals,Iwasresponsibleforcallingplaysfromthepressbox.Onoccasion,Icalledplaysinacriticalsituationwithoutfully accountingforthecircumstances.Oneparticularsetofcircumstancesstandsoutinmymind. TheBengalshadanelevenpointleadoverClevelandwithapproximatelyfourminutesremaininginthegame.Withtheballinourpossession,Icalledapassplaythat hadsomewhatriskyprotection.Theplayrequiredourrunningback,EssexJohnson,toblocktheBrowns'"Turkey"Jones,agreatpassrusher. Ontheplay,EssexhadtocrosstheformationtogettoJones.BythetimeEssexgotthere,Joneswasalloverourquarterback,KennyAnderson,whofumbledthe ballwhenhewashit.Clevelandwoundupscoring,andweendeduplosingthegame. Itwasmycallthatledtothedefeat.Ilearnedmylesson,butthelosswentonPaulBrown'srecord.ThankgoodnessIhadBillJohnsonandJackDonaldsontokeep meincheck,orPaulBrownmighthavehadevenmorelastminutelossesonhisdistinguishedrecord. Theimportantpointtorememberisthatcommunicationbetweentheheadcoachandhisstaffincriticalsituationsisabsolutelycrucial.Suchcommunication,however, cannotbeintheformofsecondguessingandharassment. FallingPreytoInitialImpressions Frequently,whatoffensiveanddefensivecoachesobserveearlyinthegamehasaninordinatelysignificantimpactontheirthinkingfromthatpointoninthecontest.As such,theirapproachtodecidingwhichstrategiesandtacticstoemploycanbeaffected. Forexample,ifanoffenseisfrequentlyblitzedintheearlystagesofagame,fromthatpointon,thatteam'soffensivecoordinatorwilllikelycallplaysthataredesigned tocounterblitzingdefense.Correspondingly,ifadefensivecoordinatorseeshisdefensegiveupseveralseventoeightyardgainsearlybyaballcarrier,hemayplace anunduelevelofemphasisontryingtostoptheopponent'srunninggamefortherestofthecontest. Asacoach,thekeypointforyoutorememberisthattheinitialimpression(ifit'ssevere)yougetduringagamecanpreyonyourmindfortherestofyourgame.You mustavoidallowingyourtacticalgameplantobeinfluencedbysuchapsychologicaldimension.Youmustmaintainyourfocus.
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Chapter14 Makingthe"Right"Decision
"Oneofthemainattributesaleadermusthaveistheabilitytodiscriminatefromwhatisoftencontradictoryinformation.Inthismatter,ittakesathoroughunderstandingofthe situationandofthesourcesofinformationtoacteffectively." CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWar Academy,Prussia OnWar

Findingthewinningedge... Theideaoftakingachancebasedongutfeelingandeducatedguessworkbeginstoseemlessandlesscredible. Admittedly,gutfeelingscanbeoverrated,butsocansubstitutingtheendlessanalysisofdatafortheinstinctbornof experience.GeneralDwightEisenhowerhadtomakeaterriblydifficultdecisioninthehoursbeforeDDay,but despitebreakevenoddshewasright.Wouldacomputerhavecometothesameconclusion?Idoubttheavailable informationwouldhaveallowedit. Informationwillneverbelessimportantthanitisrightnow.Witheachyearandeachrefinementintheprocessof collectionandcollation,itspowerwillinevitablygrow.Butthosemanagersbestabletosiftquicklythroughthe vastdebrisofdatalet'scallittheinfolanchewillbewinners,whilethosewhokeepwantingmoreforitsown sakewillendupparalyzed. BillWalsh,"BlindedBytheByte," Forbes,February24,1997.

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Thefactthatoneofanorganization'smostessentialresourcesisthe"thinkingcapacity"ofeveryoneintheorganizationhasbeenimpresseduponme numeroustimesovertheyears.Forexample,inoursecondyearinSanFrancisco,wewereplayingtheNewYorkJetsinoldSheaStadium.Wehadtaken thelead,butverylateinthefourthquarter,NewYorkwasmountingadrivethatwouldhavegiventhemthevictory. Itcamedowntoa4thand1that,ifsuccessful,wouldsurelyhaveallowedthemtopositionthemselvesforagamewinningfieldgoalTheytriedatossplay offtheleftside,andourinsidelinebacker,DanBunz,shotthroughhisgapandtackledtheballcarrierforaloss.Afterthegame,ChuckStudley,our defensivecoordinatorwiththe49ers,musedaboutthecredithewasgettingforthebrilliantdefensivecallhemadetosavethegame. Somewhatunabashedly,Chuckobserved,"Icouldhaveanalyzedandschemedformonthsandnotmadeaworsecallbasedonwhattheydid.ButDan wentwithhisinstincts,brokehisassignmentandmadeagreatphysicalplaytowinthegame.Somuchforcoachingbrilliance."Studley'scomments overlookthefactthatcoachesarealwaysseeking(throughplanning)toincreasethepercentagesintheirfavorthat"chance"plays. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Decisionmakinginvolvesmoreriskandresponsibilitythananyothermanagerialactivity.Theworkofproblemanalysisandevaluationcanbedelegatedtoothersin theorganization,buttheresponsibilityfordecisionmakingisultimatelyassignedtooneindividual.Choosingamongvariousalternativesoftendemandscourageand moraljudgment,aswellasintelligence.Onealternativethateverydecisionmakershouldalwaysconsideristhepossibilitythedecisioncouldbewrong. Effectivedecisionmakingisvitaltothegrowthofanyorganization.Inthatregard,thedecisionmakingprocesshasreceivedmoreattentionfrommanagement researchersthanalmostanyothersubject.Nevertheless,inmostorganizations,theprocessisstillslow,cumbersomeandineffective,ifnotactuallynonexistent. Decisionscanrangefromtheprofoundtothetrivial,fromthecomplextotheverysimple.Similarly,therearemanydifferentstylesofmakingdecisions. Thesestylestendtovaryaccordingtohowmuchinformationisusedtoreachadecision,howquicklyadecisionismade,howlikelythedecisionmakerwillstickwith adecisiononceit'sreached,andhowmanyalternativecoursesofactionwereconsideredanddevelopedaspartoftheprocess. Noonestyleisbetterormorecorrectthananother.Infact,researchhasshownthat,whileadecisionmakerusuallyreliesononeparticularstyle,abitofseveral stylescanbefoundinmostdecisionmakers.Aswithmostthingsinlife,thekeyistodevelopastylethatbestsuitsyourownpersonalityandtheparticularsituation. Regardlessofyourdecisionmakingstyle,itisnotpossibletoaccuratelypredicttheconsequencesofeveryoneofyourdecisions.Eachdecisioninvolvesrisksand uncertainties.Nevertheless,utilizingasoundprocessofdecisionmakingcanhelp

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toreducethelevelofuncertaintyattendanttoyourdecisions.Towardthatend,thereisaseriesofquestionsthatyoushouldaddresswhenmakingadecision, including: Whatdifferencedoesitmakewhatcourseofactionyoudecidetoadopt? Doyouhavesufficientinformationtofullyanalyzetheissue/matterunderconsideration? Ifyouarelackingessentialinformation,doyouknowhowtogetit? Howcriticaltoimplementingyourdecisionisitsacceptancebythosewhowillbeaffectedbyit? Towhatdegreedoesthecommitmentofotherstoyourdecisiondependontheiractiveparticipationin thedecisionmakingprocess? Iseveryoneaffectedbyyourdecisioningeneralagreementwithitsbasicobjective(s)(i.e.,noonehasa "secret"agendaconcerningyourdecision)? Towhatdegreewillthosewhowillbeaffectedbyyourdecisiondisagreeoverpossiblealternative solutions? Dotheindividualsinvolvedinyourdecisionhavethecapabilitytoimplementthedecisionasplanned?

Anotherpotentialdifficultissueinvolvingthedecisionmakingprocessisthetendencytobelievethatgroupdecisionmakingissuperiorbecause"allofusknowmore thananyoneofusknows."Thissituationisfrequentlynotthecase.Forexample,asmallcohesivegroup,suchasacoachingstaff,naturallytendstomaintainan"esprit decorps"byunconsciouslydevelopinganumberofsharedthoughtsthatmayinterferewithcriticaldecisionmaking. Thisisnottosaythatgroupdecisionmakingcannotbeproductiveattimes.Dependinguponthecircumstances,participationbyotherscanincreasetheacceptanceof thedecisionbygroupmembersandcandecreasetheproblemofpersuadingthegrouptoacceptthedecision.

WaristheprovinceofuncertaintythreefourthsofthosethingsuponwhichactioninWarmustbecalculatedare hiddenmoreorlessinthecloudsofgreatuncertainty.Herethen,aboveallafineandpenetratingmindiscalledfor, tosearchoutthetruthbyitstactofjudgment. CarlvonClausewitz DirectorofGeneralWarAcademy Prussia fromOnWar

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MakingSoundDecisions Itisimportanttorememberthatindividualscanimprovetheirskillstodealwithandeffectivelyutilizethedecisionmakingprocessthroughexperience,educationand practice.Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketoimproveyourdecisionmakingabilityarethefollowing: Rememberthatnotalldecisionswillprovetobesuccessfuleventhoughyouhavebasedthemonthebest informationavailable.Nodecisionisirrevocableotheralternativescanbeattempted.Thesuccessofthe entireorganizationiswhatcounts. Onceyouhavedecidedwhatyourdecisionwillbe,announceitsothateveryoneintheorganizationis awareofit.Thisstepwillquietthegrapevineandtherumormill.Procrastinationcanbecostly. Takeintoaccountthoseinvolvedinthedecision.Whenemployeesknowyoudothis,theirresponseto unpopulardecisionsissoftenedandtheirsupportisgained. Beforeyoumakeadecision,trytofindoutwhatothershavedoneinsimilarsituations.Iftheirdecisions haveresultedinsuccess,thenconsiderdoinglikewise.Thereisnoneedto"recreatethewheel"when othershavefoundtherightsolutions. Ifallthenecessaryfactsareavailable,makeyourdecision.iftheyarenot,makenodecisionsuntilthe factsareavailable.Althoughgettingmorefactscanbecomeadelaytacticforthosewhodon'twantto makeadecision,itusuallyisavaluableuseofthedecisionmaker'stime. Knowwhennottomakeadecision.Researchshowsthatwhenyouaredepressed,orfeelinglow,your actionstendtobeaggressiveandsometimesdestructive.wheningoodspiritsyourbehaviortypically becomesmoretolerantandbalanced. Beawarethatwhilemuchvalueexistsinconsideringyourintuitivefeelingsaboutadecisionthatistobe made,itisimperativethatyouareawareandplaceappropriateemphasisonyourfeelings,especiallyif theycontradicttheindicationsofallthedata. Becarefulnottobecomesoemotionallyattachedtoaparticulardecisionthatnoteventhemostaccurate anduptodateinformationwillchangeyourmind. Keepyourinformationchannelsunencumbered.Earlywarningsystemsfromthisnetworkwillprovide variedviewsondecisionstobemade.

Throughtheprocessofsounddecisionmaking,theriskofmakingapoordecisioncanbereducedsignificantly,evenifitcanneverbecompletelyeliminated.Inthat regard,anumberofpossiblereasonsexistfor"careless"decisionmaking,including: Lackofclearlydefinedobjectives. Laziness.

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Complacencyresistancetochange. Prejudicedattitudesandopinions. Overrelianceonpastexperiences. Copyingotherpeople'sdecisions. Impulsivereactionstoevents. Pursuitofprivateorirrelevantobjectives. Noncriticalpursuitsoftheobvious. Takingtheeasywayout.

Aneducatedguessisjustasaccurateandfarfasterthancompilederrors. GeneralGeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

TheHeadCoach'sResponsibilityforDecisionMaking Oneofmostimportantfactorsaffectingthesuccesslevelofateamistheabilityoftheheadcoachtomakesounddecisions.Astheheadcoach,howwellyou approachthisfactorwillhaveasubstantialimpactonhowwellyourteamperformsonthefield. Ifyouaspiretobeasuccessfulcoach,oneofthetalentsyoumustdevelopisdecisionmaking.Astheneedandopportunitiesfordecisionsarise,youmustlearntoget essentialinformation,identifythealternativeswhichareavailabletoyou,weighthemcarefully,makeyourdecision,andfollowthrough.Whilenoonewillexpectevery decisionyoumaketobeperfect,youwillbeexpectedtohaveabetterthanaveragelevelofsuccessatthedecisionmakingprocess. Thekeyfeatureofdecisionmakingischoicemaking.Choicemaybeexercisedinarelativelysimplesituation,suchastheselectionofastartingplayerortheselection ofanoffensiveplay. Choicecanalsoberequiredinasomewhatcomplicatedsituationthatinvolvesconflictinggoalsandvalues,severalopinions,andasubstantialexpenditureoftime,for example,alongrangeplanfortheentireorganization,decidinghowtoacquirenewplayers(trades,freeagencyorthedraft),etc.Ineithercase,theprimary considerationishavingalltheinformationathandneededtomakesoundobjectivedecisions. Astheheadcoach,youneedtoobtaininformationfromavarietyofsources,whilebeingawareofthefactthatmuchoftheinformationthatanindividualreceivesis oftenfaultyorbiased.Youmustlearntorelyoninstinct,becomeawareofwhichpeopleconsistentlyofferreliableinformation,andcreateasystemthatsystematically andexpeditiouslyprocessesinformation.

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Onoccasion,youmustbewillingtodiscountwhatmayappeartobemeaningfulinformationanddependheavilyonyourinstincts.Youshouldkeepinmindthat becausetheprocessofanalyzinginformationisnotaveryprecisescience,nooneiseverabletofullymasterthiscriticaltask. Asaresult,whenyouidentifyacoregroupofdependableindividuals,itisimportantthatyoucreatean"intelligencenetwork"andensurethatitisfullymobilizedto provideusefulinformation.Theyshouldunderstandwhatkindofinformationyouneedandbeableto"pool"theirreportsandclassifytheirinformationforyouruse. Notalloftheinformationtheyprovidetoyouwillbeuseful.Somewillbediscardedasirrelevant,someastootedious,andsomeastoosimplistic. Toomuchinformationcanalsoleadtoproblems.Forexample,toomuchwholesaleinformationcanleadtoeitherindecisivenessornotbeingtomakethebest decisionunderthecircumstancesbecauseoftheresultanttendencytooveranalyzethe"mountain"ofavailabledata.Indecisivenessmayleadtoconfusion,frustration, powerlessness,andatendencytodrift.Overanalyzing,ontheotherhand,canimpedethedecisionmakingprocess,enticethestafftoengageinanunduelevelof microstudy,andproduceanerrantanalysis. Inthepasttwodecades,thesearchforusableinformationhasbeengreatlyaidedbytechnologicaladvancesinthe"computerage."Computershaveproventobe particularlyhelpfulbecausetheycaninstantlyprovideinformationthatwouldnototherwisebeavailable. Thevastpotentialofcomputersforservingasaninvaluabletoolhasnotbeenlostonmostmembersofthecoachingcommunity.Theirreactionlendscredencetothe beliefthattherelianceofinformationgrowsindirectproportiontotheamountofinformationavailable.Itstandstoreasonthatasmorepowerfultoolsforgathering andanalyzinginformationbecomeavailable,coacheswillutilizethem. Eventhoughinformationiscriticaltosuccess,usingeverybit(andbyte)youcangetcanhavenegativeconsequences.Forexample,usingtoomuchinformationto makeadecisioncanleadtoatleastthreecounterproductivesituations: Thesheerweightofinformationcanbeusedtojustifyadecision. Asinformationbecomesthedecisionmaker,coachesdeferdecisionswhiletheywaitforonemore computerprintoutoronemorebatchofcrunchednumbers. Whendecisionsgowrong,informationisusedtorationalizeanexplanation(e.g.,"Iknowwelostthat one,butallthedataindicatedwecouldn'tmiss").

Thekeypointtorememberisthatinformationwillneverbelessimportantthanitisrightnow.Witheachpassingyearandeachrefinementintheprocessforcollecting andcollatinginformation,thepowerofinformationwillinevitablygrow. Thosecoacheswhoarebestabletosiftquicklyandinsightfullythroughthemassivecollectionofavailabledata(whichcanbetermedan"infolanche")willbe successful.Ontheotherhand,thosecoacheswhokeepreachingandsearchingforevenmoredataandevenmorepowerfultoolscanendupparalyzed. Thebestwaytoprotectyourselffrombeingburiedbythe"infolanche"istomakesureyouhavespecificprioritiesaboutwhatinformationyouneed,whenyouneedit, whenitshouldbeintroducedintothedecisionmakingprocess,andmost

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importantofall,whenyouhaveasmuchasnecessary.Atthatpoint,atimelydecisioncanbemade. Inhisbook,MyAmericanJourney,GeneralColinPowellhadainterestingwayofquantifyingthedecisionmakingprocessheevokedthroughthemanypressured andsometimeslifethreateningdilemmashewasconfrontedwithinhiscareer.Hesummarizedhisdecisionmakingphilosophyas"diggingupalltheinformationyou can,thengowithyourinstincts."Hegoesontoobserve:

Weallhaveacertainintuition,andtheolderweget,themorewetrustit.WhenIamfacedwithadecisionIdredgeupeveryscrapofknowledgeIcan.Icallinpeople.Iphone them.IreadwhateverIcangetmyhandson.However,wedonothavetheluxuryofcollectinginformationindefinitely.Atsomepoint,beforewecanhaveeverypossiblefactin hand,wehavetodecide.Thekeyisnottomakequickdecisions,buttomaketimelydecisions.P=40to70,inwhichPstandsforprobabilityofsuccessandthenumbersindicate thepercentageofinformationacquired.Idon'tactifIhaveonlyenoughinformationtogivemelessthana40percentchanceofbeingright.AndIdon'twaituntilIhaveenough factstobe100percentsureofbeingright,becausebythenitisalmostalwaystoolate.IgowithmygutfeelingwhenIhaveacquiredinformationsomewhereintherangeof4070 percent.

Equallyimportanttoknowinghowmuchinformationyouneedtomakeadecisionisknowing,howmuchofthatinformationneedstobedisseminatedtoyourcoaches andplayers.Toooften,coacheswillspendagreatdealoftimeisolatingaspecificsituation(forexample,theblitzesandstuntsofanupcomingopponent),thenjamas manypagesofblitz/dog/stuntsschematicsastheypossiblycanintothescoutingreport. Thisapproachisoftenoverdonetothepointwhereitisimpossiblefortheplayerstosortthroughthe"infolanche"andderiveanythingofspecificvaluetothem.In manycases,thecoachissimplydeferringhisresponsibilitywithafloodofdataasthoughtosay,"Well,Igavetheplayersalltheyneededtogetthejobdone.Ifwe lostitcertainlywasn'tmyfault." Atsomepoint,prioritizinginformationbecomesasubjectivenecessity.Oneoftheprimaryjobsofthecoachingstaffistosortthrougheachsituation,addressit,and determinewhatinformationyourplayersneed.Thoseresponsibleforthisprocessmustobtaintherequiredinformation,including: Whatisgermanetothesituation. Whatmaterialscanbepresentedtotheplayerstobesthelpthemfocusanddefineanyspecificsituation. Whatisyourcontingencyplanshouldyouropponentforcealterationsintheanticipatedstrategies.

Agoodexampleofhowinformationcanbeeffectivelyusedtoprepareforaparticularsituationmightbegettingreadytocounteranopponent'sblitzpackage.Bymid season,itwouldbealmostimpossibletoshowandprepareyourteamforeverydogorblitzanopponenthasshownthusfarintheseason.Arecommendedcourseof actiontobeproperlypreparedmightinvolvethefollowingsteps:

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Determinewhatdogsandblitzesyoucananticipatebeingrunagainstyoubasedontheirtendencies againstteamssimilartoyourstyleofplayorbasedontheirhistoryvs.you. Determinewhatdogsandblitzeswillbepickedupinyourbasicprotectionsandthusneedanormal amountofattention. Isolatethosedogsorblitzesthatwillbethemostdifficulttorecognizeorwillgiveyourprotection packagethemostproblems,andfocusonthose. Determinewhatadjustmentscanbemadeongamedayshouldtheunexpectedpresentitself.Adistinct changeintacticswillrequireanimmediateadjustment.Contingenciesmustbeinplaceforsuchan occurrence.

Itisimportanttorecognizethatthereisrarelyonerightanswer.Youcanmakeadecisionthatisfullyresearched,wellthoughtout,fundamentallysound,fullyanalyzed, intelligent,decisiveandwrong.Imustadmittoagonizingfartoomuchoverdecisionsthatdidnotwork,butforwhichtherewasprobablynoonerightanswer. Foreverycallthat,wasmadethatwaswellconceived,thoroughlypracticedandcalledjustattherighttime,butfailedbecausetheballwasbatteddownordropped, therewasaparalleloccurrence.Anequalnumberoftimes,Imadeacallthatwasnotasconciseoraswellschooledandwascalledattheworstpossibletimegiven thedefensivealignment,butwassuccessfulduetosomeextraordinaryeffortortalentbyaparticularplayer.Sounddecisionmakingenablesyoutoreducetheamount ofuncertaintyinanygivensituationasmuchaspossible.Asaconsequence,thevariablesyouhavetodealwithwillbereduced. Theideaoftakingariskbasedonlogicandeducatedintuitionmayseemlessandlesscredibleinthisageofinstantandtotalinformationaccess.Admittedly,gut feelingscanbeoverrated,butsocansubstitutingtheendlessanalysisofdatafortheinstinctbornofexperience. Experiencehastaughtmethatsometimesaspontaneous,instinctivedecisionhastobetheappropriatestep,simplybecausethereisnootheralternative.Inthe1964 MovieFateistheHunter,RodTaylorplayedthepilotofaseverelycrippledaircrafttryingtolandinatotalblanketoffog.Inthefilm,Taylorinformshiscopilotthat heislandingtheplane,towhichthecopilotobjects,''Howdoyouknowtherunwayisthere,wecan'tseeathing."Taylorresponded,"ithastobethere,we'reoutof gas!" Whatyoucometorealizeisthatsometimesathingiseithergoingtojusthappen,oritisn't.Theoldadageof"thebetterpreparedyouaretheluckieryouget"has merit.Oneofthekeyelementsofasoundapproachforpreparingforallcontingenciesistodevelopajustifiedcomfortzonethatletsyouknowthatyouhave systematicallyandwithcompletedetailcreatedthebestplatformyoucanforyourplayersandcoachestooptimizetheirchancesforsuccess. Havingestablishedthiszone,youcanthenfocusonthegameitself,andletthewindsoffortunetakeyouwheretheywill.Thisprocessallowsyoutoconfidentlydirect yourconcentrationandapplication,whileundertheemotionalpressuresofgameday.

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Chapter15 OvercomingtheMentalBarrierstoSuccess
"Now,ifyou'regoingtowinanybattle,youhavetodoonething.Youhavetomakethemindrunthebody.Neverletthebodytellthemindwhattodo." GeorgeS.Patton,Jr. Commander,UnitedStatesThirdArmy WorldWarII

Findingthewinningedge... Whenyou'reunderpressure,themindcanplaytricksonyou.It'saterriblemistaketoletoutsideforcesinfluence youmorethanthepragmaticrealitiesofthesituationalreadyare.Forinstance,ifI'monthesidelineandthe windchillfactoris10degrees,Imaydecide,"Damn,it'stoocold,nobodycouldcatchapass."SoI'lldepartfrommy planandnotcallapass,eventhoughtheplayersoutonthefieldarefeelingalotwarmerthanIam.Bettertoreduce theeffectofoutsidevariablesandreverttosomethingyou'vepracticedandpracticed. BillWalsh,"WhenThingsGoBad," Forbes,March29,1993.

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Overtheyears,thevalueoffocusingandconcentrationhasbeenreinforcedtomeonanumberofoccasions.In1996,forexample,theSanFrancisco 49ershadlostmuchofthedisciplinethathadbeenestablishedoverthepast15years,primarilythroughtheactionsoffiveorsixplayers.Theseplayers hadplayedtoTVcameras,fansandviewersthroughposturing,fingerpointingandincitingthecrowd. GeorgeSeiferthadusedeverymethodhecouldtogettheteambackontrack,butthesituationcalledforsomeoneoutsidethecoachingstaffwhocouldbe morecriticalwithoutpersonalizingtheremarks.Ihadaninklingofwhatwashappening,butIwasupstairsinthepressbox.George,alongtimecolleague ofmine,reallyunderstoodthesituation.The49ershadlostgamestoteamstheyshouldhavebeatenbecauseofalossoffocus. Someplayersthoughttheywerebiggerthantheteam,butwereactuallyplayingverypoorly.Whenthecoachappealedforteamunity,theplayers respondedthattheywouldalwaysbethemselves.Ifthatmeantincitingthefansandtryingtointimidatetheotherteam,sobeit.Georgeapproachedme forideasonhowtohandlethesituation.Withhispermission,Iheldameetingwiththeteam. approachedthe49ers'videoexpertRobertYanagiandhisbrotherKeithabouthelpingmeputtogetheran810minutevideo.Iidentifiedparticularevents inWimbledontennis,Olympictrackandfield,worldchampionshipboxing,andGrandPrixautoracing.RobertandKeithblendedthesemomentsintoa videocoveringthebreadthofsportanddemonstratingtheintensefocusgreatchampionsusetohandlecompetitionwheretheoutcomeisindoubt.I wantedthestakestobehigherthanthoseofatypicalNFLgame. Ispokeforfiveorsixminutesaboutfocus,inaveryanimatedanddemonstrativewaythatcaughttheplayers'attention.Ialsousedsomeprofanity, directednotattheplayers,butattheirimageoftheiropponent.Dr.HarryEdwards,adearcolleagueofmine,wantedthepresentationvideotaped,butI didn'tbelieveIcouldbemyselfifIwasplayingtoacamera. Aftermyremarks,Ishowedthevideo.ThefirstathleteshownwasPeteSamprasintheWimbledonfinals.WinningWimbledoncanmean$2030millionto anathlete,sothestakesareveryhigh.Samprasneverreallymadeeyecontactwithhisopponent,theopponentappearedtobemerelyanobject.Heserved perfect,continuousaceswithoutahintofpleasureordispleasureotherthanaslightgrininthemiddleofcompetition. Hisopponentexhibitedthesamedemeanor.Thestakesweretoohighforanythinglessthantotalconcentration.Theresultsdependedcompletelyonyears ofskillsmasteredincompetitionandplay.Neitherplayerengagedingestures,fingerpointingorplayingtothecrowd. ThenextimagewasCarlLewis,justpriortohisoneofhisGoldmedalwinninglongjumps.Lewiswasnotstruttingaround,challenginghisopponentsor playingtothecrowd.Instead,hewasconcentratingtotallyonthetaskaheadofhim.TheimagethenchangedtooneofLewistakingthebatonforthe anchorlegofthe4x100relay.Theplayerscouldseetheconcentrationinhisrunningform:kneeshigh,armsin,headfocusedstraightahead.Hehadno timetolookathiscompetition,towaveatthemas

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hepassedorstrutoverthefinishline.Massivecelebrationoccurred,butonlyaftertheracewascompleted. Thevideothenturnedtoboxing.Manyplayerscanidentifywiththeintensityofthissport.ThefirstboutshownwasJulioCaesarChavezversusPernell Whitakerinachampionshipfight.Bothfightersgaveaslightnodtoeachotheruponenteringtheringandthenbroughteverythingintototalfocus,no demonstratingorposturing. Asthefighterswereintroduced,eachhadaslightsmileonhisface,demonstratingconfidenceandinnerpeace.Ichosetoshowonlythefirstround.Atone point,ChavezhitWhitakerwithwhatappearedtobeaslappingblowonthehip.Theytouchedgloves,acknowledgingthattheblowwasunintentionaland showingtheirprofessionalism. ThisfightwasfollowedbybriefclipsoftheAliFrazierboutandtheAliNortonfightinwhichNortonknockedAlidownandalmostoutandwona decision.Despitethefactthathehadabrokenjaw,Alididnotlosefocus,eventhoughhehadtochangehisgameplan.ThoughAliwasintrouble,Norton hadthedisciplinetosticktohisownplan. NextIhadchosenGrandPrixautoracing.Adriverwhohadwonseveraltimeswasshownjustbeforetherace.Hewasnotgesturingatotherdriversor engaginginothertheatrics.Whenhelookedupforthefinaltimehehadaslightsmileonhisface.Hehadenteredazoneofcompletefocus.Afterhewon, anincrediblecelebrationoccurred. ThefinalclipswerefromthefirsttitlefightbetweenMikeTysonandEvanderHolyfield.Inwhatisclearlyoneofthegreatestathleticfeatsofalltime, HolyfielddemonstratedhisgreatboxingprowessaswellashisabilitytodealwiththeTysonmystique.Thefightersbothhadsmilesofpeaceandfocusas theywereintroduced.Itwastimetofight,whichleftnoroomforintimidation,demonstrationsorplayingtothecrowd. Coachesandplayersalikepaidraptattentiontothispresentation.Theywereimpressedbywhattruefocusinanathleticenvironmentreallymeans. Theteamplayedverywellintheensuingweeks.JustpriortotheirfinalplayoffgameinGreenBay,Iputtogetheratapeoflions,leopardsandcheetahson thehunt.Oncetheseanimalszeroedinontheirprey,theymaintainedcompletefocusuntiltheyeithersucceededorfailed.Icomparedtheirtacticsand teamworktodefensiveplayersgoingaftertheballcarrier. Thispresentationalsowentverywell,butbythetimethe49ersreachedthegame,thesamemenhadrevertedtotheirpublicposturingandtheteamwas beatenconvincingly.Inthiscase,foraheadcoachtomaintainanattitudeandatmosphereamongtheplayersthatisconsistentwithteamwork,execution, sacrificeandcommitment,hemustmaketheappropriatepersonnelchanges. <><><><><><><><><><><><>

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Concentrationisafineantidotetoanxiety.IhavealwaysfeltthatthesheerintensityBenHoganappliedtothe shotmakingspecificswasoneofhisgreatestassets.Itleftnoroominhismindfornegativethoughts.Thebusieryou cankeepyourselfwiththeparticularsofshotassessmentandexecution,thelesschanceyourmindhastodwellon theemotional"if"and"but"factorsthatbreedanxiety. JackNicklaus ProfessionalGolfer

ConcentrationandFocus Twoofthemostimportantfactorsaffectingateam'sperformancearethecapacityoftheplayerstomaintainanappropriatelevelofconcentrationandfocusonthe taskathand,andthecapabilityofeveryoneinvolved(staffandplayers)todealeffectivelywithstress.Virtuallyeveryactivityinwhichapersonwantstoexcelrequires concentrationandfocus.Forexample,ifanindividualwantstobesuccessfulasafootballplayer,hemusthavetheabilitytobringallofhiscapacitiestobearonwhat heisdoing.Knowingwhattopayattentionto,howtoshifthisfocusasneeded,andhowtointensifyhisconcentration(attention)areskillsessentialforperformingat anoptimallevel. Regardlessofthecircumstances(e.g.,thecoachisdecidingwhatplaytocallnextinakeygametheplacekickerisfacingasituationwherewithalmostnotimeonthe clock,hemustkickafieldgoalthatwilldecidethegameetc.),theabilitytoconcentrateandfocusiscritical.Forafootballplayer,awanderingmindcancreate mentallapsesandcausehisperformancetobeaffectednegatively.Researchhasshownthatifanathleteisnotfocused100percentonwhatneedstobedone,the taskcannotbeperformedatamaximumlevel.Fortheheadcoach,notpayingattentiontowhatisneededandwhatisgoingoncanresuItinconfusion,poordecisions, andpoorleadership. Giventherolethatfocusandconcentrationcanhaveonboththecoachingstaffandtheplayersintheathleticarena,itiscriticalthatyou(astheheadcoach)address theissueofhowtheabilitytoconcentrateandfocuscanbeenhancedfortheseindividuals.Adilemmayouwillfaceinthisregardinvolvesthenatureoftheconceptof concentration.Everyoneknowswhatconcentrationis.Theconceptisgenerallyunderstoodbyall,yetitsmeaningisquitesubtle.Anindividualcannotconcentrateon concentrationthatdefeatstheentireprocess.Rather,focusandconcentrationmustbeenhancedandmaintainedonestepatatime.Amongthekeystepsthatyoucan taketoensurethatyouandyourstaffremainasfocusedaspossiblearethefollowing: Minimizestressfactors.Stresscancompromiseanindividual'sabilitytofocus. Assimilateinformationbeingdigestedasthegameisinprogress.

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Sortthroughyourthoughtsknowwhatapproachbestdealswithaparticularcircumstance. Realizethatanxious,sometimespanicked,evenhystericalthoughtscanoccurduringagame. Decipherreal,objectivethoughtsandhowtheyshouldbeconsidered. Developtheabilitytodiscarduselessinformation.Thisabilityisalmostasimportantasgettingmeaningful information.Often,youmustsortthroughcontradictoryimpressions.Inthatsituation,youmusthave confidenceinapreconceivedplanthatdealswiththecircumstances. Beawarethatstresscanleadtofear,which,inturn,canresultinadefeatistattitude. Realizethatstressandtheintrusionoffrustrationcancontributetoanuntimelychangeinstrategy.In reality,suchachangemustbeabyproductofrationalthoughtprocesses. Becognizantofthefactthatinthemidstofcompetition,yourmindmustcomputethelegitimacyoftactical changesandalternatives. Realizethatwhenthemindbecomesdisturbedbyexternalfactors,thefirstinstinctistobecome conservativeorcautious.Whilecautionmaybethepropercourseofaction,itshouldonlybeexercised astheresultofarationalthoughtprocessnotjustasanemotionalresponsetoapprehensionandfear. Recognizethatsensingandknowingwhentoaltertacticsisattheheartofcompetitivefocus.Youmust develop,acquire,andingrainastrategicalpatternthatrequiresonlysimplechangesthatcanbesmoothly implementedwhencircumstancesevolve.Anyalterationsmadeshouldbepartofacompletecontingency strategythatisunderstoodandestablishedpriortothecompetition. Realizethatattheheartofsituationalandcontingencypreparationsistheconceptthatstrategicdecisions shouldbemadeunderthemoreclinicalatmosphereinthedaysprecedingthegame.Theprocess becomessomewhatcyclical:Themoreprimedandfocusedyouremain,thesmootherandmoretimely youcandealwithoutoftheordinarycircumstances. Recognizethattheabilitytoaccuratelyandeffectivelyweighthethoughtsthatcrossyourmindduringthe ebbandflowofcompetitionistheessenceofconcentration. Realizethattheabilitytorestrainyourselffromdeciding"I'vegottogoforitnow"whenthingsaregoing badlytakesconsiderableselfcontrol. Acceptthefactthatonceyoureachapointwhereyoufinallydecidetoswitchtoa"highriskstrategy" becausethecompetitionhaseroded,thedecisiontochangetacticscanbeverydifficult(butoneyoumust thenlivewith). Avoidtryingtodemonstrate"style"toyouropponentorthespectatorsatagame.Suchanactcanhave "deadly"consequences(e.g.,itcandistractthecoachingstaffandtheplayers,itcanbreakdown discipline,itcandestroyfocus,etc.).

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Developthedisciplinetowardoffbothworryanddoubtandtheabilitytoturntoyourpreviously establishedplan. Disciplineyourselftoconsistentlyandeffectivelydealwiththefloodofemotionsthatoccursinstress relatedenvironments.Justdecidingtobedisciplined,however,isnotenough.Yourmindmaynot respondinamannerappropriateforthecircumstance.Thefightorflightresponsecanoftenfeel overpoweringintheharrowingmomentsofcompetition.Beingdisciplined,however,doesnotdenotethat youarebeingunnecessarilyconservativeorreactive.Forexample,fastbreakbasketballrequires disciplinetobesuccessful.

ThroughoutthematchallIcouldthinkofwas"Doitasyoudoinpractice."Idependedtotallyonthe"game"Ihad establishedeverydayinpractice. GustavoKuerten ProfessionalTennisPlayer Men'sFrenchOpenChampion,1997

Amongtheprimaryfactorsthatshouldbeconsideredwhendevelopingaplantoenhancetheabilityofyourplayerstofocusarethefollowing: Realizethatwhenanathleteisconcentratingandfocusingtotally,heisnotconsciouslyawareofhow mucheffortheneedstoperformaparticulartask.Hesimplydoesit. Recognizethefactthatanathlete'sconsistencyofperformanceisestablishedandfortifiedthroughthe acquisitionanddevelopmentofacomplete"inventory"offundamentals.Onlythroughconstantrepetition cantheseessentialfundamentalsberetained. Beawareofthefactthatslowlybutsurelyaplayer'sskillsaremoldedovertimeandcanholdupduring theheatofcompetition. Recognizethefactthatplayersshouldlearnandacquirefundamentalsandtacticsuntila"condition"(i.e., thefundamentalsandtacticshavebeenfullyingrained)existsthatbecomesanintegralpartoftheathletes' makeup. Beconsciousofthefactthatanyconsciousthoughtsthatanathleteexpendstoperformaparticulartask (e.g.,throwingafootball,hittingatennisball,swingingagolfclub,etc.)areadistractionthatinterferes withthemental"flow"thathasbeenestablished.Inaddition,allfactorsconsidered,themoreadvanced theskill,themoreconsistentthefundamentals,thelessthesubjectiveinput.

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Realizethatthosetimeswhenamomentarylulloccursintheactioniswhenthemindcanbegintoportray itself.Atthatpoint,awiderangeofemotionsandthoughtsmayoccur,rangingfromabjectanxietyto consumingoverconfidence.Ifanindividual'smentalstatedriftstoeitherextreme,thatperson'sfocuswill becompromised. Dispelthefearthatsomeofyourplayersmayhaveregardingmeetingthecompetition.Suchfearwill frequentlybecomeaconsciousfactorasthecontestprogresses.Forexample,aplayer'sconcernabout notbeinginphysicalshapemayrearitselfwhetherfatigueoccursornot. Theresultantdoubtcanaffecttheplayer'sconfidencelevel,aprocesswhich,inturn,canmanifestitselfin cautionorrecklessness.Anexampleofthislattersituationwouldbeaboxerwhotrainsforanearly roundknockoutbecausehefeelsthathewillnotbeabletogothedistancewithhisopponent. Beinginaweoftheoppositionoftenresultsinalackofconfidenceandultimatelyinbeingintimidated. Theplayerwhoismesmerizedbyhisopponentwilllosefocuson"his"owngame.Instead,heshould focuson"his"performanceand"his"execution,nottheopponent. Considerexternalplayingconditions,suchasfield,wind,heat/cold,etc.,whendevelopingagameplan. Suchconditionsmustbeaccountedfor(inasense,computed)whenformulatingstrategies.Players developamindsetbeforeeachgame.Ifadifferentgameplanmustbeimplementedbecauseexternal conditionshavechangeddrastically,theathletemust"lockin"(andthenfocus)onthealternativeplana processwhichcancompromisehislevelofconcentration. Keepinmindthatverbalreferencepoints,suchassinglewords,toremindtheathleteoftheneedto concentrateonspecificskillsortacticsduringthegame,areoneeffectivewayofpreventinga"logjam"of thoughtsduringacontest. Thesetermsorphrasesshouldbecomepartofanathlete'straininginpractice.Theyshouldbegraphic andhaveaspecificmeaning.Forexample,EarlWoodsimplementedthecodeword"Sam"forhisson Tiger.ThiscodewasusedwhenthecrowdsaroundTigerprohibitedMr.WoodsfromgettingtoTigerto givehimreassuranceandhelpcalmastressfulsituation. ThecodewordsimplyinformedTigerthathisfatherwasthereandthathethoughtTigerneededtopause andrefocusonthetaskathand.Additionalexamplesinclude"getitup"tothequarterbackwhois throwingapass,"toss"toanindividualwhoisservingintennis,"handsup"toaboxer,''reach"toa sprinterwhomustberemindedtoextendhis/herarms,etc. Theassumptionshouldnotbemade,however,thatmerelyrepeatingsuchcodewordsorphraseswill bringaboutthedesiredresults.Forexample,onthetenniscourt,we'veallexperiencedthesituation wherewekeeptellingourselvesto"keepitinthecourt,"onlytohititout.

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Realizethatinstinctsandintuitionwhichareabasicpartofanathlete'smakeupcanmakeasignificant differenceinhisperformance.Inreality,someindividualsseemtohavemoreofafeelforthegame(i.e.,a gift)thanothers.Theterm"natural"may,infact,besomewhatofalegitimatereferenceforsomeathletes. However,thoseindividualswhobelievethattheyare"gifted"arecourtingdisaster.

Themindgamestheotherplayerusesallhavethesamegeneralpurposetodisruptyourconcentration.Theyupset youremotionalequilibriumandtempo,theypullyououtofyourgame.Insteadofcontrollingthetempo,pace,and "attitude"ofthematch,you'rebeingdictatedto. BradGilbert ProfessionalTennisPlayer fromWinningUgly

Stress Ofallthefactorswhichhaveanegativeimpactonanindividual'sleveloffocusandconcentration,perhapsnoneismoreimportantthanstress.Stressisusuallydefined asoccurringwhenthereisasubstantialdifferencebetweenwhatisbeingdemandedofyouinaparticularsituationandwhatyouperceiveyourcapabilitiesarefor meetingthosedemands(whenyouperceivetheoutcometobeimportant). Whilestresscanbeeitherphysicalormental,yourbodyreactstoitinaveryphysicalway.Yourbodyexperiencesabiologicalchainreactionwhichisdesignedto returnyoutoyournaturalemotionalandphysicalstate.Intheprocessofgettingahandleonstress,however,youcanquicklybeoverwhelmedcausingyoutolose focusandresultingindiminishedperformanceandproductivity.Amongthefactorsthatshouldbeconsideredandthestepsyoushouldtaketoproperlycontrolstress arethefollowing: Realizethatstressisnotallbad.Someindividualscanbemotivatedbyacertainamountofstress.Striving tomeetachallenge(whichis,byitself,stressful)canproducepositiveresults. Keepyourcool.Themostcrucialstepinhandlingstressistokeepinmindthatyourreactiontoa situation(e.g.,adroppedpass,amissedtackle,etc.)isoftentheprimarycauseofstress,notthesituation itself. Don'tsweatthesmallstuff.Remindyourselfregularlythatyouusuallyhaveachoiceofwhethertogivein tostressorstayincontrolofthesituation.Saveyourenergyfordealingwiththelargerissues(i.e., winning). Visualize.Useimagingtotakeashort"vacation"fromstress.Closeyoureyesandvisualizeyourselfina morepositive,serenesetting(e.g.,celebratingavictory,beingcongratulatedonajobwelldone,etc.). Createasmanydetailsasyoucan.Livetheexperience,howeverbriefly.Leaveyourproblemsbehind whileyouentera"dreamscape"ofyourownmaking.

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Prioritize.Whenyou'refeelingoverwhelmed(i.e.,adefenderiscontinuallybullrushingoveryou),some steps(tasks)aremoreimportantthanothers.Mentally,makealistofallthethingsyouneedtodo(e.g., moveyourfeet,getintotheproperposition,keepyourhandsandarmsup,etc.),andthenperformthe tasks(oneatatimeifappropriate)asnecessary. Identifythecausesofstressinyourlife.Whatcausesyouthemostworryandconcern?Onceyouknow thecauses,you'llbeinapositiontodecidewhetherornotyoucanchangethem.

Obviouslynervesreduceyoureffectivenessduringthematchaswellasbeforethematch.WhenIfeelpressureduring playthereissomethingelseIconsciouslydotoreducemytension.IknowthatnervesgetworsewhenIthinkabout them,whenIstartworryingabouttheconsequences.Ireducethattendencybyreallyfocusingonmygameplanat pressurepointsinthematch:WhatamItryingtodowiththisserve?"WhatamIlookingtotakeadvantageofinmy opponent'sshots?Istayfocusedonmygameplan.Idivertmyattentionawayfromnervesandtowardthenextpoint (whereitshouldbeanyway!).Bythinkingaboutthat,I'mnotthinkingaboutnerves. BradGilbert ProfessionalTennisPlayer fromWinningUgly

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Chapter16 StayingonCourse
"Successisneverfinalfailureisneverfatal." JoePaterno HeadFootballCoach PennStateUniversity

Findingthewinningedge... OneofthemostmisguidedclichsinbusinessistheCEO'sdemand,"Don'ttellmeallthethingsthatcangowrong, tellmehowwe'regoingtogetthejobdone."Thoughthiskindofdeterminationisanadmirableandnecessarytrait inahighlycompetitiveworld,itmissesaveryimportantpoint:Thingsdogowrong,allthetime.Ifyoudon'tprepare fortheseseriousreversalsoffortune,youcaneasilyendupbeingoverwhelmedbythem. BillWalsh,"WhenThingsGoBad." Forbes,March29,1993.

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Theneedtoremainonanevenkeelemotionallyprobablyhasneverbeenmoreevidenttomethanearlyinmycareerasaheadcoach.In1980,the49ers wontheirfirstthreegames,includingavictoryovertheJetsinNewYorkCity.BillboardsaroundtheBayArearead"RoaringBack." Thentheteamwentonasevengamelosingstreak.Ournextgamewasahot,sultryeveninggameinMiami,andatruetestofcharacter.Wehadto maintainourenthusiasmevenaswewonderedwhetherwewouldwinanothergamethatseason.Asthegameprogressed,wefoundourselvestrailingin thelastfewminutesandneedingafieldgoaltowin. Wewereabletokickthefieldgoal,buthaditcalledbackonaholdingpenalty.Thenextfieldgoalattemptwasalsocalledback.Wethencompletedalong passforwhatshouldhavebeenafirstdown,butcameupjustinchesshort. Ispentthefivehourflighthomesittingbymyself.Ilookedoutthewindowsonoonecouldseemebreakdown.Itwastoomuchforanyone.Iwas emotionally,mentallyandphysicallyexhausted.IdecidedIwouldresignassoonastheseasonendedIbelievedIhaddoneasmuchasIcoulddoandthe jobwasjusttoomuchforme.Theteamneededafreshreplacementtotakethemtothenextlevel.Inournextgame,webeattheGiants,120wethen wonthenexttwogamesandfinishedtheseason610. Duringmyfirsttwoseasons,the49ersmadesignificant,measurableprogress.Weimprovedfrom28thintheLeagueinoffenseto6th.Eveninthegames welost,wewereabletonarrowthemarginofdefeattoamuchmorecompetitivepointdifferential.Wehadbeguntoestablishastandardofperformance. Oneofourgreatestdifficultieswasthatwedidnothaveenoughofthetypeofplayerswhocouldmakethecriticaldifferenceinagame.The1981season wasdifferent.ExcellentdraftingbroughtusRonnieLott,EricWrightandCarltonWilliamson.JoeMontanaandtheoffensivelinebegantoshowgreat progressintheirdevelopment,andweacquiredJackReynolds.Thefactthatwewereabletostayontrackandcontinuetodevelopduringdifficultseasons ledtooursuccess. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Thecareerofaheadcoachcanbeviewedasamosaic.It'snotabyproductofanyoneeventrather,it'saconsequenceofawholeseriesofevents.Someofthese eventsoccursimplyasafactorofthepassageoftime.Othersevolveascircumstancesandsituationschange. Howwelltheheadcoachanticipatesandhandlestheseeventscanaffecttheperformanceandgeneralwellbeingofhisteam.Dealtwithproperly,theseoccurrences canserveaproductivepurposeinthelearningprocess.Ontheotherhand,iftheseincidentsarehandledinaninadequatemanner,theycanbecomepitfallsontheroad tosuccess. Accordingly,oneofthegreatestchallengesfacingtheheadcoachistheneedtobeabletoreactappropriatelytochangingcircumstances.Inotherwords,regardless ofthesituation,youmustbeabletomakeawellconsidereddecision.Thekeystomakingtherightdecisionunderlessthandesirableconditionsareconfidence, strongwill,andpreparation.

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Youmustbelieveinyourselfandyourprogram.Youmusthavetheintestinalfortitudeandcommitmenttoremaintruetoyourprinciples.And,youmustbepreparedto dealwiththediversearrayofchallengingandadversarialexperiencestowhichyouwillbeexposed. Thevarietyofexperiencesthatheadcoachesmustdealwitharestarkremindersthatcoachingisacomplex,oftendemandingendeavorthatrequiresbothforesight andintrospection.Threeofthemostcommonkindsofexperiencesinthisregardarethosearisingfromseasonalsituations,thoseattendanttodifferent"types"of teams,andthoseemanatingfromspecificgamerelatedcircumstances. DealingwithSeasonalSituations Duringthecourseofyourcareerasaheadcoach,youwillbeconfrontedbyanumberofsituationsthatmayrequireauniquesenseofinsightonyourpart,including beingnewlyhiredastheheadcoach,dealingwithanextendedlosingorwinningstreak,sustainingsuccessafterabigseason,reboundingfromapoorseason,handling circumstancesonceyouleavethejob,andmakingeffectiveuseoftheoffseason.Eachsituationmayinvolveadifferentapproachandlevelofunderstandingonyour part.
Withfewexceptions,IgoaboutmyjobnowthesamewayIalwayshave,Ibelieveindoingthingsthesameway.Istill thinkthemostimportantaspectsofcoachingarecredibility,trust,andcommunication. MartySchottenheimer HeadFootballCoach KansasCityChiefs fromGamePlansforSuccess

TheNewlyNamedCoach Onceyouarehiredasateam'snewheadcoach,youarethrustintoarealtimelearninganddecisionmakingenvironment.Alluncertaintymustbevanquishedby definitiveactions.Youshouldkeepinmindthatacriticalpartofanyplanistoaggressivelydealwitheverydetail. Initially,youneedtodeterminewhatmustbedoneifyouandyourteamaretobecompetitiveandsuccessful.Next,youshoulddefinewhatgoalsmustbe accomplishedinordertoachievesuccess.Specificobjectivesshouldbeidentified(e.g.,aspecificnumberofwinsthefirstseason,reducingthenumberofserious injuries,acquiringanimpactplayerataparticularposition,loweringtheaverageageoftheteam,etc.).Youshouldnotestablish"highsounding"goalsorsetgoalsthat arerealisticallyimpossibletoreachwithinarelativelybriefperiodoftime.Then,youshoulddevelopacomprehensivestrategyforaccomplishingyourobjectives, includingensuringthatyourorganizationhasastructureandaclimatethatwillsupportyourstrategy.Next,youshoulddevelopshortrangeplansandprogramsthat willfacilitateyouroverallstrategy.

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Inotherwords,ifyou'regoingtobethe"leader,"itisessentialthatyouknowwhichwayyou'regoingandhowtogetthere.Havingcreatedavision,youthenmust implementyourtangibleplanforachievingthatvision.Keepinmindthatitmaybenecessarytomodifyyourplanascircumstanceschange. Asyousetaboutdevelopingandputtingyourstrategicplanintoaction,youshouldconsiderseveralfactors,including: Astheheadcoach,youaretheindividualwhohastoseethedistantpoint,provideguidanceforboth yourstaffandyourplayers,andestablishthemomentum.Theprocessbywhichyouaccomplishthis criticalleadershiproleisplanning.Ablendofexpectationandpatienceisrequired. Ifyouastheheadcoachdon'tknowwheretheteamisgoing,howcananyoneassociatedwiththeteam know?Inaddition,howcanyouexpecttoaccomplishthethingsyousetouttoachieve? Don'tbesurprised(orputtoomuchstockintothefact)thatyouwillbetoldthatthepreviouscoach failedbecauseofanynumberofreasonsnonerelatedtoownershipormanagement.Inalllikelihood, youwillalsobetoldthatthetalentonlastyear'steamwasmuchbetterthangenerallyrecognized. Furthermore,youmaybetoldthatthepreviouscoach"lost"hisplayers(i.e.,theirwilltofollowhim)a statementthatmayormaynotbetrue. Don'tbeoverwhelmedbythefactthatthetimedemandsonanewheadcoachareparticularly substantial.Youmayfindthatyouhaveverylittletimeforanythingotherthanyourjobinthefirstfew monthsinyournewposition.Managingyourtimeeffectivelywillbecrucial.

AnExtendedLosingStreak Toapoint,winningisperceivedasanaffirmationoftheeffectivenessofateam'seffortstosucceed.Likewise,losingisoftenseenasbeingsynonymouswithfailure. Onthegridiron,thetruthmayliesomewhatbetweenthetwoextremes.Ateammayplayverywellbutlosetoamoretalentedopponent.Inthesamevein,atalented teamcanplaypoorly,butjustwellenoughtowin. Themajorproblemwithlosingparticularlylosingcontinuallyisthatitmaybringaboutpressuresandbarriersthatcompromisetheteam'seffortstowin.For example,ateamonalosingstreakisoftenunabletofocusontheimmediatetaskathand(i.e.,winagame).Ateaminthissituationfrequentlytendstodwellonthe negativefactorsattendanttolosing(e.g.,jobsecurity,emotionalturmoil,accountability,etc.). Playersonalosingteamalsofailtorealizethattherearetimeswhenfailurehasvalueasaninstrumentofteaching.Determiningwhyyoulostandidentifyinghowto overcomethefactors(weaknesses)thatledtoyourlosscanbeavaluablelearning

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experience.Forexample,mostmilitaryhistorianswouldarguethatmorecanbelearnedbystudyinganarmy'sdefeats,ratherthanitsvictories. Anothernegativebyproductofbeingmiredinanextendedlosingstreakisthatitcanleadtoadevastatingprocess,referredtoasthe"losingsyndrome."Thisprocess canleadtodissension,distractions,andasingularlackoffocus.Youshouldbeawareofthissyndromeanddoeverythinginyourpowertoeitherkeepitfrom establishingitselforgetthebestofitifitdoesoccur.Amongthefactorsattendanttoalosingsyndromearethefollowing: Someindividualsassociatedwiththeteam(playersandstaffmembers)maybedriventoextremelevels ofthesurvivalmentalitybylosingcontinually. Somestaffmembersmaydecidethattheirdayswiththeorganizationarenumbered.Theyeitherbelieve thattheywillprobablybeterminatedoncetheseasonisoverorfeelthattheydon'twanttobepartofa "loser."Subsequently,theywillspendaninordinateamountoftimeintheirofficeonthephonewiththe doorclosed.Astheseasonwindsdown,thispracticecanreachepidemicproportions. Someassistantcoachesmaylookforsolacewiththeplayers.Theyattempttoendearthemselvesto playerswhomtheybelievemightsavethembypleadingtheircaseifstaffterminationsoccur.This scenarioisparticularlytypicalofpositioncoaches. Thecollapseofcoachplayerrelationscanbeverydestructivetothewelfareoftheteam.Throughhis subtlecommentsorhisopencriticismoftheheadcoach,theassistantcoachultimatelyunderminesthe authorityandrespectduetotheheadcoach.Theassistantcoachwhofailstorespondtoopen questioningorevenridiculeoftheheadcoachhasasimilarnegativeimpactontheheadcoach'sposition. Staffharmonymaybegintodisintegrate.Suchturmoilisoftenmanifestedindisharmonybetweenthe offensiveanddefensiveunits.Rarely,atleastduringtheearlystagesofanextendedlosingstreak,doboth theoffensiveanddefensiveunitsbegintocollapse(i.e.,playpoorly)atthesametime. Typically,eachunitisheldtogetherbyafewkeyplayerswhoseperformancesmakeadifference. Subsequently,asoneunitstartstofalterperformancewise,staffmembersthenstarttoturnagainsteach other.Frequently,theplayersbecomeawareofthisdivisivesplit,therebycausingabreachinthesquad. Coachesandplayersmaybegintolashoutatoneanother.Theiractionswillbebasedonthemisguided perceptionthatthisburstofemotiondemonstratestheircommitmenttotheteam.Infact,theiractions emanatefromtheirfrustrationandservealmostnoconstructivepurpose. Thosestaffmembersindecisionmakingrolestheoffensiveanddefensivecoordinatorsmaycome underseverescrutinyfromtheheadcoachwhohasbecomefrustratedanddisappointedintheteam's failuretowin.Ultimately,theheadcoachcannothelpbutrelatethedecisionsofunitcoordinatorswithhis team'sperformance. Theheadcoachisboundtonotestrategyflaws,afterthefact.Criticismsbypositioncoacheswhohave differencesthatwouldnaturallyexistinphilosophy,strategy,ortechniqueswillsurface.Effortstodevelop agameplancanbecomeevenmoredifficultbecausethedecisionsofthecoordinatorswillnowbe questionedateveryturn.Subsequently,thissituationcanbreedinaction,indecision,oradilutingstrategy.

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Pressurefrommanagement,initiallyintheformofquestioningandthenassecondguessing,maybecome amajordistraction.Often,theimpetusofthispressurewillcomefromtheentouragesurrounding management.Withegosdamagedandpersonalitiesembarrassed,ownershipandmanagement(though notdirectlyinvolved)maybegintoallowstaffmemberstounderminetheheadcoach. Themediawillnaturallybecomeincreasinglycriticalasthelosingstreakevolves. Astaffmembermaytakeouthisfrustrationontheplayers. Theplayersmayreceiveblamepubliclyfortheteam'spoorperformancefromanyoneintheorganization. Theheadcoachcanexpectdisgruntledplayerstobegintoapproachmanagementorevenownership abouttheirperceptionsoftheshortcomingsofthecoaches.Typically,theownerandthoseindividuals workingcloselywithhimarethemostvulnerabletothecomplaintsoftheplayers.Althoughtheowner andtheseindividualsareemotionallyinvolvedinthesituation,theyseldomhaveanyrealunderstandingof thebasisfortheteam'scontinuingslide. Thegeneralmanagermayprivatelyorsecretlymeetwithstaffmembersinanattempttoidentifythe reasonsfortheteam'sproblems.Thegeneralmanagershouldbeawareofthefactthattheseactionsare underminingtheheadcoach.Membersofthecoachingstaffwhoparticipateinsuchmeetingsshouldalso befullycognizantofthedestructivenatureoftheiractions. Someselfservingassistantcoachesmayattempttoingratiatethemselvestoasportswriter.Byservingas apipelineoran"unnamedsource"ofinformationforasportswriter,theseassistantcoachesmistakenly believethattheywillgainfavorfromthejournalistandsomehowseparatethemselvesfromtheridicule theircolleaguesarereceiving.

Eventually,anextendedlosingstreakmayresultinalosingseasoninwhichtheteamisvirtuallynoncompetitive(forexample,theSanFrancisco49ers'1979season thatproduceda214record).Amongthestepsthatyou(astheheadcoach)candotohelpstemthetideofalosingsyndromearethefollowing: Communicatewiththeownerandmanagementhonestlyanddirectly.Whenexplanationsofthesituation arerequested,objectiverationalfeedbackshouldbeoffered.Theshortcomingsandthefailuresofthe teamshouldbethoroughlyexplained.Restraintmustbeexercisedinblamingasingleplayeroragroupof playersforthelosses.

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Continuetoemphasizethedevelopmentoftheplayers'individualskillsregardlessofwhethertheteamis losingorwinninggames.Suchdevelopmentwilltranslatetoimprovementonthefieldwhichwilleventually paydividendsinthewinningcolumn. Maintainyourlevelofprofessionalethics. Doeverythingpossiblenottopersonalizeyourteam'sloses.Exhibitaninnertoughnessemanatingfromthree ofthemosteffectivesurvivaltoolscomposure,patienceandcommonsense. Holdregulardiscussionswithmembersofyourcoachingstaffonthepotentialimpactofcontinuedlosingon humannature.Usingexamplesofprevioussituationsinvolvingdisruptionandturmoil,youshouldreview howindividualscanturnagainsteachother.Thesemattersshouldbediscussedbothinstaffmeetingsandon anindividualbasis.Toapoint,thesediscussionshelppreventcoachesfromfallingpreytolosingtheirnerve. Maintainteamstandards.Everyruleandpracticethatwasinplacebeforethelosingstreakbeganshould continuetobefollowed.Forexample,allschedulesshouldberetained.Furthermore,theatmospherein meetingsandonthefieldshouldberetained(i.e.,theatmosphereshouldnotbecometougherormore intense,norshoulditbecomemorelaxorloose). Humorcanbeusedtolightentenseconditions.Keepinmindthatthebruntofhumorshouldonlybedirected atthosecoachesandplayerswhowouldnotbeoffendedbyitsuse.Allteachingeffortsandpresentations shouldalsoremainthesame.Expectationsfromtheplayersshouldremainunchanged. Becarefulnottolabelanyconceptorideayouareimplementingasthe"thingthatisgoingtogetthisteam backontrack."Ifyourproposedplandoesn'tworkandyoufallintoapracticeofinstitutingagimmickeach weekinanattempttoreverseyourteam'slosingways,theplayerscanbegintolosefaithinyourabilitiesto trulyidentifytheteam'sproblemsandcorrectthem.Thisadmonitionincludestheoldsaying,"wearegoing togetbacktofundamentalsandconcentrateonbasics,"asbeingthesingularanswertotheteam'sdilemma. Duringalosingstreaklastseason,oneNFLcoachmadethistypeof"backtobasics''speechbothpublicly andprivatelytohisplayers.Afterlosinganotherroundofgames,oneplayerwaspromptedtoobserve, "Well,we'vegottenbacktobasicsandwe'restilllosing.Itmustmeanthatwearebasicallyand fundamentallywrong."Tosome,thebacktobasicsmentalitydenotesatypeoffingerpointingbythecoach. Itinsinuatesthatsomeoneintheorganizationforcedtheheadcoachawayfrom"fundamentalsandbasics," andthatheissinglehandedlygoingtogettheteambackontrack.Thisscenariobegsthequestion,"Howdid youlosecontroloftheteaminthefirstplace?" Don'tisolateyourself.Regardlessofhowpoorlytheteamdoes,youmustbehighlyvisibledoingyourjob andassistingothersindoingtheirs.

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Continuetotestgameplans.Emphasizeteachingthegameplanandensuringeffectivecommunicationon plansandtacticstostaffmembersandplayers.Itiscriticalthateveryoneinvolvedmustconcentrateon thegameplan.Thefocusmustbeonproperlyexecutingthegameplannotonyournextopponent,the pointspread,theteam'schancesofwinning,etc.Thegameplanshouldbebrokendownsothatevery playerknows(andpractices)hisassignmentoneveryplay. Don'tbeoverlypreoccupiedwithwinningthenextgame.Ifyougetconsumedbythethoughtthatone victorywillsomehowturnthingsaround,youmayfailtobeawareofthetrueextentoftheproblemsthat requireyourattention. Bedetailoriented.Payattentiontoeverydetailincludingteachingtechniques,carryingoutassignments, maintainingestablishedorganizationalprocedures,etc. Exudeanupbeatattitude.Thisattitudeshouldbereflectedinyourattentiontoandinvolvementinyour duties.Showychattershouldbeavoided. Ensurethatanappropriatelevelofcourtesyandrespectisextendedtoallmembersofthecoachingstaff. Allservicerelatedpersonnel(e.g.,thetrainingstaff,equipmentpeople,fieldmaintenancestaff,etc.)must alsobetreatedwithcourtesyandrespect. Don'tpleadwiththeteamtoplaybetter.Suchbehavioronyourpartcanbemisconstruedbyplayersasa weaknessandcancompromisethe"dignity"ofyourposition. Avoidcontinuallythreateningorchastisingyourplayers.Eventually,yourplayersmaytuneoutsuch verbalassaults. Keepinmindthat"simple"remediesdesignedtoturneverythingaround,suchasinstallinganew quarterback,mayonlyserveasatemporarydistractionfromthetraumaofcontinuedlosing.Invirtually everyinstance,anextendedlosingstreakcrossesabroadbaseofshortcomings.Whileitmaybevery temptingtooffersimplecorrectivemeasures,suchpreventativestepsseldom"fix"therealproblems. Don'tretainanassistantwhoclearlyisinadequateinhispresentposition.Theinabilityoftheteamto performuptoitscapabilitiesandtoyourexpectationsmaybedueinparttoshortcomingsonthepartof specificstaffmembers.Inthatcase,itwouldbeatragicmistaketoretainanassistantwhoisincompetent, regardlessofhowlongyou'vebeenassociatedwiththatindividualoryourloyaltytothatperson. Keepinmindthatasthelossesmount,theindividualrelationshipsbetweenyouandtheplayersbecome critical.Theserelationshipswillbekeytoholdingthesquadtogether.Youmust,however,retainyour roleasthetopexecutive.Don'tforgetthatfamiliaritycanbedeadly. Dealwithassistantcoachesonanindividualbasis.Ongoingconversationsshouldbeheldtoclarify misunderstandingsandcleartheair.Disloyaltytosomedegreewillbeaninherentpartofthelosing syndrome.Staffmembersmayexperienceseveredisappointmentsintheturnofevents.Youshouldn'tbe shockedifaclose

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personalfriendamongyourcoachingstaffturnsonyouunderthetraumaoflosingcontinuously. Demonstrateconfidence,competence,andprofessionalisminalldealingswiththemedia.Atbest, excessivefraternizationwiththemediawillonlymomentarilydelaytheinevitablecriticismdirectedtoyou concerningtheteam'sfailures.Keepinmindthatofftherecordcommentsfromyougenerallyserveas littlemorethanareleasemechanismforyourfrustrationandthatthemediapersontowhomyoumadethe commentswillusethemsoonerorlater. Utilizeprofessionalcounseling(throughanavailableexternalresource)tohelpyoudealwiththesevere levelofstressattendanttothesituation.Typically,theheadcoachhasnoemotionalsupportsystemto dealwiththemultiplepressuresandproblemshefacesfromalldirections.

Everyteamisastagesetting,aplacetoactoutthedramaofourlives.Whenourteamsexcel,wewin.Ourbest efforts,combinedwiththoseofourteammates,growintosomethingfargreaterandfarmoresatisfyingthananything wecouldhaveachievedonourown.Teamsmakeuspartofsomethingthatmatters.Theyarethefountainfrom whichallourrewardswillultimatelyflow. PatRiley HeadBasketballCoach MiamiHeat fromTheWinnerWithin

AnExtendedWinningStreak Theteamonanextendedwinningstreakalsopresentsauniquechallenge.Ateamonwinningstreakcansufferthesamelackoffocusasateamonanextendedlosing streakobviouslyforavastlydifferentlyreason. GordonPrange,inhisacclaimedbookonthebattleofMidway,MiracleatMidway,examinedoneoftheprimaryproblemsthatcanarisefromwinning continuouslyoverconfidence.PrangepresentsaconvincingargumentthattherootcauseofJapan'sdefeatatMidwaywasafactorwhichhasbeenreferredtoas "victorydisease." AccordingtoPrange,"becauseofalongstringofuninterruptedvictories,thehealthyselfconfidencewhicheveryfightingmanmustfeeltofunctionhaddegenerated intooverweeningconceitandcontemptfortheenemy."Inotherwords,aninferiorU.S.fleetwasabletoovercomeanoverwhelminglysuperiorJapaneseNavy becausetheJapaneseleaderswereawashwithoverconfidence. Thepotentialforafootballteamtobeaffectedbythemaladyreferredtoas"victorydisease"certainlyexists.Overconfidencecanhavedisastrousconsequencesif yourplayersfeelthattheirsuccessisareflectionthattheyhavealreadymastered

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thebasicfundamentals.Theymaybegintoignoretheattentiontodetailandexecutionthatledthemtosuccessinthefirstplace. Whencombinedwithalackofrespectforyouropponents,overconfidencecanhaveanegativeimpactonyourteam'seffortstocontinueitswinningways. Accordingly,youshouldtakespecificstepstoensurethatyourplayersdealwithsuccessinanappropriatemanner,including: Becarefulnotto"tightendown"onyourplayerstoofarinordertopreventwinningfromgettingawayfrom them.Youshouldlettheplayersandtheorganization,asawhole,enjoythemomentandtheeuphoriathat winningbrings.Inmostinstances,winningtypicallyenergizesandinvigoratestheteam'sattitudetoward preparation.Misguidedeffortstokeepplayerswellgroundedmaysapsomeofthepositiveenergythat existswithinawinningenvironment. Allowyourplayerstotakepatsonthebackonthefirsttwodaysoftheworkweek(Mondayand Tuesday),whileconcurrentlyemphasizingthatthenewworkweekwillbeginonWednesday.Atthatpoint, thepriorweek'ssuccessbecomesancienthistory. Makeyourplayersawareofthepitfallsofbecomingtooreceptivetoalloftheaccoladestheywillreceive duringtheseason,especiallyfromthepress.Playersshouldbemadetounderstandthatthemediaisequally adeptatpouringitoninthegoodtimesandusingtheplayersascannonfodderinbadtimes.Thepoint shouldbeemphasizedthatthedifferencebetweenapatonthebackandaknifeinthebackcanbeas subtleasanopenoraclosedhand. Beawarethatateamonawinningstreakisalsosusceptibletoexperiencingaphenomenonthatcanbestbe describedas"losingtheirnerve"oncethestreakends. PrangediscussedthesecircumstancesinhisexaminationoftheJapanesesufferingtheconsequencesof "victorydisease."Inthatregard,Prangeconcluded,"fromhavingoriginallyseriouslyunderratedtheenemy, the(Japanese)CombinedFleettopbrassnowfranticallyoverestimatedtheirowndifficulties." Ineffect,theJapanesehadlosttheirnerveatMidway.Theylosttheirperspectivethateventhoughtheyhad enduredamajordefeat,theywerestillthesuperiorforceinthePacific.Asaresult,despitethefactthatthey hadthecapacityandtheopportunitytocontinuetobeontheoffensiveintheirsphereoftheworld,they retreatedtoregroupandrethinktheirtacticsandsituation. Similartotheimpactof"victorydisease,"alackofnervealsoaffectsfootballteamsonoccasion.Suchteams endureadisappointinglossorasetback,andthenlosetheirconfidenceintheirabilitytohandleadversity.In theprocess,theylosetheaggressive,selfconfidentmentalitythatpreviouslygavethemtheircompetitive edge.

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Complacencyisthelasthurdleanywinneranyteammustovercomebeforeattainingpotentialgreatness. ComplacencyistheSuccessDisease:ittakesrootwhenyou'refeelinggoodaboutwhoyouareandwhatyou've achieved. PatRiley HeadBasketballCoach MiamiHeat fromTheWinnerWithin

SustainingSuccessAfteraBigSeason Beingabletosustainateam'swinningwaysafteranextraordinarilysuccessfulseason(particularlyafteraSuperBowlwin)presentsitsownuniquesetofissuesthat mustbeaddressed.Ifyou'reextremelyfortunate,youwillfindyourselfinthissituation. Notsurprisingly,ownership,management,coachesandplayersalikewillexperienceaeuphoricmentalstatearisingfromasenseofaccomplishmentandanenhanced levelofpublicapproval.Everyoneinvolvedwiththeteamtendstobeaffectedbythehighvisibilityandtherelativelyhighdegreeofnotorietyresultingfromtheteam's success. Everyreasonexiststocelebrateandtoallowtheorganizationasawholetotakegreatprideintheteam'saccomplishments.Theachievementsoftheteamarea positiveaffirmationofthesacrificesandeffortsrequiredtobringaboutthatsuccess.Assuch,theacclaimthatnaturallyfollowsextraordinarysuccessshouldbe embraced. Everyoneintheorganizationshouldshareintheteam'saccomplishments.Gratitudeandappreciationshouldbeshowntoeveryindividualinvolvedwiththeteam fromthefrontdeskreceptionisttotheequipmentmanager.Everyeffortshouldbemadeto"seizethemoment"byencouragingeveryoneinvolvedwiththeorganization tocollectivelycometogethertocelebrateandrecognizethesuccessoftheteam.Theexpensesrequiredtoenablethisgatheringtooccurshouldbeperceivedas worthwhile. Atsomepoint,however,everythingmustreturnto"businessasusual."Allfactorsconsidered,thesoonerthishappensthebetter.Whilethisstepwillnotoccur overnight,everyoneshouldbeexpectedtohaverefocusedontheactionsneededtoensurethatthesuccessoftheteamwillberepeatedintheupcomingseason. Inreality,noteveryonewill.Hereinliesthechallengeforthecoachingstaffandmanagement.RefocusingaftertheeuphoriaofwinningtheSuperBowlcanbealmostas challengingasraisingateamupfromthedepthsofdespair.Amongthefactorsthatshouldbeconsideredwhendevelopingaplantohelpsustainthewinningwaysofa teamafterasuccessfulseasonarethefollowing: Recognizethattherewillbefalloutfromanextraordinarilysuccessfulseason,particularlyifthesuccess occurredratherunexpectedly.Thesymptomsofsuch

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falloutwillsometimesberecognizableonlytotheexperiencedormostintuitivemind.

Realizethatkeepingimportantmattersinproperperspectivewillbeverydifficultatleastinitially.This situationshouldnotbesurprising,giventhefactthattheteamhasreachedthepinnacleofsuccess. Accountforthelossofperspective(andtheresultinglackofattentiontomeaningfulmatters)bydeveloping aplantoensurethatstaffmembersreturntothemodeofoperationthatproducedtheteam'ssuccessthis pastseason.Donotassumethatanyoneelseinvolvedwiththeteamwilleffectivelydealwiththisissue. Expectthemediatogiveagreatdealofattentiontotheproblemsofrepeating.Thepresswilloffer numerousexamplesofteamswhichfailedtorepeattheirsuccessescompleteandusuallyvalidscenariosof howdifficultitistorepeatsuccesseswillalsobedescribedindetailbythemedia. Becognizantofthefactthatalmosteveryonewillbeawareoftheproblemsofrepeatingandwilltalkabout howtoavoidthedreadedfall.Collectively,theseindividualswillpledgetomaintaintheircommitmentto excellence.Youshoulddocumentandusetheseproclamationstoholdbothstaffandplayersaccountable fortheirassurancetodowhateverittakesfortheteamtobesuccessful. Expect,however,thatmanyoftheindividualsinvolvedwiththeteamwillbecomepreoccupiedwiththe needformoreacclaimandmoreattention.Infact,someindividualswillbecomeconsumedbythewishfor morepersonalrecognition. Expectyourassistantcoachestobeindemandfromotherorganizations.Thissituationispartofthepriceof success.Notsurprisingly,yourcoacheswillwantmorelucrativecontractsandmoresecurity.Youmaylose somekeypersonnel.Inaddition,othermembersoftheorganizationmayfeelthattheyhavenotreceived enoughcreditfortheteam'ssuccess. IntheNFL,therehavebeenanumberofinstanceswheresecondlevelmanagementpersonnel(e.g.,scouts, personneldirectors,assistantcoaches,etc.)havecontactedtheownerafterateamhashada"great"yearin abackdoorattempttolettheownerknowthattheywereresponsiblefortheteam'ssuccess. Realizethatyourschedulemaybecomeverycrowded.Inturn,youmayexpectasizablebonusordemand anewcontract.Eventually,youmaylosefocusregardingwhat'simportant. Don'tbesurprisedifownershipbecomesa"nationalfigure."Intheprocess,theownerwillbecomeeven morequotablethanbefore.Don'tbesurprisedifownershipmaybeinclinedtotakemuchofthecreditfor theteam'ssuccess. Expectsomeplayerstobenoshowsatminicamps.Indefenseofsuchlamentablebehavior,theagents whorepresentthesenoshowswilldemandthattheirclients'contractsberenegotiatedorwillclaimtheir clients'absenceswereduetopriorcommitments.Eventually,theremayevenbenoshowsasthepreseason campgetsunderway.

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Anticipatethatthelivesandcareersofsomeofyourplayerswillbeaffectedinvariousnegativeways, including: Someofyourplayerswillembarkonajourneyofsubstanceabuse(e.g.,drugs,excessivealcohol consumption,etc.),asaresultofnewacquaintancesdrawntotheplayersbytheplayers'sudden affluence. Someplayerswillloseperspectiveonfinancialmatters.Expectingthatmoreandmoremoneywill cometheirway,theseplayerswillspendbeyondtheirmeans. Someplayerswilldemandanewcontract.Theirdemandswillbereinforcedbytheiragentswhowill bequicktopointoutthattheirclientwasthe"keytovictory."Someagentswillinsistthattheir clients'contractsberenegotiatedtobringthemuptothelevelofotherplayersintheLeague.Often, theagentswilltaketheirdemandspublic. Someplayerswillnotadheretotheirprescribedoffseasonconditioningprogram.Thislackadaisical attitudewillusuallyaffectthoseplayerswhotendtogainweightthemost(e.g.,biglinemen). Someoftheplayerswhobecomefreeagentswillbeofferedsubstantiallymorelucrativecontracts byotherteams.Youshouldexpecttoloseafewplayerswhomyouperceivedasbeingtotallyloyal totheteam.

Thecoachingstaffisoftensusceptibletothesametypeofproblemsastheplayers.Accordingly,yourcoachingstaffmayhavetodealwithseveralcriticalissues, including: Thestaff'sefforttopreparefortheupcomingseasonmaynotadheretothesamelevelofdetailitdidthe previousseasonduetoanattitudethatsubcribestothebelief,"we'lljustdowhatwedidlastyear." Thestaffwillhaveconsiderablymoredemandsontheirtimeduringtheoffseason.Forexample,they'll beinvitedtospeakatmoreclinicsandseminars.Asaresult,they'llbeontheroadmore.They'llalsobe besiegedbycoacheswhowanttomeetwiththemtotaptheir"insightsintosuccess." Thestaffmayexperiencedisruptiveturmoilarisingfromthosestaffmemberswhofeelthattheir contributionstotheteam'ssuccessareunappreciatedorfromthosewhoarejealousofprofessional opportunitiesbeinggiventootherstaffmembersbutnottothem.

Twofundamentallessonsofwarexperiencearenevertocheckmomentumnevertoresumemerepushing. B.H.LiddellHart MilitaryTacticianandHistorian

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Astheheadcoach,youshouldundertakespecificactionstocounteractthenegativefactorsthatmayarisefromyourteam'sextraordinarysuccess.Amongthesteps thatyoucantakearethefollowing: Bedemanding.Informthesquadthattheywillcontinuetobeheldtohighstandardsandthatyouwill continuetoexpect(anddemand)nothinglessthantheirbestperformanceatalltimes. Stimulateandreenergizethesquad.Doeverythingpossibletoretainthepositivechemistryoftheteam. Replacelostfreeagentswithcomparablyormoretalentedplayers.Keepinmindthatnewplayers,if chosenproperly,canadd"newvitality"totheteam.Bythesametoken,don'toverlookthefactthata playerwhodoesn't"fitin"maydisruptteamchemistry. Usetheenergyandenthusiasmthatisgeneratedbywinningtohelpsolidifythegainsmadebytheteam. Thisstepwillrequiremorecontactwiththesquadthanthecoachingstaffhashadpreviously.Atthevery least,theplayersmustseethattheorganizationiscontinuingtorefineandextenditsefforttosustainthe successtheteamhasexperienced. Holdnumerousmeetingswiththeteam.Conductthesemeetingsinavarietyofforums(e.g.,theentire team,individuallybyposition,andseparateoffensive,defensiveandspecialteamsunits).Schedulethese meetingsatappropriatetimesandinappropriatesettings.Emphasizinghonesty,findasmanysuitable waysaspossibletogetyourbasicpointsandmessageacross.Explaintoyourplayerswhatstepsmust betakentosustainthemomentumoftheteam,includingwhatwillbeexpectedandrequiredofeach player. Refocusthestaffbycoveringindetailwhyandhoweachgamewaswoninthejustcompleted, championshipseason.Subsequently,thoroughlyaddresstheshortcomingsoftheteamandtheareasthat needimprovementpriortothenextseason.Anobjectiveanalysisoftheteam'sstrengthsandweaknesses canhelpbringthestaffbacktoreality. Requireeachofyourpositioncoachestoconductacomprehensiveevaluationofeachoftheplayersfor whichheisresponsible.Havevideotapespreparedthatillustratebothoutstandingandpoor performancesbyeachplayer.Keepinmindthatthesoberingeffectofhisplaybeingcloselyreviewedwill oftenmotivateaplayertorededicatehiseffortstoexcelandtoworkonthoseskillareaswhichneed improvement. Orchestrateyourpracticestoaddressspecificsituations.Allfactorsconsidered,themorespecificthe application,themoreyourplayerswillbeabletofindareasontofocus.Forexample,youcanincrease thelikelihoodthatyourplayerswillfocuson"howtogetbetter"byidentifyingspecificstepsthattheycan taketobringaboutahigherlevelofefficiency. Meetwitheachplayerseveraltimestodiscusswhatyouwillexpectfromthatplayernextseason. Althoughyourconversationwillincludepositivefeedback

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regardingtheplayer'spersonalcontributiontothewinningseasonjustconcluded,theprimaryfocusofyour meetingswitheachplayerwillbetoexhortthatplayertokeepimprovinghisindividualskilllevel.

Don'tbesooverconfidentthatyoufeelyoushouldchangewhatyourteamisdoinginordertoelevateyour team'sgamebyincorporatingnewplaysordefensesthatarecounterproductivetotheapproachthat enabledyourteamtobesuccessfulinthefirstplace.Keepinmindthatstrayingveryfarfromyourcurrent approachmay,infact,becomeastepbackward. Devoteasubstantialamountoftimetostudyingyourteam'ssystemandyouropponents'systems.Themore youunderstandyoursystemandhowyoursystemcanbeappliedtocountertheeffortsofyouropponents, themoreeffectiveandefficientyoursystembecomes.Asaconsequence,yoursystemwillevolvenaturally overtime. Keepinmindthat"hard"decisionsonpersonnelmattersmaybeforthcoming.Itmaybecomenecessaryfor someplayerswhohavehelpedmakeadifferenceinthejustconcludedchampionshipseasontobereleased ortraded.Suchactions(particularlyinthemidstofvictorycelebrations)arebrutal,butonoccasion entirelynecessary. Ensurethatyougiveanappropriateamountofattentiontotheupcomingdraft.Overtheyears,ithasnot beenuncommonforaSuperBowlteamtobecomesomewhat"reckless"withtheensuingdraft. Unfortunately,theeuphoriathattypicallyaccompaniesextraordinarysuccessandtheattendantnotorietyand recognitionthatresultsfromplayingintheSuperBowlcanturntheheadofmanyoftheindividuals associatedwiththeteam,particularlyscoutsandpersonneldirectors. Addresstheissueofhowtodealwiththemedia.Remindplayersandorganizationalpersonnelthatevery remarktheymakewillbe"quotable."Anyremark,evenoneofferedinahumorousvein,cancomebackto haunttheindividualandtheteam.Furthermore,toomuchpontificatingwillbetoughtolivedownasthenext seasonprogresses.Don'tallowteampersonneltotalk"toomuch"anddamagetheimageoftheclub. Doeverythingpossibletoensurethateveryoneassociatedwiththeteammaintainsanappropriatelevelof focusonthejob.Takeapositivefirmapproachtoguaranteeindividualcompliancewithstated responsibilities,goalsandexpectations.

ReboundingfromaPoorSeason Handlingateamthathadapoorseasonthepreviousyearalsoplacesparticulardemandsonaheadcoach.Inrespondingtothesedemands,youmustresistthe inevitabletendencytosimplymakeboldproclamationsorgrandiosestatementsabouthowthingsaregoingtobedifferent.Yourplayerswillbelookingfortangible evidencethatnextseasonwillbedifferent(e.g.,thereturnofakeyplayerwhowas

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losttoinjurythepreviousyear,theadditionofakeyplayerviaatradeorfreeagency,etc.).Ifsuchevidencedoesnotexist,youshouldconsiderseveralsteps, including: Reenergizeyoureffortstoevaluateallaspectsofteamoperations,includingyourassistantcoaches,all individualplayers,andtheoffensiveanddefensiveschemesusedbytheteam. Incorporatechangesintheoffensiveanddefensiveschemesemployedbytheteamifyoudecidethat makingafundamentalmodificationinoneofthoseplanswillbenefittheteam. Lettheplayersknowthekeyareasofchangeandhowtheyaregoingtoimpactontheupcomingseason. Replacethoseassistantcoacheswhoarenotmakingthecontributionsexpectedofthem. Makethoseplayerpersonnelmoveswhichwillimprovetheteam.Suchactionsshouldbeconsistentwith yourshortrangeandlongrangeplansfortheteam. Makesurethateveryoneassociatedwiththeteamunderstandswhatwillbeexpectedofhimduringthe upcomingseasonandmaintainstheproperfocusregardinghisresponsibilities.

TheCoachWhoLeavestheJob Inreality,jobturnoverisrelativelyhighintheNFLforheadcoaches.Everyyear,anumberofteamsfindthemselvesincircumstanceswheretheyhireanewhead coach.Inmostinstances,ateamusuallychangesheadcoachesinanattempt(howevermisguidedoronthemark)togiveitsprograma"new"start.Onarare occasion,ateamwillbeforcedtohireanewheadcoachbecausetheformerheadcoachhasdecidedtogiveupcoaching.Notsurprisingly,eithercircumstancecan besomewhattraumaticfortheheadcoachwholeavesthejob. Gettingfired.Beingterminatedisneverapleasantexperiencefortheheadcoach.Beingfiredisaverypublicdisplaythatownershipisholdingyouaccountablefor thefailureoftheteamtomeetownership'sexpectations.Givenhumannature,whenyou'refired,it'slikelythatyouwillexperienceawidearrayofconflicting emotionsanger,hurt,bewilderment,betrayal,rejection,disappointment(atbeingunabletocompletethe"task"forwhichyouwerehired),etc. Thekeywillbetodealwiththesefeelingsinaprofessionalmanner.Thepointtorememberisthatbeingfiredmeansthatyou'reoutofwork.Ifyouplantostayin coaching,itisobviouslynotinyourbestintereststosayordoanythingthatwillhaveanegativeimpactonyourfuturejobopportunitiesincoaching. Anotheraspectofgettingfiredthatyoushoulddealwithistorememberthatwhileinmostinstancesthereiscertainlyanelementoftruthtotheoldaxiomthatcoaches "arehiredtobefired,"therearecertainactionsonyourpartthatcanexpeditethelikelihoodthatyouwillloseyourjob.Amongthestepsthatyoucantakethatwill putyouonthepathoflosingyourheadcoachingjobarethefollowing:

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Exhibitpatience,morepatience,paralysingpatience.Inreality,patienceisnotalwaysavirtue.Thebelief thatsoonerorlaterthingswillworkout,insteadoftakingaproactiveapproachtochangingthesituation, canbeviewedascondoningincompetence(asteppingstonetofailure). Engageindelegating,moredelegating,massivedelegating.Turningkeydecisionsovertoothersand assumingthingswillgetdoneproperlycanbefatalerrorinjudgment. Takeactioninatedious,overlycautious,slowmovingmanner.Inreality,effectiveleaders(headcoaches) aretakechargeindividualswhoareabletomakedecisionsdecisivelyandquickly. Hold(andacton)falsebeliefsconcerningthewayaparticulargroupofcertainathleteswillreacttoacertain situationoraspecificleadershipstyle.Suchamindsetwillhavedisastrousconsequencesonyourabilityto relatetoyourplayersandtogetthemtoplaytothemaximumoftheircapabilities. Effectivecoachesareverysensitivetothefactthatallplayersareindividualseachwithuniqueneedsand interests.Asuccessfulcoachisawareofthestrengthsandweaknessesofhisplayersand''manages"themas individuals(i.e.,"differentstrokesfordifferentfolks"). Attempttopatronize,neutralizeandcharmthemedia.Atbest,sucheffortsareawasteoftime.(Note:A comprehensivediscussionofhowtoworkwiththemediaispresentedinChapter17.) Becomeclosefriendswithindividualplayers.Someheadcoacheswanttobeabuddywiththeirplayersoff thefieldandserveastheir"leader"onthefield.Inreality,it'saneither/orsituation.Youcanbeabuddyora leadertoplayersnotboth.Whenyouarearoundthepeopleyoucoach,thesituationrequiresa professional,businesslikerelationship. Spendanexcessiveamountoftimesocializingwithownershipinthemisbeliefthatsomehowthetwoofyou arebonding.Whileyoucanbefriendlywithownership,onthewhole,yourrelationshipwithownership shouldreflectbothaprofessionaldemeanorandadetachedlevelofdecorum. Failtocontinuetoevaluatetheperformanceofthoseindividualswhohavebeenlongtimemembersofyour coachingstaffespeciallythosestaffmemberswhohavebecome"dominantfixtures"overtime.An effectiveheadcoachshouldnevertaketheperformanceofhisstaffforgranted.Onanongoingbasis,you mustensurethateveryassistantcoachknowswhathisjobis,knowshowtodohisjob,anddoesit. Failtoactivelyparticipateineffortstoevaluateandacquireplayers.Giventhefactthatyouwillbeheld directlyaccountableforyourplayer'saccomplishmentsonthefield(orlackthereof),itiscriticalthatyou playanactiveroleindecidingwhowillbeontheteam.Failuretodosoisbothfoolishandamajor abdicationofyourresponsibilitiesasaheadcoach.

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Trustotherstocarryoutdutiesthatarefundamentallyyours.Whilestaffmemberscanbevaluableresources inanorganization,thebottomlineisthatitisunreasonabletoassumethateveryonewhoworksforyouwill becompletelyloyalonlytoyou.Effectivecoachesunderstandthat,inasuccessfulorganization,everything beginsandendswithtopmanagement.Inorderforanorganizationtoworkeffectively,theheadcoachmust beaccountable(i.e.,"thebuckstopshere"). Attempttofindwaystogetoutfromunderthepressureoftheposition.Likeitornot,coachingisastressful profession.Thepressureofservingastheheadcoachonlymultipliesthestressfuldemandsplacedonthe individual.Spendingtimelookingforwaystolessenthepressurecanbecounterproductive. Attheleast,suchanapproachcancauseyoutolosesightofyourprimaryobjective(buildawinningteam). Insteadoffocusingoncoaching,youdissipateyourtimeandenergiesongettingridoftheunwanted "pressure."Inreality,youshouldconsiderstressinamorepositivelightonethatviewspressureasanatural byproductofthechallengesinherentincoaching. Promoteanatmospherethatisroutineandcomfortableinthemisbeliefthattheworkenvironmentshouldbe "fun."Theonlyfeatureofaneffectiveorganizationthatcouldbeconsidered"routine,"however,isitsnever endingcommitmenttoexcellence.Whileapositiveworkenvironmentiscertainlydesirable,thesteps neededforadynamicorganizationtocontinuetogrowandevolvehavelittletodowitha"fun"environment. Literallyspeaking,successisabyproductofsystematiceffortstoachieveandmaintainhighstandardsof performance.Aroutineandcomfortableatmosphereismoreapttoleadtooverconfidenceandinternal acceptanceofthestatusquo.

MakingaCareerChange.Asapointoffact,lifeafterfootballcanbeanextremelytraumaticexperiencefortheheadcoachwhodecidestogiveupcoaching. Amongthefactorsthatcanhaveanegativeimpactonaformerheadcoach'semotionalstate(i.e.,mentalhealth)arethefollowing: Thelossofsignificantrecognitionthathasbeenamajorpartofhislife. ThelossofstatusofbeinganinsidertotheinterworkingsoftheNFL.Althoughthereareaspectsofthe daytodayenvironmentoftheNFLtheheadcoachdisdains,hehaslearnedtolivewithandappreciate hisworkhabitat. Afterleavingthejob,thefraternalrelationshipsandmutualappreciationwithcoachesandplayersareno longerpartofhislife. Thefrustrationthatarisesoverhisinabilitytoutilizehisprofessionalknowledgeandinsights.Tothe formerheadcoach,hisprofessionalknowledgeandinsightssubsequentlyhavenoplaceinhislife.Atthis pointintime,suchprofessionalacumenappearstobewasted. Avacuumhasreplacedtheheadcoach'sdailyroutine.Nomatterhowarduousorfatiguinghisdaily routinewas,hisestablishedschedulewasaverybasic

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ingredientofhislife.Itoftenbecomesverydifficultforaformerheadcoachtofillupthevacuumthathas occurred.Eventheabsenceofsuchbasictasksasgoingdowntoworkeverydayandcominghomecan createanemotionalvoid.

Theformerheadcoachmissestheexcitementofhisworkthegamesthemselves,thethrillofvictory,etc. Theeuphoricfeelofvictoryisalltooelusive. Theformerheadcoachgrievesthelossofamajorthrustofhislife(i.e.,notbeingincluded).Suchgriefis counterbalancedtoadegreebyhissenseofcelebrationovertheconclusionofhisformerprofessionallife (i.e.,hegrievesandcelebratesatthesametime). Theformerheadcoachisunsettledbythefactthathislifehasgonefromoneextremetoanother.Before leavinghisjob,hislifewasconsumedbycoaching.Coachingdemandsatotalcommitment(time,energy, etc.)fromanindividual.Foracoach,virtuallyeverythingelsemustbecomeofsecondaryimportance.The jobtakeshimtoextremesemotionally,intellectually,andphysically.Notsurprisingly,mostindividualscan onlyhandlesuchdemandsforsomanyyears. Someheadcoaches,however,holdontotheirpositionsfortoomanyyears.Intheprocess,theybecome ceremonialleadersoftheirteams,ratherthanfullparticipantsasheadcoaches.Theydeludethemselvesinto believingthattheircontinuedinvolvementwillmakeadifferencewiththeirteams. Theystaylongerthantheirabilitytoexertdirectionandleadership.Historically,verylittlehasbeen accomplishedduringthoseyearswhenaheadcoachshouldhavemovedintoanotherphaseofhislife. Itisimportanttoremember,however,thataheadcoachofrelativelyadvancedagecanbeofrealvalueto anorganizationevenasatitularhead.Hejustcan'tlegitimatelyfulfillthesameroleheonceheld.Rather,if suchanindividualweretochoosetoremainintheheadcoachingrole,hemustemploytopcoordinatorsand anexperiencedstaff(which,inessence,assumesomeofhisresponsibilities). Forexample,whileGeorgeHalasandPaul"Bear"Bryanthadretainedthetitleofheadcoachlateintheir professionalcareers,theyhaddelegatedvirtuallyalloftheplanninganddecisionmakingtoothers.Paul Brown,founderandformerheadcoachoftheCincinnatiBengals,isanotherexampleofaheadcoachwho hadtomakeadjustmentslateinhiscareer.Everyyear,hewouldreflectonwhethertocontinueasthe Bengal'sheadcoach.Inturn,hewoulddelegatemoreresponsibilitytohisstaff.Allfactorsconsidered, Brown'seffortshadmixedresults.

Theformerheadcoachlearnswhohisrealfriendsarealmostfromthemomenthestepsawayfromhispositionastheteam's"leader."Manyindividualswho previouslywereconsideredfriendswillactandbehaveinamannercontrarytofriendship(e.g.,individualswhopreviouslygavetheformerheadcoachcreditforthe team'saccomplishmentswillnowattributethoseachievementstosomeoneelse).

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Offseason The"offseason"isanythingbut.Thisperiodisacriticaltimetoaccomplishspecificfunctionsofyourorganizationandteam.Accordingly,itisvitalthatyoubringthe sameattentiontodetailandspecificstructuringtoyourobjectivesintheoffseasonasyoudotoyourpracticestructureandgameplanningduringtheregularseason. Theoffseasonusedtobeatimewhencoachescouldeaseupontheirschedulealittleandaddressspecialprojects,workwithnewplayersandgetsomeneededtime off.Withtheincreaseddemandsthatmanyclubsputontheircoacheswithregardtotheevaluationofbothcollegetalentandfreeagentpropersonnel,thewaythe headcoachandhiscoachingstaffmustapproachtheoffseasonhaschangeddrastically. Firstandforemost,theneedforsystematicplanningoftheoffseasonprogramhasbecomeacutelyobvious.Specificcriteriaandasetofdetailedobjectivesforeach ofthekeyareasthatshouldbeaddressedduringtheoffseasonmustbeestablished.Otherwise,youmaygettotheendoftheoffseasonperiodandfindthatthe organizationhasnotaccomplishedasmuchasyouhadhopedasituationwhichwillseverelyhinderyourteam'sabilitytoeffectivelyhandlethechallengesposedby theupcomingregularseason. Amongthestepsthatyoushouldtaketoensurethatyourteam'soffseasonprogramisproductivearethefollowing: Setupadetailedcalendarofcriticaldatesanddeadlinesforyouandyourstaffduringtheoffseason. Initially,thisscheduleshouldincludethosespecificdatesrelatingtotheevaluationofcollegeandprolevel personnel,includingthevariouscollegeallstargames,theNFL'scombineworkouts,theperiodwhenNFL freeagencybeginsandends,thedaysforvisitingcollegecampusesandworkingoutpotentialdraftchoices, NFLdraftdays,andspecificdayspriortothedraftwhenthestaffmeetstoshareplayerevaluationsandto compileplayerrankingsforthedraft(thesemeetingsaretypicallyheldtwiceamonthleadinguptothedraft anddailythetwoweeksprecedingthedraft). Identifyspecifictimeperiodsyourstaffcanplanonhavingoffasvacation.Thisallocationoftimeoffis essential.Theeffectivenessofcoaches,likeplayers,canbenegativelyimpactediftheseindividualsdonot havetheopportunitytogetawayfromthepressuresofthegameandrelaxforawhileduringtheoffseason. Regardlessofastaffmember'spassionforthegame,hewill(allfactorsconsidered)bebetterpreparedto organizehistimeandeffortsandtoaccomplishhiscoachingresponsibilitiesifhetakestimeoffto"recharge hisbatteries"mentallyandphysically.Ifhedoesn'ttaketimeoff,thewearandtearhehasexperiencedmay ormaynotmanifestitselfduringtheoffseason.Ifitdoesn't,itwillcertainlybenoticeable,however,during theseasonwhentheenergylevelofyourassistantcoacheswillerodeprematurely. Keepinmindthatitisnotnecessarytogiveyourstaffasubstantialblockoftimeoffthatwillleavethemwith aninsufficientamountoftimetogettheirworkdone.Itisimportant,however,toscheduleyourstaff'stime offwellaheadof

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timesothattheycanmakeplanstousethistimewisely(e.g.,familyvacationplans,etc.).

Scheduletimesforstaffmeetingstoreviewpertinentteamissuesandtoidentifystepsforaddressingthose issues(e.g.,systemanalysis,playerevaluation,incorporatingnewplayersintothesystem,offseason conditioning,etc.). Establishanenvironmentinwhichyourveteranplayersarechallengedtorefineandimprovethoseskillsand techniquesthatarecrucialforsuccess.Gettingyourexistingplayersparticularlythosewhohavebeenwith youforalongperiodoftimetocommitthemselvesfullytoanoffseasonimprovementprogramcanbea formidabletask.Unfortunately,noteveryNFLplayerhastheworkethicofJerryRice. Ensurethateveryplayerwhohasaninjuryoramedicalconditionthatneedstoberehabilitatedreceives appropriatetreatment.Itisessentialthatsuchtreatmentbecoordinatedwithandconductedunderthe supervisionofyourmedicalandathletictrainingstaff.Thisadvicealsoholdstrueforplayerswhodonotlive inthecitywheretheyplay. Allrehabeffortsconductedbyoutsidepersonnelmustbecloselycoordinatedwithyourmedicalstaff.In addition,stepsshouldbetakentomakecertainthatanyconditioningeffortsthataplayerengagesinarenot counterproductivetohisrehabilitationprogramanddonotexposehimtofurtherriskofinjury(i.e.,your team'sconditioningcoachshouldcoordinatehisprogramswithyourmedicalandathletictrainingstaffs). Ensurethateveryplayerhasacompleteunderstandingofwhatisexpectedofhimintheoffseason.For example,aspecificsetofconditioningobjectivesandhowthoseobjectivesshouldbemetshouldbe developedforeachplayer. Yourcoachingstaffshouldworkcloselywiththeteam'sconditioningcoachestomakesurethatwhatever conditioninggoalsandprogramsareestablishedfortheplayersareconsistentwiththeobjectivesyouhave determinedfortheteam.Intheeventthataplayeristrainingoffsite(i.e.,becausehelivesinanothertown), histrainingprogrammustbecoordinatedwithyourconditioningcoaches.Yourstaffmustmakesurethat anyonewhotrainsyourathletesunderstandsandadherestoyourprioritiesandtrainingprogramguidelines. Takestepstoassimilatenewplayers(physicallyandmentally)intoyourteam'ssystem.Giventheconstant turnoverinpersonnelduetofreeagency,offseasonworkoutsessionsaremorecriticalthanever.Oneof theessentialkeystomakingfreeagencyworkforyourteamishowreadilyandeffectivelyyoucanabsorb newlysignedplayersintoyoursystem. "Life"intheNFLusedtoberelativelystaticinthatateamwouldhaveabasecoreofplayerswhowould remainwithitforanumberofyears.Suchasituationfacilitatedcommunicationbetweencoachesandplayers becauseamajorityoftheteamwasfamiliarwiththeteam'swayofoperating.Previously,ifoneortwo playerswereaddedtotheteam,itwasfairlysimpletoassimilatethemintothesystembecauseitwas relativelyeasytofocusontheirparticularneeds.

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InthefreeagenteraoftheNFL,however,itisnotuncommonforateam'soffenseordefensetohavethreeor fournewfacesinthelineup(notjustbackups,butfrontlinestarters).Asaconsequence,itiscriticalthatateam doeverythingpossibleintheoffseasontoabsorbthesenewplayersintoitssysteminordertoprovideasmuch continuityaspossiblegoingintotheupcomingseason.

Evaluateyourteam'spersonnelimmediatelyaftertheseasonasapreludetoidentifyingyourteam'sneedsin thefreeagentmarket.Keepinmindthatsometimesitcanbeverytimeconsumingtobeasthoroughasyou wouldlikewithregardtoassessingyourplayersbeyondratingyourplayersversusthoseavailableinfree agency.Amongthestepsthatyourstaffcantaketoevaluateeachindividualplayerarethefollowing: Identifythoseskillsthroughwhichaplayershouldbegradedandestablishastandardizationofwhat levelsmakeupthosegrades. Revieweachgradeandanycommentsgiventoeachplayeroneveryplayduringtheseason.Itisvitalto determineifanathleteishavingareoccurringproblemwiththesameconcept.Thisstepwillgivethe staffachancetoemphasizetotheathletehisdeficienciesonthatparticularaspectoftheplay/sequence. Ofequalimportanceisthefactthatifproblemswithaparticularplay/seriesarerecurringwithmorethan oneplayer,itmayindicatethatthedynamicsoftheplay/serieshavenotbeenadequatelycommunicated totheteam. Indicateeachplayer'scontributiontotheteamandhowthestaffperceivesthatplayer'sroleinthe upcomingseason. Projectwhattheteam'sexpectationsareforeachplayerforathreeyearperiod. Makeavideoofeachplayer's10bestplaysand10worstplaysfromthepastseason,illustratingthe athlete'smostaccomplishedskillsandthosemostinneedofimprovement.

Evaluateyourteam'ssystem.Everyplayandseriesfromeachofyourgamesduringtherecentlycompleted seasonshouldbeevaluatedtodetermineitseffectivenessandwhetherisshouldcontinuetobepartofyour team'soverallsystem. Giventheextensivedemandsonyourstaff'stimeintheoffseason,itisoftenextremelydifficulttocoordinate everyone'sscheduletoconductacomprehensivesystemreviewwhentheentirestaffcanmeettogetherto analyzetherelevantmaterials.Asaresult,yourcoordinatorsneedtoassignspecifictaskstotheassistant coaches(bothindividuallyandingroups).Thisstepwillenableawiderrangeofareastobecoveredwithinthe existingtimeconstraints.Thesystemreviewshouldbeperformedforallruns,protections,individualroutesand routecombinations. Thesamereviewandmethodologyshouldbeappliedtocritiqueandanalyzeeachofthesituationaland contingencyoffensiveplaysusedandiftheseplaysneedtoberevised(inanyway)fortheupcomingseason.In ordertoaccomplishthisstep,aviablemeasuringtooltocompareeachaspectoftheoffenseinthesesituations

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shouldbedeveloped.Whateverformthesystemevaluationtakes,itshouldincludethefollowingfeatures:

Asystemofratingtheefficiencyofeachplayandseriesshouldbedevelopedtoquantifythesuccessfor thatplayversusotherseriesinyoursystemandagainstitssuccessinpreviousyears. Adeterminationoftheparticularskillsneededtoexecutetheplay/series. Adeterminationofthereasontheplay/serieswasorwasnotsuccessful(e.g.,talentlevel,execution, defense,etc.). Adeterminationofwhetheryourpresenttalentleveliscapableofexecutingthisplay/series. Adeterminationofthefutureoftheplayforthecomingseason. Cutupsofthe10bestexamplesofwhytheplayworkedand10ofwhyitdidn'twork. Establishaprocedureforratingeachplayandseries.Thefollowingpointsshouldbeconsideredwhen developingsuchaprocedure: Keepinmindthatoneofthemost"difficult"footballrelatedaspectstoquantifyistherelativelevelof successorefficiencyofaparticularplayorseries.Innumerousinstances,forexample,thesimple measuresof"yardsgainedperattempt"or"completionpercentage"donotaccuratelyconveythetrue valueofaspecificplayorseries. Severaldatabasesexist(e.g.,theNFL,theEliasSportsBureau,StatsInc.,etc.)thatprovideteams withaccesstothemultitudeofstatisticsthatcharttherelationshipbetweentheteamsintheleaguewith regardtointeractivemeasuresofproduction(e.g.,turnoverratio,thirddownconversion,redzone efficiency,yardsafterthecatch,etc.). Inconjunctionwiththeexistingdatabase,eachteamneeds,however,todevelopawaytomeasurethe relativeeffectivenessofitsplaysandseriessolelywithinthereferenceframeofitself.Althoughsucha mechanismwouldbetotallysubjective,itssubjectivitycouldbetemperedsomewhatbytheexperience basedjudgmentsofyourcoachingstaff. Forexample,oneofthelastthingsyouwouldwanttodoistodiscardaplayorseriesinwhichyouhave faithjustbecauseasetof"arbitrary"numbersdoesn'taddupright.Bythesametoken,youdon'twantto retainaplayorseriesthatisnotprovidingthenecessarylevelofproduction. Onepossibletypeofplayratingmeasurethatcouldbeusedwithinateam'stotaloffensivesystem involvesavariationoftheformulatheNFLusestoratequarterbacks.WhiletheNFL'sratingsystem doesn'tappeartobeeitherparticularlymeaningfulorapplicablewithregardtoquantifyingtheabilitiesof quarterbacks,themathematicalratiosyieldedbytheNFL'sformula(withsomeadditionalinput)canbe usedtoprovideabasisforassessingtherelativeeffectivenessofaspecificplayorseries. Forexample,theNFL'sformulaforratingquarterbackscouldbeadjustedbyfactoringinsacks(referto Table151).Theadjustedmeasurecouldthenbeusedasabenchmarktoassessthevalueofa particularplayorseries(i.e.,

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howeffectiveaspecificprotectionschemeorroutecombinationisrelativetootherprotectionschemes orroutecombinationsthatyourteamemploys).Thehigherthenumber,themoreeffectivetheplay.

Table151.TheNFL'squarterbackratingformulaandanadjustmentforquarterbacksacks. NFL'sFormula (#ofcompletions#ofpassingattemptsminus30%100)multipliedby0.05 Step#1: Step#2: Step#3: Step#4: Step#5: (total#ofyards#ofpassingattemptsminus3)multipliedby0.25 (total#oftouchdownpassesthrown#passingattempts100)multipliedby0.20 (2.375minusthe#ofinterceptionsthrownthe#ofpassingattempts100)multipliedby0.25 TheNFL'squarterbackratingisthesumofthecalculationsproducedbysteps#1#4,whichis thendividedby6 SackAdjustment Theamountresultingfromthecalculationof(2.375minusthe#ofquarterbacksacksthe#of passesthrown100)multipliedby0.25isaddedtotheNFL'squarterbackratingaggregate.This collectivenumberisthendividedby7.

Step#6:

HandlingDifferentTypesofTeams Asaheadcoach,thetypeofteamyouwillbecoachingwilltendtovarysomewhatovertime.Eachtypeofteamwillpresentaspecificchallengetoyourskillsand abilitiesandmayrequireuniqueinsightsonyourpartfordealingwiththosechallenges.Amongthediversetypesofteamswhichyoumayfindyourselfcoachingare inexperiencedteams,downandoutteams,talentedteams,andteamswithhighexpectations. InexperiencedTeam Althoughaninexperiencedteamcanprovidearealchallengetoaheadcoach,italsocanbequitegratifying.Becausesuchateamhasapreponderanceofyounger players,thistypeofteamisoftenveryreceptivetolearningasituationwhichcanbeveryenrichingforthecoachwhoenjoyshisroleasateacher.Amongthefactors whichyoushouldconsiderifyouhaveaninexperiencedteamarethefollowing:

Agoodgeneralnotonlyseesthewaytovictoryheknowswhenvictoryisbeyondhim. Polybius GreekHistorian 125B.C.

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Check(andrecheck)yourlevelofpreparationandteachingprogressionconstantlytomakesurethatyou haven'tassumedanything.Keepinmindthateventhemostobviousofsituationsmaycatchan inexperiencedplayer(orteam)offguard. Beawarethatyourresponsibilityforasquadisatitshighestwithaninexperiencedteambecauseyounger playerswilltendtorelyonyouforeverypossibledetail(e.g.,downtowheretoparkattheairportfor teamtrips). Beasclearandtothepointaspossiblewhencommunicatingwithyoungorinexperiencedplayers.Don't relyonsubtlety.Suchplayersmaymissthepointyouareattemptingtomake.

DownandOutTeam Oneofthemostdifficultscenariosacoachcanfaceishowtohandleateamwhichhasnochancetomaketheplayoffs.Inprofessionalfootball,ateamcantakeona whollydifferentprofileoncetheplayersrealizethattheyhavebeeneliminatedfromtheplayoffs.Itisimportanttorememberthatevenarelativelyuntalentedteamwill holdsomehopeforpostseasonparticipationuntilithasbeenmathematicallyexcluded. Regardlessofthecircumstances,onceateam'splayoffaspirationsarefinished,theproblemsandchallengesfacingtheheadcoachareexpanded.Amongthesteps thatyoushouldtakeifyoufindyourselfinthissituationarethefollowing: Watchfortelltalesignsthateitheryourstaffortheplayershavepackeditin(e.g.,playersareoftenlatefor meetings,coachesspendanexcessiveamountoftimebehindcloseddoors,individualsexhibitgeneralbody languageinmeetingsthatindicatestheylackfocus,etc.).Ifthisisthecase,takeappropriateactionsto refocustheteamandyourstaff. Establishanumberofsubgoalsthatwillbringsomesenseofpurposetotheteamfortheremainderofthe season.Thesesubgoalsshouldbefocusedonseverallevelsteam,group,andindividual.Forexample, eventhoughtheteamwon'tbeintheplayoffs,theteamcouldbegivenspecificsituationalgoals(e.g.,being inthetoptenintheleagueintotaloffenseordefense,leadingtheleaguein3rddownconversions,not allowingapuntorakickofftobereturnedforascore,etc.). Bythesametoken,groupgoalscouldbeestablishedforaparticularposition(e.g.,quarterbacksacksbythe defensivelinemen,minimizethenumberoffumblesby

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theoffensivebacks,interceptionsbythesecondary,etc.).Ofthethreelevels,individualgoalsmaybethe easiestto"sell"totheplayersbecauseofthepotentialfordirectlybenefitingtheindividualsinvolved.Doing well(e.g.,beingselectedtotheProBowl,achievingcontractincentives,establishingapersonalorteam record,etc.)canhaveapositiveimpactinanumberofareas,includingfreeagency,futurecontract negotiations,theamountofplayingtime,etc.

Appealtotheplayers'senseofprofessionalism.Suchanappealcanoccasionallybeaneffectivewayof refocusingthemotivationalleveloftheplayers.Youcanalsoremindtheplayersofhowenjoyabletherole ofbeingaspoilercanbe.

Farbetteritistodaremightythings,towinglorioustriumphs,eventhoughcheckeredbyfailure,thantotakerank withthosepoorspiritswhoneitherenjoynorsuffermuch,becausetheyliveinthegraytwilightthatknowsnot victorynordefeat. TheodoreRoosevelt 26thPresidentoftheUnitedStates

TalentedTeam Servingastheheadcoachofatalentedteamhasitsownuniquesetofdemandingcircumstances.Ataminimum,theplayersonatalentedteamoftenhavetobedriven constantlyto"liveup"totheirfullpotential.Inaddition,becauseexpectationsareusuallyveryhighforsuchateam,caremustbetakentoensurethattheplayersdo notbegintosetunrealisticgoals.Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketobebetterpreparedtoproperlyhandleatalentedteamarethefollowing: Realizethatyourteammayhaveacoupleofkeyplayersthataren'tquiteastalentedastheotherplayers ontheteam.Thissituationisparticularlytrueintheageoffreeagency.Thefinancialoutlaytoaugmenta relativelytalentedteamthatmaybeonthevergeofbreakingintotheupperechelonoftheleague(oris evenpoisedforaSuperBowlrun)mayhavecreatedascenariowherebytheorganizationhashadto"fill in"acoupleofareasontheteamwithpersonnelwhofitthesalarycap. Keepinmindthatthefinancialdivisionthatoftenexistsonateambetweenthe"haves"andthe"have nots"canleadtoasubstantialamountoffingerpointingwhentheteamhitstheinevitablebumpinthe road.Allfactorsconsidered,suchasituationisprobablybesthandledattheindividuallevel.Ata minimum,youshouldmakesurethatthetalentedplayersareremindedoftheresponsibilitiesthathaving talentbringsandensurethattheseathletesunderstandandaccepttheirrolewiththeteamasawhole. Becarefulthatyoudon'tconfusethedifferencebetweentalentandskill.Sometimesthetwogohandin hand,whileothertimestheydon't.Forexample,a

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playercanoftenbeabletoplayeffectivelyonsheerphysicalability,eventhoughhelacksthenecessary fundamentalsandskills.ItistheresponsibilityofthecoachingstafftoconvinceatalentedplayerthathisGod givenabilitiescanbeenhancedbydevelopingandadheringtoaprovensetoffundamentals.

ATeamwithHighExpectations Coachingateamwithhighexpectationscanbeademandingexperience.Ononehand,theexpectationscanbetotallyunrealisticascenariowhichvirtually guaranteesthattheheadcoachwill''fail."Ontheotherhand,theexpectationscanbesohigh(eveniftheyarereasonablyrealistic)thattheycreateanenvironment wherethepressurestosucceedareextraordinarilyintense.Amongthestepsthatyoushouldtakewhencoachingateamwithhighexpectationsarethefollowing. Identifywhohasplacedtheexpectationsontheteam.Forexample,thefans,themedia,and(insome cases)ownershipwilloftenviewmattersfromaperipherallevelandwillplacearbitrary(i.e.,unrealistic) expectationsonateam. Attempttoestablishwithintheorganization(andeventuallywiththefansoftheteam)whattherealistic expectationsshouldbefortheteambasedonthefactsandyourconsideredjudgment.Informthe organizationofthe"obstacles"theteamisfacingonitsjourneytosuccessandtheplanforovercoming eachofthoseobstacles. Don'tlowertheexpectationsofateamjusttokeepthepressureoffyourself.Yourstaffandyourplayers expectandwillappreciatehonestyinyourdealingswiththem. Keepyourgoalsandexpectationsrealisticandattainable.AdheretotheS.M.A.R.T.acronymwith regardtoestablishinggoalsandexpectations(Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely).

DealingwithIndividualGameCircumstances Althoughitmaybearguedthateverygame,inandofitself,isatestofaheadcoach'scapacitytolead,someindividualgamecircumstancesofferparticularchallenges. Amongthosesituationswhichmayinvolveadditionalattentionandplanningarekeygames,gameswhenyourteamiseitherabigunderdogoralopsidedfavorite, gamesafterahugewin,roadgames,gameswhenkeypersonnelareinjured,andpreseasongames. KeyGames Allfactorsconsidered,eachgamemayhaveadifferentlevelofsignificancetoyouandyourteam.Accordingly,giventhedivergentprioritiesthatyoumayplaceon games,youhavetodecidewhatapproachyouwilltaketoeachgame. Oneoftheprimarykeystopreparingforacriticalregularseasongameinvolvesdistinguishingthesignificanceofthisgamewithouttotallydevaluingthenormalregular seasongame.Obviously,youdonotwanttoplacesomuchsignificance

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onasinglegamethatregardlessofwhethertheteamissuccessfulornotinthatgame,theteamlosesseveralsubsequentgameswhilereboundingfromtheemotional rollercoasterattendanttothecriticalgame. Coachingintheplayoffsorachampionshipgameinvolvesawholenewsetofcircumstancesthathavetobeaddressed.Theimmediacyandurgencyofthegameis obvioustotheplayers.Itisimportantforthemtorecognizethatthemodeandtempoofpreparationbytheteamremainsthesame. Theteamshouldbehandledduringtheweekinsuchawaythatanyexcitementgeneratedduringtheweekdoesnotdetractfromtheeffortstoprepareforthegame anddoesnotcausetheteamtopeaktooearly.Keepinmindthatanyadditionaldistractions(e.g.,extrademandsforthetimebythemedia,requestsbyfamilyand friends,etc.)canimpedeyourplans,especiallyforayoungorinexperiencedteam. TheneedtodealeffectivelywithdistractionswillmultiplymanytimeswhenthekeygameinvolvespreparingforandplayingintheSuperBowl.Teamswhohave participatedinthis"verypublicarena"statealmostunequivocallythatrelativelylittlegetsaccomplished(footballwise)theweekbeforethegame.Asaresult,the effortstheweekprecedingtheweekofthegamearecriticalwithregardtointernalizingandinstallingthegameplan. Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketoensurethatyourteamisproperlypreparedforakeygamearethefollowing: Keepinmindthatasimple,cleangameplanisbest. Dependandcountonwhatgotyourteamtothekeygame(e.g.,system,program,schemes,etc.). Planonutilizingonlythoseplaysthathavebeenpreviouslyusedsuccessfully. Makeyourpracticescrispandshorter. Ensurethatyourplayershave"fresh"legsforthegame. Baseyourgameplanonafourgamestudy,insteadofthreegames,ofyouropponent. Keepinmindthatoverthecourseoftheseason,toomanygamescandilutethetendencyandwillingness ofyourstafftospendsufficienttimestudyingyouropponent. Haveyouradministrativeassistantreviewallavailablevideotapesofyouropponenttodeterminewhat specialplays,blitzes,outoftheordinaryplays,etc.youropponentuses. Haveyourassistantcoachesreviewvideotapesofearliergameslateintheweektoverifythegameplan. Keepinmindthatwhileitmaybeappropriateforyoutovarytheformationsyouplantoemploy,youare notsureoftheadjustmentsyouropponentwillmakeinresponsetothosevariations. Workonexecutionallowyourplayerstomakemistakes.

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Giveyourplayerssomethingthatlooksoutoftheordinaryasachangeofpace,butisactuallybasic(i.e., makethechangeup"cosmetic,"ratherthanfundamental). Don'tdistractyourplayerswithnew"secret"weapons. Ensurethatyourplayersfeelthatwithregardtopreparation,it'sbusinessasusual.Briefworkon fundamentalskillsandtechniquesshouldcontinue. Devoteonedayofpracticetolightcontactwork(inpads). Don'tattempttobeoverlyinspirationalrather,bedistinctandspecificonwhatitwilltaketowinthegame. Explainindetail,butnottootediously,howthegameplanwillbeinstalled. Don'tdisruptthecontinuityofyourspecialteams.However,ifsomeofyourstartersarethebestcoverage peopleinthekickinggameandhavehadareasonableamountofpractice,bepreparedtousethemlatein thegame. KeepinterviewperiodswiththemediaasbriefaspossibledoonlywhattheNFLrequiresinthisarea. Reviewallcontingencyplansinaclassroomsettingwiththeplayersgivethoseplansmostlikelytobeused fieldwork. Stresstheneedforprivacywiththesquadwithregardtoplansandpreparation.Althoughtheplayerswill receiveaconsiderableamountofpublicattention,suchattentionwillbeverydistracting. Install80percentofyourgameplaninthefirstweekifyouhavetwoweekstoprepareforthegame (especiallyfortheSuperBowl).Severalfactorsmakesuchascheduleappropriate.Forexample,the inevitablemediacrushwillmakeitverydifficulttohavecontinuityinyourpracticescheduleasthegame approaches. Yourteamwillbemeetingandpracticingatanothersite.Youmaybeinadifferenttimezonethanyouusually are,resultinginpracticingandeatingatunfamiliartimes.Inaddition,thedistractionsareimmense.Asaresult, virtuallyalloftheplanninganddecisionmakingshouldbedoneearlyinthefirstweek. Theplayerscanbegivenanextradayofftopartiallyrecoverfromthelongseason,whilethestaffmeetsto developthegameplan.Thetwoweekperiodallowsforfouradditionaldaysoffieldwork(Thursday, Friday,Saturday,andSunday).Atthatpoint,theteamthentravelstothesiteofthegame.Inthefinalweek beforethegame,allpracticesshouldlastnomorethan90minutes,withthefinaltwodaysofpracticelimited to60minutesoflightwork.

Anotherexampleofatypeofakeygameinwhichyoumaybeinvolvedisthepostseasonbowlgame.SuchabowlgamecaninvolveeitherNFLplayers(thePro Bowl)orcollegiatelevelplayerswhohaveuseduptheireligibility(e.g.,theEastWestgame,SeniorBowl,BlueGraygame,etc.).Allfactorsconsidered,coachingin oneofthesegamesisusuallyarelativelyenjoyableexperience.Notonlydoyouhavetheopportunitytocoachplayerswhoaregenerallyrecognizedasbeingvery talented,youalsogettoworkinarelaxedandopenenvironment.

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Inthesebowlgames,itisimportantthatyouareabletoputafunctionalsystemtogetherinarelativelyshortperiodoftimethatcanbeassimilatedquicklyandallows theplayerstocommunicateeasilywitheachother.Youshouldanticipateandbecomfortablewiththefactthatagreatdealofimprovisingwilloccurduringthistypeof game. Coachinginpostseasonbowlgamesinvolvingcollegiateplayersinvolvesadditionalfactorsthatshouldbeconsidered.Forexample,oneofyourprimaryfocusesinthis typeofgamewillbetoevaluatetheskillsandpropotentialoftheplayerswhowillbemuchyoungerandlessexperienced.Finally,ifthecoachingstaffforthegame hasbeenassembledfromseveraldifferentteams,theeffortsinvolvedinworkingwithassistantcoachesfromotherteamsmaybesomewhatdistracting(particularlyin theshorttimeframeforabowlgame). GamesasaBigUnderdogoraLopsidedFavorite Coachingateamwhichhastoplayagameasabigunderdogoralopsidedfavoriterequiresthatyouaddressseveralfactors,including: Doeverythingpossibletorefocustheplayersfortheimmediatetaskathand. Keepinmindthatdivertingtheattentionoftheplayerstoanyoftheperceivedcircumstancesforthis situationhasnomeaningfulvalue.Theoperativewordinthisinstanceis"perceived." Ensurethattheplayersunderstandthatonmanyoccasionsthefavorite/underdogroleisdeterminedbya groupofindividualswhohaveaseparateagenda. Donotallowtheplayerstolettheagendaofothersaffecttheirpreparationforthegame.

GamesAfteraHugeWin Coachingateamwhichhasagameafterahugewinmaynecessitatethatyouconsiderseveralissues,including: Keepinmindthatgettingplayerstorefocustheirattentionwhiletheyareconstantlygettingpatsonthe backmaybedifficult. Givetheplayersenoughtimetoenjoytheirbigwin,butalsogivethemaspecifictimetableregarding whentheyneedtostopcelebratingandgetbacktotheirnormalworkroutine. Understandthatahugewincanexertanemotionaltollonthephysicalaspectofyourteam.Asaresult, youmustmakesurethatyourplayersaredoingthethingsnecessarytorecuperatefromsuchadisruption (e.g.,youmayhavetogiveyourplayersalittlemorerestthanusual).

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TheLastSecondLoss Acatastrophiclosscantakeateamintoshock.Forexample,earlyin1997season,theOaklandRaidersafterplayinganexcellentgamelostonthelastplayofthe gametotheKansasCityChiefsonathirtyyardpassthatshouldneverhavebeencompleted.Thelossresultedfromthecompletefailureofonedefensivebacktodo hisjobproperlyand,possibly,bythedesignofthedefense.Inreality,becauseoneortwoindividualsfailedonasingleplay,theentireteamsufferedanunbelievable loss.TheRaidersputforthanoutstandingteameffortforalmostsixtyminutes,onlytogivethegameawayinthelastseconds. Justadaylater,asimilarfatestunnedthePhiladelphiaEagles.RayRhodes'EagleslostonthelastplayofthegametotheDallasCowboyswhentheholderbobbled theballonaPhiladelphiafieldgoalattemptfromthefiveyardline. Uptothepointoftheillfatedmisplay,theEagleshadplayedamagnificentgame.Initially,theydominatedtheCowboys.Theythenfellbehind,beforedrivingthe lengthofthefieldinthelastthirtysecondsofthegame,onlytobotchthepotentiallywinningfieldgoal. Lastsecondlossesaredevastatingexperiencesforeveryoneinvolved,butespeciallyfortheheadcoachwhoseemotionsarefirmlytiedtothetravailsofhisteam. Almosteverycoachhasexperiencedthistypeofshockingtragedy.Icertainlydid,havingbeenonbothendsoftheemotionalrollercoaster(i.e.,unbelievablevictories ononehandandshatteringlossesontheother). Assuch,theheadcoachmustsuddenlyhandletheresponsibilitythathasbeenthrustintohislapconcerningthelastsecondloss.Hemustrespond,asappropriate,to theteam,theownership,thefans,andthemedia. Astheheadcoach,youshouldconsidertakingseveralstepswhendealingwithalastsecondloss,including: Allowtheteamtobebythemselvesforabriefperiodimmediatelyfollowingthegametocopewiththeir senseofdistraughtmourningandfrustration.Atthismoment,havingprivacyisimportanttothem.Takea fewmomentstocollectyourthoughtsandgatheryourwitsbeforemeetingwiththeteam. Makesurethatyoudon'tmeetwiththeteamtoosoon,ortheymaynothearawordyousay. Considerthealternativeapproachesthatyoucanemploywiththeminthissituation. Trytominimize(hopefully,avoid)anytemptationyoumayhavetolashoutatthoseindividualswhose actionsweredirectlyresponsiblefortheloss.Becauseofyouremotionalstate,youcouldbemistaken aboutwhosefaultitwas. Regrouptheentiresquadassoonaspossible. Eliminate,asmuchaspossible,anyangertheplayersmightbedirectingatthoseindividualsbeingblamed fortheteam'sdefeat. Connecteveryonetotheloss,becauseinaveryrealsense,eachplayercouldhavefailedtoperformas assignedonagivenplaythatcouldhavemadeadifferenceintheoutcomeofthegame. Beawareofthefactthatthesegameshappeneverysooftenhopefully,onlyonceeveryfewyears.

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Firmlyaddressthefactthatunderextremeduress,playerscanturnoneachother. Remindtheplayersthatinsports,therearenoguarantees.Sometimes,badthingsoccur. Atthispoint,focusonpositivefactors. Recognizethegreatsacrificesmade.Theintenseplay,andtheoutstandingperformancesthatoccurred duringthegame. Emphasizeinstancesandexamplesoftoughness,resiliency,andresourcefulness. Directtheangeroftheplayerstothenextopponent. Whiletheplayersshouldbemad,upsetanddisgustedconcerningtheloss,donotallowthemtowhineor feelsorryforthemselves. Don'tallowtheplayerstoblameothersforthelossformorethanjustafewminutes. Makesurethateveryoneunderstandsifstaffmemberswerepartofthebreakdownthatledtotheloss (whichtheyoftenare).Thesestaffmembersshouldgounnamed. Beapillarofstrengthandresolveonceyougatheryouremotions. Channelyourreactiontothelossasbeingupset,disturbedandriled,yetundercompletecontrolofyour faculties(asopposedtoallowingyourselftobeingperceivedas"philosophical"towardsthesituation).

Howyouhandleyourselfpersonallyinthistraumaticsituationcanhelpestablishyouasatrueleader.Inthisregard,yourcollectiveactionsshouldreflectthefollowing factors: Don'twhine. Don'tsay"whyme." Don'texpectsympathy. Don'tkeepacceptingcondolences. Don'tblametheofficials. Don'tlockoutthemedia(althoughyoushouldalloweveryonetimetoregaintheircomposurebefore meetingthem). Don'tblametheteam.

Iftheplayerwhowasobviouslyresponsiblefortheteam'slosscouldn'thandlethepressure(i.e.,hecrackedunderthestrainandfailedtodohisjob)orcompletely losthissenseofdiscipline,youshouldconsidersendingastrongmessagetothesquadbyreleasingthatplayerimmediatelyifheisotherwisereplaceable.Suchanact onyourpartestablishesthefactthatyouhavestandardsandhighexpectationsofeveryone.Furthermore,italsomakesastatementthatyouwillnottolerateastupid, gutlessperformance.Suchajudgmentonyourpartshouldnotbereachedastheresultofasingleerrorormistakebyaplayer,butratheronyourobjective, considereddeterminationthattheoffendingplayerwill,inalllikelihood,

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continuetofailtomeetyourcompetitivestandards.Althoughyoumightbewronginaparticularinstance,youshouldnotacceptasubstandardlevelofcompetitive poise. Iftheplayerisreleased,noneedexistsforanypublic(orevenprivate)revelationofwhyyoutooksuchanaction.Everyonewillknow.Althoughreleasingsucha playerissomewhatruthless,itdoesdemonstratetheindisputablerealitythatwhenallbutafewplayersmaketheextremesacrifice,thosewhowon't,don'toraren'tup toitareexpendable. RoadGames Oneoftheprimaryhallmarksofagoodteamisthatitisabletoplaywellontheroad.Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketohelpyourteamtobebetterpreparedto winontheroadarethefollowing: Makesurethatyourplayersunderstandthataroadtripisabusinesstripandthattheirfocusand attentionshouldreflectthatfact. Prepareyourplayerstodealwiththeunexpecteddistractionsofplayingontheroad(e.g.lateplanesand buses,poorhotelfood,uncomfortablebeds,beingawayfromyourfamily,thechangeingameday routine,etc.). Removeasmanydifficultiesanddistractionsattendanttoplayingaroadgameasyoucan.Keepinmind, however,thatyourplayersmusttakeituponthemselvestohandleroadgamesinaprofessionalmanner. Getyourplayerstofeedonthehostileenvironmentinwhichtheroadgamewillbeplayed(i.e.,they shouldthriveonthenegativeenergyandcombativeatmospheretheywillencounterincitieslikeNew York,Philadelphia,Buffalo,Oakland,andChicago). Doeverythingpossibletoprepareyourplayerstohandletheenvironmentalconditionstheywillfaceon theroad(e.g.,thealtitudeinDenver,theheatinPhoenix,thewintercoldinoutdoorstadiums,etc.).The onetypeofstadiumrelateddistractionsthatyoucanatleastpartiallyprepareforisthenoisethatyouwill oftenencounterinmostofthedomestadiums.Forexample,theuseofanoise(crowd)simulatorduring practicecanhelpyourplayersandyourstaffdeveloptheabilitytofocusthroughsuchadistraction.

Nothinginlifejusthappens.Itisn'tenoughtobelieveinsomethingyoutohavethestaminatomeetobstaclesand overcomethem,tostruggle. GoldaMeir PrimeMinisterofIsrael 196974 fromMyLife

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GamesWhenKeyPersonnelAreInjured Althoughinjuriesareaninevitablepartofthegame,ateammustbepreparedtoplaygameswhenkeyplayersareinjured.Amongtheactionsthatyoucantaketohelp yourteamdealwiththissituationarethefollowing: Doeverythingfeasibletoenableyourplayerstodealeffectivelywiththeemotionaltraumaresultingfrom losingakeyplayerbecauseofaninjury. Donotletyourplayerssuccumbtotheimpulsetopanicwhenkeyplayersarelosttoinjuries. Provideextrasupporttothoseplayerswhoareexpectedtoraisetheirlevelofplayandpickupthe mantleofleadershiptofillanyvoidcreatedbythelossofkeyplayerswhosufferinjuries. Makeeachnonstartingplayerunderstandtheimportanceofhisroleasabackupplayerandtheurgency thatwillexistif(andwhen)heispressedintoduty. Makesurethatyourplayersunderstandthattheteam'sexpectationsforsuccesswillnotchange(i.e.,be lowered)simplybecauseoneormorekeyplayersarelosttoinjuries.

PreseasonGames Preseasongamesusuallyinvolveasetofprioritiesthatnormallydonotexistinregularseasongames.Evaluatingplayers,tryingoutnewschemesandsystems,getting playersingamecondition,andavoidinginjuriesareamongtheprimaryobjectiveswhicharefrequentlyattributedtopreseasongames. Notsurprisingly,itiscriticalthatcoachesrecognizetheimportanceofthepreseasonandplanaccordingly.Amongthestepsthatyoucantaketoensurethatyour team'spreseasonperiodisproductiveandthefactorsthatyoushouldconsiderwhendevelopingplansforthepreseasonarethefollowing: Establishaprioritizedlistofwhatobjectivesyouexpecttoaccomplishineachpreseasongameand collectivelyoverthecourseofthefour(orfive)preseasongames.Keepinmindthatbecauseofthenature offootballgames,itisdifficult(atbest)topreciselyanticipatewhatwillhappen. Asaconsequence,allofyourgoalsmaynotbemetineachgame.Ifforanyreasonthey'renot,youmustbe preparedtoadjustyourplansforensuingpreseasongamestomeettheteam'sneedsasappropriate. Becausesomuchmustbeaccomplishedinthepreseason,theteamshouldcloselyadheretoallplansand schedulesasmuchaspossible. Playaninstrumentalroleinensuringthatyourstaffholdsto"gamecommitments."Keepinmindthepotential environmentinwhichpreseasongamesareconducted.Forexample,intheheatofcompetition,thenatural instinctofeveryoneinvolvedistotrytowinwinatallcosts.Inparticular,coordinatorscangetso"intothe game"thatallthatmatterstothemis"stoppingpeople"or"movingtheball."

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Subsequently,positioncoachesmaywanttosubstituteasplanned,onlytobeturneddownbythe coordinator.Inanothersituation,thespecialteamscoachmayhesitateinsubstitutingbecauseeachkicking situationseemscritical.Asaconsequence,membersofyourstaffmayfindthemselvespostponingcalledfor substitutionsordisregardingthegameplaninordertohavethebestchanceofwinning. Ifleftunchecked,everythingispostponeduntilthe"secondhalf,"orthe"nextgame."Suchasituation illustrateswhytheheadcoachmustmakeeveryoneunderstandwhatheexpectstobeaccomplishedineach preseasongame.Youmustneverletyourselfforgetthategosareinvolved.Noonelikeslosingeven preseasonlossesaretoughtoswallow.

Getascompletealookaspossibleatthoseindividualswhoarecompetingforaspotontheteam.Tryto assesstheirabilitytoperformasmanyrequisiteskillsandtechniquesasfeasible.Trytoevaluatethemin individualmatchupswithotherathleteswhoareatthesamecomparablelevelofdevelopment. Keepinmindthatit'snottheamountofplayingtimethat'ssoimportantit'sthequalityofperformanceduring thetimespentplaying.Forexample,awidereceivercanplayafullthirtyminuteswithouthavingaballthrown tohim.Bythesametoken,adefensivelinemanmaynothaveanopportunityforanactualpassrushsituation, yetplayalmostanentirehalf. Accordingly,itmaybeuptothecoachingstafftoorchestratespecific"calls"tocreateasituationthat providesaplayerwithanopportunitytodemonstratehisabilitytoperformparticularskillsortechniques.For example,evenifyourteam'sdefensivesignalcallerdoesnotfeelthatasituationwarrantsa"blitz"call,ifyou wanttoseeanoutsidelinebackerrushthepasser,suchacallmustbemade. Makesurethatyouryoungerplayersgainexperience.Playerswhohavebeeninbackuprolesneed"game exposure."Theseplayersmust"hone"theirskillsbecausetheyhaveseenrelativelylittleplayingtimeduring theregularseason.Thebackupquarterbackisanexcellentexampleofsuchaplayer.Asaruleofthumb, thesebackupplayersshouldseeactionrelativelyearlyinthegame. Exerteveryefforttominimizethechancesthatoneofyourplayerswillbeinjuredparticularlytheteam's starters.Althoughnoabsolutemethodofprotectingplayersfrominjuryexists,thoroughplanningcanplaya significantroleinthisregard.Forexample,whenthestartersareinthegame,playswitharelativelyhighrisk ofinjuryshouldnotbecalled.Inaddition,playerfatiguelevelscanbecontrolled. Keepinmindthatthelengthoftimeaplayerisactuallyonthefieldhasagreaterimpactonhisfatiguelevels thandoesthenumberofquartersheplays.Probablythemostcompellingmeasuretocontrolfatigueistolimit thenumberofplaysanindividualisonthefield. Beawareofthefactthatyourteam'ssubstitutionpatterncanalsoaffectinjuryrates.Forexample,havinga veteranplayerreenterapreseasongameafterhehasplayedhisallottedtime(orparticipatedinhis prescribednumberofplays)can

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bedangerous.Whilesuchasituationcan'talwaysbeavoided,thecombinationofthegeneralfatiguethat resultsfromtrainingcampwithsittingonthebenchforanextendedperiodoftimeandcoolingoffandthen beingrecalledintothegamecanleaveaveteranplayer(particularlyanolderone)vulnerabletoinjury. Furthermore,becauseveteranplayersoftengearthemselves(psychologically)toplayforsomanyminutesor playsinapreseasongame,theplayermaynotexhibithisnormallevelofintensitywhenhe'sreinsertedback intothegame.Allfactorsconsidered,anyonewho'snot"goingfullspeed"ismoresusceptibletobeing injured.

Makesurethatwhenyourstartingquarterbackisinthegame,hehasthebestpassprotectionunitavailable. Immeasurablelossesofstartingquarterbacksfrequentlyoccurinthepreseasonbecauseofsuchfactorsas excessiveblitzingbythedefenses,abreakdowninpassprotection,thefactthemostteamsfrequentlydon't havetheirentirestartingoffensivelineonthefieldatanygivenpointintime,thelackofadequaterulesto protectquarterbacksincertainsituations,etc. TheseriousinjuriessufferedbyMarkBrunell(JacksonvilleJaguars)andKerryCollins(CarolinaPanthers)in 1997preseasongamesillustratetwoexamplesofinjurieswhichoccurredfromnotadequatelydealingwith suchfactors.Collinshadhisjawbrokenintwoplaceswhenhitbyablitzinglinebacker.Brunellincurreda kneeinjurywhenhewashitbelowtheknee(afterhehadthrowntheball). ForyearstheNFLhasbeentryingunsuccessfullytolegislatearuleprohibitinghittingaquarterbackatknee levelorbelow.Oneadditionalstepthatcanbetakeninthisregardistoreachanagreementwithyour opponent'scoachingstafftolimitthelevelof"hitting"oneachothers'quarterbacks.Someteamswillconcur insucharequest,whileotherswillnot. Don'tforgetthatquarterbacksareparticularlyvulnerableinpreseasongames.Teamshavethoseplayers whoarefightingtosurvivethefinalrostercutwhowilldoanythingtomaketheteam,includingtryingtoput theopposingquarterbackoutofthegame.Anassaultonquarterbacksmaycomefromseveralsources (e.g.,anindividualfightingforastartingrole,aveterandoingeverythingpossibletokeephisjob,arookieor freeagentwhoistryingtomakethesquad,etc.). Makesurethatavarietyofspecialteamscombinationsisusedinthegame.Withoutsuchacommitment,it maybetooeasytosticktothespecialteamsunitsnormallyused.Forexample,ateammayhaveagood prospectassignedtoitsbackuppuntunit.Whileitmaybeimportanttoseehowthisplayerperformsina coveragesituation,theheadcoachmaydecidethataparticularsetofcircumstanceswhenhisteamis puntingaretoocriticaltoriskusingthisplayer. Asaresult,notonlydoesthestaffneverseethisplayerperforminacoveragesituation,theplayerdoesn't gettheinvaluableexperienceofprotectingandcoveringinacriticalpointinthegame.Yourstaffmust rememberthatregardlessofwhetherthepreseasongameiswonorlost,themostimportantfactoristo"see" thisplayerinaction.

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Planyourplaycallingevenmoreextensivelythanyoudoforaregularreasongame.Suchanapproach shouldbefollowednotbecauseyouareoverlycommittedtowinningthepreseasongame,butbecause everyplaycalloffersanexcellentopportunitytoevaluateessentialelementsofyourprogram(e.g.,individual personnel,specificblockingcombinations,passroutes,etc.). Anyvariation,adjustment,ornewtechniqueshouldbegivena''shakedown."Allnewplaysshouldbe tested,putonvideoforteachingpurposes,evaluated,andtheresultsdocumented. Eventhoughtheytypicallydon'tgettoomuchplayingtimeinpreseasongames,makesureyourstarting quarterbackandhisreceiversgetalotofworktogether(i.e.,beabletoanticipateeachother'sactions, moves,routes,etc.)duringtrainingcampin7on7teamplay. Integrateveteranfreeagentswhohavejoinedtheteamintothelineuptoensurethattheyhavethe opportunitytoplayalongsidetheirnewteammates.Itiscriticalthatlinesofcommunicationbetweenafree agentandhisteammatesbefullydevelopedinthepreseason.Theexperiencegainedonthelineof scrimmage,aswellasexposuretothepositiveatmospherewhichoccursbybeinginthecompetitivearena withhisnewteammates,mustbeacquiredinthepreseason. Thepreseasonoffersaninvaluableopportunitytodeterminehowthenewlyacquiredplayermeasuresupto yourexpectationsofhim.Inreality,hemayhavestrengthsorshortcomingsthatyouhavenotanticipated. Synchronizeyourbaseoffenseanddefenseduringthepreseason.Whilescrimmagingagainstotherteams andpracticecanhelp,nothingcanfacilitategettingyouroffensiveanddefensiveschemesintunelikea "game." Thepreseasonisatimewhenyouroffensegetsintorhythmandrefinesitsabilitytoexecute.Asthe preseasonproceeds,your"starters"shouldplayenough(i.e.,thefirsthalf)toensurethatyouroffenseand defensearereadyfortheregularseason.Playselectioniscriticalfortheoffense. Makesurethatyourmedicalstaff(athletictrainersandteamphysicians)isextremelyalertforanysignsof unduefatigueorundueriskofinjuryamongregularsquadmembers.Forexample,playshouldbestopped immediatelyifanyindicationexiststhataplayerhaspulledamuscle.Thepointshouldbestressedthat trainingcampoftenheightensthefatiguelevelofplayersasituationwhichincreasesthepossibilityofa muscleinjury(e.g.,pull,strain,etc.)occurring. Don'tallowyourstafftolosevaluableopportunitiesforevaluationandanalysisbypermittingyour coordinatorstospendtimeondevelopingaparticulargameplanforaspecificpreseasonopponent.The distractioninherentinsuchagameplancancauseeveryonetolosesightoftheprimarygoalstobeachieved duringthepreseason,includingimprovementinteamexecution,teamtechnicalenhancement,and,most importantly,thedevelopmentofpersonnel. Keepinmindthatitistheprimaryresponsibilityoftheheadcoachtocloselymanagethegameandassure thatallplansareimplemented.Towardthatend,you

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shouldmakesurethatyourassistantcoachesmakeallsubstitutionsasplanned,regardlessofthesituation, unlessyoudictateachangeinplans. Youshouldalsomakesurethatthespecificplayswhichyourstaffhasdecidedshouldberunforparticular playersareactuallycalled.Inaddition,youshouldlimityourfirstunitstoatwentyplaymaximumduringa game.Individualplayersshouldbeinsertedintothegameforspecificreasons(e.g.,arunningbackselectedin thedraftcouldbesentintothegametorunaspecificplayoraseriesofplays).

Considerusingalternativecriteriafordecidinghowmuchplayingtimeanathletegets,including: Playercompetesuntilhehascompletedwhatthestaffhasplannedforhim. Aplayeroraunittakespartinaspecificnumberofplays. Aunitcompletesapreplannedseriesofplays(e.g.,theoffensivelineperformsalltwentyscripted plays). Aunittakespartinapredeterminednumberofplaysregardlessofthesituation. Theunitsplaybyquarters.Althoughthismethodisthesimplestapproach,itdoesnotofferalikely meansforeverythingplannedtobeaccomplished. Theunitsalternateplayingtime.Forexample,thefirstteamoffenseplaysthefirstandthirdquarters, whiletheoffensivebackupsplaythesecondandfourthquarters.Suchanapproachwillforcethefirst unittostayinthegame(physicallyandmentally),bebriefedathalftime,warmup,andbepreparedto returnandexecute.Whilethismethodmayoffercertainbenefits,itdoesheightentheriskofinjury. Differentcombinationscanbeutilized.Forexample,thefirstdefensivelinecanplaywiththesecond teamlinebackers,etc.Thisapproachcanofferseveralbenefitstothecoach,includingthatunanticipated shortcomingsandstrengthsofspecificplayerscanberevealed,onegrouportheothermayface additionalpressurewhichmaycausethemtoriseuptomeetnewchallenges,itcanserveasanexcellent evaluationtool,etc. Oneofthebestcombinationsthatcanbeemployedisinsertingabackupplayerintotheregularlineupto getexperience.Suchamoveallowsthatplayertobereadyincasehe'scalleduponinsteadofyoubeing forcedtojuggleyourlineupifsomeoneisinjured. Individualplayerscanbeinterjectedintothegamewhohaveanopportunityto"produce"withasolid supportingcast.Theseathletesareindividualswhomayplayanimportantrolewiththeteaminthe future. Solid,durable"camp"playerscanbeusedtofillinduringpreseason.Suchanapproachcanoffer specificadvantagestotheteambecausetheseplayerscanserveascapablereplacementsforstartersor regularsquadmemberswhohavebeenheldoutforonereasonoranother.While"camp"players typicallylovetoplay,theynormallyhaverelativelylittlechanceofmaking

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theteam.Accordingly,theseindividualsareoftensignedtoservejustaspracticeplayersandtoplayin preseasongamesasneeded. Noindividualshouldbeplayedwithoutaspecificreason.Ifthatplayersuffersarealora"phantom" injury,hecouldtaketheteamtolitigation.

Makesurethatyoutakeenoughtimetothoroughlyplanforeachpreseasongame.Thetendencyistoslack offonplanning.Withtheheavyscheduleimposedintrainingcamp,apreseasongameofferssomerelieffrom the16hourdaysthestaffusuallyfacesduringtheregularseason. Toensurethatadequateplanningoccurs,abasicformatforthegameplanforthepreseasongameshouldbe developedthatincludesacomprehensiveoutlineofeachelementtobeaddressed.Atthatpoint,astepbystep planshouldbeformalized.Aphilosophythatfocusesontheobjectivestobeaccomplishedduringthe preseasongamesshouldbeestablishedandadheredtowhilefinalizingthegameplan.Thestaffshouldholda seriesoffouronehourmeetingstodiscussandreviewthegameplaninthethreedaysprecedingthegameand thedayofthegame. Holdtwomockgamesintrainingcamp,eachlastingapproximately45minutes.Thesegamesshouldbeplayed inshortswithoutcontact.Officialsshouldbeusedtorunthegame(e.g.,clock,chains,etc.).Allfactors considered,theofficialsinvolvedinthesesessionstendtobegratefulfortheopportunitytoworkontheir"full teamofficiatingmechanics." Gamedayproceduresshouldbeestablishedandrefinedduringthesesessions(e.g.,substitutions,playcalling, benchprocedures,etc.).Theoffensegoesagainstthedefense,withtheofficialswhistlingtheballdeadafter eachplay(gain).Theofficialsshouldbeinstructedtomake(fictitious)callsthatincurpenalties. Appropriatesubstitutionsshouldbemade."Shock"substitutionscanalsobemadetokeepeveryonealert. Specialteamsarealsoemployed.Theonlyelementofthegamethatisnotutilizedisanopposingspecialteam. Returnmenareusedwhencoverageteamsareemployed.Apunterorakickerisusedwhenthereturnteams aredeployed.Theheadcoachshouldorchestratethegame,makingsurethateverysituationcomesup.Every formofdownanddistanceshouldoccurduringthesemockgames. Youshouldsignaltherefereewhatsituationyouwant.Everypossibleoffensivecombinationofpersonnelcan beutilized.Thedefensivecoachescancountertheoffensewiththeirownpersonnelcombinations.Atthe discretionofthecoachingstaff,bothunitscanencounteravarietyofgamecircumstances,includingshort yardage,goalline,longyardage,redzone,backedup,nickel,andpreventsituations.Thesemockgamesoffer theteamameaningful''shakedown"testofitsgamemanagementorganizationtogettheseasonstarted. Prohibithazingintrainingcamp.Hazingservesnopositivepurpose.TheSanFrancisco49ers,forexample, haveneverencouragedorallowedhazing.

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Resttheolderplayerstheweekofthelastpreseasongame.

Keepthepreseasongamesinperspectiveparticularlythelastscheduledone.Whileinstancesmayoccur whenitbecomesimportant(forwhateverreason)towinapreseasongame,itcertainlymustnotbethefinal preseasongame,withLeagueplaybeginningthenextweek.Theplayingtimeofyourstartersshouldbe limited. Onoccasion,amorecompletegameplanmaybenecessary.Whilefull,regularseasonlikeparticipationmay beappropriateinyouropinion,thetemptationtoopenyouroffenseupandshow"everything"mustbe avoided.KeepinmindthatinthehistoryoftheNFL,afewteamshavelosteverypreseasongame,yethave goneontohaveoutstandingregularseasons.Thereshouldbesomepointinthepreseason(typicallythethird game)whenyourstartingunitsareinsyncandarefunctioningsmoothly.Fromastandpointofteam development,thispointisthecriticalstageofthetrainingcamp(i.e.,preseason)cycle.
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PARTV THEBUSINESS

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Chapter17 WorkingwiththeMedia
"Thepress,ineffect,hastodecidewhatisfairandwhatisnot.Ithastodisciplineitself.Iseebothsidesoftheissue,butIdonotbelievethatthelinebetweenthetwoisnearlyas fuzzyassomepeoplesuggest." ArthurAshe TennisLegend DaysofGrace

Findingthewinningedge... Onoccasion,therelationshipbetweenahighprofileexecutiveandthemedianotonlyappearstobesomewhat hostile,butinfactisadversarial.Nevertheless,itiscriticalthattheexecutiveinchargeconductalldealingswiththe mediainaprofessionalandresponsiblemanner.Bydevelopingarapportwithmembersofthemediaandrespecting theirrolesasprofessionals,youareabletoworktocreateareservoirofrespectthatcanearnyouameasureof understandingduringtoughtimesandthatmayevenassistyouingettingthroughacrisissituation.Moreover,you willbeabletoestablishaforumwhereyoucanenhancethelikelihoodthat"yoursideofthestory"willbeheardin bothgoodtimesandbadtimes.Thekeypointtorememberistonevermislead,fabricateorbecoywiththemedia. BillWalsh PersonalInterview July11,1997

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Overtheyears,Ihavehadnumerousopportunitiestoworkwiththemedia.In1982,Ihadaparticularlyimpressionableexperienceinvolvingthemedia.It allstartedtheyearearlierwhenSanFranciscobecameoneofthesurprisingteamsofthe1981season.Theteamchangedthecourseofitshistorywitha shocking4514victoryovertheDallasCowboysatCandlestickPark.Thescoremighthavebeenevenhigherifwehadcontinuedtoutilizeourpassing attack.Theyearbefore,wehadbeendefeated5917inDallas.Atthattime,oneofthefeaturesofMondayNightFootballwashighlightsoftheprevious weeksgame.SanFranciscohadneverbeeninaMondaynighthighlight,evenasalosingteam.Sothenextweek,theentire49ersstaffstoppeditsworkto watchthehighlightsandseehowtheteam'sdestructionofDallaswouldbeframed.Tooursurprise,thegamewasnotevenmentioned.Welearnedthat DallaswastobethefeaturedteamonthenextMondaynight'sbroadcast,andtherefore,toensurethattheywouldbearealattraction,theirlosstoSan Franciscowasnotmentioned. DuringmypressconferenceonTuesday,beingasimpetuousandfoolishasIwasinexaltingmyvictory,Iwasaskedaboutmyteamnotbeingfeaturedon thehighlights.Irespondedwithanintelligent,thoughtfultiradeagainstnetwork"elitists"whoputpromotingagameoverprovidingthepublicwith highlights.ThemediaaskedmorequestionsandIgavemoreanswers.Thecourseofactionwashonestanddirect,butdefinitelynotinmyprofessionalbest interest.TheonlypurposeitservedwasstirringupthepeopleatABC. The49erswentontowintheSuperBowlthatyear,andIbecomeasomewhatnotablefootballpersonality.InMarchof1982.ImetHowardCosellforthe firsttimeatalargecocktailpartygathering.Howardwasattheheightofhiscareer,moredemonstrativeandvocalthananyothersportsbroadcaster. Somepeopleappreciatedhimandsomedidn't,buttheyallknewofhim.AssumingIwouldbewellreceived,Isteppedthroughthecrowdtointroduce myself.ThehundredsofpeoplelookingonwereasstunnedasIwasbyHoward'sprolonged,vitriolicattackonme.Hecomparedmetoavarietyofvillains depictedthroughouthistory"Whoareyou,sir,toconfrontsomeonelikemeorthepeopleIrepresent?Youarenobody.Youarenothing." Iwasunabletoofferacivilizedresponse.Iretreatedintothecrowd,embarrassedformyselfandalsoforHoward.Everyonehadstoppedandturnedto watchtheconfrontation.Ihadlearnedavaluablelesson.Iallowedafewdaystopassandwrotealong,thoughtfullettertoHowardexplainingmyposition andstatingthatIdidnotholdhimresponsible,butratherthemanagementandproductionstaffs. Withinafewdays,Ireceivedaneloquent,conciliatoryletterfromHoward,inwhichhespokewarmlyaboutmeandcongratulatedSanFranciscoonits greatachievement.Iwroteback,thankinghimforhisletter.AtHoward'sinvitation,ImethimfordinneratoneofSanFrancisco'sfinestrestaurantson theSaturdaypriortoourfirstMnightgamein1982.IwasunabletomatchHowardmartiniformartini,butwehadamarvelousdinnerandgreat conversation.Fromthatpointon,HowardchampionedmeandIspokeofhimwithreverenceandrespect.Iwrotehimalongpersonallettershortlybefore hisdeathaddressinghisgreatnessandachievements.Followinghisdeath,Ireceivedalongreplyfromhisdaughter.

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In1981,Idemonstratedmyimmaturityandlackofexperiencebyallowingmyimpetuousnessandtheeuphoriaofbeingsuccessfultoleadtothearrogance whichcausedmeto"takeonthenetwork."MyinitialmeetingwithHowardCosellgavemeaninsightintotheimportanceofnotmakingenemies.Inthis case,IwasabletoundothedamagebyconcedingtheerroronmypartthathadledHowardtomakeaninaccuratejudgment. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Ofallthefactorswithwhichaheadcoachmustbeconcerned,perhapsnoneismoredemandingandobtrusivethanhavingtodealwiththemedia.Manyofthe difficultiesattendanttodealingwiththemediacanbeattributedtothemultidimensionalnatureofthemedia. Although"themedia"isatermwhichisfrequentlyusedinasingularsense,asifitwerereallyapersonoraparticularmedium,that'snotthecase.Rather,"themedia" isadescriptivedesignationwhichcollectivelyrepresentsawidevarietyofmediumvenuesandpersonalities. Theterm"media,"forexample,includestwobroadgroupsofmediumtypeswhicharecategorizedaccordingtohowtheinformationisdisseminatedprintmedia (e.g.,newspapers,magazines,etc.)versuselectronicbasedmedia(e.g.,radio,television,theinternet,etc.).Themediacanbefurtherclassifiedintovarious geographicallevelsaccordingtowhataudienceaparticularmediumisattemptingtoserve(e.g.,local,national,orinternational).Suchaclassificationcanbecomea problemwhen,atanygiventime,theheadcoachfindshimselfinteractingwithonespecificmediatypefromthreedifferentareasforexample,newspaperreporters. Thekindsofindividualswhoworkinthedifferenttypesandlevelsofmediaalsovary.Overtime,theheadcoachwillbeexposedtoadiversearrayofpersonnel, rangingfromthoughtful,seriousprofessionaljournaliststoindividualswhoprefertosubordinatecontentandethicsfortabloidsizedsoundbitesdesignedtoentertain orinflametheiraudiencesregardlessoftheconsequences. ConflictingPriorities Withoutquestion,oneofthemostdifficultaspectsofdealingwiththemediaisthefactthateachofthevarioustypesofmediatendstohaveitsowndistinctsetof needsandpriorities.Inturn,theneedsandprioritiesofonetypeofmediumnotonlymaybedifferentfromthoseoftheheadcoach,butalsomayconflictwiththoseof othertypesofmedia. Thelocalbeatwriter,forexample,hasadecidedlydifferentjobandperspectivethandoesthelocalcolumnist.Asanindividualwithwhomyouinteractonacontinual basis,thelocalbeatwritermustrelyonacertainfamiliaritywithyouandyourplayersinordertodohisjob. Acolumnist,ontheotherhand,maywritesomethingaboutyouperiodicallywithouthavingevertalkedwithyouoncetheentireseason.Inreality,somecolumnistscan bethemostfrustratingtodealwithbecausetheyfeelthattheirpositiongivesthemacertainlevelofautonomy.Accordingly,undertheguiseof

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"personalopinion,"theyusewhateverleewayisnecessaryto"mold"theirinformationtofitthepointtheywanttomake.Simplystated,theymaynotbothertoletthe factsgetinthewayofwhattheyperceiveasagoodstory. Itisinterestingtonotethatoftenthesetwospecificgroupsofwriters,eventhoughtheymaywriteforthesamepaper,don'talwaysseethesameeventthroughthe sameviewpoint.Oneexperiencedbeatwriteroncetoldme:

Thecolumnistswritecheckswebeatwriterscan'tcash.Theymaywriteastorybasedonspeculationortheiropinion.MyeditorthengetsonmeaboutitbecauseIdon'thave anythingonthisparticularstory.Althoughthecolumnist's"speculationoropinion"iswrong,I'mcaughtchasingdownastorythatdoesn'texistoneIdidn'teveninitiateinthe firstplace.Concurrently,thecolumnistsimplymovesontohisnextspeculativeventure.

Complicatingthepotentialforconfusionandconflictevenfurtheristhefactthatbothoftheselocaltypesofwritersmayhavedistinctlydifferentprioritiesand viewpointsthantheirnationalcounterpart. Theradioandtelevisionmediahasyetanothersetofperspectivescomparedtothoseofthe"pencilpress."Forexample,thenatureoftheelectronicmediarequiresa verydifferenttypeofresponsefromtheheadcoachwhoisaskedtoansweraparticularquestion.Aresponsethatwouldotherwisebecomprehensiveandwell thoughtoutifitwereforthewrittenmediawillnotbeappropriateforthe30secondsoundbiteenvironmentinwhichtelevisionandradiooperate. Inreality,anylistingofthepossibleareasofconflictinprioritiesbetween(andwithin)thevarioustypesofthemediawouldbevirtuallyendless.Thepointyoumust constantlykeepinmindwhendealingwiththemediaisthattheseconflictsexistandthatyourmediarelatedactionsshouldbeconductedaccordingly.Fortunately,you canundertakespecificstepstoenhancethelikelihoodthatyourexperienceswiththemediawillbepositive,ratherthancounterproductive. BePrepared Nosinglestepyoutakewillserveyoubetterthantobeprepared.Inbothpressandbroadcastinterviews,youneedtoknowwhatyouwanttosayandusewhatever questionsyouareaskedtosayit.Suchamandaterequiresongoingplanningonyourpart. Youshouldnotassumethatyoucanmatch"wits"withthemediaparticularlyprintreporters.Youshouldnotassumethatyourintellectwillmatchtheirsinafreefor allsessionofquestioning.Theyhavehadprofessionaltrainingandexperienceinhowtoaskprobingandpenetratingquestionsconcerningyourthoughtsonspecific mattersandissues.Assuchyouneedtobeprepared.Mediapreparationcanbecorrelatedsomewhattodevelopinganeffectivegameplan(refertoChapter10). Youneedbothadefensiveandanoffensivegameplan. Yourdefensivegameplanshouldcomefirst.Youshouldanticipatewhatquestionsyoumaybeasked.Restassured,ifthereisonequestionyoudreadbeingasked, thatquestionwillbeforthcoming.Fortunately,anticipatinganinterviewer's

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questionsbeforehanddoesn'trequireadegreeinadvancedinsightjustsomeforesightandthoughtfuldeliberationonyourpart. Onceyouhaveidentifiedwhatquestionsmaybeasked,youshoulddecidebeforehandhowyouwillanswereachquery.Dependingontherelativeimportanceofeach questioninyourmind,youshoulddelineatewhichsalientpointsyouwishtomakewhenrespondingtoaparticularrequestforinformation. Onceyourdefensivegameplanhasbeendefined,youshouldthenformulateanoffensivegameplan.Anoffensivegameplaninvolvestakingstepstoensurethat whateverpointsyouwanttomakeduringanintervieware,infact,made.Youshouldkeepinmindthataninterviewisessentiallyaconversation,asopposedtoa mediaversionoftheSpanishInquisition.Duringaninterview,youmustbepreparedtoappropriatelytakethe(offensive)initiativewhenevertheopportunityarises. Theprimarydifferencebetweenthetwoapproachesisfairlyobvious.Whereasdefenseisessentiallyresponseoriented,offenseproactivelyattemptstodictatethe disseminationofspecificinformation.Onceyoucometothedevastatingrealizationthatareporter'swordscanbeusedtodeceive,aswellasreveal,you'llbegrateful tohavebothgameplansatyourdisposal. Similartofootball,goingfromoffensetodefenseduringaninterviewrequiresanexchange.Intheconversationaldynamicsofaninterviewsituation,thisexchange occurswhenyoubridgeaquestionfromaninterviewerandseizetheinitiative(i.e.,offense).Inotherwords,abridgegetsyoufromwhereyouareinadiscussionto whereyouwanttobe.Effectivebridgingrequiresanoncontrivedconnectingphrase,clause,orsentencethatservesasaprefacetothepointyoureallywantto address. Forexample,inresponsetoaquestionaboutwhyyourteamplayedsopoorly,youmightanswerwitheither"letmeputthatmatterinaslightlydifferentperspective" or"atthispoint,itmaybemorebeneficialtoconsiderthelargerissue."Youwouldthenbeableto''bridge"tothepointyouwanttoaddresswithoutappearingtobe tooevasive.Twomenwhowereunequalledintheircapacitytomakestatementsintheirteam'sbestinterestswhilerespondingtoalmostunrelatedquestionswereAl DavisandCarmenPolicy.

Putyourownegoaside.Don'tbeconcernedwithpeoplewriting,aboutwhatagreatcoachyouare.Maketheteam thefocus.Iftheteamwins,youhavedoneyourjob.Ididnotneedanymoresatisfactionthanthat. BudGrant HallofFameFootballCoach MinnesotaVikings fromGamePlansforSuccess

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PressConference Althoughtheheadcoachmaydealwiththemediainavarietyofsituations,therearetwomajormediarelatedeventsinwhichhe(bythenatureofhisjob)must participatepressconferencesandbroadcastinterviews.Pressconferences(i.e.,ameetingofthepressenmasse)canbestressfulexperiences,dependinguponthe circumstances.Usually,theyinvolveanopeningstatementbytheheadcoach,followedbyaquestionandanswersession. Moreoftenthannot,thequestionandanswerperiodistheprimaryfocalpointofapressconference.Ifyouwanttomaximizethebenefitsofholdingapress conference,whileconcurrentlyminimizinganydetrimentalsideeffects,youshouldconsiderthefollowingguidelines: Startthepressconferenceontime.Limitanygraceperiodforwaitingforlatearrivalsbymembersofthe thirdestatetotenminutesorless.Afailuretobepunctualisanaffronttothosewhoare. Provideacopyofthecompletetextofyourpreparedremarksifsuchaserviceisbothappropriateand expectedinaparticularsituation. Findwaystorespondinyouranswerregardlessofhowimpertinentthequestionsmayseemtomake thepointsyouwanttomake(i.e.,usethebridgingtechnique).IraMiller,anawardwinningNFLsports writerfortheSanFranciscoChronicle,sometimesaskedmeaquestion,whichwas,infact,astatement thatcouldnotbeanswered.Ifyouencountersucha"dreadedquestion,"youshoulddissectthestatement andanswereachpointasifitwereadistinctquestion. Havetheindividualwhoaskedthequestionrepeatthequestionifnecessary.Suchastepcanaccomplishat leasttwothingshelpclarifythequestioninyourmindandgiveyoutimetoconsideryouranswer. Maintainsteadyeyecontactwitheachpersonasthatindividualasksaquestion.Ifaquestionisrelatively friendlyoreasy,continueeyecontactwiththeindividualthroughoutyourresponse.Thatactionmayprompt afollowupqueryfromthesameperson(whohasalreadybeenidentifiedasbeinguserfriendlyfromyour perspective). Bythesametoken,ifyoureceiveanunfriendlyorevenhostilequestion,youshouldlooktotheothersideof themeetingroomasyoucompleteyouranswer.Often,thistechniqueonyourpartwillleadtotwothings bothpositive.One,itpreventsyoufromnoticingthatyourpreviousantagonistwantstoaskanotherquestion. Second,itmaypromptaquestionfromsomeonemorefriendlytoyourpointofview. Askyourselfthosequestionswhich(forwhateverreason)nooneelsehasbotheredtoaskbutyoufeelneed tobeanswered.Forexample,afterrespondingtoaquestionfromtheaudience,andbeforeyou acknowledgesomeoneelse,youmightsay:"OneofthebasicquestionsI'mcertainyouareconcernedabout is..."andthengoaboutansweringitbeforecontinuing.

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BroadcastInterview Thesecondprimarytypeofmediaeventinwhichtheheadcoachisoftenaskedtoparticipateisthebroadcastinterview.Thenuancesofabroadcastinterviewvary somewhataccordingtowhethertheinterviewisbeingconductedonradioortelevision. Unlikeradio,wherewhatyousayandhowyousayitarepreeminentfactors,televisionoftenplacesaninordinateamountofemphasisonstyleoversubstance.In otherwords,toapoint,itisasequally(ifnotmoreso)asimportanttolookgoodwhileyou'resayingsomethingasitistosaytherightthing.Ontelevision, appearancesoftencountformorethanreality. Amongthepointsyoushouldconsiderwhenparticipatinginabroadcastinterviewarethefollowing: Beyourself.Ifyouputonairsoractinanunnaturalway(foryou),youraudiencewillnoticeparticularly ontelevision. Backupyourstatementswithrelevant,crispexampleswheneverpossible. Don'tlosecontroloftheinterview.Don'tlettheinterviewermanipulateyouintosurrenderingyourdignity oryourautonomyasaguestonthebroadcast. Don'tforgetthatwhileabroadcastinterviewisstructured,itdoesn'thavelegalgroundrules.Inother words,youcandecidewhatquestioningwillbetoooutofboundsforyoutoanswer.Obviously, misleading,irrelevant,orimmaterialquestionsshouldnotgounchallengedbyyou. Keepinmindthatyoucanstraysomewhatfromthelineofquestioning.Ifyoufeelitisappropriate,you canchangethesubjectofthequestionanddirectyourremarkstosomethinginwhichtheaudiencehasan interestinyouropinion.

BeingSmart Whileyouunfortunatelydon'thavethepowertocontrolalloftheaspectsofyourdealingswiththemedia,youcertainlyhavecontroloveryourownactions.Themore appropriateyouractions,thelesslikelyyourmediadealingswillbeadversetoyourneedsandexpectations.Amongtheguidelinesyoushouldconsiderarethe following: Setandadheretospecifictimeconstraintsinpersonalinterviews(e.g.,51015minutes,etc.).Letthe mediaknowwhyyourinterviewwillhaveatimelimit.Forexample,youhaveanotherappointment,a staffmeeting,etc. Haveanunderstandingofthesubjectwhichwillbecoveredinoneononeinterviews.Whenever necessary,bringthedialoguebetweenyouandtheinterviewerbackintofocus. Keepinmindthatitneverpaystobeconfrontational.Becalm.Softenhardquestionswithyour responses.Controlyouremotionstheinterviewermayknowhowtotriggerthem.

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Don'tforgetthatwhilehonest,directresponsesareimportant,youarenotrequiredtoprovidedistinct personalfeelings,strategiesorcontingencies. Havespecificinformationathandoravailable.Backupassertionswithfacts,statistics,andevenrelevant personalexperiences.Becarefulofmakingcarelessobservationsusingunsubstantiatednumbersor names. Changeorshiftthesubjectifyouareaskedaprovocativequestion(i.e.,answeringanotherquestionis onepossiblestepyoucantake). Don'tforgetthathumorcanbereportedassober,seriousremarks.Anyhumoryouuseshouldbefar afieldofseriousexchange.Whilelight,engaginghumorcannaturallysoftenintense,criticalexchanges,its usecanbeadoubleedgedsword. Don'texpound,asageneralrule,onaparticularsubjectoutsideastraightforwardresponse. Pontificatingoftenresultsinoverstatementandcarelessobservations.Keepinmindthatthemediawill seldomforgetoroverlooksuchcomments. Don'trepeatanegativequestion.Ifyoudo,itthencanbe(mistakenly)reportedashavingbeeninitiated byyou.Itcanalsoserveasanadmissionofsomethingtowhichyoudon'twanttobeassociated. Carefullyconsiderthemediumwhenpressedforcommentsonvolatilesocialorpoliticalviews.For example,youcouldleaveyourselfveryvulnerableifyouattempttocommentonthelackofprogressona particularsocialissueintheNFLina30secondsoundbite.Becarefulofobservingorremarkingon significantissuesoutsidethevenueofyourteam. Don'texpectmembersofthemediatounderstandorappreciatetheemotionalormentalstateofmind youmaybeinafteragame.Becauseyoumaybeemotionallyexhausted,yourresponsesmaynotseem rational.Inreality,theymaynotbe.Youshouldnotexpectthecollectivemediatobesympathetic. Don'tbeafraidtoquestionareporter'sstoryifyoufeelthestoryisinaccurate.Suchquestioningshould occuronlyafteryouhavepersonallyreadthepiecenotastheresultofsecondhandinformation.In yourinteractionwiththereporter,youshouldbedirect,butnotconfrontational.Finally,youshouldnot assumethereporterintentionallymadeamistakeorhadaspecificagenda.Theinaccuracymayhave beenjustthatamistake. Neverassumethereporteriseitherknowledgeableorknowsnothingaboutthesubjecttheindividualis writingabout.Forexample,somemenmistakenlybelievethatwomendon'tknowthebasicrudimentsof football.Infact,manyfemalesportswritershaveanextensivefootballknowledge. Avoidtheloadedstatement.Inthesetimesofshockjournalism,somejournalistswilldeliberatelyinsertan inflammatoryadverbintoaquestionthatwillturnthequestionintotwoissues.Forexample,theword "deservedly"inthestatement,"Giventhedeservedlylowregardinwhich(insertthenameofanNFL city)isheld,whywouldanyonewanttocoachthere?"Doyoufocusontheword"deservedly,"address theprimaryquestion,orbridgetoyourownpoint?

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Thekeyistodefusetheinsultclearlyandgoontoyournextpointinsuchadeterminedmannerthatfurther attentionisnotgiventothejournalist'sdisparagingremark.Youcanrespondtothestatementinaparallel way,butnotdirectly.

Keepinmindthatyou'reallowedtochangeyourviewsandopinions.Don'tbetrappedbysomeonewho recallsthattwentyyearsagoyoustatedadifferingpointofview.Whileconsistencyiscertainlyadmirablein mostinstances,yourviewsdon'thavetobeirrevocablytranscribedintothepermanentrecordafteryoufirst publiclyutteredthem. You'reallowedtochangeyourmind,grow,becomeawareofadditionalinformation,etc.Theflexibilityyou exhibitinchangingyourviewscanbeperceivedasademonstrationofthefactthatyou'vebecomemore matureandexperienced.Assuch,itcanbeseenasavirtueofsoundleadership. Don'tattackanabsentparty.Mostpeopleareoffendedbysomeonewhodisparagesanindividualwhois notpresenttodefendhimself.Ifyouarepresentedwithaquestionaskingyouaboutaderogatorycomment someoneallegedlymadeaboutyouoryourprogram,simplydeferyouransweruntilyouhaveseentheexact quote,contextandall,oryouhavespokentothatpersonabouttheremarks. Bepositive.Demonstrateenergyandenthusiasm.Itishumannaturetoprefersomeonewhoisbullish (optimistic)ratherthanbearish(pessimistic).Keepinmindthatthingscanbebetteristheflipsideofthings couldgetworse. Knowyourstuff.Givinganincorrectresponsenomatterhowinsignificanttheissuecanundermineyour credibility.Notknowingwhyyourcoordinatorsmadeparticulardecisionsorwhattheywereactually attemptingtodostrategywisecanresultindirectcontradictionifyouattempttorespondtoquestionsabout theseissues. Keepinmindthattheterm"ontherecord"meansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Asageneralrule, don'teverforgetthatifyouknowsomethingyoudon'twanttoseeinnewspapers,don'ttalkaboutit."Off therecord"usuallymeansyouwon'tseeyourcommentsforaweek."Strictlyofftherecord,"ontheother hand,involvestwoweeks,while"strictlyconfidential''maymeanthatyourremarkswon'tshowupfora monthortwo. Makeyourcommentsrelativelyeasytounderstand.Ifyouwanttomakeapointaboutashovel,don't rambleonaboutaportable,manuallyoperatedearthrelocator.Whilefootballcaninvolveincredibly complexandtechnicalissues,it'sfarmoremeaningfultodiscussitineasytounderstandterms. Keepyouregoincheck.Anegothatissoinflatedthatyoueventuallybecome"consumed"byyourown notorietywillbringonunwantedepisodesofhumiliation. Learntolivewiththefactthatastheheadcoach,youwillsometimesbethebruntofremarksaboutyou professionallyandpersonallythatcanbestupid,cruel,inane,inaccurate,andoffthewall.Typically,they willcomefrominexperiencedradioortelevisioncolorcommentatorswhohavevirtuallyno

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understandingofthestressthatyou'reunderorwhatittakestodealwiththemyriadofproblemsyouface. Youmustlearntolivewiththesituation.It'sanunfortunatefactthatsomeofthecommentatorscurrently analyzingfootballgamesonradioandtelevisionlacktheinsightandthecompetencetodosoina professionalmanner.Perhaps,worstofallarethoseradioandsportstalkshowhostswhosestyleoften appearstoinvolveseeingjusthowbizarreandirreverenttheycangetawaywithbeingontheair.Asa coach,itiscriticalthatyoulearntocoexistwithsuchmadness.

Keepinmindthatthemediamayrecklesslycriticizeandridiculeyouoryourdecisions.Theymay completelychangetheirpositionin48hours.Assuch,youmustnotallowyouremotionstoriseandfallwith themedia'slevelofhysteria. Bythesametoken,youmustnotletyourselfbeaffectedifthecrowdreactsinanegativemannerduringthe game.Itisonlynaturalwhenyourteamisperformingpoorlythatthecrowdwillbedisappointedand frustrated.Someofthatfrustrationmaybemanifestedvocally(i.e.,boos,catcalls,derisivecomments,etc.). Youmustmaintainyourpoiseandfocus.

PreparingfortheInevitable Nomatterwhatyourrecordnomatterhowwellchronicledyouraccomplishmentsnomatterhowmucheveryone(themedia,fans,etc.)seemstolikeyouatsome point,astheheadcoach,youwillbeput"onthebubble"anda"DeathWatch"foryourfiringwillbegin.Thecyclebeginsandendshundredsoftimesaroundthe countryeachyear. Literallythousandsofmenandwomenhaveexperiencedit.Itisnotuniquetoanycoach,oranysport,althoughitcertainlyfeelsthatwayifyouaretheonegoing throughit.BecauseitIsaninherentfeatureofthejob,coachesmustcometogripswiththisaspectoftheprofession.Accordingly,youshouldunderstandthis inevitablerealitylikeanyotherareaofyourcontingencyplanningforlife. Thebasisforthe"DeathWatch"isquitesimple:losinggames.Organizationswithahistoryofwinningandhavinghighexpectationseachseasonmaynotbeableto tolerateanythingshortofwinningatleastoneplayoffgame.Ittrulydoesn'tmatterthatlogicalandlegitimatefactorshavecontributedtotheteamnotlivinguptoits expectations(e.g.,injuries,inexperience,individualpoorperformances,etc.).Whilepoororinconsistentplayonthepartofthequarterbackpositionmaybeatthe centeroftheproblem(asitoftenis),youshouldnotexpectthemediaorfanstocare.Thefinalresultistheonlybarometertheyarecapableofunderstanding. Themedia,sensingthecoachisstruggling,willquitenaturallybegintheprocessofbuildingacasebasedontherelativelypoorresultsthecoach'steamachievedonthe field.Thecoachwhohasmaintainedapositiveworkingrelationshipwiththepresstypicallywillbegivenalittlemoretimeandmayevenbetreatedwithalittlemore dignity.Nevertheless,theprocesswillcontinuetoevolve. Mostoften,asingle,prominentcolumnistwillsetthisdeathwatchcycleintomotion.Blendingfactwithconjecture,thiscolumnisttypicallybeginstheprocessslowly. Eventually,acollectivemediafascinationoccurswiththisoftenrepeatedscenario.

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Asothersinthemediabegintotakeapositionattendanttovariousargumentsforeitherdisavowingoradvancingtheprocess,somemaybesupportiveifonlyto createanenvironmentforopendebateandmorestories.Mostofthemediawillcarefullystraddletheissueuntilamoredefinitiveoutcomecanbedetermined.Then, thesesamefencestraddlerswillsimplystandontheirconvictionthattheyhadcalleditrightfromthebeginningregardlessofwhichwayitturnsout. Often,theveryattributesthemediahailedthecoachfor,whenthingsweregoingwell,aretheverysameonestheywillusetofocusonasthereasonforhisdownfall. Forexample,DonCoryellestablishedtheSanDiegoChargerswithoneofthemostfearedoffensivearsenalsevertotakethefield. Hiseasymannerwiththeplayersandreputationasa"playerscoach"wasoftenacclaimedasthereasonfortheChargers'onthefieldsuccess.Subsequently, however,whenfactorscontributedtoalesseningofSanDiego'swinningways,themediawasquicktolabelthesamecoachingstyleasbeingtoosoftandlacking authority. Asthedeathwatchcyclebeginstotakeshape,theheadcoachcanmakeanumberofalltoocommonmistakes(allofwhichshouldbeavoided),including: Engaginginanongoingridiculeoftheteam.Commentssuchas:"Theydon'tunderstandwhatittakes" "Theyjusthaven'tlearnedhowtowin"etc.neverhelp. Tryingtoreachandinfluencetheplayersthroughthemedia.Commentssuchas:"Ibelieveinthesemen" "They'reagreatbunchofguys""Believemethey'replayingtheirheartsout''whilewellintendedare inherentlyhollow. Offeringblindsupportforanembattledplayer.Commentssuchas:"Ibelieveinhim""We'regoingto makethiswork""Heishuman"areusuallytransparentandbecomeredundant. Askingthepressandpublicformoretimebypromisingthingswillgetbetternextyear.Ifsuchcomments arerepeatedlymade,theycanbeperceivedasa"plea."Subsequently,themediamayviewthemasa "weakness"onyourpart. Unknowinglydisplayingoutofcontrolemotions.Allfactorsconsidered,neitherthepressnorthepublic willrespondwelltosuchadisplay.Infact,mostseeitasasignofweakness.Whilebeinganimatedisfine andbeingupset(toapoint)isacceptable,emotionssuchasrageormelancholyaredemeaning.Keeping histemperamentwithinreasonableboundariesisextremelyimportanttotheheadcoacheveninsuch direcircumstances. Socializingexcessivelywithownership.Theheadcoachcanneverreversetheprocessbyheavy socializingwithownership.Eventually,theownerwilldowhathastobedone.Althoughitmaybe difficult,theownerwillmakechangesintheheadcoachingpositioniftheyarenecessary.Theheadcoach shouldrememberthatmostownerswillrespectprofessionalismaboveallelse.Headcoacheshavebeen knowntocultivateandcountonthisrelationship.Inreality,itneverreallyhelps.

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Insinuatingthatacoordinatorisatfaultinanattempttotryandgainsometime.Certainlyaddressingstaff shortcomings,aspartofanhonestevaluationofthestaff,hasitsplace.Itishighlyunprofessionaland unethical,however,touseanassistantasanavailablescapegoat.Ifyoucontinuetolayblameforlackof successononeofyourassistants,evenifbyinference,themediawillviewitasanexcuse. Takinghiscasetoeveryavailablepublicchannel.Althoughacoachmaywanttouseeveryavenueto"plead hiscase"tothepublic,heshouldavoidalltalkshowquestionandanswerformats.Itisrelativelywell documentedthatshowsofthisnaturehaveverysmalldemographicswithregardtothosewhocallinto respond. Typically,thesecallersrepresentaverysmallpercentageofthepopulation.Theseindividualsusuallyhavea setagendaandarelessinterestedintheresponsethantheyareinhearingtheirowncriticismsorquestions.In addition,itisimportanttorememberthateverythingacoachsaysonatalkshowisquotable.

Thedisappointmentanddissensionbegantobefocusedundeservedlysoontheheadcoach,PaulWesthead.The playerswereinpain.Theywantedthatpainsalved,andtheytalkedthemselvesintobelievinghewasitssource.He wasn't.Ourteam'sproblemsallcamefrominside. PatRiley HeadBasketballCoach MiamiHeat fromTheWinnerWithin

Asthedeathwatchcycleevolves,anumberofcounterproductivecircumstancescommonlyoccurwhichtheheadcoachshouldanticipateandshouldguardagainst, including: Playerswillbequoted,especiallythosewhoarerelativelyuninformed.Someplayerswillbecometheself proclaimedspokesmenforthesquad.Althoughmostoftheseindividualswillbesincereandhonest,even theirwellintendedremarkstothepresswillusuallyhaveanadverseimpactonthesituation.Furthermore, mostoftheseindividualswilltypicallytendtooversimplifythesituation(i.e.,theyinsinuatethatsomeoftheir teammates"aren'tgoingallout"). Theownermayvolunteerantagonisticremarkstothepress,eithercarelessly,honestlyorvindictively. Whateverthesituation,thecoachmuststaycool.Toapoint,theemotionstheownerfeelsare understandable.Afterall,it'stheowner'steam.Itistheowner'smoney. Ontheotherhand,ifthelinesofcommunicationareopenbetweentheheadcoachandtheowner, contentiousissuesshouldbediscussedprivately.Even

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whentheownertriestodotherightthingby"backingthecoach100%,"thereisoftenacollective assumptionthroughouttheprofessionof"thatcoachisintrouble."Inreality,anoverstatementofsupportcan appeartobea''deathknell."Whilesupportiveremarkscanbehelpful,theyshouldnotappeartobetoo guardedorexcessivelyunrealistic.

Membersofthemanagementteammaybecomesources(usuallyunnamed)forthemedia.Obviously, unnamedsourceswithinanorganizationcanplayadestructiverole.Thispracticeisnotuncommon.The coachshoulddiscussthesituationonanongoingbasiswithmembersofmanagement,includingthe personnelstaff.Withoutappearingdesperate,thecoachshouldconfrontthosewhoareexhibitingdisloyalty. Honest,directexchangeswiththecollectivestaffwillhopefullyembarrassandpreventindividualsfrom succumbingtothishumanfrailty. Atthesametime,thecoachshouldbecarefulnottosuccumbtoovertparanoia.Giventhecircumstances,it wouldbeunderstandabletocomprehendthebasisforsuchapsychologicalstateonyourpart.Inthese instances,thetraditionaloneliner,"Justbecauseyou'reparanoid,doesn'tmeanthattheyarenotreallyafter you,"certainlyhassomemerit.

Duringthedeathwatchcycle,itisilladvisedforacoachtoreadthenewspapersorlistentotalkshows.Ifyoumustreadthepaper,youshouldnotporeoverthe newspaperingreatdetail.Allfactorsconsidered,itisbesttohaveamemberoftheadministrationstaff(preferablyamemberofthepublicrelationsdepartment)create asetofnewspaperclippings,highlightingthosematterstheheadcoachshouldbeawareoforneedstoaddress,including: Inaccuratestories.Onoccasion,themediamaywanttoonlymeetwithpartoftheteam,anactionwhich mayallowthemto"frame"astoryoranopinion. Storiesthatpersonallyattackaplayeroramemberofthestaff.Builtsolelyonsubjectiveopinion,these storiesareoftenvindictive. Quotesfromplayersorstaffmembersthatareinconsistentwithandpotentiallydivisivetotheoverall attitudeoftheteam.Inreality,differencesinsemanticsexistwhichcan"distort"themessageforsome.

Youshouldkeepinmindyoudon'twantto"shootthemessenger."ThissituationisaninstancewhereagoodPRdirectorcanbeextremelyhelpfultotheheadcoach. Bybeingasourceofinformationandcounseltotheheadcoach,thePRdirectorcanhelpaddressanysituationthatmaycomeup. AresponsiblePRdirectorwillaggressivelyprotecttheheadcoachandconfrontanygrossinaccuraciesthatwillinevitablycomeupaspartofthevastarrayof materialsthataregeneratedina"deathwatch"environment.ThePRdirectorshouldpermitnoinaccuracytogounchallenged.Anexcellentexampleofanoutstanding PRdirectorintheNFLisRodneyKnoxoftheSanFrancisco49ers.

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Finally,inthestressfulperiodofthedeathwatchcycle,itiscriticalthatthecoachmaintainanormalexerciseroutine.Thebenefitsofexerciseareimmeasurable.Not onlydoesexercisetendtodissipatethechemicalswhichbuildupinyourbodyduringperiodsofexcessivestress,italsoimprovesyourabilitytothink(i.e.,cognitive functions). Ifyoudon'texerciseregularly,youarevulnerabletobeingworndownphysicallyandmentally.Inaddition,youaremorelikelytolosecontrolofyouremotionsatan inopportunetime.Byenablingyoutodivertyourfocusandconcentrationtootheractivities(e.g.,workingout,tennis,jogging,etc.),exerciseaffordsyouabreakfrom yourstressfulcircumstancesandgivesyouanopportunitytoregroupmentallyandphysically. MakingtheMostoftheSituation Therelationshipyouhavewiththemediawilldependuponseveralfactors,someofwhichwillbebeyondyourcontrol.Optimistically,amajorityofyourdealingswith themediawillbereasonablypositive.Asageneralrule,mostmembersofthemediaaremenandwomenwhoexperiencedisappointments,triumphs,andfrustrations, notunlikeyou.Keepinmind,however,thatthenatureoftheirjobissomewhatinconflictwithyours.Theirprioritieswillnotalwaysbethesameasyourpriorities. Assuch,attimes,youmayhaveanadversarialrelationshipwiththem.Hopefully,youwon'thavetoworkwithreporterswhoharboranattitudeof"thebiggerthe coachesare,thehardertheyfall,andthemorerewardingitistotopplethem."Thepointtorememberisthatyoumustlearntocoexistwiththemedia. Overtheyears,anumberofNFLcoacheshavelearnedthislessonandlearneditwell.ExtremelyintelligentandselfconfidentindividualssuchasMarvLevy,Mike Shanahan,andJoeGibbshaveforgedanexcellentworkingrelationshipwiththemediabasedonhonest,straighttothepointdealings.Thekeyistobepreparedto dealwiththemediawhateverrelationshipsorcircumstancesexist.LouisPasteuroncewrote,"Chancefavorsthepreparedman."Assuch,don'tleaveanythingto chancewheninteractingwiththemedia.
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Chapter18 FocusingonFinancialMatters
"Youcanneveroverpayagoodplayer.Youcanonlyoverpayabadone.Idon'tmindpayingagoodplayer$200,000.WhatImindispayinga$20,000player$22,000." ArtRooney HallofFameFootballOwner PittsburghSteelers,193387

Findingthewinningedge... Yourhighlypaidstarbombs?Don'tlettheeconomicsofabadhirecloudyourreasoning.Asmartmanagerworries moreaboutfixingtheproblemthanaboutdisguisingittosaveface.Insportsthismayrequiretheverypublic benchingofacelebrity.Inbusiness,itmaymeanturningoversomeofthekeyresponsibilitiesofamajorplayerto someoneelse,possiblysomeoneloweronthetotempole.Nottheleastofamanager'sdiplomatictasksistomakethe situationcleartothepersontakingonthestar'sresponsibilitiescoveringalargersalesterritory,forinstance,or assumingthedirectionofanimportantR&Dprojectwhilethestarcontinuestomakemoremoney.Onceagain, there'snowaytopretendthatthisisfair,butyoucanprettysafelypredictthatsoonerorlaterthesituationwillbe resolved,andyou'llbeabletogivecredit(andcompensation)whereit'sdue. BillWalsh,"HowtoManageSuper stars,"Forbes,June7,1993.

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Thesignificanceofsoundfinancialmanagementcannotbeoverestimatedinanycompanyorcorporation.WhenIjoinedtheSanFranciscoorganization, forexample,the49ershadthelowestseasonticketbaseintheNFL.Afterthefirstseason,Ibeganworkingtomarketseasontickets. Weadvertisedonbillboardsandinnewspapersinanattempttopersuadefanstopurchasetickets.Weeventiedaribbontoeveryunusedseatin CandlestickParkandheld"PickASeatDay,"completewithgames,musicandfoodfortheattendees.Weworkedtheentiredayandonlysoldseven tickets.Ipurchasedthreemoremyselfsowecouldgettodoubledigitsfortheday. Thetruebottomlineisthequalityofyourproduct,nothowyoupackageit.Fromthatpointon,Ispentverylittletimeonpromotion,insteadfocusingmy effortsonwinningonSundays.Our1981homegameversusDallaswasthe49ers'firstselloutinmanyyears,andgameshavebeensoldouteversince. Havingagoodproductonthefieldiscriticaltothattypeofsuccess,andshouldbethefocalpointofeveryone'sattentions. Somepeoplewouldgivecreditforthe49ers'onfieldsuccesstoownerEddieDeBartolo'smoney.Thisphilosophymayholdabitoftruth,butinfact,the yearwewonourfirstSuperBowl(1981),wewerenotthehighestpaidteamintheNFL.Theteam'sstandardofperformancemustbethepoint,notmoney. Theorganizationmusttakecaretospenditsmoneywisely. Overtheyears,SanFranciscohasbecomeoneofthehighestpaidNFLteams,butthereisnotruecorrelationbetweensuccessonthefieldandhigh salaries.Soundfinancialmanagementiscriticaltoanorganization.Appropriateuseoffunds,thechemistryoftheteam,standardofperformance, efficiencyandtheteam'sexecutioncombinetoformtheessenceofsuccess. <><><><><><><><><><><><> Footballmaybeagame,buttheNFLisabusiness.Asaresult,everyheadcoachmust,atsomepoint,dealwiththerealityofhisteam'sfinancialstate.Toexpect financialmatterstosimplyworkthemselvesoutwouldbenaiveatbest,anddisastrousatworst. Fromaheadcoach'sperspective,ateam'sapproachtofinancialissuestendstogiverisetotwoprimaryconcerns.First,itiscriticalthattheteam'savailablefinancial resourcesareallocatedinthemosteffectiveandefficientmannerpossible.Fromafinancialperspective,thefocalpointneedstobetoassurethattheorganization acquiresthetoolsneededtodevelopasuccessfulprogramand,ultimately,winchampionships. Second,itisessentialthatcurrentfinancialdecisionsdonotnegativelyimpacttheteam'slongrangeplans.Collectively,financialissuestendtoinvolveatleasttwo distinctareaswheretheheadcoachmustbeinvolved:dealingwiththeteam'schieffinancialofficer(CFO)andunderstanding(andrespondingto)theNFL'ssalary cap.

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EverytimeIcallitagameyoucallitabusiness,andeverytimeIcallitabusinessyoucallitagame. JohnMatuszak FormerNFLPlayer OaklandRaiders

DealingwiththeCFO Theteam'sCFOisultimatelyresponsibleforalloftheteam'sfinancialfunctions,includingaccounting,dataprocessing,taxes,expendituresandincome.TheCFOmay overseethesefunctionspersonally,butinanorganizationaslargeasanNFLfranchise,itismorelikelythattheCFOwillbeassistedbyvariouscontrollersand treasurerswhosupervisethebusinessandaccountingstaff.Asageneralrule,thefinancialmanagementstaffofateamhasthreemainfunctions: 1. Planningfortheteam'sfinancialneeds.Thisstepinvolvesformulatingafinancialplan,thenevaluatingthe planafterithasbeenputintoactionandmakingchangeswhennecessary.Thefinancialplanningprocess shouldincludeestablishingobjectives(bothshorttermandlongterm),budgetingandidentifyingsources offunds. Acquiringsufficientfundsattheappropriatetimestokeepthecompanymovingforward.Thesefunds maycomefromavarietyofsources,classifiedaspositivecashflow,retainedearningsoroutside financing. Decidinghowandwheretospendthefundsonhand.

2.

3.

Whendealingwithyourteam'schieffinancialofficer,youshouldrememberthatyouandtheCFOmayhavedifferentshorttermconcerns,eventhoughyourlongterm goalsmaybethesame.Ononehand,youmaybefocusedprimarilyononthefieldmatters(e.g.,teamperformance,thedevelopmentofindividualplayers,injuries, offensiveanddefensivegameplans,theupcomingopponent,etc.).Ontheotherhand,theCFOmay(bynatureoftheposition)beconcentratingessentiallyonfiscal issues(e.g.,aligningateam'sfinancialprioritieswiththeorganization'sobjectives,securingandmanagingthenecessaryresources,etc.). Despitehavingdifferentprioritiesonoccasion,thepositionsoftheheadcoachandtheCFOareinextricablyconnected.Theteam'sperformanceaffectsthefinancial resourcesavailabletotheCFO,andtheorganization'sfinancesimpactthehumanresourcesavailabletotheheadcoach.WheninteractingwiththeCFO,itis importanttokeepinmindthattheCFOhasamyriadofresponsibilitieswhichmustbedealtwithonadailybasis,including: Calculateandmanagenumberscontinuously. Requirecomplete,ongoing,updatedknowledgeofeachcontractanditsramifications.

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Stretchformulastohelpwithwhattheteamneeds. Worktobefullyinformed,knowledgeable,andcurrentonthepresentfiscalformulasandequations utilizedacrosstheNFL. Understandandstudypastfinancialprojectionsfortheteam'sfuture. AcquireaworkingknowledgeofthecircumstancesfacingeveryotherNFLfranchise,includingtheir financialofficers,theirphilosophyandtheirformulaformeetingtheirsalarycaprequirements. Utilizefinancialandaccountingtablesasestablished.Checkforaccuracyandremainalertforalternative methodstobecomemoreefficient. BefamiliarwithleagueappraisalsandvariousNFLresources. Requirecompleteconfidentialityfromallfinancialandbusinessstaffmembers.Monitorconfidentialityand securitycontinually. Knowthedispositionandallocationofeverydollar. Calculateandprojectfuturerevenuesourcesaccuratelyusingavailableinformation. Beabletoaccessanyessentialinformationsourceregardingfinancialmatterswithinminutes. Workwiththeheadcoachtoensurethateverythingisbeingdonetoprovidetheteamwiththetoolsit needstowin. Developalossscenarioforvariouscontingenciesifrequestedbytheheadcoachoruppermanagement (i.e.,whatistheworstthatcanhappen?).

IntheNFL,severaluniquedemandsareplacedonaCFO.Forexample,theCFOmustbeconversantwithLeagueprojectionsofresourcesandknowthedisposition andallocationofeverydollarduetotheorganization.ItisalsoimportantfortheCFOtobeawareofthecircumstancesfacingotherNFLteams. PerhapsthemostuniquechallengefacingtheCFOofanNFLfranchiseisdealingwiththebudgetaryrestraintsimposedbytheNFLsalarycap.Theimplementationof thecaphashadasubstantialimpactontheroleofthefinancialofficer.Forexample,theCFOmusthaveadetailedknowledgeofthetermsandramificationsofeach player'scontractandbeconstantlymanagingthenumberstoworktotheteam'sbestadvantage.Inthisregard,theCFOmustavoidbeingundulyinfluencedbythe coachingstaff,supportpersonnel,mediamembersandeventheteam'sCEOwhenexploringvariousoptionsorthefeasibilityofdifferentcontractalternatives. UnderstandingtheNFLSalaryCap Nopartofthegameislessunderstood,yethasagreaterimpactonprofessionalfootballcurrently,thantheNFL'ssalarycap.In1993,theNFLadoptedthecurrent systemoffreeagency.InanattempttoimplementthisnewpolicyandyetmaintainthecompetitivebalancewithintheLeague,thesalarycapwasestablished.The basis

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ofthesalarycapwasthateachteamwouldhavetoabidebya"budget"forsalariesestablishedbyLeaguemandated(andcourtapproved)guidelines. ThesalarycapisanotherexampleoftheNFLpracticeofattemptingtoestablishleaguewidepoliciesandrulesthatfocusontheconceptof"commongood."This practiceisfrequentlyreferredtoasthe"LeagueThink"principle.Thebasisofthe"LeagueThink"principlewasputforthbythenNFLcommissionerPeteRozellein late1960.RozelleadvocatedthattheNFLshouldsellitscollectivetelevisionrightsasasinglepackageandshareitsbroadcastrevenuesequallyamongallfranchises. Rozellesurmisedthatifeachfranchisewerelefttofendforitselffinancially,particularlyinregardtotelevision,theensuingdivisionintorichandpoorteamswouldgive afewbigmarketfranchisesenormousadvantagesastelevisionrevenuesgrew.Eventually,Rozelleconcluded,thisdivisionwouldresultinacorrespondingimbalance onthefield,therebylesseningtheLeague'smarketabilityasawhole. Thirtythreeyearslater,theadventofplayerfreeagencyhadamajorimpactonthewaythatNFLteamsdidbusiness.Manyinmanagementperceivedfreeagencyas aquickfixmethodforcorrectingpersonnelmistakes,whileamajorityoftheplayersviewedthefreeagencyprocessasawaytosharemoreintherevenuethey generatedfortheirteams.Mostowners,however,realizedthatamechanismwasneededtoensurerelativebalance(i.e.,the"LeagueThink"rulementality)amongthe teamsintheireffortstoacquirefreeagents.TheinstrumentthatwasmutuallyagreeduponbytheNFLPlayersAssociationandtheNFLManagementCouncilwasthe NFLsalarycap.Literallyspeaking,thecapdefinedhowmuchanNFLteamcouldspendonsalaries. Initspuresttheoreticalform,theNFL'ssalarycaphasthreemainelements: 1. 2. Usingthedefinedgrossrevenues(DGR),madeupprimarilyofticketsales,TVandradiorevenues,the playersarepaid(viathesalarycap)aspecificpercentage(6263percent)oftheprofitsoftheDGRthe bettertheLeaguedoesthebiggerthefinancialpietobedividedamongtheplayers. Establishingasalarycapallowsthesmallmarketteams,whichcannotgeneratethesameexcluded definedgrossrevenues(EDGR)asthelargemarketteams,tostayrelativelycompetitiveeconomically. EDGRarethosemoneysgeneratedbyoutsidesponsorship,stadiumsuitesales,concessionandparking revenuesand,toacertaindegree,NFLProperties. Thecapkeepsthemoreeconomicallyviablefranchisesfromstockpilinganexcessivenumberoftalented players.Instead,thesalarycapincreasesthelikelihoodthatthetalentlevelwillbesomewhatavailableto otherteams.

3.

Withtheseelementsinmind,eachNFLteamisthengiventhelatitudetospenditscapdollarsthemostefficientwayitcan.Thegraphbelow,"Distributionby Position,"providesanexampleofthewayateammightallocateitsfundsbyposition.Althoughthefundscanbedividedinanynumberofways,thisexampleisfairly indicativeofhowateammightallocateitsfundsinanygivenyear.

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Becausethesalarycapisstillinitsrelativeinfancy,itistooearlytojudgeitseffectiveness.Ononehand,manyNFLplayersfeeltheystillhavenotreapedthetotal benefitsoffreeagencywhile,ontheotherhand,virtuallyeveryNFLteamhasexperiencedsomeformofabustinitsfreeagentacquisitions. Thefactthatbothsideshaveopenlycriticizedthesalarycapatonepointoranotherindicatesitisapparentlydoingitsjob.Therealityofthesituationisthatthesalary caphasbothpositiveandnegativefeatures.Overtime,asteamshavemoreexperiencewithdealingwiththecap,amoreaccurateassessmentofitsutilitycanbe made. Whenpracticalapplicationbranchedofffromtheory,asisusuallythecase,theEDGRprovedtobefarmoreofafactorthanwasoriginallyanticipated.Theabilityof ateamliketheDallasCowboys,forexample,togenerate$3040millionmoreinexcludeddefinedrevenuesthansmallermarketteamscouldinsuchcitiesasBuffalo, Minneapolisorlndianapolishasdrasticimplicationsforthe"LeagueThink"mentality.Asaresult,theNFLisleftwithaneverincreasingnumberofteamsthreatening toleavetheirrespectivecitiesunlessthey,too,canbepromisedincreasedofffieldrevenues. Anotherareaonwhichthesalarycapimpactsismakingpersonneldecisions.Teamsnolongerhavethelatitudetobuildtheirsquadsregardlessoffinancialfactors.As aresult,salarycapdecisionsoftenoutweighpersonneldecisions. Whilescoutsandcoachesmayfindtheplayers,theNFL's"capologists"makethefinancialdecisiontodeterminetheamountofrelativerisk.Asaconsequence,oneof theprimarytasksfacinganNFLteamintoday'senvironmentistoprovidea

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platformtolurethebestathletestotheirorganizationswithoutexceedingthesalaryceiling,whichissetatalittleover$41millionperteamforthe1997season. Thevalueandnotorietyofthese"capologists"hasincreasedtothepointwheretheirhiringsarebeinglistedinthetransactionsectionofthesportspages.Atsome pointinthenotsodistantfuture,itmaynotbetoooutlandishtoimaginethatthelndianapolisColtshavetradedtwolinebackersandawidereceivertoJacksonvillefor their"capologist"andanaccountanttobenamedlater.Notsurprisingly,theworthofanextraordinarilycompetentcapologistisconsiderable.FormostNFLteams, theCFOorgeneralmanagerservesasthecapologist. Notthatlongago,aheadcoachcouldnothavetoldyouwhattheplayersonhisownteamweremaking.Today,everyNFLheadcoachgetsadailyprintoutofwhat everyplayerintheleagueismaking.Inpersonnelmeetings,toagreatextent,thefocushasshiftedfromtheabilitiesoftheplayerstotheircapnumbersandwhatthe teamcanafford. Whentheheadcoachtellshisoffensivelinecoachtofindaguard,oneofthefirstquestionsthathastobeaddressedis,"Arewelookingfora$1millionguardora $500,000guard?"Termssuchas"fixedsalary,""valueinvesting"and"incrementalupgrades"havebecomeapartofthecoachinglexiconintheageofthefreeagency process. Anexampleofa"capologist's"creativityinfinancialdealingsarisingfromsalarycapconsiderationsisillustratedintheDenverBroncos'restructuringofquarterback JohnElway'scontract: Elwaywasscheduledtomake$4.2millioninsalaryduring1997.ForNFLaccountingpurposes,his teamalsohadtocount$1.1millionfromhisprevioussigningbonus.Accordingly,Elway'stotal1997 chargeagainstthecapwouldbe$5.3million. Elwaywillnowreceive$565,000insalaryduring1997,a$2.26millionsigningbonusthatwillbepro ratedoverfiveyears(at$452,000annually)forcappurposesanda$1.1millionrosterbonusinMarch 1998. Theteammuststillcount$1.lmillionfromElway'sprevioussigningbonusagainstthe1997salarycap. Elway'snewchargeagainsttheBroncos'1997capfigureisnowslightlyover$2.1million,thereby clearing$3.2millionforDenver's1997captotalanddeferringitintofuturecapyears.

SimilartoElway,manyNFLplayershaveshowntheyarewillingtoworkwiththeirorganizationsinrestructuringtheircontractsinhopesofsurroundingthemselves withmoretalentedteammates.Inallhonesty,suchrestructuringisnotatotallyselflessactsincearevisedcontractwillusuallypaytheplayerthesamedollarsover time. Renegotiatingaplayer'scontracttomakemoremoneyavailableforthecapisaviablebutcostlyadjustmentforateam.Typically,arenegotiatedcontractmeansthata playerwillreceivethesamemoney,butspreadoutoveralongerperiodoftime.

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Renegotiatingalsoinvolvessomeriskfortheplayer.UnliketheNationalBasketballAssociationandMajorLeagueBaseball,veryfewplayercontractsintheNFLare guaranteed.Asaresult,ifaplayerisluredtoateamwithabigsigningbonusupfront,orifheisaveteranwitharelativelysizablecontract,herunstheriskinfuture yearsofbeingcutbythatclubintheweeksleadinguptotrainingcampiftheteamdecides(forwhateverreason)thatheisnotworthhiscapnow.Releasingaplayer afterJune1allowsclubstocountsomeoftheproratedmoneyagainstthefollowingyear'scap,whichintheoryshouldalwaysbealittlehigher. Accordingly,thetimebetweenthe1stofJuneandthestartoftrainingcampisoftenaperiodwhenanumberofotherveteransarestilllookingtosignonwithteams. Subsequently,someoftheseveteranplayersendupsigningforsubstantiallylessthantheywouldotherwisehavereceivedundertheirpreviouscontracts. Likethefederalgovernment,anaturaltendencyforsomeNFLteamsistopushuptheir(caprelated)debtinfutureyears,whiledealingwiththemoreimmediate concernofclearingroomforthesalarycapthisyear.Someclubstakethisapproachinanticipationofincreasedrevenues(viaanenhancednetworktelevision contract)and,subsequently,alargercapinthefuture.GiventhattheNFL'stelevisioncontractexpiresafterthe1997season,mostNFLownersanticipatethat biddingforthenewrightscouldbequitelucrative. Oneofthebyproductsofthecapistheneedforplayerstorealisticallyassesstheirvalueintheopenmarket,particularlysecondtierathletes.Thisassessmenthas proventobeverycostlyforsomeplayers,especiallyforolderveteransandinjuredplayers.Foreveryexampleofaplayerprofitingbyventuringintotheopenmarket becauseofthe"insultinginitialoffer"fromhisoriginalclub,thereseemstobeanotherwhoendsupplayingforconsiderablylessthanwhathisformerclubwaswilling topay. Oneaspectofthecapthatisamajorconcernforallpartiesisthedisproportionateamountoffundsbeingcommittedtoasmallerandsmallergroupof

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players.In1996,forexample,NFLteamsspentmorethanhalftheirmoneyontenplayers.The"DistributionbyTier(10Man)"graphillustratestheaverage distributionofcapmoneyonatypicalNFLteam.Iftheplayersaretieredintenmangroups,basedontoptobottomsalaries,thisgraphillustratesanexampleofan NFLteamwherethetoptenplayersaccountfor51percentofthetotalcapallotmentof$41million. Althoughthesetopplayersrepresentahighpercentageofthetotalcapexpenditure,the"PlayersBracketingbySalary"graphshowstheymakeup,onaverage,about 20to25percentofthetotalroster.Thebulkoftheplayersonthisparticularteamaremakinglessthan$500,000ayear.Oneoftheteamsclosesttoan

evensplitbetweenthestarsandtherankandfilein1996wasMinnesota. Onetrendthatseemstohaveevolvedisforteamstomaintaintheircoreofplayersratherthansellingouttofreeagency.Whilenearly45percentofunrestrictedfree agentsjoinednewclubsin1995,thatfigurefellbelow12percentin1997. LiketheNCAArollingbackfootballscholarshipallotmentsto25peryear,thecaphasprovenitseffectivenessinkeepingteamsfromstockpilingtalent,especiallyat thequarterbackposition.ItisnotlikelythatplayerssuchasScottMitchell,MarkBrunell,ElvisGrbacandTyDetmerwouldhavesoreadilylefttheirinitialclubshad theteamsbeenabletoaccommodatethemoutsidethesalarycap. FreeagencyhasalsoresultedintheneedforNFLteamstoputtogetheracomprehensiveplanforattractingfreeagents.Infact,someindividualsfeelthatfreeagency hastakenonsimilarpropertiestotherecruitingprocessinthecollegeranks. Certainly,eachorganizationhasawelldevelopedprocessforexposingthefreeagentathletetothepositivefeaturesofferedbyateam,andindeedforwiningand dininganathleteonhisvisitstotheclub.MorethanoneNFLplayer,however,hassummeduptheprocessbestwhentheysaid,"Don'tkidyourself.Theplayers changeteamsforonereasonmoney."

Page404

Withoutquestion,theNFLsalarycapwillcontinuetoevolveinthefuture.Severalproposalsarecurrentlyintheoffingonbothsidesofthebargainingtable betweenthePlayersAssociationandtheowners.Amongthechangesbeingconsideredarethoseinvolvingthenumberofyearsneededtobeafreeagent(currently five,orfourwithacappedyear)andaplanforredistributingtheamountofmoneytoincomingrookies.Regardlessofwhateversalarycapformatexists,ateam'sneed forpersonnelwhounderstandhowtoproperlyapplythecaptotheorganization'sparticularsituationwillcontinuetobecritical.

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APPENDICES

Page407

AppendixA SelectedReferences
Anderson,Ken.(1984).Theartofquarterbacking.NewYork:LindenPress. Ashe,Arthur.(1993).Daysofgrace:Amemoir.NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf. Bannon,JosephJ.,&JamesA.Busser.(1992).Problemsolving(3rded.).Champaign,IL:SagamorePublishing. Bothwell,Lin.(1983).Theartofleadership.NewYork:PrenticeHallPress. Bryant,PaulW.(1960).Buildingachampionshipfootballteam.EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:PrenticeHallPress, Catton,Bruce.(1956).Thishallowedground:ThestoryoftheunionsideoftheCivilWar.GardenCity,NY:Doubleday. deCervantesSaavedra,Miguel.(1991).AdventuresofDonQuixote.NewYork:Knopf. Didinger,Ray.(Ed.).(1995).Gameplansforsuccess:WinningstrategiesforbusinessandlifefromtentopNFLheadcoaches.Boston:Little,Brownand Company. Driver,MichaelJ.,Brousseau,KennethR.,&Hunsaker,PhillipL.(1990).Thedynamicdecisionmaker.NewYork:Harper&Row,Publishers. Ellis,WilliamD.,&ColonelThomasCunningham,Jr.(1974)ClarkeofSt.Vith:Thesergeants'general.Cleveland,OH:DillonLiederbach. Fallows,James.(1996).Breakingthenews:HowthemediaundermineAmericandemocracy.NewYork:PantheonBooks. Fraser,David.(1993).Knight'scross:AlifeoffieldmarshalErwinRommel.NewYork:HarperCollins. Fuller,J.F.C.(1993).Thedecisivebattlesofthewesternworld.Stevenage,Herts,UnitedKingdom:SpaBooks. Gilbert,Brad.(1993).Winningugly:Mentalwarfareintennistalesfromthetourandlessonsfromthemaster.Secaucus,NJ:CarolPublishingGroup. Hitler'sgenerals.(1989).NewYork:GroveWeidenfeld. Hesselbein,Francis,etal(editors).(1997).Theorganizationofthefuture.SanFrancisco,CA:JosseyBassPublishers. Janis,I.L.(1983).Groupthink:Psychologicalstudiesofpolicydecisionsandfiascoes(2nded.).Boston:HoughtonMifflin. Kurtz,Howard.(1996).Hotair:Alltalkallthetime.NewYork:TimesBooks. Landry,Tom.(1990).TomLandry,anautobiography.GrandRapids,MI:ZondervanBooks. Lombardi,Vince.(1963).Runtodaylight!EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:PrenticeHall. Meir,Golda.(1975).Mylife.NewYork:Putnam.

Page408

Overy,Richard.(1995).WhytheAllieswon.NewYork:W.W.NortonandCompany. Parcells,Bill.(1995).Findingawaytowin:Theprinciplesofleadership,teamwork,andmotivation.NewYork:Doubleday. Patton,GeorgeS.(1947).WarasIknewit.Boston:HoughtonMifflin. Powell,Colin.(1995).MyAmericanjourney:Anautobiography.NewYork:RandomHouse. Prange,Gordon.(1982).MiracleatMidway.NewYork:McGrawHill. Rapaport,Richard.(1993,JanuaryFebruary).Tobuildawinningteam:AninterviewwithheadcoachBillWalsh.HarvardBusinessReview,111120. Riley,Pat.(1993).Thewinnerwithin:Alifeplanforteamplayers.NewYork:Putnam'sSons. Rommel,Erwin.(1953).TheRommelpapers.NewYork:Harcourt,Brace. Shultz,GeorgeP.(1993).Turmoilandtriumph:Myyearsassecretaryofstate.NewYork:C.Scribner'sSons. SunTzu.(1963).Theartofwar.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress. VanDerveer,Tara.(1997).Shootingfromtheoutside:HowacoachandherOlympicteamtransformedwomen'sbasketball.NewYork:AvonBooks. vonClausewitz,Carl.(1974).Onwar.Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress. Vroom,V.H.,&Yetton,P.W.(1973).Leadershipanddecisionmaking.Pittsburgh:UniversityofPittsburghPress. Walsh,Bill.(1995,June5).Bewareofthecrisislovers.Forbes,A17. .(1997,February24).Blindedbythebyte.Forbes,S22. .(1993,October25).Carpediemorthediemafterthat.Forbes,S17. .(1994,October10).Thecaseforkudos.Forbes,S17. .(1994,June6).Goaheadkickthetripod.Forbes,S18. .(1996,August26).Holymacro:Delegatingrequiresasuretouch:Toolittleandyoubecomeafigurehead,toomuchandyousquelchcreativity.Forbes, S30. .(1996,October7).Homesweethuddle.Forbes,S26. .(1993,June7).Howtomanagesuperstars.Forbes,S17. .(1995,February27).Information,please!Forbes,S19. .(1996,April8).Insecuritycomplex:Managersmustfigureoutnewwaystogeneratestaffloyaltywhenpinkslipsareintheair.Forbes,S18. .(1994,December5).Let'emseeyousweat.Forbes,15. .(1994,August29).Managingforthebigidea.Forbes,S19. .(1993,September13).Succeedingdespitesuccess.Forbes,S17. .(1994,February28).Survivingahighspeedblowout.Forbes,S21. .(1995,April10).Twocheersforpissedoff.Forbes,S17. .(1996,February26).Whatpriceglory?Walkingthelinebetweenruthlessandtoothless.Forbes,S16. .(1994,April11).Whengoodisn'tgoodenough.Forbes,S19. .(1996,June3).Whenpastperfectisn't(achievingbacktobacksuccess).Forbes,S18. .(1993,March29).Whenthingsgobad.Forbes,S13. .(1995,December4).Winning:Theonlything?Sometimesthebestwaytobuildachampionshipteamistotakeyoureyesofftheprize.Forbes,S17. .(1997,April7).YoungTurksatthegate.Forbes,S14. ,&Dickey,Glenn.(1990).Buildingachampion:Onfootballandthemakingofthe49ers.NewYork:St.Martin'sPress. Yeager,Chuck.(1985).Yeager,anautobiography.Boston:G.K.Hall.
Page409

AppendixB SampleEmployeeLectures
CoachesGeneralMeetingLecture#1 WhyyouareemployedbySanFrancisco: Intelligence. Compatibility. Expression/teachingability. Honestycharacter. Youarecapableofbeingthebestinthebusinessatyourspecialty.

Whatisexpectedofyou: Dedicationtobeingorbecomingthebestinthebusinessatyourchosenspecialty. Openexchangewitheveryone. Contributiontotheclubprovidingthebestpossibleinstructionandtechnicalexpertisetothesquad. Loyaltytoyourself,thesquad,thestaff,theorganization,andme. Ifarequestismade,eithercarryitoutorquestionitimmediately. Behonestwiththeorganizationregardingexpenses. Behonestwithme,andbethoroughanddetailedwhencompletingyourassignments. Exhibit''class"inyourgeneraldemeanor(e.g.,attire,speech,socialexchange). Treatmentofotheremployeesoftheorganization(e.g.,staff,secretaries,trainingroomstaff,etc.). Beinquisitiveandshowaninterestinallfacetsofyourwork(e.g.,technical,scouting,organizational, personnel,etc.). Concernforyourfamily. Behonest,prudent,mature,confidential,nonquotable,andpositiveinyourdealingswiththemediado notexhibitbravadoorbeconcernedwithyourself.

Page410

Keepalltechnicalandpersonnelaspectsofourfootballsystemconfidential. Wemustallworktomaintaintheappropriateatmosphereinvolvingplayers,thelockerroom,social interaction,thestaff,andpublicrelations. Bepunctual. Makemeawareofyourhoursiftheyarenotroutine.Informmeoftravel,absenteeism,andunexpected considerations. Keeptheofficeorderly. Ifyouhaveaproblem,approachmeconfidentially. Bewillingtomakedecisionsandlivewiththembewillingtochange.Beawareofthe"pointofno return." Donotbeembarrassedtotakefreetime. Keeplegible,accurate,uptodatefilesandrecords. MystaffandIareallequals. BeawareofNFLdeadlines,procedures,andpolicies. Assertyourselftogetthejobdonewithotheremployees,ifnecessary. Acceptdifferencesavoidargumentsbetweenstaffmembersandotheremployees. Rememberthatyourepresentthe49erorganization,notjustyourcoachinggroup.

Considerationstoavoid: Makingprivatedeals(e.g.,cars,tickets,income,influence,gifts,entertainment,etc.)withoutconsulting me. Discussionsofsalary. Excessivefamiliaritywithplayers. Lackofrespectforotheremployees. Mistreatingorignoringthemedia. Lackofrespectfororloyaltytoownership,eveninjest. Overreactingtoplayerdemands,moods,orrequests. Publiclackofrespectfor49erplayers(e.g.,callingthemdumb,slow,etc.). Misuseof49erexpenses. Heavypublicdrinking. Eccentricitiesthatattractattention. Makingcommitmentsinvolvingthe49erswithoutconsultingmanagement. Hintingtotheplayersregardingconfidentialmanagementdecisionsorpolicies. Gossipinginhouseorwithotherstaffs. Specialtreatmentofme(e.g.,openingdoors,gettingcoffee,etc.).

Page411

Immediateconsiderations: Homeandfamily: KeepJohnMcVayandmeabreastofevents. Travelplans. Clubassistance.

LivingexpenseswhileinRedwoodCity. Familyassistancewhenmoving(e.g.,househunting). Movingexpenses: Tripshomeinconjunctionwithclubbusiness. Whilewaitingforahomeorfurniture.

Automobiles. WorkcalendarforFebruary,March,andApril. Officesetup. Secretarialsetup. Telephoneprocedure. Payandbenefitschedule(KeithSimon).

CoachesGeneralMeetingLecture#2 Expectactiontobetakenagainstanyconductcontrarytotheexpectationsofthe49erorganization. Becomeacquaintedwithallsquadmembers,notjustthosewithwhomyouassociatefrequently. Maintainthe"49erline"onallsquadregulationsandstandardsallcoachesshouldhavethesamebasic attitude. Avoidconfidentialandpersonalexchangeswithplayers(e.g.,concerningteammates,etc.). Avoidpublicconfrontationswithplayersandothercoachesspeakaboutitlater. Coachesshouldbe"seen"inthelockerroom,dorms,etc.Theplayersdonothavea"private sanctum"(i.e.,thebackoftheplane,etc.). Donotgobeyondanexplanationtotheheadcoachinpublicitisimportantforhimtomaintainhis position. Maintainsecurityof49ernotebooks,films,orreports. Avoidleavingconfidentialmaterialwheresomeone(e.g.,writers,squadmembers,visitors,coaches) couldseeorexamineit. WhenIbegintospeak,Iexpecteveryone'simmediateattention.Iwilloccasionally"interfere"withyour workwithsquadmembers.Donotbesensitiveor"thinskinned."Donotsulkifyouare"outvoted." Makechangesonlyafteragreatdealofplanninganddeliberation. Donottrytogetthe"lastword"inadisagreementordiscussion.

Page412

Donotperpetuatesomethingthat"isn'tright." Offensevs.defenseavoidpersonalantagonismwithplayers. Youmayhavetoadjustifyourroommate'slivinghabitsaredifferentfromyourown. Gameplanandplaybookshouldbereturnedbyplayers.

CoachesPreTrainingCampMeetingLecture#3 Itisimportanttoconveyloyaltytomeinallcommunicationwithotherscompetitors,agents,andthe mediawillpickuponanyproblems. Expectmetoactonanyconductcontrarytotheexpectationsofthe49erorganization. Makeanefforttoassociateandcommunicatewithallsquadmembers.Buildteamstrengthandloyalty andworktointegratethesquad. All49erstandardsmustbemaintaineddonotbelaxinenforcingthem. Don'tbea"softtouch"asacoach. Avoidconfidentialandpersonalrelationshipswithplayers.Don'ttrytobeacounselororbecometoo closetoanysingleplayer.Donotdiscussplayerswiththeirteammates. Avoidpublicconfrontationwithaplayeroranothercoach. Bevisibleinthelockerroom,dorm,andtrainingroom.Don'tallowtheplayerstodevelopany sanctuarieswhereyoufeeluncomfortable. Don'tgobeyondanexplanationtomeinpublicIcannotallowmypositiontobecompromised. All49ermaterialsmustbeaccountedforandtreatedwithrespect.Securityoffilmandwrittenmaterialsis essentialdon'tleaveconfidentialmaterialonyourdeskorwhereanyonecanseeit. WhenIamtalking,Iexpecteveryone'simmediateattention.Protocolmustbefollowed. Don'tbe"thinskinned"whenIsaysomethingtoyou.Ifthingsdon'tgothewayyouplanned,don'tsulk. Don'thavethe"lastword"inanydisagreementwithme. Don'tperpetuateamisjudgmentbeanalyticalandopentochange. Avoidbecomingannoyedinoffensive/defensivepracticecompetition. Beflexibleregardingothers'lifestylesandfeelings. Avoidgossipingwithplayers. Ifyouhavedifferenceswithaplayeroranothercoach,rectifythemimmediatelydonotletthemlinger. Bepunctual,butdon'texpectmetobe. Introduceanyfriendswhovisitcamp.

Page413

Allgameplansmustbereturnedandaccountedfor. Bespecificwhencoachingandteachingdonottalkandsaynothingofimportance.Positivesaremuch moreeffectivethannegatives(e.g.,"Let'strythis""Howaboutthiswayinstead"etc.).Useanexample ofagreatplayerdoingsomethinginapreferredway. Finisheachdrillstrongdonotalloweffortorintensitytowane. Allowonlytheminimumoftalkingonthefield.Keepplayersmovingdon'tkeepotherswaiting. Storeupsomeofyourobservationsdonotattempttocritiqueeveryrepetition. Usefirstnameswheneveryoucan. Takecarenottocriticizethesameplayertoooften. Donotavoidanyplayertalktotheplayerswhowillnotmakeit. Stressmovementinallphasesofplayplayersshouldbeexplosive. Playersmustproduceyoumustdowhateverittakesasacoachtogetaplayertoreachhispotential. Beflexibleinmotivatingplayerstreatplayersasindividuals. Rememberthatplayersexpectandthriveonregimentation,goodorganization,andemphasison movementandexplosivenessinallactivities. Teachingcanbedoneinmanywaysuseanymethodnecessarytogetthejobdone.Findthebestwayto reachtheplayer(e.g.,film,lecture,demonstration,watchinganotherplayerdoitcorrectly,etc.). Donotbecometerritorialandbecomesensitivetosuggestionsorcriticismsofyourcoachingarea. Imaysuggest"bizarre"conceptsinvariousareastoprovokethoughtacceptthisapproach. IwanttogetinputfromallcoachesIwilllistentoyouandconsideryouropinion. Expectmetocoachlessonthefield.Iamassumingabroaderroleandbecominglessinvolvedindetail work. Donotbecomeconcernedabouttheteamatmosphereandtakemattersintoyourownhandsleaveitto metodevelopandmaintaintheteamclimate.

CoachesPreTrainingCampMeetingLecture#4 Donotdevelopyourown"domain"andbecomestubbornorsensitive. WantandexpectDeanWposition. Reportallgratuities. IwilltrytoprovokethoughtdonotassumethatIamirrational. Iwantyourinput,butdonotfeellikeyouare"savingme."Imayalternatebetweenproandcon positions. Decisionshavegenerallybeengoodones.Everyone'sopinionshavebeenconsidered.

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Masterplan: Dealwithsituations. Improvement. Dealwithmultifacetedproblems. Considerdefinitivemoves.

Bewillingtodiscusssituations,evenifyoufeeltheycanbedealtwithquicklyonayesnobasis.

CoachesPreTrainingCampMeetingLecture#5 PressRelations: Technicalinformation. Whendiscussingmistakes,nevermentionnames. Avoidfailureasaphaseofthegame. Playerlimitations. Playercomparison:NFLcomparisons. Limitconversations. Remarksoncompetition. Othercontests. Sourceofinformation. Treateveryonethesameway. Assistantcoachinpublicrelations. Givecredit.

CoachesTrainingMeetingLecture#6 Avoidlongpersonalphonecallsatcamp. Dressforcoacheswillbeastandard49ercoachinguniform. Makesureyouhaveshoeswithcleatsfordemonstrationpurposes. Coachesareresponsiblefortheirownconductaswellasworkinghoursduringtrainingcamp. Avoidsocializingwiththemedia.Don'ttalktothemtoolong. Knowourwaiverprocedure.Assistantcoachesareinvolvedwhenwearewaivingaspecificposition player."Donotcommityourselftospecificallyhelpingwaivedplayersinthefutureunlessyouarewilling toacceptthetime,responsibilityandeffortitentails." Trainingroomcleanlinessmakesurethatconferencerooms,meetingrooms,filmrooms,andyourown personalroomarekeptcleanatalltimes. Coachandplayerrelationshipsdonotsocializewithplayersduringcamp.Avoidfrequentingthesame localestablishmentswhereplayersmightrelax.

Page415

Becarefulofthetypesofrelationshipsyouhavewithplayer'sparents,family,friends,andagents. Donotgiveplayersextrafavors. Showthesamedignityandrespecttoallplayers,regardlessofability. KnowandunderstandmyroleasheadcoachandtreatmethewayIexpecttobetreated.Beawarethat Iwillusevariousformsofmotivationduringpracticesessions.Bealertformymethodsanddonotbe offendedbymyeffortstohelpmotivateplayersindifferentways. Whentalkingtofriendswhocoachforotherteams,makecertainyouarenotspecificaboutanyaspectof ourfootballprogram(e.g.,personnel,organizationalprocedures,specifictechniques,etc.)."Don'tgive someoneelseanedgebymistake." Eachcoachisresponsibletogotoeverymeal(hedoesnothavetoeat)unlessheisotherwiseclearedby theheadcoach. BillieMatthewswilloutlinetheprocedureregardingtheloanofourplayerstoourvisitingcoaches.

CoachesTrainingCampMeetingLecture#7 Don't"coach"unlessyousaysomethingspecific. Ifyouarenotcertainofwhatyouaresaying,donotsayanything. Itisimportanttoremainpositive.Beginwithapositive,thenstatethenegative. Usephrasessuchas"Let'strythis""Domoreofthis"or"Thinkaboutthis." Pointoutthataspecificplayerperformedatechniqueorskillinacertainway. Finisheverydrillandplaystrong. Watchthescheduleandbealertforchanges.Donotskipanygivendrillperiod. Minimizetheoccurrenceofeveryonewaitingwhileyoutalktoorcoachoneperson. Storeupsomeofyourobservationsandrelatethemtoplayerslater. Onlyonepersonshouldbetalking. Beenthusiasticusefirstnames. Allowplayerstheirdignitydonotcriticizeonlythepoorestplayers.Nevershowcontemptforany player. Don'tavoidplayerswhodonothaveachanceofmakingit. Stressmovement. Itismostimportantfortheplayerstoproduceandreachtheirtopphysicalpotential.Dowhateverit takestogetaplayertothatlevel.Beflexibleinmotivating,communicatingwith,and"reaching"the athlete.

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GeneralEmployeeMeetingLecture#1 Partofresult. Prideinorganization. Nota9to5job. Feelresponsibility. Cannotberoutine. Everyonehasaroleandexpectations. Cleanupanddecoroursisasmallfacilitythatmustbekeptorderlythereisaplaceforeverything everythingshouldbeneatatendofdayparticularlyyourdesk. Lockerroomshoesequipmentpictures. Trainingroom. Weightroomandoutdoorarea. Doorway. YearlysalaryadjustmentFebruaryJuneincreasefairequitable. RobertYanaginewvideoprogram. MoFowellandBobCusickareresponsiblefortheoperationofluxurysuites. Giveawayitems(e.g.,shirts,jackets,etc.). Confidentiality. Compatibilityisvital. Communication. Detailedjobprofileofeachperson(intwoweeks). Businessduringbusinesshours. Privatemattersownbusiness,drugs,alcohol,etc. ReminderMr.DeBartoloisapriority. Accommodatingtopublic. Mustnotindulgepeople,business,orpublic.

GeneralEmployeeMeetingLecture#2 Notagreatcrusade.Youshouldnotbeconsumedwithemotion.Thereisnoreasonforthedramatic. Withpublic,youcannotappeartobebored,laxorindifferent. Bepunctual,alert,andanticipating. Public/communityrelationsshouldalwaysbepositiveandgenial. Mustcontrolgossipandgeneralcriticism. Musthaveaninterestandafeelingfortheteamorshouldreleaseformoredaytodaytypework. Withinmypowertoestablishemployees.

Page417

Neatness(e.g.,desk,office,hall,etc.)isimportant,forexample,cardboardboxes. Careforfacilities. Responsibleforowndeskandsupplies. Prompthours,musthaveawillingnesstocompletetaskbeforedeparting. Confidentialityof49erbusiness. Communicatewithothers(e.g.,administrative,coaches,Bill,etc.), Telephonesystemsavoidlengthyprivatecallssemibusinessconversations. Visitorsinbuildingoratcamp. Productivityvs.idleness. Meetingofdeadlinesandunavoidablerushes. Acceptingdirectionpleasantlyandwithoutpersonalsensitivity. Berather"toughskinned."Don'tletanyonegetyoudownorsulkwhenoffended. Don'tworrywhenothersappeartobedoingless. Youwillbeincludedyoushouldfeelpartofit. Ownershiprelations. Security. Eventfulpositionmoredemandingrewarding"somethinghappening." Fraternizationandsocializing. Specialtreatmentofathletesavoidcompromisingormakingconcessions. Properformsforbusinessoffice. Ifyouhavequestionsordoubts,youshouldsettlethem.Haveconfidence,patienceandtrustintheteam's administration.

SecretarialStaffLecture#1 Newseason. Intenselycompetitivebusiness. Theorganizationsetsthestandards,nottheemployees. Youshouldbesomewhatcasualandrelaxedatwork.Youshouldnot,however,befamiliar,alaugha minute,madcap,entertainingpersononthejob. Justhavingalighthearted,openatmosphereisnotdoingthejob.Achievingsuchaworkenvironmentis notanaccomplishment. Aneffective,sustained,consistentjobcommitmentandresponsibilityistherequired,expectedresponse. Anyrelationshipyoumayhavewithplayersisnotthebasisforemployment. Noristhe"onebighappyfamily"atmosphereajustificationforemployment. Standardsofexcellencearepriority.Specific,requiredworkhoursareestablished. Astrongworkethicisfundamental. Properdressandappearanceisfundamentaltoyourpositionandreflectsacertainsophisticationorlack ofit.

Page418

Fullalertresponsivedayisexpected.Ifyou'renotcompletelyfocusedondoingyourjob,you'renot meetingyourresponsibilities. Lunchhouriseitherasocialeventoracocktailpartyitshouldlastnomorethanonehour. Becausenothingissaid,don'tbemisledbyournotice,reactionorapproval. Beorderly,neatandorganized.Maintaininganunclutteredappearanceofyourdeskandtheofficefacility isimportant. Onebasicjustificationforourexistencehighlycompetitiveteam.Winninglosing.Extremelyefficient administrationandsupportgroupperformance. Thisisnotcivilserviceorevenbigcorporatebusiness.Weexisttosupportandfieldafootballteam.In otherwords,wedon't"existforthesakeofexisting"wearenot"maintaining"something. Eachyearisanentityinitself.It'snot"businessasusual."It'snot"routine." Completeprojectsinatimelymannerreduceprocrastinationmeetdeadlines. Themoredaytodayroutinepeoplewehave,themorepressureontheothers. Itisn'tacaseof"letBilldoit." Billisn'tagood,swell,fun,understanding,gentle,fatherfigure,lovingperson.Ifanythinginthoseareasis everdemonstrated,it'saluxury.Suchbehaviordoesnotinanywayfigureinoursuccess. Yourjobisnotjustifiedonsocialassociation.Ifyou'retofindsatisfaction,itmustbeinyourworkand yourperformance.Youshouldvalueyouraccomplishments. Youshouldtakeprideinyourcontribution,inoursuccessandintherespectwehaveinourcommunity, nationallyandinfootballcircles. Aswefunctionwellasanorganization,wecanthentakeprideineachother. Social"peckingorders"hadbetternotshowthemselves.Suchsocialingroupsaffectourabilityto functionasanorganization.Yourlikesanddislikescannotbeafactorinyourbehaviororjob performance. Respectthepositionandthestatusofallotheremployeesandindividualsinvolvedwiththeteam(e.g., doctors,attorneys,etc.).

SecretarialPointsLecture#2 Bepoised. Maintainabusinesslikeatmosphereatalltimes. Beefficient. Donotbetoofamiliar. Bedemanding,yetevenhanded. Motivatepeopletodothingsdon'tusefear. Beawareofmymoods. Can'tactasthoughinaccessibletootheremployees,playersorcoaches.

Page419

Can'treflectmyfeelingsindealingwithpeople. Beconstructive.

DepartmentalHeadsGuidelinesLecture Avoidfamiliaritywithplayersdonotsocializewiththem.Itisbestifwecanremainapartandalooffrom theplayersandstillmaintainasolidworkingrelationship. Donotvolunteeropinionsofplayers'abilitiesunlessyou'reaskedbyBillWalshorJohnMcVay. Confidentialityincriticalmatters(e.g.,yourwork,salary,privatelivesofplayersandstaff,player evaluations,etc.)isessential.Donotindicateorevenhinttoplayersofconfidentialmanagementdecisions orpolicies. Besureeveryoneinyourdepartmentisworkingwelltogether.Wemustnotallowanydisagreementto gounresolved. Whatyouhearhere,leaveithere(e.g.,publicremarks,effectonNFL,prosports,49ers,ourpeople, etc.). Allofyourdealingswiththepressandthemediashouldbehonest,prudent,mature,confidential,non quotableandpositive,withnobravadoandlittleself.Confidentialmaterialsmustnotbeexposedtothe media.Donotconductbusinessinfrontofwriters. The49ershaveonecentralvoiceBillWalsh.Donotbecomea''clubspokesman."Inparticular,avoid makingremarksthatconcernmattersthatareoutsideofyoursphereofresponsibility.Keepalowprofile andanonvisiblerole. Avoidgenerallydamaginggossipbyyouoryourspouse.Donotpresumetopassjudgmentonothers. Yourprivatelifeisyourownbusiness,exceptalcohol. Donotbecomecondescendinginyourcommentsregardingdoctors,trainers,players,coaches,scouts, secretariesandothermembersoftheadministrativestaff.Employeerelations,fromtoptobottom,should bebusinesslikeandcordial.Maintainhighexpectationsoftheirperformance.Avoidconfrontations. Semibusinessexpensesonyourpartshouldinvolveconsiderablethought.

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AppendixC SampleJobDescriptionOutlines
EXECUTIVEVICEPRESIDENTFORFOOTBALLOPERATIONS

Majorareasofresponsibility: Todirectandsuperviseoverall49erfootballoperationsasdesignatedbyEdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr.,and incoordinationwithCarmenPolicy. Tofocuseffort,energyandexpertiseinfurtheringtheshortandlongrangegoalsofthe49er organization.Continuetomaintainandworktoimprovethe49ers'highstandardsoffootballrelated performance. Tooverseetheplanningandimplementationofeffectivepersonnelstrategydealingwiththecollegedraft, trades,acquisitionsandsignings.ThisrolewouldbecloselycoordinatedandplannedwithJohnMcVay, GeorgeSeifert,thescoutingstaffandthecoachingstaff. Study,coordinateandplantradeopportunitieswithintheNFLframework.Throughinterchangewith EdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr.,andCarmenPolicy,initiatethesetrades. Coordinatethescoutingstaffandcoachingstaffinpreparation,finalplanningandindirectparticipationin theyearlycollegedraft. PlanandcoordinatewithJohnMcVayandCarmenPolicythestrategyincontractnegotiationswith playersandagents.Thisformatwouldalsoincludecontractnegotiationsandsalaryschedulingwithall employees. ToactinconcertwithCarmenPolicyinassuringtheshortandlongterminterestsofthe49erfranchise, atallLeaguemeetings,andsubsequentdialogueandvoting.TorepresenttheSanFrancisco49ersat Leaguemeetingsandinotherbusiness,asdirectedbyEdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr.,andCarmenPolicy.

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Toprovidecounselandadvice,asneededbyheadcoach,hisstaff,andmembersofthemanagementteam. Wouldbeactivelyavailabletoassistthecoachingstaff,aswellastheheadcoach,withopinionsand expertise. Tocreateanatmospherethatbestenhancesindividualinitiativeandfreedomofactionbytheheadcoach andotherstaffemployees.Thisatmosphereisdevelopedinconjunctionwithcarryingouttheirspecific statedresponsibilities. Toprovideadefinitestructureinwhichindividualmembersofthemanagementteamcanmakeindependent decisionswithconfidenceandsupport.Delegateresponsibilitiesthroughacontinuousmonitoringand evaluatingprocess. Fosteradecisionmakingprocessbasedonobjectiveanalysisoftheavailablefacts,historyandprojections. Thiswouldbecharacterizedbya"what'sright,"ratherthan"who'sright,"attitude. OverseeandmonitorthemaintenanceandutilizationoftheMarieP.DeBartoloSportsCentre.Workin conjunctionwithJohnMcVayandNorbHeckerinthisongoingprocess. Communicatedirectly,onanongoingbasis,withEdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr.,thegeneralandspecificplans andprogressregarding49eractivities.Toseekinputandfeedbackonoverallplanningstrategyand performance.Documentallbusinessactivitiesofimportanceforfurtheruse,confirmation,andanylegal activities. Toscheduleregularmeetingswiththemanagementteaminthefollowingareas: Developmentofpresentsquad. Acquisitionoffreeagents. Potentialtrades. Collegedraft. Coststrategy. Interchangeandcommunicationwithintheorganization. Franchisegoalsandfiscalplanning.

Continuetodevelopfunctionalexpertiseofallemployeesinthepursuanceoftheirassignedduties. CommunicatedirectlywithCarmenPolicyandKeithSimononallfinancialconsiderationsrelatedtofootball operations.Interactwiththebusinesssectoroftheorganizationonallsalaryandoperatingexpenses.

GEORGESEIFERTHEADCOACH

Majorareasofresponsibility: Skilldevelopment.Todevelop,inconjunctionwiththecoachingstaff,allfundamentalsandskillsrequired toconsistentlyperformasacompetingmemberoftheNationalFootballLeague.

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Coordinateallphasesofgame.Tocoordinateandorchestratethedevelopmentofoffense,defense,and specialteams.Thiswouldincludepreparingtheteamforallcontingenciesthatmayoccurduringagame. Personnelplacement.Placementofpersonnelbestsuitedforindividualpositionsandplayingroles.The consequentongoingdevelopmentofindividualplayerstoincreasetheireffectivenessastodesignated roles.ThisselectionwillbemadethroughconsultationwithBillWalsh. Practicepreparation.Coordinate,direct,andmonitortheoveralldaytodayoperationoftheteamand coachingstaff.Organize,plan,andcoordinateall49erpracticeschedules.Thiswillincludeminicamp, summercamp,andseasonalsessions. Gameplanning.Research,develop,andfinalizeallgameplanning.Thiswouldincludepreparingtheteam throughscoutingreports,classroompreparation,andonthefieldpractice. Coachingstaff.Manageanddirecttheplanningandteachingofthecoachingstaff.Overseeacontinuous developmentoftheirexpertiserelatedtothe49ersystemoffootball.Measureandmonitortheir performance.Coordinateandintegratetheireffortswiththesupportstaff. Communicationwithmanagement.Establishandmaintaineffectivecommunicationandliaisonbetween thecoachingstaffandthemanagementteam. Organizationalphilosophy.Toimplementandmaintainthe49erorganizationalphilosophyandoperating formatasinstitutedbyEdDeBartoloandBillWalsh. Playerprotection.Toensuretheutmostsafetyandwellbeingof49erpersonnelduringpracticesessions andwhenparticipatingingames.Thisprocessshouldbeestablishedinconcertwithproceduressetforth byteamdoctors,trainer,and49ermanagement.Supportandreinforceandimplementalldecisionsmade bythemedicalstaff. Mediadealings.Todevelopandmaintainstrategiesandrelationshipswiththemedia(i.e.,television, radio,andnewspapers)whichdirectthemselvestothebestinterestsofthetotal49erorganization. Candor,prudence,andforesightinthiscontinuinginteractionarevital.Directness,clarity,andhonesty shouldbeusedasguidelines. Offfielddemeanor.Demonstrateinsight,sensitivity,andresponsivenesstothe"offfield"demeanorof players,coaches,andsupportstaffwhentheyarenotinvolvedinformal49erbusiness. 49erimage.Maintainanenvironmentthateffectivelyblendsclubrequirementsandstandardsof demeanorwithindividualpersonalities.Stressdiscretionandgoodjudgmentbyplayersandcoaches whendealingwiththepressandinotherpublicorientedsituations.Theimageofthe49erorganization willbemaintainedandenhancedatalltimes.

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Ethics.MaintainprofessionalethicsandpersonalintegrityinrelationshipsanddealingswithotherNFL organizations.ResponsibleforanybreachofclubconfidentialityorethicsindealingwithotherNFLstaff membersbyanymemberoftheassistantcoachingstaff. Scouting.WorkinconjunctionwithBillWalshandthescoutingdepartmentastotheutilizationof coachesforcollegescoutingandevaluation.Thiswouldincludenecessarypreparationfortheyearly collegedraft.AlsocoordinatewithBillWalshindividualNFLplayerevaluationsbycoachingstaffrelated topotentialtradesorsignings. Fiscal.Toadheretoessentialbusinessandfinancialguidelinesanddirectivesassetforthbyclub management.Thisisrelatedtoaresponsibilityforfiscalmattersrelatedtoheadcoachingresponsibilities (i.e.,discretionandforesightinexchangingonplayer'ssalariesandfinancialmattersofthe49er franchise). Accessibility.Asrequested,bepreparedtocritiqueplayerperformances,teamdevelopment,andpost gameanalysis.Participatewith49erownershipandmanagementregardingshortandlongtermplanning, specificgoalsandobjectives. NFLconstitution.AworkingknowledgeoftheNFLconstitutionandbylaws(refertoArticleIX, ProhibitedConduct,pages2419)isessentialandanyinfractionthatmayoccuristobereported immediatelytoSanFrancisco49ermanagement. Outsidecommitments.Associationorinvolvementinexternalpersonalbusinessventuresshouldbe communicatedtoandapprovedbymanagement.Thiswouldincluderadio,televisionshows,and commercials. Staffselectionandevaluation.Theheadcoachwillbedirectlyresponsibleforevaluationandselection processofcoachingstaff.HisdecisionwillbesubjecttoreasonableapprovalfromEdDeBartoloandBill Walsh.Terminationwouldbesubjecttothesameprocessandnotbeunreasonablywithheld.Thehead coachcanexpectsupportandaccommodationinthisarea.

JOHNE.MCVAYVICEPRESIDENTFORFOOTBALLADMINISTRATION

Majorgoals: EffectivelyraisethetalentleveloftheSanFrancisco49ersbyassistingintheconductingoftheNFL collegedraft,compilingtradeswithotherteams,claimingplayersfromtheNFLwaiversystem,and signingfreeagentplayers. Effectivelyconductthedaytodaybusinessactivitiesofthe49ersastheyrelatetotheNFLoffice,and interactwiththeotherNFLfranchises. EffectivelynegotiateplayercontractswithintheguidelinesprescribedbytheNFLandthe49ers.

Majorareasofresponsibilityandmeasuresofeffectiveness: 1. Talentacquisition.

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2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Effectiveofficemanagementscouts,trainers,doctors,personneldepartment,equipmentmen,video department,administrativeassistantstaff. NFLwaiverproceduresrules. Contractnegotiations. Administrativesupporttotheheadcoachandtheassistantcoaches. LiaisonwithManagementCouncil. Overalladministrationoftrainingcamp. RadioTVcontractsassistCarmenPolicy. Interactwithbusinessoperations. Charitablecontributions. Substanceabuseprogram. Personalgrowth.

Area#1 AcquisitionoftalentfortheSanFrancisco49ersprofessionalfootballteam. TalentforNFLteamsisacquiredinfourgeneralways: TheNFLcollegedraft. TradeswithotherNFLteams. ClaimingplayersfromtheNFLwaiverwiresystem. Throughsigningfreeagentplayers.

Inordertopreparethe49erstomakeproperdecisionsinthesesareas,werelyuponourCollegeScoutingDepartmentandourProPersonnelDepartment. Measuresofeffectiveness: Effectiveuseofthecollegedraftasevidencedby50percentofeachyear'sdraftmakingtheroster annually. Increaseinthenumberofvictorieseachyearasaresultofimprovedplayeracquisition. Effectivedevelopmentof,andimplementationof,aprofessionalpersonnel(activeproplayers)ratingand evaluationsystem. MaintenanceofaneffectiveatmosphereandrelationshipwithotherNFLteamstofosterpossibletrade(s) ofplayersandaspiritofcooperation.

Area#2 Effectivemanagementofpersonnelunderhisdirection. Amongthepersonnelunderhisdirectionarescouts,doctors,trainers,personnelstaff,videostaff,equipmentstaff,administrativeassistantsandrelatedsecretaries, etc.includingprovidingadministrativesupportforthepeopleinvolved,andcreatinganatmosphereinwhichthesepeoplecangrowprofessionallytoachieveself satisfactionand,consequently,beofgreatervaluetothe49erorganization.

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The49ers'inhousetraining,asfarasthedevelopmentofourpersonnel,consistsofonthejobtraining,attendanceatoutsideseminars,andtheadvancementof capablestaffmemberswithintheorganization. Thisofficeisalsoresponsibletoanticipatethenonplayerpersonnelmovementthatoccursbecauseofattritionorotherreasonsthatwouldcreatejobvacancieswithin ourorganization.Therefore,itisnecessarytohirepeopleorinterviewcandidateswhowouldbeintegratedquicklyandeffectivelyintoourcurrentstructure. Measuresofeffectiveness: Professionalgrowthofscoutsandofficestaff,trainingdepartment,andsupportstaff. Allofficepersonnelareproficientincarryingoutdefinedprocedures. WorkwithBillWalshinoveralladministrationtasksasdefinedonorganizationalchart. Selection,assignmentandtrainingofnewofficepersonnelincooperationwithKeithSimon.

Area#3 EffectiveutilizationoftheNFLwaiverproceduresandthePlayerManagementCouncilCollectiveBargainingAgreement. TheNFLPersonnelDepartmentcirculatesdailytoallmemberclubsalistofplayerswaived(cutorreleased)andplayersnewlysignedbyvariousclubs,the movementofplayersfromtheactiverostertoInjuredReserveoravarietyofotherreservecategories.AnunderstandingoftheCollectiveBargainingAgreement,its applicationtotheplayers'rights,andtherightsandresponsibilitiesofthevariousclubsisanecessaryfunctionoftheoffice. Measuresofeffectiveness: NFLproceduresatisfactorilycompletedwithintheprescribedguidelinesandtimelimitations. CompliancewithCollectiveBargainingAgreementandtheeliminationofunfavorablearbitration decisions. EffectiveuseofNFLwaiverprocedureinsupplementingplayertalentpool.

Area#4 EffectivenegotiationofNFLplayercontracts. Beginningin1979,everyeffortwasmadetotakethevariousplayersofthe49ersandtobuildasalaryintegrityscale.Theideaistopaythehighersalariestoourmost productivefootballplayers.Thereareapproximately20squadmemberswhosecontractsmustbenegotiatedonanannualbasis.Inaddition,thereare10to14 draftedplayerswhosecontractsaretobenegotiated.Beyondthis,everyclubwillsignapproximately40freeagentsandthesecontractsarenegotiated.Allmajor contractsarereviewedwithKeithSimonfromourbusinessofficeandCarmenPolicy

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todeterminetheimpactonoursalarystructure.Inthemajorityofcontractswithwhichwedeal,theplayerisrepresentedbyaplayeragent. Measuresofeffectiveness: Completingcontractswithinthe49ers'SalaryIntegrityScale. Maintainongoingtrustrelationshipswithplayerrepresentatives(agents). WorkwithKeithSimonandCarmenPolicyinoverallimpactofplayercontracts.

Area#5 Administrativesupporttoheadcoach,GeorgeSeifert,andExecutiveVicePresident,BillWalsh. Thereisavarietyofassignmentsthatneedsadministrativeattention,suchastheactivitiesofthetrainersandthedoctorsasrelatedtoplayermovementfrominjured reservetotheactivesquad.Reviewingtheexpenseofmajorequipmentandmaintainingahighlevelofefficiencyinthemedicaldepartment. ThecoachesareutilizedfromtimetotimeasconsultantsinevaluatingpersonnelfortheCollegeScoutingDepartment,andalsofortheProPersonnelDepartment. Measuresofeffectiveness: Superviseanddirecttheactivitiesofthetrainersandequipmentmen. Providesupportanddirectionforassistantcoachesinnoncoachingassignmentsscouting,etc.

Area#6 LiaisonwithNFLManagementCouncil. TheManagementCouncilactsonbehalfofallteamsininterpretingtheeffectsoftheCollectiveBargainingAgreement,andinanadvisorycapacitytomemberclubs. GrievancehearingsarepreparedincooperationwiththeManagementCouncil,anddecisionsrenderedbyvariousarbitratorsaredistributed.Theseareinterpretedby ManagementCouncilforthebenefitofmemberclubs. ManagementCouncilrepresentsmemberclubs'positions,andtheNationalFootballLeaguePlayers'Associationrepresentstheplayers'positiononvarioussubjects. Measuresofeffectiveness: EffectiveuseofadviceandopinionsfromManagementCouncilrelatingtolegalmatterssurroundingthe League. AnunderstandingoftheCollectiveBargainingAgreement,itsapplicationtoplayerrightsand responsibilitiesofthevariousmemberclubs.

Area#7 Overalladministrationoftrainingcamp. Theselectionofthetrainingcampsiteandthepropercooperationoftheuniversityinquestionisessentialtoapositivetrainingcampexperience.SanJoseState University,

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apublicinstitution,andSantaClaraUniversity,aprivateinstitution,andcurrentlySierraCollege,haveservedastrainingcampsitesforthepastseveralyearsforthe 49ers.Trainingcampcostshaverecentlyescalatedgreatly.Currently,R.C.OwensisactingasTrainingCampDirectorunderthedirectsupervisionofthebusiness officeandthisoffice. Measuresofeffectiveness: Workwith,anddirect,TrainingCampDirectorinestablishinganeffectivetrainingcamp. Administrativesupportintheeffectiveoperationsoftrainingcamp.

Area#8 RadioTVcontracts. Assist,asneeded,CarmenPolicyinnegotiationsforbroadcastrightswithourlocalradioandtelevisionstations. Area#9 InteractionwithKeithSimon,VicePresidentofBusinessOperationsandChiefFinancialOfficer. ContinuetocooperativelyworkwithKeithSimoninassignment,training,andevaluationofnewandpresentpersonnel.Worktomaintainaneffectiveatmosphereof intradepartmentalcooperationandcommunicationfortheoverallgoodofthefranchiseincooperationwithEdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr.,ExecutiveVicePresident CarmenPolicy,ExecutiveVicePresidentBillWalsh,andVicePresidentKeithSimon. Area#10 Charitablecontributions. Communityaffairsdonationstobecoordinatedthroughthe49erlegalcounseltodetermineifthepoliticalexpenseisjustified. Area#11 Substanceabuseprogram. WorkwithDr.Klint,ChrisShannon,andtheNFL(Dr.ForestTennant)ineffectivelyoperatingaprogramofeducation,supervision,testingandfollowupof substanceabuseproblemsinvolvingplayersandotheremployees. Area#12 Personaldevelopmenteffectiveness. Inordertoexpandeffectivenesswiththeorganization,theremustexistawillingnesstoconsultwiththeNFLandtheManagementCounciltokeepabreastofcurrent flowofinformationthroughthereadingofcommuniqusfromthesetwooffices.Inaddition,attendingoutsideseminars(ManagementCouncilseminarnegotiating

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skills).Finally,toenlargetheareaofresponsibilityofawillingnesstoacceptadditionaldutiesandresponsibilitiesasdirectedbyEdwardJ.DeBartolo,Jr. Measuresofeffectiveness: Anupgradingofskills,knowledgeandeffectivenesstosuchadegreetoassuretheattainmentofthe majorgoals. AttendonemajortrainingprogramandNFLmeetingeverysixmonths. Enlargingeffectiveareaofresponsibilityasevidencedbyacceptedaddeddutiesandresponsibilities.

ALLANWEBBDIRECTOROFPROPERSONNEL

Majorgoals: ToupgradeleveloftheSanFrancisco49ersthrougheffectiveongoingstudyandevaluationofallNFL players(offensive,defensive,andspecialists)fordirectpurposeoftrade,waiverclaim,orfreeagent signing. EvaluatetopCanadianFootballLeagueandplayersfromanynewprofootballleagueforfreeagent signing. ToeffectivelynegotiateplayercontractswithintheguidelinesprescribedbytheNFLandthe49ers' salaryschedule.

Majorareasofresponsibilityandmeasuresofeffectiveness: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Talentstudyandevaluation. NFLwaiverprocedure. ContactwithNFLplayerpersonneldirectorsandproscouts. UtilizationofIBMcomputersystem. Contractnegotiations. Coordinatingwithinterdepartmentalofficesregardingfreeagentplayers. Specialprojects.

Area#1 Talentstudyandevaluation. ProvideongoingreportsandgradesoneveryNFLplayerbyviewingfilmandgameevaluationwith specialemphasisontheNFCWesternDivision. ReportstrengthsandweaknessesofNFLteamgroups(offensiveline,defensiveline,etc.)andrate. Evaluatethe49erplayersintrainingcampandduringtheseason. Utilizecomparisonsof49ers'playersinratings. KnowledgeofourneedsbycontactwithPresidentandheadcoachBillWalshandGeneralManager JohnMcVay.

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MaintainnotebookforBillWalshandJohnMcVaycontainingNFLteamdepthcharts,strengths, weaknesses,needs,andperformancegradesofeachindividualandgroup.Alsoincludeuptodatestats. ProvideongoingreportsandgradesontopCFLplayersandplayersfromanynewprofootballleague throughfilm,gameevaluation,andpersonalcontactswithintherespectiveleagues. UpdateJohnMcVay'spropersonnelboarddaily(injuredreservealso). Formulateandupdateinseason"disaster"listdaily. Contactfreeagentplayersexpressingourinterestina"disaster"situationupontheirrelease. Conductfreeagenttryoutsinseason(weekly)andoffseason. UtilizetheevaluationtalentsofNealDahlen. Continueutilizationoftheassistantcoachesinevaluatingtheopponent(hispositionplayers)wewillface fromweektoweek,usinga"short"form.ThisevaluationshouldbecompletedbyTuesdayfollowingthe game.ThisprovidestheProPersonnelDepartmentanadditionalobjectiveopiniononaplayerwhomwe mightacquireviatradeorclaimtoimproveourteam.

Area#2 NFLwaiverprocedure. StudywaiverwiredailyandadviseJohnMcVayandBillWalshofplayerswhowemightclaimtoimprovethe49ersoruseina"disaster"situation. Area#3 ContactwithNFLplayerpersonneldirectorsandproscouts. MaintainongoingcontactwithNFLpersonneldirectorsandproscoutsforthepurposeofneeds,trades,cooperation,andgeneralworkingrelationships,alsowith (un)employedassistantcoachesinregardtoplayerstheyhavecoached. Area#4 UtilizationofIBMcomputersystem UtilizecurrentIBMsystemforstoringandretrievinginformationonallNFLplayers,activeandinactive. Maintaincurrentindividualprofileincludingspecifics,moves,injuries,andcomments. PrepareannuallistforCoachWalshandJohnMcVay.Rateinorderofexcellencebyposition. Rateteamsbydivisionandconference(NFCfirst). SuggesttoJohnMcVayandBillWalshimprovementsinthepresentsystem.

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Area#5 Contractnegotiations. WorkwithJohnMcVayoncompletingplayercontractswithinthe49ers'salaryscale(freeagents, draftees,andvets). Maintainongoingcontactandtrustrelationshipswithplayeragents.

Area#6 Coordinatingwithinterdepartmentalofficesregardingfreeagentplayers. InterfacewiththeBusinessOfficeandtheGeneralManager'ssecretaryinregardtofreeagentplayers'travelandlodging.CommunicatewiththePublicRelations Departmentregardingfreeagenttryoutplayerbiographies. Area#7 Specialprojects. Makeavailabletimetorespondandcomplete''special"projectsforCoachWalshandJohnMcVay. Maintainandupdate"unemployed"collegeandNFLcoacheslistwithhometelephonenumberand biography(utilizedbyBillWalshforassistantcoachselection). Continuepresentdraftchoicevisitationitineraryprogramintermsofbeingresponsibleforthecontact checklist.

TONYRAZZANODIRECTOROFCOLLEGESCOUTING

Majorgoal: Toeffectivelyprovidepersonalandrelatedinformationonallcollegeseniorprofessionalfootball prospectsfortheSanFrancisco49ers.Inaddition,similarinformationisaffordedontheprofessional level.

Majorareasofresponsibilityandmeasuresofeffectiveness: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Talentacquisition. Coordinateanddirectourcollegescoutingstaff. NFLwaiverprocedureasdirected. Trainingcampplayerinformationcollegeandpro. Coordinatecollegeplayerpersonnelinformationwithallourcoaches. Cooperatewithallaspectsofthe49erfootballorganization. Maintainthephysicalplantanddecorofthe49erscoutingroom.

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Area#1 Talentacquisition. AssistJohnMcVayintheacquisitionoftalentfortheSanFrancisco49ersprofessionalfootballteam.Thisstepincludescollegeandprofessionalpersonnel. Performancestandards: Effectiveuseofthecollegedraft. Chargedwithrankingtheplayersbypositionaccordingtoability.Alsorankingallplayersaccording toability. Physicallypreparethedraftroom(i.e.,spacefordoctors,trainers,computersandcomputer techniciansspaceandphonesforcoacheswhoarescheduledonanhourlybasistomanouropen linetoNewYorkspaceforoursixscoutsspaceforbindersandotherpaperworketc.)Theseand otheritemsarenecessaryinpreparingforagooddraft.

Improve49ertalenttoincreasethenumberofvictorieseachyear. AidJohnMcVayandAllanWebbinthedevelopmentandimplementationofpropersonnel(activepro players).Alsorateandevaluatesystem. AidinestablishingandmaintaininganeffectiverelationshipwithotherNFLteamstofostertrades,etc.Give opinionontradepossibilitieswhenrequested.

Area#2 Coordinateanddirectourcollegescoutingstaff. Performancestandards: Workwithourscoutstoensureconsistentgoodworkwithinourdepartment. Ourdepartmenthasbeenaveryeffectiveentitytothe49erorganization.IfeelitissuperiortoBlesto, National,andtheBuffalo/Dallas/Seattle/SanFranciscocombinesI'veexperienced. Prepareandorganizeallscoutingmeetings.Responsibilitiesatthesemeetingsvary: Scoutingseminarsthisisgenerallyarefreshercourseforallscoutsonallaspectsofscoutingas listedbelow. PhysicalsgiventoprospectsinconjunctionwithallNFLteamsonceayearindividualphysicals giventoafewselectplayersinRedwoodCity. Interviewingallourscoutsonupcomingcollegetalent. Properlycompletingallthedifferentcollegeplayerreportformsreviewdifferentcategories. Reviewandpracticeourmethodofweighing,measuring,testingandtimingplayers. Studybothcollegeandprofilmsasagroupanddiscussmethodsofevaluatingpersonneland determiningourneedsasateam.

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Area#3 NFLwaiverprocedureasdirected. EffectiveuseoftheNFLwaiverprocedures. Performancestandard: ProvideinformationtoJohnMcVayandotherpropersonnelstaffwhenrequestedonallplayersinvolved inthewaiverproceduretoaffectagoodmarginofreturntothe49ersinupgradingourfootballplayer talent.

Area#4 Trainingcampplayerinformation,collegeandpro. Performancestandards: Provideinformationonanyorallplayersavailable. Constantlyevaluateourplayersonfield. MeetingswithourscoutsBillyAtkins,MichaelLombardi,ErniePlank,NeilSchmidt,BobWhitman,and BillyWilsonduringthiscampperiod.Mostofourworkduringthisperiodinvolvesacontinuous reviewing,revising,scheduling,andgeneralpreparationforthefallscoutingseason.Scoutsarealso assignedcollegeprospectsfromtheboardinareasbypositiontoreadandreportoninsummaryform. Assistinhostingcollegecoachesduringtheirperiodincamp.Alsoassistanyandallothercommunityor outoftownpersons.

Area#5 Coordinatecollegeplayerpersonnelinformationwithallourcoaches. Performancestandard: Familiarizeandassistourcoacheswiththecollegetalentavailableforthedraft.Eachcoachistohaveas muchknowledgeaspossibleaboutcollegeprospectsatthepositionorpositionsheisresponsiblefor. Theysubmitreportsonallprospectstheysee.Extratimeisaffordedtothosenewcoachesinfamiliarizing themwithourscoutingprocedures.

Area#6 Cooperatewithallaspectsofthe49erfootballorganization. Performancestandard: Tomaintainagoodandwholesomestabilityamongallmembersofthe49erorganization.

Area#7 Maintainthephysicalplantanddecorofthe49erscoutingroom.

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Performancestandards: Continuetokeeptheofficeorganizedandeffectivelyutilizethelimitedspaceavailableforcurrentand pastscoutingreports. Maintainthemagneticboardstoreflectthecurrentgroupofdrafteligiblecollegeprospectsforuseby bothscoutsandcoaches. Allofthescoutingsupplies,pastrecords,andcollegemediaguidefileslocatedinthestoreroomaretobe keptneatandaccessible.

NEALDAHLENFOOTBALLOPERATIONS

Majorareasofresponsibility: (Estimatedpercentageoftimerequired) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Defensivecoachingsupport(30%). Propersonnel(25%). Footballadministration(25%)(Walsh). Researchanddevelopment(5%)(Walsh). Practiceoperations(15%). Locallevelpoliticalandcommunityinvolvement.

Area#1 Defensivecoachingsupport. Filmanalysisandthechartingoftheopponent'soffensetoproduceacomputergeneratedscouting report.Basedonthestatisticalprintout,asupplementalreportisdevelopedthatincludesformation"Hit Charts."Bothreportsareusedfordefensiveplanningandplayerinformation. Developathoroughunderstandingoftheopponent'spersonnelandstrategictendenciesinordertobea competentsourceofinformationforthedefensivecoachingstaff. Workwiththedefensivecoordinatorduringgamesrecordingourcalls,studyingandchartingthe opponent'soffense,andcommunicationwiththecoachesonthefield.

Area#2 Propersonnel. Playerprocurementforfutureneed. Locate,evaluate,andacquirethefreeagentplayersrequiredtorebuildourrostereachyear. Maintainacurrentlistingofthebestavailableplayersateachposition.

Operationofthe"EmergencyList"process.

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Bringplayersinfortryoutsandphysicalexaminations.

Playerprocurementforimmediateneed. Acquirethebestplayeravailableinemergencysituations(thisstepincludesarrangingtransportation, contractnegotiations,etc.). Tryouts. Providedepthcharts,rosters,pertinentinformationasrequested.

Liaisonwithcoachingstaff.

Area#3 Footballadministration. PerformanceofassignmentsorprojectsrequestedbyBillWalshorJohnMcVay. AssistNorbHeckerwithminicamp,schedules,etc. LiaisonwithKeithSimonregardingfacilities,equipmentandspecialcoachingrequests. Trainingcampadministration. AdministrativeroleperBillWalsh.

Area#4 Researchanddevelopment. Specialassignmentsrelatedtoinnovationandchange.Forexample: Coordinatetheconversionfromfilmtovideotape. Workwitharchitectand49eremployeesinthedesigningofanewfacility. StudytheNFLruleschangeseachyear. Makesuggestionstotheheadcoachforhisconsideration. Videotapingofoffensiveteachingandlectures. Notesofmeetingswherepoliciesareestablishedineithercoachingoradministration.

DocumentationofthefootballrelatedactivitiesofthePresidentheadcoach.Forexample:

Area#5 Practiceoperations. Bepresentateachpracticetohandleadministrativeoroperationalmattersastheyoccur. Fieldsliaisonwithmaintenanceservices. LiaisonwithKeithSimonforpracticeneedsinawaygamesituations.

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Area#6 Politicalandcommunityinvolvementlocallevel.

KEITHA.SIMONVICEPRESIDENTFORBUSINESSOPERATIONSANDCHIEFFINANCIAL OFFICER

Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ownerassistance. Businessoperations. Footballoperationsupport. Financial. Administration.

Area#1 Ownerassistance. Coordinateroomsandtransportationasrequired. SupervisemaintenanceofSharonHeightscondominium. Coordinategamedayrequirementsandofficeassistance. Providefinancialanalysisonvariousprojects. Beavailableforspecialprojects.

Area#2 Businessoperations. Administerandsupportallnonfootballoperations. StadiumoperationsMurlanFowell. TicketofficeKenDargel. MarketingLaurieWelling. BusinessofficeKeithSimon/MelFrear. LegalCarmenPolicy/EdAlvarezandJohnOttoboni. PublicrelationsJerryWalker/RodneyKnox. CoordinatepublicrelationsactivitiesandoperationwithBillWalshandJohnMcVay. Officeadministrationandmaintenance. CoordinateofficeactivitiesandmaintenancewithNorbHeckerandassistJohnMcVaywithanyfield maintenancerequirements.

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Area#3 Footballoperationsupport. TeamtravelarrangementsandcoordinationwithJohnMcVay,BillWalsh,andGeorgeSeifert. Providefinancialsupportforplayercontractnegotiations.

Area#4 Financial. Providebudgetsandfinancialstatements. Overseeaccountingoperations,controls,andprocedures. Costsavingrecommendations.

Area#5 Administration. Legalcoordination:workers'compensation,playergrievance,general. Recordmaintenance. Coordinatecomputerapplications. Supervisepensionplans,insurancecoverageandinvestments. Officesupervisionandpolicies.

NORBHECKEREXECUTIVEADMINISTRATOR

Majorareasofresponsibility: Area#1 LiaisonwiththeDeBartoloCorporationforspecificrequirementsandrequests. SpecificallydailycorrespondencewithLouZarlengarelatedtofacilityneeds,requirements,budget, internal,externaloperations.LiaisonwithLouZarlengawithgeneralcontractorandsubcontractors. LiaisonwithBobCusick,DeBartoloCorporation,onrelatedmatters. LiaisonwithDennisMoritz(projectmanager)onrelatedmattersforMarieP.DeBartoloSportsCentre. LiaisonwithBlairSpangler(interiordesign)onrelatedmattersforMarieP.DeBartoloSportsCentre.

Area#2 MaintainandoperateMarieP.DeBartoloSportsCentre.

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Dailyoperationoffacility. Approvalofallexpendituresandpurchaseorderrequests. Liaisonwithsecurityoperationofbuilding. LiaisonwithReliableMaintenanceCompanyoninteriorandexteriorupkeepofbuildingand landscapegrounds.

Dailyschedulesofbuildingmaintenancemanagerandthelandscapeandathleticfieldssuperintendent.

Area#3 AdministrativeassistanttoBillWalsh. Liaisonwithcoaches,trainers,equipmentdepartment. Coordinateandimplementsocialactivitiesforcoachesand49erpersonnel.

Area#4 LiaisonwiththeDeBartoloCorporationrelatedtoindividualneeds(recreational,other). Area#5 Specificscoutingcollegiate/professionalassignmentsasdirectedbyBillWalsh. Todofallscoutingofwestcoastschools.

Area#6 LiaisonwithNFLgeneralbusinesswithJohnMcVay. Gameofficials.

Area#7 AdministrationoftrainingcampwithR.C.Owensasdirector. Overseedailyoperationsoftrainingcamp. Coordinateandimplementsocialactivitiesoftrainingcamp. Coordinateandrunfishderbywithsponsors.

Area#8 AdministrationofminicampatSantaClaraworkingwithNealDahlen. Coordinateandimplementalltravel,hotelandtransportationforcamps.

Area#9 LiaisonwithcityandcountyofSantaClara. Area#10 LiaisonwithbusinessesSantaClaraandarea.

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Area#11 LiaisonwithCandlestickParkfields/structural. Area#12 TravelcoordinatorwithKeithSimon. Helptocoordinateandimplementairline,bustravelonallroadtravel. Helptocoordinateandimplementmeals,hotelsandstadiumfacilityneedsonallroadtravel.

Area#13 Specialprojectresearch. Area#14 AlumnirelationswithR.C.Owens. Area#15 Computer/inventorysystem.

R.C.OWENSEXECUTIVEASSISTANT

Majorgoal: Toadvancequicklytoahigherlevelofauthorityandresponsibilityinthescopeofhisemploymentwiththe49ers,basedonpersonalskillsandjobdutieswithaclear understandingfrommanagementinrelationtootherjobs. Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. AdministrationinSantaClara. Directoroftrainingcamp. SpecialassignmentsforBillWalsh. SpeakersBureauviathepublicrelationsdepartment. SpecialassignmentsforGeorgeSeifert. Gamedayassignments. SantaClaracountycommunityaffairs. 49ercoachesandplayersliaison. Playerpayrollgamedaytickets. Coordinatealumniaffairs(forhomeandawaygames). 49erboosterclubs. Specialpromotions. Specialassignments.

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Area#1 AdministrationinSantaClara. PerformasdirectedbyBillWalsh,JohnMcVay,KeithSimon,GeorgeSeifertorcoachesonadayto daybasisrelatedto49ermatters.Conferwithdepartmentheadsincommunicating49erdesiresif necessary, Beavailabletoassistnightbeforegameneedsathotel,orotherwise. Havetheabilitytointerpretandperformadministrativerequests. Alwaysbeavailabletoundertakemajorresponsibilitiesand/orworkrequests(a.m.orp.m.). Developrequiredcommunication(verbalandwrittencorrespondence)asrelatedtojobfunctions. Directallcorrespondenceinrelationtojobdutiesinoffice,orwhenintravelstatus. Preparesupplementalmaterialsinrelationtojobscope. Performsecretarialduties(i.e.,respondtocorrespondenceinrelationtojobduties,andtypepertinent informationwhennecessary.Ensuredailyworkflowiscompleted).

Area#2 Directoroftrainingcamp. Developanaccurateassessmentofallneedsinaclearandconcisemannerinadvanceofopeningdateof camp. Undertakeresponsibilitiesthatrestheavilyincampuscommunicationsandbusinessintegrity. Distributeallmaterialswhicharehelpfultoadministrativedepartmentheads,coaches,andplayersin camparea. Developsystemandproceduresregardingmealtimesforentireadministrativestaff. Updatechangesinroomingassignments. Escortnecessary49er"special"guestsoncampus. Arrange"special"autographsessionsatconclusionofmostpracticesessionswhentimepermits(e.g.,Big Brothers/BigSisters,BoysClubs,schools,SpecialOlympicyoungsters,etc.). Makeapproximately1520publicappearancesduringsummercamp. Beawarethatthe49erstrainingcampisunderclosesupervisionofthedirectorandassistantdirectorof trainingcamp. Assessdailycampneeds. Direct,asdeemednecessary,theschedulefor49erpersonnelwhowillrelocatefromSantaClarato Rocklin,California.

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Ensurethatthetransformationrunssmoothlyduringthesummertrainingcampperiod. LocatehotelaccommodationsitesandcoordinateNFLofficials. Arrange''special"mealsforadministrativeofficialsof49ers'requests. Assignsecuritypersonneltopropercampusareaforspecialpracticesituations. Hirepersonneltostaffsummercamp. Signcontractssubsequently,whenthoroughlyreviewedby49erBusinessManager(e.g.,contractsfor businessofficeequipment,officemachines,rentalequipment). Implementallmatterswhichcenteraroundsummertrainingcampinadvance,andforthedurationofcamp. Arrangeandcoordinatemeetingswithcampuspersonnelatcollegecampuslocationinadvanceforall49er requestedneeds(thisstepinvolvestheentire49erorganizationtheowner,ExecutiveVicePresidents, VicePresidents,administrativestaff,coaches,andsecretarial). Represent49ersatthecontractsigningsitewiththeSierraCollegeBoardofDirectors. Bepresentatmeetingsinordertohaveakeenknowledgeandawarenessofall49eradministrativerequest. Beresponsibleforpurchaseordersandrequisitionsrelatingtotrainingcamp. Tactfullyhandlethestressful"waivercycle." Beresponsiblefordisbursementofplayer(s)perdiem,andpersonnelpayrollchecks. Assumetotalresponsibilityforensuringtransportation,whethercommercialorprivateaircarrier,to connectingsiteorformedicalcare. Coordinateallcamptravelarrangements. Ensurethattheaforementionedtrainingcampprocedureshaveallbeenresolvedbythetimeofthetraining camp"phaseout." Supervisetheworkoftrainingcampsecretaries,including: Preparerequisitionsandorderofficesuppliesasrequested.Performanyrelatedfunctionasrequired bydepartmentheads.Dailypettycashreportupdate.Typeforsevenofficeexecutivesincamp. Makehotelandtravelreservations.Typealltrainingcampinformationinadministrativeoffice. Handlealltelephonecalls,faxmachineinformation,emergencymatters.Officehours7a.m.to10 p.m.sevendaysperweek.Disseminateinformationasdeemednecessaryfromexecutiveoffice. Coaches'officeandallplayerdorms(twosecretariesdailyandweekends).Typeallcoaches' informationregardingdailypracticeschedules.Computerinputandretrieval.Operatetelephones, officemachines,faxmachineequipment.Ordersupplies,initiatepurchaseorders.Maketravel

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arrangementsforheadcoach,administrativestaff,scoutsandplayersasdeemednecessary.Arrange cleaningandlaundryservicewithoffcampusclientservices.Coordinateofficeanddormfurniturerentals wherenecessary.Logandfilemail.Computeweeklyhoursworkedbyhourlyemployees,asdeemed necessaryby49ers'SantaClaraBusinessOffice.Directstaffmemberstocoordinate"courierservice" forcampfromSantaClaradailytoRocklinandreturn.Directstaffmemberstocoordinateoffice equipment"move"totrainingcamp,andreturn.

Area#3 SpecialassignmentsforBillWalsh. CoordinaterequestsmadebyBillWalsh. HandleassignmentsinSantaClara,orwhileintravelstatuswiththeteam. CoordinatewithJohnMcVayandotherdepartmentsasdeemednecessaryinSantaClaraorCandlestick Park. ProvideadirectcommunicationlinkbetweenBillWalsh,JohnMcVayandKeithSimonasdirected. CoordinatepersonalassignmentsuponrequestbyBillWalsh. Providevariousbackupreliefasneeded. Conferwithmanagementandothersforclearunderstandingoftheworkingrelationshipsandskillsand workrequirementsinrelationtothedesignatedassignment. ServeasBillWalsh'sliaisoninthepastandpresentonpersonalmattersinrelationtoa49erplayerwho mightjustifydisciplinaryaction. AttendspecialmeetingsasrequestedbyBillWalsh,JohnMcVayandKeithSimonandcommunicate 49ers'posture. Properlyhandlethoseassignmentsthatrequiretheabilitytoaccuratelysummarizetheresultsofthe particularundertakinginaclearandconcisemanner. BeabletomaketheappropriatedecisioninBillWalsh'sbehalf,whengivenanassignment. Clearlyjustifytheapproachandmannerwhichwerebesttakenfortheassignmentsgivenatanytimeby BillWalsh. Callonresources,throughgolfandtennistournaments,toopenotherwisecloseddoors. Helptheneedsofthe49ersinthecommunity. Actasa49erspeakerand/orrepresentativeatmeetings,banquets,tournaments,etc. Assistdepartmentheadsorhostinvited49ersclientstoSantaClaraontheNFL'sannualdraftday.

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BeavailabletoattendexecutiveNFLmeetingsuponrequest,todocumentonbehalfofBillWalsh. ReviewandcooperatewithotherNFLteamexecutivesonselectedtopicstoenhance49ers'awareness inrelatedareas. Visitchildren'shospitalsuponrequest,aroundtheBayArea. Handout49ersouvenirstochildren.Coordinatetheattendanceofhandicappedandterminallyillpatients ata49erhomegamewithfamilymembers.

Area#4 SpeakersBureauviaPublicRelationsDepartment. ServeasakeyspeakerintheSpeakersBureauforalimitednumberofappearancesand$50.00per appearance. CoordinatewiththePublicRelationsDepartmentaspirationsandkeycommunicationsto49erfans throughSpeakersBureauappearancesuponrequest. Maintainalogofallpersonalappearancesfortheclub. Writelettersregardingrequestsfor"speakers." Schedulecoaches'appearancesthroughBureau. Makeapproximately3035appearancesduringthecalendaryearwiththe49erhighlightfilm(Note: BecausethehighlightfilmintheBureaugivesexposureofthe49erfootball,additionalseasonticket holdersorgameticketbuyersmaybeattracted). Developabaseofcommunication,constantlystrengtheningtheimageofthe49ers. Asaspeaker,utilizethe49erhighlightfilmwithinaradiusoftheadvertisingmarketofthe49ers.Interpret 49erphilosophyviatheBureau. Treateachappearancepositively. Conductproperquestionandanswerperiodsatmeetingstoprotectthe49erorganization'simage. Evenifthehighlightfilmisunavailable,givethespeechanyway.

Area#5 SpecialassignmentsforGeorgeSeifert(headcoach). EnsurethatallrequestarecompletedinatimelymannerinSantaClaraandatsummercampinRocklin, aswellasotherareas,asdeemednecessary.

Area#6 Gamedayassignments. Pregamelockerroomsecurity.Onehourpriortogametimenoadmittancetolockerroom,otherthan coachesandplayers.Alsocoordinateofficialgametimewithgamedayofficialsandheadcoach.Two minutewarning,pregame,indressingroomforhalftime,twominutewarningbetweenheadcoachand officials.

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Postgamecoaches'wivesmeetingandreceptionroom.Host,arrangeandsetuphospitalityroom followinggame.ReviewweeklyinvoiceandverifyauditinconcertwithBusinessOfficeallexpense incurredonagametogamebasis. SuperBowlseason.GototheSuperBowlsiteoneweektotendaysinadvanceoftheteamtoarrange hotelsanddaytodayoperationspriortoarrivalofteam'splane(i.e.,fulfillowner'srequestshelpfamilies andbusinessclients,teamsguestsetc.).Arrangerestaurantreservations,nomorethanteninnumber. Distributeinformationonadailybasis,keepingSuperBowlpartyabreastofongoingactivitieswhichhave beenpreviouslyarranged. Itemsrequested:Ensuretelephonenetwork,desk.Onesecretary,telephonelines,andofficesuppliesfor SuperBowloperationofficebase.CoordinatebusesforSuperBowltravelingparty.Host49ercocktail party,gamedaybrunch,privatemodelingshow.Obtainallroomassignments,coordinatewithstaff members.Coordinatewithhotelmanagers,aswellashotelstaffonthearrivalsof49erguests,asdeemed necessary.Responsibleforhotelcheckoutofentiretravelingparty'sreturntohomebase.Review invoicesandauditbillsinconcertwith49erBusinessoffices,allexpenseincurredathotelsitesduring SuperBowlweek.Underclosesupervision,advisebusdriversofitinerarytoensurethathoteldeparture coincideswithplanedeparture.

Area#7 SantaClaracountycommunityaffairs. CommunityinvolvementinAmericanRedCross,BigBrothers/BigSisters,ALS,YMCAandothers. Recruit49eralumniwhennecessary. WorkwiththePublicRelationsDepartmentinotherareasofinvolvement.

Area#8 49ercoachesandplayersliaison. Assistplayersasrelatesto(rentalagencies),locatingvacantapartmentsforrentaland/orleasingcars,as wellasapartmentfurniture. Assistandcoordinate49erbusinessofficeplayerrequests. Provide49erstaffandplayerswithinformationregarding"driveaway"serviceagencies. Developjobresumesifdeemednecessaryonbehalfoftheplayers. Assistplayersinfindingemploymentforthemselvesorfortheirsignificantothers.

Area#9 Playerpayrollgamedaytickets. Disseminatepayforms,insuranceformsperBusinessOfficerequests. Ifdeemednecessaryandthey'reavailable,issuegameticketstoadministrativestaff,coachesandplayers.

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Area#10 Coordinatealumniaffairsforhomeandawaygames. Contactalumniwhotravelwithteamtoallawaygames. Advisealldepartmentsofwhoistravelingwiththeteam(i.e.,49erguests,raffleticketwinners,highest biddersatcharityauctions). Serveasthe49erdinnerhostofalumnionroadgames. Keepupdatedaddresslistforalumnicontactpurposes. Makethefollowingarrangements:alumnidaybrunch,busestogame,coordinatetwocomplimentary ticketsforalumnito49ergames,HighwayPatrolandCityPolicecaravanescortarrangementto CandlestickPark,etc. CoordinateallrelevantprojectswithMichaelOlmstead,49ersEntertainmentDirector(e.g.,thealumni pregameshowthealumnidayhalftimeactivities,etc.). Arrangeandcoordinatefoodcaterer,music,magician,invitationallettersand49erhighlightfilm, concerningalumnipicnics. Coordinatespecialparkingrequests,specialgamedaytickets,handlestadiumclubguest'sarrangements. AssistSanFranciscoChapteronNFLandAlumniAffairs.

Area#11 49erboosterclubs. Serveperiodicallyasmasterofceremoniesatclubfunctions. Show49erhighlightfilm. Introduce49erplayers.

Area#12 Specialpromotions. Provideassistanceforimplementationanddevelopmentofspecialpromotionandcommunityactivities.

Area#13 Specialassignments. Beavailableforspecialassignments,asdirected,fromtheEdwardJ.DeBartoloCorporation,BillWalsh, JohnMcVayandKeithSimon.

JERRYWALKERDIRECTOROFPUBLICRELATIONS

Majorgoal: TomaketheSanFrancisco49ersrecognizableastheNationalFootballLeague'smosthighlyvisible,publicrelationsclub,anorganizationofimmenseimageachieved

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throughitsfootballsuccessesanditscooperationwiththenewsmedia,theLeague,andthefans. Majorareasofresponsibilityandmeasuresofeffectiveness: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Pressrelations. Publicity. Publications. Promotions. Photography. Publicrelations. Pressboxandothergamedayduties. Playerappearancesandotherpublicgatherings. Advancing. Personalgrowth,departmentsupervisionandNFLOfficeLiaisonforNFLFilms,broadcastaffairs.

Area#1 Pressrelations. Establishandprovideliaisoncontactbetween49ersandmembersofthelocalandnationalmedia. Developrelationshipswithmembersofthemedia. Entertainthepresscorpsduringtheweekinadvanceofaroadgame,duringtheseason,andoccasionally duringtheoffseason. Includemediaoninvitelistforspecialevents. Servicemedianeedsduringallpersonalvisitstoofficeandstadium. Coordinatepresstravelandlodgingforall49ers'roadtrips. Coordinateinterviews,pressconferences,conferencecallsformedia. Supplymediawithphotographs,statistics,features,etc.

Area#2 Publicity. Developaconstantflowof49ersinformationtothemediaoutletsintheSanFranciscobayareaandthroughoutthecountry,allthewhilekeepingthereputationofthe 49ersorganizationutmostinmind. Arrangeallpressinterviews. Arrangeallpressconferences. Arrangeweeklyconferencetoopposingcoach. Createstoryideasofthepositivenatureformediause. Writefeaturestoriesformediause.

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Area#3 Publications. Overseethewriting,editing,layout,andproofreadingforalloftheteam'spublications,including: Mediaguide(pressbook). Gamedaymagazine(10issuesandplayoffs). Preseasonprospectus. 49ers'yearbook. Newsreleases. Credentials(10homegamesandplayoffs). Calendar. Advertisingratecardandbrochure. Ticketbrochure. Posters,schedules,etc. Christmascards. Businesscards. Any(andall)otherprintedmaterialsfrom/by/aboutthe49ers.

Area#4 Promotions. Toplanandorganizeasmanypromotionsaspossibleeachyearinanefforttogainmoreinterestandfamefortheteam,creategoodwillfortheteamtowarditsfans, andcreateaddedincomefortheclub.Allthewhile,keepthereputationofthe49ersorganizationutmostinmind. Attractpaidsupportforannualclubflyers,brochures,andotherpublications. Establishgiveawaysforhomegamefans(10gamesandplayoffs). Expresspromotionalthemesin49ers'publications. Establishaspeakersbureauandplayers'appearancessystem. Gainadvertisingsupporttopayforyearroundhandoutstofans. Identifythosemoneymakingideasthatwillalsopromotethe49ers.

Area#5 Photography. Workwithteamphotographers(andsometimesoutsidephotogs)inshootingassignmentsandallphotoprojects,including: Pictureorders. Photofilemaintenance.

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Interiorphotodecoratingprojectsforthe49ers'offices. Selectionofartforpublications. Teampictures. Staffpictures.

Area#6 Publicrelations. Althougheverythingwedohasanimpactonthe49ers'publicrelations,thefollowingaresomeofthekeyareas: Makepersonalappearancesatpublicandprivategatherings. Handlephoneandmailrequestsfromthepublic. Handleauctionitemanddonationrequests. Overseetheareasofstatisticsandresearch. WorkinconjunctionwithNFLFilmstoproduceanannualhighlightfilmtoencourageseasonticketsales, promotetheteamtothefans,andgiveplayersandstaffatooltosupplementtheirspeakingengagements.

Area#7 Pressboxandothergamedayduties. Handlethesupervisionofthepressboxandassistother49ersandNFLofficialsinthetimelyexecutionofallgamedayfunctions. Accommodatemediaonallgamedayneeds(seating,information,research,interviews,etc.) Serveasgeneral"firefighter"foranyproblemsthatarisewithmedia,team,scoreboard,lights,clock, stats,etc. Assistgameofficialsandelectronicmediawithgamedaylogistics. Assiststatscrew,PA,messageboardoperators,etc. Helpfulfilltheneedsofthevisitingclub.

Area#8 Playerappearancesandotherpublicgatherings. Overseethecoordinationofschedulingallplayerandstaffappearancesandpublicfunctionswithwhichthe49ersareinvolved(supplymaterialsinsuchsituations,put togetherspeechesforplayersandstaff,etc.). Area#9 Advancing. Traveltothecityinwhichthe49erswillplayduringtheweekofaroadgameandsetuphotel,promote thegamewiththelocalmedia,speaktolocalclubs,radioandTVshowsandprintmediaaboutthegame andthe49ers.

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Trytomakethe49ers'visitgoassmoothlyaspossible,especiallythoseaspectsinvolvingmealsand rooms.

Area#10 Personalgrowth,departmentsupervisionandNFLOfficeLiaison Thegoalinthissituationistohavecontinualimprovementinoverallknowledgeofthisprofession,whichisreflectedinimprovedperformancesbythe49ers'Public RelationsDepartment.Thisobjectivecanbeenhancedonadaytodaybasis,aswellasayearlybasis,byundertakingthefollowingsteps: Continuedattendanceandparticipationinallofficeandteamfunctionsandmeetings,alongwithdaily workassignments. ContinuedattendanceandparticipationinallannualNFLmeetings,forexample,theannualNFLPublic RelationsDirectorsmeeting.Continuetoserveonanynationalpanels(e.g.,theNFLPRDirectors' SpecialProjectsCommittee). Takingonadditionalworkassignmentswithanattitudeof"whateverittakes"tobesuccessfulasan organization,anNFLfranchise,aPublicRelationsDepartmentandaPRDirector.Dowhateverneedsto bedonetohelpthe49erswintheworldchampionshipeachseason. MaintainingconstantcommunicationwiththeNFLofficeandallotherteamsinallareasofresponsibility (e.g.,NFLFilms,broadcastaffairs,etc.).

RODNEYKNOXPUBLICATIONSCOORDINATOR

Majorgoal: Toperformasaliaisonbetweentheteamandthepublicingeneral,andthemediaspecificallyprovideinformationandcommunicationthatwillenhancetheperception oftheSanFrancisco49ersfootballorganization. Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Publications. Mediarelations. Advancing. Dayofgamecoordination. Communitycontact. Specialprojects. Personalgrowth.

Area#1 Publications. Mediaguide.

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Gamedaymagazine. Prospectus. Newsreleases. Weeklyupdatedplayerbiographies. Pressboxnotes. Scoreboardandpublicaddressannouncements. Generalfanmailcorrespondence. Compositionofspecialcorrespondence. Speechwritingforplayers. Teamyearbook.

Area#2 Mediarelations. Settingupinterviews. Conductingconferencecalls. Creatingstoryideasformediause. Writingfeaturestories. Handlingnationalrequests(TVnetworks,NFLFilms,etc.).

Area#3 Advancing. Readyallthesleeping,meeting,andfunctionroomsfortheteam. Contactthelocalmediatobriefandpromote49ers. Contactwithgeneralpublicthroughluncheons,radiotalkshows,fanclubmeetings.

Area#4 Dayofgamecoordination. Accommodatemediaonallgamedayneeds(seating,statisticalinformation,referencesource,etc.). Serveasageneral"firefighter"foranyproblemsthatarisewithmedia,team,orothergamedaystaffers. Assistgameofficialswithtimelyprocedureofgamedayfunctions. Aidelectronicmediawithgamedaylogistics.

Area#5 Communitycontact. Workwithcharitableandsupportgroupstopromoteteam(KidneyFoundation,Children'sHospital, etc.).

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ServeasavolunteerinBigBrothers/BigSistersofSanFrancisco. Serveontheboardofdirectorsof''ChampsFoundation"(establishedbymembersoftheteam).

Area#6 Specialprojects. Handlingrequestsofotherdepartmentswithintheorganization. Coordinationoftheplayers'offseasonappearances(whendirectlyrequestedbygroup). Mediafishingderby. Solicitationofsponsorsforadvertisinginpublications.

Area#7 Personalgrowth. Takingonadditionallearningtaskstohelpimprovequalityofwork(computerschooling,videowork). Attendingseminarsonsportsadministration.

KENNETHDARGELTICKETMANAGER

Majorgoal: ToefficientlyadministerallfunctionsoftheTicketDepartmentoftheSanFrancisco49ersandtocontinueourreputationasoneofthebetterticketoperationsinthe NFL. Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Seasonticketsales. Individualgameticketsales. Customerrelations. Financialaccountability. Communityorientation. Managementandstaffrelations. Workingarea. Equipmentandinventories. Incomegeneration. Boxofficestatementsandsupportingdocumentation.

Measuresofeffectiveness: Toconductorderlyseasonticketsalestocontinuingandnewcustomersonafairandequitablebasisin accordancewithpolicymeasuresineffectorforthcoming.

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Toconductnormalindidualgameticketsales,bothadvanceanddayofgame,inaccordancewith standardboxofficeproceduresandwithinpoliciessetforthbytheownershipandmanagementofthe 49ers. Topresenttothegeneralpublicabusinesslikeandprofessionalattitudeofoperationsoastoinstillinthe customeraconfidenceintheintegrityoftheboxofficeoperation Tomaintainashighalevelaspossibleoffinancialaccountabilitybyimplementingticketsystems,both computerandmanual,whichwillsatisfynormalauditingtesetsandprocedures Tomaximizeallopportunitieswhendealingwithcustomerstopresentthe49ersownershipand managementasacommunityorientedandefficientlyoperatedentity. Tocooperateineverywaypossiblewithallothermembersofmanagementandstaffinordertohelp createandmaintainaharmoniousworkingrelationshipbetweentheticketdepartmentandother departments. Tomaintainthephysicalappearanceoftheworkingticketofficeareaandregulateaproperutilizationof spaceprovidedandtorecommendenhancementstoexistingfacilities. Toarrangeformaintenanceofequipmentandinventoriesofsuppliesnecessaryottheconductof business. Togenerateoptimalincomefromticketsales.

Toprepareallboxofficestatementsandreportsrequiredbyandinaccordancewiththeconstitutionand bylawsoftheNFL. Area#1 Seasonticketsales. TosuperviseanddirectTicketOfficeemployeesinthemaintenanceofallseasonticketcustomers' permanentrecords,includingseatlocations,paymenthistories,correspondencefiles,historicalstatistics, changesofaddress,transferofseatinglocationsandissuanceofseasontickets.Toattemptseatlocation improvements,basedonprevailingpolicies,andtoensurefaithfuladherencetocurrentrulesand regulationsforasmanyseasonticketcustomersaspossible.Toensurepropercommunicationwith seasonticketcustomersaothatpoliciesandproceduresarecarefullyexplained(brocures,newsletters, etc.). Todeviseandimplementsystemstoprovideproperbillingprocedures.Thisincludesinitialinvoicing, followupreminderstononorlatepayingsseasoncustomers,timelynotificationofpartialpayment customerswhenbalancesaredueandcasebycasedeterminationofextendedpaymentschedulesto selectedcustomers. Toarrangeforticketstockdesignandtimelydeliveryofsame,andtocoordinateadvertising,ifany,on ticketstodefrayprintingcosts.

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Tosuperviseprintingofticketsinhouseandtoensuretheimprobabilityof"leakage"ofblankstockor overprintoftickets. Toarrangeandsupervisethepackaging,sorting,weighinganddeliveryofseasonticketsbytheU.S. PostalServiceforultimatedeliverytocustomersinaccordancewithprevailingU.S.Postalregulations. Tosupervisecollectionandaccountingforallfundsfromsaleofseasonticketsandtoensureproper bankingproceduresofsuchfunds.Thisstepincludesinitiationofcollectionprocedureson"badchecks" inconjunctionwiththeBusinessOffice.

Area#2 Individualgameticketsales. Toarrangeforinventorycontrolsofallavailabletickets(afterseasonsales)andtoensurefinancial accountabilityforsaleofallsuchtickets.Thisstepincludessupervisionofassignmentofticketsto electronicoutlets,mailordersales,acrossthecountersalesanddayofgamesalesatstadium. Ensureprocurementofadequatequalifiedhelpbothforadvanceticketsalesanddayofgameticket salesandtoprovideadequateinstructiontoallemployeestoassureproperperformanceoftheirdutiesin accordancewithstatedaimsandprocedures. Supervisecollection,balancingandaccountingforallfundsfromsaleofindividualgametickets. PreparetheweeklyticketsalesreporttotheOwnerwhichisincludedintheAccountingDepartment's weeklyfinancialreport.

Area#3 Customerrelations. Inmanyrespects,thepublicrelationsaspectsofthispositionmaybeoneofthemostimportantresponsibilitiesoftheTicketManager.Therearefewother departmentswithinanNFLfranchisewhichhaveasmuchdirectcontactwiththepublicastheTicketDepartment.Fairandhonestrelationswiththebuyingor inquiringpubliccancreateapositivemarketwhereasuspiciousorwarymarketmightotherwisedevelop. Area#4 Financialaccountability. TheTicketManagerisresponsibleforadministeringprocedurestoensurepromptandaccuratedepositofallticketsalesmonies.CooperationwiththeBusiness Managerisessentialtofacilitatemoneymanagementandcashflow.AstheTicketOfficeispresentlyadetachedentity,closecommunicationisnecessarybetweenthe BusinessMangerandtheTicketManager.

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Area#5 Communityorientation. ItistheresponsibilityoftheTicketManger,aswellasalldepartmentheadlevelpersonnel,toconstantlyrepresentthe49erownershipandmanagementas"involved" citizensofthecommunity.ItisthestatedaimofourOwnertoparticipatewith"worthycause"groupsbyissuingcomplimentarytickets,withintheguidelinessetforthin theconstitutionandbylawsoftheNFL,tosuchgroupswheneverpossibleandtodeterminetothebestofourabilitywhichgroupsshouldreceivesuchtickets. Area#6 Managementandstaffrelations. TheTicketManagerisresponsibleforseeingthathisstaffcooperatestothe,fullestwithallotherstaffandmanagementpersonnelinmattersconcerningtheallocation ofticketswithinthelimitsofsoundboxofficeprocedures.Itisalsohisresponsibilitytocurbanypotentialabusesofticketallocationsandtomakeothermembersof managementand/orownershipawareofsuchabuses,shouldtheyoccur. Area#7 Workingarea. TheTicketManager,inconjunctionwiththeBusinessManager,shouldberesponsiblefortheproperjanitorialservicesrenderedattheTicketOfficeandrelated spacesatCandlestickPark(i.e.,3ComStadium).ApresentableprofessionalappearanceoftheTicketOfficeisnecessaryforaproperpublicreactiontoour operation. Area#8 Equipmentandinventories. RelativelysophisticatedcomputerequipmentisinstalledandinoperationintheTicketOffice.Servicecontractsareinforcetoprotectandmaintainthisequipment however,certainsupervisionisnecessarytomakesureallsystemsarefunctioningproperly.Itisnecessarytokeepinstepwiththestateoftheartsothatwhenever neworimprovedequipmentbecomesavailable,evaluationscanbemadeconcerningthedesirabilityofacquiringanynewequipment. MaintainingsufficientinventoriesofsuppliesandprojectionsoffutureneedsistheresponsibilityoftheTicketManager.Purchasingsuchsuppliesisgenerallymost economicalifdoneinbulklots(e.g.envelopes,invoices,etc.).Thetaskshouldbedelegatedtoanassistant. Area#9 Incomegeneration. ItwouIdbeunfairtostatethattheTicketManagerorTicketOfficeStaffisresponsibleforanyincreasedsales.Onapublicrelationsbasis,itisimportantthatthe

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TicketManagerandhisstaffbeheldaccountableforanybehaviorwhichcouldcauselossofincomesuchasdesultoryorinsultingactionswhichwouldresultin cancellationsofticketpurchases. Area#10 Boxofficestatementsandsupportingdocumentation. BoxofficestatementsandsupportingdocumentsmustbecompletedonthedayofthegameandsubmittedtotheNFLOfficeandforuseinternallytoaccountfor ticketsales.ThesearecompletedbytheTicketManager,andmustbecrosscheckedforbalancingpurposes. Progressreportandprojections: Weareatouroptimumseasonticketsaleswithawaitinglistconsistingofapproximately11,000new seasonticketsrequestedandapproximately7,000seasonticketsrequestedbyexistingticketholders. WehavecontinuedtoacquiresponsorsformostofourTicketOfficemailingswhichhelpdefrayour costsforenvelopesandticketswhichareourmajorexpense. TheTicketOfficeisworkingcloselywitharchitectsanddesignerswithrespecttotheexpansionand renovationofCandlestickPark.Wewillattempttoinconvenienceseasonticketholdersaslittleas possiblewithregardtorelocatingseating.

MURLANC.FOWELLDIRECTOROFSTADIUMOPERATIONS

Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. Supervisionofgamedayoperations: Parking: Administration. Billing Collection Publicrelations Operation. Coordinateoutsidecontractors Supplementstaffing Security Concessions. Security. Superviseushersandpeople.

Supervisionofsuiteoperations(refertonextsection).

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MURLANC.FOWELLLUXURYSUITEMANAGER

Majorgoals: EffectivelyexecutetheoperationalresponsibilitiesoftheLuxurySuitesOffice.Establishandmaintain consistentcommunicationwiththesuiteholdersandthe49erAdministrativeOffices.Provideallsuite holderswithVIPserviceatalltimes. DevelopsalesreferralsforphasesII&IIIbymaintainingclosecontactwithsuiteholdersandguests. Pursuecontactsmadebyinterestedpartiestoouroffice,securedepositsandestablishaprioritywaiting listinanefforttopresellallsuites.

Majorareasofresponsibility: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Supervisionofsuiteoperations. Inspectionofsuitesduringbaseballseason. Maintenanceofsuitesduringfootballseason. CoordinatemarketingandsalesofphasesII&IIIsuites. Administrationofcontracts,rulesandregulations. Collectionofrents,depositsandaccountsreceivablefromsuiteservices. Architecturalandconstructionliaisonforthe49ersbetweenthecityandtheDeBartoloCorporation. Developandmaintainrapportwithsuiteholders. Administerparkingandfoodandbeverageconcessionsastheybecomeavailable. Prepareandsubmitbudgetforadministrativestaffingandconcessionoperations. Provideupdatedsalesandstatusreportsforareasofresponsibility. Coordinatesuiteserviceswithoutsidecontractorsasrequired(i.e.,Stevens). Hire,train,andsupervisetemporarypersonnelforsuiteoperationsongameday. Supervisesuiteoperationsongameday. CommunityaffairsSanFranciscoRecreationandParkDepartment. CandlestickPark(3ComStadium)regularliaison. Personalgrowth.

Area#1 Supervisionofsuiteoperations. EffectivelymanageandsupervisedaytodayoperationsoftheLuxurySuiteOfficeandStaff. Analyzeadministrativeneeds,establishandimplementsystems,controls,andstaffingasrequired.

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Througheffectivemanagement,createaprofessionalworkenvironmentinwhichstaffpersonnelcanbe proudoftheiraccomplishments,producingeffectiveresultsforthe49erorganization.

Area#2 Inspectionofsuitesduringthebaseballseason. Developandimplementinspectionandreportingsystemdesignedtonotifyinterestedpartiesasto damagesandcleanlinessstandardsestablishedbytheSanFranciscoGiantsorganization. ReportresultstotheCityandconductfollowuptoensureproperrepairsandmaintenanceisconducted. EnsurethatinspectionsaredoneimmediatelyfollowingeachbreakinGiants'homegames.

Area#3 Maintenanceofsuitesduringthefootballseason. Establishamaintenanceprogramforthefootballseasontoinclude:warehousefacilities,spareparts inventory,subcontractors,andmaintenancepersonnel,inordertotimelyeffectrepairsandreducesuite holdercomplaintsandinconvenience. Hireandsuperviseajanitorialcontractorforcleanupofsuitesaftereachevent.

Area#4 CoordinatemarketingandsalesofphasesII&IIIsuites. DevelopsalesreferralsforopensuitesinphasesII&III. Meetwithprospectivesuiteholdersshowthemthroughexistingsuitesexplaincontractualobligations servicesavailablebenefitsamenitiesetc.,inaefforttoclosesuitespriortoavailability. Maintaininformationalfilesastoprospectivesuiteholders'needsandmatchupthosethatarewillingto sharesuites.Thisstepwillgiveusanadditionallevelofpotentiallicensees.

Area#5 Administrationofcontacts,rulesandregulations. Createinformationaldocumentsestablishingrulesandregulationsforsuiteholders.Instructstaffonhow tohandlecomplaintsandsuperviseadministrationofrules. Maintainuptodatefilesoneachsuitetoincludecontracts,correspondence,andinquiriesfromsuite holders. ConducteffectivefollowuptomaintainstandardssetforthbytheLuxurySuiteOffice.

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Area#6 Collectionofrents,depositsandaccountsreceivablefromsuiteservice. Establishabillingsystemforallaccountsreceivableandconducteffectivefollowuptoensureallmonies duearecollectedinatimelymanner. Establishanorderingsystemforservicesavailablewithenoughleadtimetoensureproperstockingand deliveryoffoodtosuitestoaccomplishatimelyandprofessionalservice. Superviseallservicetosuiteholdersandpersonallybeinvolvedwithanyandallproblemsandresolve themimmediately.

Area#7 Architecturalandconstructionliaisonforthe49ersbetweenthecityandtheDeBartoloCorporation. Followuponarchitectsandcontractorsandreportthestatusofprogressweeklytothe49ersandthe DeBartoloCorporation. Maintaincontactwithcityofficesandreportanyneedsorproblemsthatmayarisethatwouldaffectthe 49ers'positionregardingtheluxurysuites.

Area#8 Developandmaintainrapportwithsuiteholders. Maintainclosecontactwithsuiteholdersongamedayandestablishpositiverapporttominimizeany problemsthatmayarise. Cultivateguestsaspotentialsuiteholdersandprovidetoplevelservicetoall. Conducteffectivefollowupaftereachgameandimplementcorrespondencetosuiteholdersnotifying themastodispositionofrequests,problems,etc.

Area#9 Administerparkingandfood&beverageconcessionsastheybecomeavailable. Developafullunderstandingofconcessionoperationspriortothecontractscomingdue. Analyzeourabilitiestooperateand/ornegotiatenewcontractswithexistingconcessionaires. Administerconcessionoperationsonceweassumeresponsibilitiesorenterintonewagreements.

Area#10 Prepareandsubmitbudgetsforadministrativestaffingandconcessionoperations. Preparebudgetsforeachareawithinoverallresponsibilityandgrouptogetherintoamasterbudgetand submitto49erAdministrativeoffice.

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Administeralloperationalareaswithinbudgetlimitationsandmaximizeprofitabilityfor49erorganization.

Area#11 Prepareupdatedsalesandstatusreportsforareasofresponsibility. Maintainconsistentuptodatecommunicationswithallconcernedparties. Prepareaweeklysalesreportwhichclearlyoutlinesallactivityduringtheprecedingweek.Preparea weeklystatusreportwhichupdatesconstructionandanyrelevantactivities.

Area#12 Coordinatesuiteserviceswithoutsidecontractorsasrequired. Coordinateservicesrequiredwithanyoutsidecontractors,suchasStevens,regardingFoodand Beverageoperations.Thisstepwillbeidealtrainingforeitherapotentialtakeoverofconcession operationsoranimprovedabilitytonegotiateacontractwiththeexistingcontractor. Interviewandnegotiatewithothervendorsasneededtoprovidenecessaryservicestothesuiteholders.

Area#13 Hire,train,andsupervisetemporarypersonnelforsuiteoperationsongameday. Establishneedsofluxurysuitesongameday. Hireandtrainalltemporarypersonneltoprovidethelevelofservicerequired.Areasofresponsibilitythat willrequiretemporaryworkerswillincludebutnotbelimitedto:supervisorsandhostesses,bartenders, maintenance,andfoodandbeverageservicepersonnel. CoordinatewithKeithSimonanycrossoverbetweenstadiumushersandsuitepersonnel. Workcloselywithushersupervisorstomaintaincontinuitybetweendifferentgroupsofemployees, unions,etc.

Area#14 Supervisesuiteoperationsongameday. Maintainahighlyvisibleactivepostureongameday. Workcloselywithallsupervisorsandotherpersonnelandresolveproblemsquicklyandeffectively. Maintainahighstateofmoraleandenergylevelstomaximizeefficiencyresultinginsuperiorserviceto suiteholders. Establishacommunicationsystembetweenallkeypersonnelandmaximizereactiontimeforanyandall problems.

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Checkcloselywithasmanysuitesaspossibleduringthegameandcollectfeedbackontheoverall operationfromthesuiteholder'sperspective.

Area#15 CommunityaffairsSanFranciscoRecreationandParkDepartment. ContinuingcommunicationandinformalpresentationswiththeSanFranciscoRecreationandPark Commission.

Area#16 CandlestickParkregularliaison. RegularattentiontoCandlestickParkfacilitiesandmaintenance,includingluxurysuites.

Area#17 Personalgrowth. Expandknowledgeofstadiumoperationinordertofunctionefficientlyandeffectivelyasmore responsibilitiesoccur. Developrapportwithotherstadiumpersonnelandmaintaincommunicationinanefforttostaycurrent withstadiumoperations. Attendseminarsregardingstadiummanagementandvisitotherstadiumstodevelopanoverviewof concessionandluxurysuiteoperations. Learncomputeroperationsthroughoutsideclassesinordertomaximizeefficiencyofmyoffice. EnlargeareaofresponsibilitybyacceptingadditionaldutiesasdirectedbytheGeneralManager.

GenericJobDescriptions

AREASCOUT(COLLEGE)

BasicQualificationsfortheposition: Hasafullknowledgeandunderstandingofthewrittenrequirements(e.g.forms,reports,deadlines,etc.) fortheposition. Hascompletedthoroughtrainingandpreparationinclubproceduresandoperationalguidelines. Hasaworkingknowledgeoftheassignedareaandafamiliaritywiththeassigneduniversities. Hasanunderstandingofeachpositionandthekeyevaluationfeaturesforeachposition(e.g.linebacker, cornerback,offensivelineman,etc.). Isproficientintestingandmeasuringasrequiredbytheclub.

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Isproficientinoperatingahomecomputersystem.

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Utilizetheheadcoach,assistantcoaches,trainer,teamphysician,footballsecretariesandothersas evaluationresources. Developayearlyschedulethatincludesspringandfallpracticeandassignedallstargames.Thisschedule shouldbedetailed,includingtravel,lodging,practiceschedulesandappointmentsastheyareset. Utilizeclubprocessinevaluatingvideoatuniversities. Wearsprofessionalattire,asdesignatedbyclub. Iswellversedintheinterviewprocess,mentalpersonalityprofiles,andisabletoconductthedesired performanceandwrittentests. WorkinconjunctionwiththeDirectorofCollegeScoutingonspecial''projects"andcollaborateswith fellowscoutsin"cross"evaluations. Maintaincompleteconfidentialityinthescoutingprocess. Avoidlengthydistractionswithcontemporarieswhiledoingbusiness. Interactwiththeteam'scoachingstaffaspartofthefinalstepintheevaluationprocesssolicittheirimput andinvolvementintheevaluativereport. Befullypreparedatdesignatedclubmeetings(i.e.,beabletoprovidewhateverinformationisrequested andbeabletoprovideasubjectiveevaluationofeachcandidate). Workwiththevideotechnicianinpreparingatapeofeachsuitablecandidatewhichcanbeutilizedby coachesandmanagement. Workwiththeteam'sstrengthcoachregardinghisrequirementsaspartofacompletefileoneachplayer. Participateintheevaluationofthecurrentsquadinbothminicampsandearlytrainingcamp,aswellasin evaluationsofcollegefreeagents,veteranfreeagentsandrequested"vested"freeagents. Participateinevaluatingratingsafteroneyear. FollowcurrentNFLplayersfromhisassignedareaastheyjoinandleaveotherteamsandprepareto respondonthem. Keepinmindthatsophomoreandjuniorevaluativeratingscanbecomecrucialasathletesdecidewhether todeclarefortheNFLdraftassuchconsiderableworkisrequiredwiththetopunderclassmen.

HEADATHLETICTRAINER

Theindividualinthispositionisresponsibleforformulatingandcoordinatinga"total"athletictrainingoperationfortheorganization.Typically,thisoperationincludes theheadtrainer,theassistanttrainers,thephysiotherapists,andthoseindividualswho

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areinvolvedinthegeneral,rehabilitative,preventiveandspecializeddutiesasrequired. Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Establishprioritiesforthetrainingdepartmentrelatedtoseriousnessoftheinjuryandtheprescribed treatment. Maintainaprofessionalatmosphereinthetrainingquartersandamongthestaff. Indoctrinateandtrainthenewstaffandfamiliarizethemwiththeteam'soperationalpracticesandpolicies. Guaranteeprofessionalcertificationofthestaff. Organizeacontinuingeducationprogramforthestaff,constantlyupdatingtheentirestaff'sapproachto training,conditioningandrehabilitation. Establishabudgetforallsuppliesandequipment,asrequiredbymanagementorthebusinessoffice. Coordinatewiththeteam'sdoctors/specialists. Establishaworkingrelationshipwithhospitalsandensurethattheteam'semergencyneedscanbemet. Coordinatewiththerehabilitationspecialists. Coordinatewiththeteam'sdoctorsforindividualandsquadphysicals. Scheduleappointmentswithmedicalspecialists,asrequired. Maintaintheathletictrainingfacility(i.e.,headquarters,trainingcamp,etc.). Purchasesuppliesandequipment. Delegateanddefinetheresponsibilitiesofthetrainingstaff. Reporttotheheadcoachand/ormanagementasappropriate. Serveaspersonalliaisonwithassistantcoaches. Providedailyupdatestothecoachingstaffinthetrainingcamp. Serveasaresourceforthecoachingstaffandmanagementinplayerevaluations(physicallyand otherwise). Beonthefieldduringgamesandpracticestoprovideathletictrainingservicesasrequired. Establishproceduresandpoliciesforrespondingtoinjuriesonthefieldduringbothpracticesandgames. Tapeandotherwiseattendtotheathletictrainingneedsoftheplayerstopreparethemforpracticesand games Stayabreastofthenewestathletictrainingtechniques. Developrehabandpreventiveplansandprogramsforindividualplayers. Maintainacomplete,updatedhistoryofeachconsequentialinjury. Monitoreachinjuryrehab.

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Establishandcontinuetorefineinjurypreventiveprograms. Establishemergencyprocedures. ActasacontactwithcollegetrainersinpreparingfortheNFL'scollegiatedraft. Prepareacompletefileonfreeagentplayersasdirectedbymanagement. Directthetransportoftrainingsuppliesfortrainingcampandallhomeandawaygames. Establishanathletictrainingstaff"hotline"thatisavailable24hoursadaytobothplayersandthe coachingstaff. Establishproceduresandatimetableforcontactingaplayer'sfamilywhenaconsequentialinjuryoccurs (asagreeduponbycoachandmanagement).

LEGALCOUNSEL

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Overseeandcoordinatealllegalactionsinvolvingtheorganization. Provideprofessionaladviceonallorganizationallegalmattersandconcernsofemployeesandplayers. Developaprojectionofandaplanforhandlingshortandlongtermlegalissuesthattheorganization shouldaddress,particularlythosedictatedbyownershipandCEO. Maintainabsoluteconfidentialityinalllegalmattersinvolvingtheorganization. ActasaconduitwiththeLeagueofficewithregardtoitsdictatesandcovenants.

DIRECTOROFRESEARCHANDDEVELOPMENT

Theindividualinthispositionisresponsibleformanagingthecomputerapplicationsattendanttocoaching,gameanalysis,playerpersonnelanalysis,andcomputerized videoediting.InmostNFLorganizations,thisindividualisalsoinchargeoftheteam'sphysicalconditioningandtrainingstaff. Allfactorsconsidered,theindividualhiredforthispositionshouldhaveatleastthreeyearsoffootballcoachingexperience.Heshouldalsohaveaprovenrecordof developingusefulcomputerapplicationswithinafootballenvironment.Asarule,hiringpreferenceshouldbegiventoapersonwithagraduatedegree,teaching experience,andrelevantcourseworkinresearchmethodology,statisticalanalysis,andscientificwritingskills. Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Developandproduceweeklyscoutingreports,videoediting,andNFLcompliancereports.

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Developandproduceadhocresearch,applicationsandreportswithintheorganization'sfootball operationsasrequestedbymanagement,coachesandstaff. Assistotherstaffmembersinlearninganddevelopingcomputerapplicationswithintheteam'sfootball operations. Identify,evaluateandrecommendnewapplicationsandtechnologiestoimprovefootballoperations.

DIRECTOROFMARKETING

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Coordinateandpromoteallsalesandpromotionactivitiesinvolvingtickets,suites,andmerchandise. Coordinateandpromoteallpersonalappearances(byplayers,coaches,andstaff)andspecialevents (e.g.,charitableevents,etc.) Coordinateandpromotehalftimeshowsandprograms. ServeasaliaisonwithNFLPropertiesandLeaguemarketingpersonnel.

DIRECTOROFMEDIARELATIONS

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Serveasaliaisonwiththewrittenandelectronicmedia: Facilitateinterviews. Providecredentials. Establishstorylinesthatareinthebestinterestoftheclub.

Orchestratecrisisandannouncementevents. Mustkeeporganizationandplayers'bestinterestinmind. Mustnotgiveintoanydisruptiveagendathemediamighthave(i.e.,negativefingerpointing). Mustbeveryaggressiveinconfrontinginaccurateorfalsereporting. ActasliaisonwithLeaguemediapersonnel. Coordinateinternalmedianeeds. Helptoeducateallmembersoftheorganizationwhointeractwithmedia. Coordinateallorganizationalpublications. Serveasanadvanceagentfortheteam'sroadgames: Overseetravelarrangements.

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Promotethegamewithlocalmediaandfans. Coordinateplayerinterviewswithlocalmedia.

EQUIPMENTDIRECTOR

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Overseestheprocurementandmaintenanceofallequipment. Coordinateallshippingofequipmentrelatedmaterials.

FACILITYDIRECTOR

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Directtheactivitiesofthemaintenancegroupforthefacility. Supervisethegroundskeeper.

DIRECTOROFSECURITY

Basicresponsibilitiesoftheposition: Overseeallsecuritymeasuresforthefacilityandplayingvenue. Establishanetworkinthecommunityforsecurityconcernsoftheplayersandcoaches. Establishprotocolwith,locallawenforcementagencies. Coordinateandoverseeallsecuritymeasureswithregardtotravel. Establishacompletesecurityprotocolfortrainingcamp. ServeasaliaisonwithLeaguesecuritypersonnel. Provideassistancetobothplayersandcoacheswithregardtobackgroundchecksofprospective businessassociates.

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AppendixD SampleScheduleofSupplementalDuties
GeorgeSeifert.(Basicassignment:defensivecoordinator.) Supplementalassignments: Defensiveplaybooks. Scoutingreportsupervision(defense). Ongoingevaluationofdefensivepersonnel. Fellowshipcoaches. Computertrainingcamppractices.

BillMcPherson.(Basicassignment:linebackerscoach.) Supplementalassignments: Defensivevideotape(withTomHart). Lockerrooms(withRay)campandSantaClara. LiaisonwithMsg.Armstrong. Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Computerstatisticalanalysisfordefense.

MikeHolmgren.(Basicassignment:quarterbackdevelopment.) Supplementalassignments: Offensivecomputer(withBobb). Offensiveplaybook(withBobb). Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Videotrainingcutuptapes(withDenny). Yearlypassinggamecomposite(withDenny). Computerminicampformats,regularseasonpracticeplans.

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DennisGreen.(Basicassignment:widereceiversandtightendscoach.) Supplementalassignments: Offseasonpracticeorganization. Videotrainingcutuptapes. Yearlypassinggamecomposite. Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Computertrainingcamp.

ShermanLewis.(Basicassignment:runningbackscoach.) Supplementalassignments: Offensivescoutingreport. Busesrostercheck. AssistRaywithplanes. Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Computerscoutingreportsfile.

BobbMcKittrick.(Basicassignment:offensivelinecoach.) Supplementalassignments: Offensivecomputer(withMike). Offensivescoutingreport(assistSherman). NFLrulesandregulationsbylawsandconstitution. Researchanddevelopment(fieldequipment). Offensiveplaybook(withMike). Offensivecutups(videotape). Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Computerstatisticalanalysis(offense)file.

LynnStiles.(Basicassignment:specialteamscoach.) Supplementalassignments: Playerfines. Rulebooks. Playerequipmentliaison(withBronco). Computerstatisticalanalysis(specialteams),playerpersonnelliaison.

RayRhodes.(Basicassignment:defensivebackscoach.) Supplementalassignments: Playerfinanceprogram(withKeith). Planesrostercheck(withSherman). AssistShermanwithbusesandrostercheck. Lockerrooms(withMcPherson)campandSantaClara.

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Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Computerminicampformatsregularseasonpracticeplans.

FredvonAppen.(Basicresponsibility:defensivelinecoach.) Supplementalassignments: VideoexchangeliaisonwithRobby. Dailypracticevideophotography. AssistNealwithvisitingcoaches. Visualaidequipment. Videoexchange(withRobby). Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear.

TomHart.(Basicassignment:assistantdefensivelinecoach.) Supplementalassignments: Collegescouting. Playertryouts(defense). Preparationfordraft. Playerrelationscounseling. Materials,equipmentandsupplies(defense). Meetingrooms(staff/defense). Workoutsofsquadcandidatesduringtheyear. Defensevideotapes(withMcPherson).

JerryAttaway.(Basicassignment:weighttraining.) Supplementalassignments: Scoutingphysicalchecks/injuries(draftpro). Researchanddevelopmentcurrenttrendsinphysicaltrainingfield. Nutritionalneedstrainingcampandregularseason. Offseasonphysicalprograms. Staffcomputerspecialist. Monitortrainingcampfoodservice. Teammealsontheroad(withKeith).

NorbHecker.(Basicassignment:executiveadministrator.) Supplementalassignments: LiaisonwithNFLgeneralbusinesswithJohnMcVay. InchargeoftrainingcampwithR.C.asDirector. AdministratorofminicampswithNealDahlen. LiaisonwithcityandcountyofSantaClara. Localbusinessliaison.

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LiaisonwithCandlestickfields/structural. TravelcoordinatorwithKeithSimon. Specialprojectresearch. AlumnirelationswithR.C.Owens. Computer/inventorysystem.

NealDahlen.(Basicassignment:DirectorofFootballOperations.) Supplementalassignments: Researchanddevelopment. MinicampassistNorb. LiaisonwithNorbfields. Coachesmeetings,schedules,communications. Weeklyhighlighttape. LiaisonwithKeithfacilitiesandservicesforfootballoperation. Fieldsecuritypersonnelandprocedures(trainingcamp). Visitingcoaches(withFred). Video/audiovisualcoachingneeds(liaisonwithRobby). Fieldequipmentneeds(liaisonwithBronco). Onfieldworkincentives. LiaisonwithBillonteamfunctions,meals/socialfunctions. Fellowshipcoaches. CoordinatePolaroidservices. Bedcheck(hotels). Medical/trainersliaison. Bedcheckrotation(coachesscheduletrainingcamp). LiaisonwithJerryAttaway. PracticearrangementsoutsideofSantaClara. Coordinatefootballrelatedcomputerservices.
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AppendixE SampleTeamLectures
SquadLecture#1 (minicamp) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Introduction: coachestrainersetc. conditioning system exchangeplayerscoaches

Atmosphere:

Bepunctual. Pleasedon'tdestroyselfindrills. Everyoneequalchance. Opportunitywillcomesomemayhavetohavepatience. Observeveteranslearnfromthem. Conditioningvitalpaypriceinvestyourcareerexistencetochampionshipexcellence. Wehavetwomonths. Everyteamtalented. Howwellwefunctionasaunittogethersystemskillscoordinated. Imaynotbeacquaintedwitheveryone.Don'tbeconcernedI'minvolvedwithoveralloperation nowwewillbecomeacquainted. Conditioningknowledgethenyoucandemonstrateyourabilitiesbecomeexpertincondition nutrition. Cooperatewithmanagers.

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15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Hardworkasteambringsmutualtrust. Don'ttalkyourselfoutofmakingteam. Earnspecialization: specialteamsnickelshortyardageetc. Everyoneoptimisticatthispoint. Toughestclassyou'vehadneverbeensomotivated. Samebasisofcompetitionasyoufacedinhighschoolcollege."Notsimplyabusiness."

SquadLecture#2 (rookietrainingcamp) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Wewanttogetasolidstartinathreeday"crashprogramoffootball."Thatwillberepeatedwhenthe veteransarrive.Itisimportantforustofindouthowmuchthatyoucanlearnandretaininthisperiod. Staminaanddurabilityarevitalqualitiesforwhichwewillbelooking. Ourstyleoffootballrequires"specialqualities"hitting,flawlessexecution,etc. Weexpecttowinwearenotbuilding. Asyoupractice,youmustnotplaywith"desperation"youmustshowpoise.(Don'tsacrificeyour body.) Punctualityisessential. Usegoodjudgmentinyourpersonalbehaviorduringcamp.Avoiddrugsandalcohol. Treatthecollegeandcommunitywithfullrespect. Studyyourmaterialdon'tshortchangeyourself. Don'tworryabouttheperformanceofotherplayers. Observeveteranplayerslearnfromthem Looklikeaprofessionalkeepyourshirttailin,don'tsitonyourhelmet,keeptrackofyourequipment don'tleaveitlyingaround. Wearallofyourprotectiveequipment(preventinjury). Programregularstudytimeintoyourdailyschedule. Don'tgrabshirtsindrillsitcancauseinjuries.

SquadLecture#3 (trainingcamp) InitialSquadmeeting 1. 2. Itisvitalyoushowrespecttoall49eremployedpersonnel,regardlessoftheirresponsibility. Remindertosigninforeverymealnoexceptions.

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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

Beontimeforallscheduledevents. Dormremindersdon'tinterferewithanotherman'slifestyle.Don'timposeyourlifestyleonothersbe considerate. Showrespectforothersdon'tpushittothelimits. Nogamblingintheroomsitleadstoproblems. Telephonesetupindormsignuponanindividualbasis.Reminderofemergencynumber.Checkwith frontdesk. Parkingoutlinedwhen,whereandhow.Lockcarsatalltimes. Attireclothingcodeoutlined.Shirtswithsleeves. Diningmannersusecommonsenseandthinkoftheotherfellow.Usejudgmentinvolumeoftalk. Minimizetheamountoffoodtakenbacktothedorms. Usegoodjudgmentintakingcareofyourvaluables.Don'ttemptthepersonwiththeproblem. Noliquorinyourrooms. Visitorscheckinthroughyourpositioncoach. Becarefulofthecasualacquaintances. Avoidsmokinginrooms. Keepclearofvulgarlanguageinpublic. Respectthefacilitieswhichwillbeourhomeforsometwomonthsinduration. Showclassinpublictopeoplethathangaroundthecamp. Showrespectforthefansthatwanttointeractwithplayersaroundcamp. Keepappointmentswithsportswritersandwhenyouhavescheduledinterviews. Policethelockerroomandmakeitaslivableaspossible. OutlinedBronco'sroleasequipmentman. Takecareofyourfieldequipmentandseekhelpifyouarenotsatisfied. Cooperatewiththetrainersandavailyourselfoftheircare. Knowthetapingschedule.Rookiestapefirst.Bepromptfortreatment.Trainingroomisnotameeting place. Laundryfacilitiesinthedormitory. Offcampusrecreationavoidfrequentingthesamehangouts.Nodowntowndifficultiesshowclassat alltimes. Thinkrespectfullyofyourteammatesatalltimes. Coveredfinelistputoutintheirindividualplaybooks. We,asprofessionalclub,willlevyfinesandholdtothemwhennecessary. Critiqueofphysicaltestingthattookplaceindemonstratingthelevelofindividualpreparation.

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33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.

Youwillfindthestafftoreinforcecertaincoachingpointswewillhabituallyrepeatverballycertainvital concepts. Weareinabusinesspropositionbutitrunsfardeeperthanthatemotion,fellowship,sacrifice. Don'tbeselfishpeoplecan'trespectsomeonewhoisselfish. Thriveonthedetailsofyourjobonourfootballteam.Takegreatprideinyourtechnicalandphysical expertise. Wemustthrivetohaveyourbestyearifwereachthatgoalcollectively,wewillbesuccessful. Performance,bigplayswemusthavethosefromindividualplayers. Everybodyisgiventhesamelevelofrespectfromthe49erorganization.Youarea49erandnotatryout candidate.Rememberyouhavetheresponsibilityofbeinga49er. Mutualrespectofteammatesiscriticallyimportant. 49erfootballisjustthatitisnotaplatformforpolitics,religion,geography.Keepourbusinessstrictly football.Eachmanhasarighttoprivacy.

SquadLecture#4 1. 2. 3. Atmosphere: businesslikeprofessional attentionstudypersonaldevelopment respectforteamteammates thriveonskillstechniques developindividualperformance teachinglearningcombination(coach/player) everyoneisconsideredgivensamerespectbycoachesandmanagement mutualrespectasproathlete,competitor,andperson honestcompetitionbetweendedicated,highlymotivatedathletes nohazingorharassing notauntingofopposingposition(i.e.,offensive/defensiveline) communicateindevelopingotherposition(i.e.,WRvs.DB) don'tforceyourvaluesonothers teamcoordinationtimingdevelopment selectionofbestathletesfor49ersandtheirparticularposition individualskilldevelopmentandspecialization

Teammates:

Goals:

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4. 5.

prepareforopponenttacticsmethods develop49ersystemfundamentalsskills developabilitytocommunicateunderstress(betweencoachesandplayers) bestattackingteam bestlategamepoise insyncnoerror bigturnoverratio scoretouchdowns dealwithsituations specialteams politics religiousbeliefs geographicpreference racialorethnicpreference fraternalorotherpersonalaffiliations asourceforsalesorbusinessventures

Pullingforsomeonetomakeitdifferentoptionthancoaches:

SF49ersNFLprofessionorcareerisnotaplatformfor:

SquadLecture#5 (standardofperformance) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Youhaveastakeinvestmentinregardtotimespent. Firstminuteandlastminutemustbeidenticalregardlessofscoresituationseasonalcircumstances. Opponentshouldbeconsideredasobjectratherthanpersonality. Takeprideinexecutionandthevictorieswillfollow. Preparedecisivelyandspecifically.Mustbepreparedforallcircumstanceshavepoiseandconfidence forallgamesituations. Can'tletupbeconfuseddisoriented. Standardofplaycannotvaryaccordingtoopponenti.e.,Seattle/NewYorkGiants Standardofplaycannotvaryaccordingtowhoisingameregulars/backups. Ifwewinwearenotgoingtotalki.e.,SanDiegovs.Cardinals. Onlyprerequisiteisafieldnotconcernoverweatherplayingsurfacetravelopponent'srecord. Bestatmospherewillbecompletelysilentcrowdwhenweareontheroad. Don'tconcernyourselfoverteammate'sfailure:

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12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

don'tloseconcentrationbecauseofpreviousfailureonpreviousplay. nofrustrationbecauseofcontinuinglackofresultsexamples scorenotafactorcanreverseitselfquicklyexamples

Outsideinfluences(friends,family,businessassociates,fans)affectingyourattitudesandstateof mind. Agentsspreadingdissatisfactionwithyourfinancialarrangements. Comparingsocalledcontractsandcommitmentswithotherplayer(theywillexaggeratebetween 2040%). Protectagainst''Iwasgreatin1981""Justwatchmenow""Ihaveareputationtoliveupto" "Imustmakethe'BigPlay'or'BigHit.'". Executedecisiveexplodecoursesmovement. Skillbestateachposition. Performthinkclearlyunderpressure. Concentrateeachplaybyitself. Leanasgameprogresses. Disciplinetotalunitcohesivetogether. Detaileveryaspectofskillresponsibility. Studyyourposition. Patienceearlylateseasondrive. Confidenceyourselfteamcoach. Recoveryafterdisappointmentdefeatscore. Pressureopponentcontinuous. Fromstarttofinishgameplayseason. Flexibilityadjustabilityduringgameweatherstadium. Mutualrespectlookteammateineyehetooiscommitted. Simplycan'tmakeselfinflictederrorslatehitsoffsidesetc.Wedonothaveamarginforerror. Setahighstandardofplayindividuallyandcollectivelyeachweek. Don'texpectsomeonetogetyoureadytoplayprepareyourself. CommonthingsinNFL: aeverybodyhitsatthislevel everybodycompetes everyteamiseagertoplayearly everyteamknowstheirbusiness wewillhandlebiglossesandwins

Ourphilosophy:

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36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.

canyoudealwithsetbacks wemustbepatientwhenweplay poiseisvitaltosuccess concentrateondetailingyourfootball mastermoreskillsandhavebetterknowledgethantheotherguy communicatewithfellowplayersandwiththecoaches eachweekisanewseason concentrateoneachplay allyourememberishowyoudid

Whatwelookforindividually:

Don'tbeawedbyanyone. Don'tbeconsumedbythecompetition. Don'tbedistractedbyoutsideproblems. Bereadywhentheopportunityappears. Don'tthinkofyouropponentasapersonality. Thegoalsofourtrainingcamp: bethebestattackingteaminfootball mustbethebestlateinthegamepoiseiscriticalintheleague mustfittogetherandbeinsyncasateamcoordinated mustincreaseourpositiveturnoverratio mustscoretouchdownsnotbeafieldgoalteam mustpracticesituationalfootball mustimproveourlevelofspecialteamsspecialteamsarevitaltooursuccess whilewearehere,wemustmakedecisionsonpersonnelandformulatearosterofthebest people. weneedthebigplayplayerwhoconcentratesandprepsforsituations

SquadLecture#6 (coaches'jobrole) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Utilizepersonnel.Quitewillingtospecialize. Stylebestsuitedforourathletes. StylebestsuitedforourNFLcompetition. Willingtocommittobestcalculatedchanceof"winning"willnothopetowinifopponent"givesusthe game."Maymeanwecouldbombout. Willcommitskillsmethodsystemspecificallyspelledout. Responsibleforany/allminorities. Notafool.

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8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Ifanything,I'mtoo"sensitive"forclub. Muchofcoachingisgivingamanachancetoperform. Personalassociationrelationship: individualinnatureregardlessofroleplayedbycoachorplayer notdemocraticyeteveryonetreatedwithsamedignity teamdevelopmentmoreimportantthanpersonalfeelingsandsensitivities coachwillnotreacttoeverylittleshowofemotionpersonaldissatisfaction SFsystem"notsearchingforthebestway"wealreadyknowit everyminuteaccountedforhours,minutes,drills,skills,groupwork teamsituationtimescorefieldpositiondownanddistanceetc. headcoachrole specificassignmentdifferenceindirectionbetweencoachesremindcoachesmustnothave contradictionorconfusion musthavehonestopenclarifiedmaturemantomanrelationship maximumprotectionoffield maximumcareassistancetreatmentofinjuries actionsprior,duringandaftergameindealingwithpressandpublicmustbeputinbestinterestof teamclubNFL actionsinprivatelifeidenticaltothatexpectedofplayersregardingquestionableassociations unacceptablesocialbehavior integrityhonestinalldealings acceptingresponsibilityforgroup'sperformancenotusingsquadmemberscircumstancesasa scapegoatorexcuseforfailureinadequacies confidentialitywithpapersprivatelivescontactsfutureinadequacies cannotsacrificeoneplayercareerperformanceforpersonalreasonsortoenhancecoach's reputation mustnotpitoneplayeragainstanotherinpubliccompetition individualsquadmemberstheiruniqueplaceexistence theminoritywhetheritbereligiousethniceconomicsocialsexual competenceprofessionally: decisivelivewithdecisions technicalconcept underduress bestinterestsofpresent

Authority:

Headcoach:

Willnotgetexcitedwithearlysuccessordisappointment.

Page479

SquadLecture#7 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Thoseplayerswhoarefightingtomaketheteammustconcentratetothefullest.Theymustnotbe distractedbyanything. Movementisthekeytosuccess"gettherefirstandknockthehelloutoftheguywhenhearrives!" Correctyourmistakesbutmoveneverhesitateorstop! Offenserequiresdisciplinerunyourcoursestheywillcometoyou. Whenhandlingtheball,youmustbedecisive. Specialteamsnote:incoverageyoumustmaintainlaneintegrity. Useyoureyesbeawareandalerttoeverything. Specialteamsplayisvital: lastfiveplayersontherosterwillberetainedduetospecialvalue don'toverlooktheimportanceofspecialteams'preparationandperformance

SquadLecture#8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Conditioningisthekeybestphysicalconditionofyourcareerminorpullsearlyintheseasonwillbe thebiggestdistractiononthepracticefield. Drugstheircontinuedusewilldestroythisteamandyoupersonallyiterodesthefoundationofmutual trustandconfidencewehavebuilt. Mentalconditionclearmindabilitytoconcentratevital. Beginwithwrongstateofmindweneverbreakit. Wearenotgoingtoplayourselvesintoshape. Assumeyouareonthesquadsamestatus. Don'tpayattentiontoyourstatusinthenewspapers. Physicalrisktakingyourcareerisatstake.

SquadLecture#9 (followingchampionshipseason) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Tremendousconcertedsustainedeffortin1981. Ourprogresse.g.,developmenthasneverbeenrivaledorequaled. Cantakegreatprideinaccomplishmentbecamechampionsingreatestteamathleticcompetitionin history. Webelievedineachotherdependeduponeachotherrespectedeachother.Wehadgreat confidenceineachotherandappreciatedtheroleeachofusplayed. We'retalented,confident,proudchampions.Wehavekeyveterans,outstandingyouth. Nowaschampionswemustmeetthechallengeofthe1982season.Manyteamswillimprove somewillfadeallwillrespectusthegoodoneswillwanttotakeus.

Page480

7.

Whatmustwedotocontinueaschampions?Whatwillittake?First,doesitmeananythingtoyou?Ifso, let'sexaminetheforcesworkingforusandthoseworkingagainstus.

SquadLecture#10 (forcesthatcanworkagainstusthatarecapableoferodingorovendestroyingus) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Relievedrelaxed"wewillturnitonwhenwehaveto." Selfsatisfiedcockyarrogant."We'rethegreatest"loserespectforopponent. Thinkwecanwinwith"statusquo"simplydowhatwedidlastyear. Letdownindedicationpreparationconditioningmentalpsychologicalreadiness. Outsideintereststhatdetractfromfootball: appearances activitiestogainfrom1981 businessjobsthattaketimethoughtatthesacrificeoffootball

Financialdealingsthatcompromisedistractfromconcentration.Forcedtodisruptlifetodealwith it. Paranoiaaboutsalary.Rumorsaboutothersalaries"whatyoushouldbegetting"allowingthisto affectfeelingaboutteamorganization. Drugsphysicalstate,selfimage,financialloss,selfdestruction. Willingnesstemptationto"easeupjustalittle."

SquadLecture#11 (substanceabuse) 1. 2. 3. 4. Onpremises Policelawenforcement: they'relookingtomakebighit areawareofnormaltrafficking approachemployers moreprevalentconsequentlymorepoliceinvolvement willtakemorecriticalposition willgossipdrawconclusions rumorswillpersistsomejustifiedothersnotjustified

Publicmoresensitivetoproblem:

Wheninvolvedwhodoyoudealandassociatewith.Whatkindofpeopledealindrugs.Togetto drugswhatkindofpeopledoyoucomeintocontactwith.There'sboundtobea"ruboff":

Page481

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Peopletalkuseyournameuseyourmoney

Womenswingers"highrollers"hangaroundmeetyoungplayerspullthemdownhavenothing tolose. Bestefforthowitcanbeerodeddiminished.Canyouseeyourselfasachampioncanyoureach yourfullpotential. Nowifyouhaveadrughabitforgetreachingyourpotentialreachingyourgoals. Nowyoucan'treachyourpotentialwithoutteammates. Scenerypeoplehavenostakeinyourlifecareerteammates. Impactofdrugs: financial rest nutrition selfimage play

Outlinedthelawenforcementagency'sapproachtowarddrugdealingandusage. Drugabusecanhauntyoutherestofyournaturallife. DrugswidespreadinoursocietyandwithintheframeworkoftheNFL. Fortunately,playersarebecomingmoreawareofthelongtermramificationsofdrugabuse. Druguseandabusegenerallydestroynutritionalfoundation.Usersdon'teatrightorsleepright. Discussedthefinancialramificationsofbeinginvolvedwithdrugs. Don'ttradeafuturelifetimeforafewpleasanttodays. Bewarebecauseacrackdownisinmotion. Becarefulwhoyousocializewithchangeyourscenery. Impossibletoreachfullpotentialwhenyouabuseyourbody. Seekhelpifneededagenciesandpolicieswereoutlined.

SquadLecture#12 (championshipseasonafterdismalfollowingseason) 1. Everyonewentindifferentdirections: lifestyle exaggeratedimportance eachprofitinginhisownway examplebasketballfiascoappearance personalitiesshowbizinnature

Page482

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

paranoidsalariesgreedunrealisticdemandsexpectations

Willingnesstophysicallypaypricehitting. Lossofdisciplineconvictioninwhatwearedoing. Fundamentalsnoconcentration. Disciplinedependingoneachotherlost. Leadershipfailtodealwithplayersnotmeetingexpectationsofothers. So"busy"withotherlifefailedtogivefootballwhattheyshould. Lackedsimplethings: rest nutrition distractinginterestsproblems preoccupiedsocially

Someindividualsalmosthopeless.Welikethemaspeoplejustcan'trededicateto49ers.Mayneed completelynewatmosphere. Tooktoomuchforgrantedwithfootballcareer.Talkagoodgamefailedtosacrifice. Eliminatetotallymysterytravelernophonenowhereabouts.

Page483

AppendixF SampleScoutingWorkoutCriteriaforSelectedPositions
WORKOUTCRITERIA:QUARTERBACKS

Requiredpersonnel:Anotherquarterback,hopefullyapresentsquadmember,todemonstrateandmake comparison. Throwatimedpass(e.g.,qkoutsquareoutslant).Usea35stepdrop. Throwapivot,hook,slantpass,holdingonrightfoot.Usea35stepdrop. Drillballbetweenthedefendershookingpatternbasiccrosspattern.Usea5stepdrop. Throwshort(e.g.HBFBcurl)withwristemployahighrelease. Shallowcrossextremeangleoff7stepcross. Throw"hot"receivertechniquetothetightend.Shoot.RunningbackwidecurlTexas. Throwgoflypattern,40yds.downfieldoffa5step(hitchnohitch)and7stepdrop. Throwoverdefender,20yds.downfield(e.g.,comebackdeepoverseampostdeepcross). Sprintrollaction,settingupandthrowingonmove. Utilizedrop(357)lateralmovementinpocketoncoaches'signals.Emphasizemechanicsagility touch. Mobilityscramblethrow.Scheduleatendofpracticewhenathleteissomewhatfatigued.SignalQB outofpocketafter357stepdrop.Receiversstationaryratherthanmoving. Checkoutplaypassproficiency. Functionalintelligenceevaluation. Communicativeskillsevaluation. Leadershipqualities.

Page484

Presentphysicalcondition(e.g.,stamina,endurance,etc.). Physicalexamination. Agentramifications.

WORKOUTCRITERIA:RUNNINGBACKS

Requiredpersonnel:Aquarterback,acenterandanotherrunningback,hopefully,onecurrentlyonthe squadforcomparisonanddemonstration. Stretchandwarmup.Catchassortedpassesthrownsoftly.Checkouthisabilitytocatchonthemove. Noteflawsintechnique. Receivehandoffandexecuteinsiderunbreakoffabagheldbythecoach. Takepitchoutandbreakoffbagheldbythecoach. Receivethehandoffwhilebreakinginsideoroutsideofftheblockoftheotherbackorthepullingguard. Kickoutorlogged.Inthisinstance,theactiondoesnotneedtobeliveitissimulated. Takehandoffonsweepaction.Stretchthencutofftheblockofthepullinglinemanortheleadback. Coachcanactasdefender.Thisactionissimulatednotlive. Takeassortedhandoffsutilizedintheteam'soffensivesystem(e.g.,draw,etc.). Runrequiredpassroutes,alternatingshortanddeepwithrestbetweenrepetitions.Catchtheball, breakingoutside.Inside,straightupfield. Instructbackonroutes.Checkouthisabilitytocomprehendyourinstructionsandhisskills.Ifacoverage manisavailable,usehimtoshadowtheback. Onthetwomansled,havethebackperformtworepetitionswitheachshoulder.Utilizetheotherback onsledwithhim.Makecomparisonbetweentheskillsofthetwobacks. Activeblockingvs.ashieldorabag.Checkouthisbalance,shockingpowerandhistechnique.His blockingtechniqueshouldincludepassprotectionleadpowercut. Rundeeproutes,throwingtheballdeepdownthefield.Checkbodycontrolwhilehe'sfatigued. Speedtest(priortoorfollowingtheworkout). Agilityandverticaljumptests(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Strengthtesting. Functionalintelligenceevaluation. Communicativeskillsevaluation. Presentphysicalcondition(e.g.,stamina,endurance,etc.) Previousinjurieshistoryofinjury.

Page485

Physicalexamination. Agentramifications.

WORKOUTCRITERIA:WIDERECEIVERS

Personnelrequired:Aquarterback,center(ifpossible),otherreceivershopefullycurrentlyonthe rosterforcomparisonandadefensivebacktoshadowthereceiver. Warmup.Catchsoftlythrownballsatvariousangles. Threesteproutes(e.g.,hitchquickoutslantfade). Fivesteproutes(e.g.,squareout,12ydsquarein,hook,seampost,etc.).Checkouthisadjustments tocoverages. Shallowcrossingroutesreadcoverage. Sevensteproutes(e.g.,comeback,dig,circleout,deepover,deepcross,etc.). Releasesversuspresscoverageandversusrotatingcorner. Doublemoveroutes(off357stepdrops). Workselectedroutesagainstshadowingpresscorner. Speedtests(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Duringworkout,evaluate: Acceleration Handsfullrangeofadjustment Bodycontrolagilitywhencatching Changeofdirection Skilltechniqueinrunningroutes Abilitytoadapttonewsystemdifferentcoachingofroutesreads.

Identifyrolehewouldplaywithourteam(i.e.,whohewouldcompeteagainst,etc.) Speedtest(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Strengthtest. Functionalintelligenceevaluation. Communicationskillsevaluation. Presentphysicalcondition(e.g.,stamina,endurance,etc.). Historyofinjurypresentmedicalcondition. Physicalexamination. Agentramifications.

Page486

WORKOUTCRITERIA:OFFENSIVELINEMEN

Requiredpersonnel:Offensivelinemanforcomparisonanddemonstration,hopefullycurrentlyamember ofthesquadadefensivelineman. Defensiveplayerinstructedtomakespecificmoves(examplepassrush). Againstalinestunt,pickupafteranexplanation. Establishpriorities(roleneeded). Passprotection(vs.defender). Baseblocking(oneonone). Plugslip(vs.bigbag). Trapshortlongfold(vs.bag). Pulloutside(guardcourses). Pullandleadthroughthehole(vs.bag). Angleblockdown(vs.bag). Reachblockmanoutsidescramble(vs.bag). Specificagilitydrills. Strengthtest. Longsnaphistory. Experienceinplayingmultiplepositions. Presentphysicalcondition(e.g.,stamina,endurance,etc.). Historyofinjuries. Functionalspeedtest(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Functionalintelligenceevaluation. Communicativeskillsevaluation. Personalinventory(conversationandquestionformat). Completehistoryofinjuries. Determinationofhowsoonhewillbeabletoplay. Physicalexamination. Agentramifications.

WORKOUTCRITERIA:TIGHTENDS

Personnelrequired:Aquarterback,acenter(ifpossible),adefensivecoverageman,alinemanor linebackerforblockingpurposes,andanothertightendforcomparativepurposes.

Page487

Verticaljumpandotheragilitytests. Warmup.Receivingballthatissoftlythrown.Balldeliveredatvaryingangles. Speedtest(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Strengthtest(beforeorfollowingtheworkout). Runbasicpatterns(e.g.,shoot,slant,basiccross,shallowcross,stick,hook,corner,seam,sail,corner, out,etc.). Checkouthisadjustmentstocoveragesonallroutes. Angleblock(turnoutanddrive)againstthebigbag. Blockagainstahandheldbagonalinebackerheadup,hookinghimandturninghimout. Onthetwomansled,havethetightendperformtworepswitheachshoulderconductexercisein combinationwiththeothertightend. Checkouthisreleasesversusthelinebacker,asheisrunningroutes. Catchdeepballs(versusseamsandcorners). Evaluate: Strength,girth,ballastasablocker. Agilityblockingmovingblocker(handheldshield). Powerexplosivenesswhileblockingthebigbag(vs.defensivelineman). Handsabilitytoadjust. Bodycontrolwhengoingforball(i.e.,hisabilitytoturn,leap,concentrateonball,etc.) Skillandtechniqueinrunningroutes. Abilitytoassimilatenewsystem.

Functionalintelligenceevaluation. Communicativeskillsevaluation. Presentphysicalcondition(e.g.,stamina,endurance,etc.). Historyofinjuries. Physicalexamination. Agentramifications.

Page489

AppendixG SampleBasePlaySchematics

Page490

BaseRuns:InsideZone 9495(Strong) AmanblockingplaythatmaybreakanywherefrombouncingoutsidetheTEandcuttingbackasfarasthebacksideT'sblock. BlockingRules: AlllinemenandTEcoveredbyadownlinemanblockmanalllinemencoveredbyaLBusea''Plug"toblocktheDL/ILBtowardthecall."Plug"anygapDlinemen. TheTEshouldblocktheoutsidemanontheLOSversusa"9"look.TheoffsideG&Tshould"Slip"blockifappropriate. BBBlocktheendmanontheLOStothebacksideoftheplay. BCTakethehandoffaimingforthe"B"gap,butanticipatemakingacutbackmove. XBlockthesafetytoyourside. ZBlockthesafetytoyourside.

Page491

BaseRuns:InsideZone 9495(Weak) AmanblockingplaythatmaybreakanywherefrombouncingoutsidetheholetocuttingbackasfarasoutsidetheTE. BlockingRules: AlllinemencoveredbyadownlinemanwillblockmanalllinemencoveredbyaLBwill"Plug"blocktheDL/ILBtowardthecall."Plug"anygapDlinemen.The onsideTshouldblocktheoutsidemanontheLOSversusa"5"look.TheoffsideTandTEshould"Slip"blockifappropriate. BBBlocktheendmanontheLOStothefrontsideoftheplay. BCTakethehandoffaimingforthe"B"gap,butanticipatemakingacutbackmove. XBlockthesafetytoyourside. ZBlockthesafetytoyourside.

Page492

BaseRuns:OutsideZone 6968HO Amanblockingplaythatmaybreakfromthesidelinetothebacksideofthecenter. BlockingRules: Alllinemencoveredbyadownlinemanshould"Hook"theirman(perhapsfrontsideofaslip)alllinemencoveredbyaLBeither"Slip"onsideor"cutoff"theLBas appropriate.Versusa"5"look,theonsideTshouldcutoffthebubbleLBonlyifthereisNOdoubtabouthavingenoughleadangletogethimotherwiseheshould reachandcuttheoutsidemanontheLOS.TheoffsideTandTEshould"Slip''blockifappropriate. Thehalfbackshould"Bob"blocktheoutsidemanontheLOSifthetacklereachesandcutsthatmancontinueforthescrappingILB.The"X"(or"Z"inSolo) receivershouldblockthefirstforcetothatside.IfaTEisonside,heshouldhookthemancoveringhim.Theoutsidesliptechniquewiththe"T"shouldbeusedversus a"7"look. XBlockfirstforce. ZBlockthesafety.

Page493

BaseRuns:InsideMan Fox23Run TEBlockthemanoveryou.Alert"RO,""TO,""Ink,''or"9." Oline:BlockFox23passprotectionassignmentsEXCEPT: TIfTcoveredbyLB,Alert"RO,""TO,""Ink,"or"9." G C} OG}Possiblefoldvs.EvenfrontwithnoMLBoverC. OT} FBVs.Basedefenses:blockMLB.Vs.Nickel:block1stLBfromCtocallside. HBSlideoverthetop,takethehandoffandstartoverG. XBlockthesafetyyourside. ZBlockSStoyoursideunlessNickel,thenblockthecorner.

Page494

BaseRuns:OutsideMan 9899"H" TEMan("Hook"),possible"B"block. TMan,possible"B"block.Blockdownversus"7"look.(Areablockw/FBbygameplan.) GPullonsweepcourse,blocking1stforce. CEvenfront:ReachonsideDTorblockMLBOddfront:Manor"Slip"withOG. OGManor"Slip"withCorOT."If"whenC&Garecovered. OTCutoff,"Sift,"or"Slip"withOG. FBSearchanddestroyILBbealertforrunthroughbyLB.(Areablockw/Tbygameplan.) BCStretchtooutsideandstayonhipoffrontsideguarduntilyouhavetocutinsidethenpickupbacksideguard. XBlockthesafety ZBlockthecornerplaysideVs.cornerrotation:releaseoutside2ndblockthesafety.

Page495

BaseRuns:Draw FB4041BasicdrawblockingMan,DLorLBoveryouOr: TEPossible"SlipwithT.Alertto"TO,""RO,""9"and"Ink.'' TPossible"Drug"withGor"Slip"withTE. GBasicdrawblocking:Alertfor"If"aroundC.Possible"Drug"withT. CMan,DLorLBover:NotthereLBtocall. OGAlertfor"If"aroundC.Possible"plug"withT.("Gut"withOTbygameplan.). OTBlockDE. HBBlockWLB. BCReadtheguardbox.Runtodaylight. XBlockthesafetiesifpossible ZBlockthesafetiesifpossible **Foroneback,wewillcallNickel4041.

Page496

Protection:7ManSplitBack 24(25)Protectionsor324(325)*Protections OffensiveLine: Basicmanprotectionpossible"open,""snuggle"or''gap"calls. Vs.nickel,theuncoveredlinemanhasthecallsideLB("stay,""slide,""elephant,""L.A."/"Raider"). NavajoBasicNavajoprotection.Alertforgapsituation. "Open"awayfromcallvs.3manline"Noopen"vs.4manline. FBOutsideLB,alertfor"bag,""open,""gap,""elephant,"and"score"calls.Vs.Nickel:check2ndLBtocallside.Releaseroutescouldchangeweekly. HBOutsideLBalertfor"bag,""open,""gap,"and"elephant"calls.Releaseroutescouldchangeweekly. *In324(325)thelinenever"opens"awayfromthecallduetothe3stepdropbytheQB.RB'shave"B"&"W."

Page497

Protection:7ManWKFlow 74(75)Protectionsor374(375)*Protections OffensiveLine: Basicmanprotectionpossible"open"or"gap"calls. Vs.nickel,theuncoveredlinemanhasthecallsideLB("Stay,""slide,""L.A."/"Raider"). "Open"awayfromcallvs.3manline. TESlowprotection,possible"tuf"call.Alertpersonnelgroup"Tiger"=freerelease(seediagramvs.59front). FBBlock"Whip"alertfor"open,""gap"calls.Vs.nickel,checklstLB/DBawayfromthecall. HBFreereleaseandrunappropriateroute. *In374(375),thelineneveropensawayfromthecallduetothe3stepdropbytheQB.FBhas"Whip."

Page498

Protection:6Man 22(23)Protectionsor322(323)*Protections OffensiveLine: DoublereadbycallsideGvs.34front.Alertfor"tuf"call. lstLBtocallsidevs.evenandovershiftfronts("stay,""slide,""snuggle,""L.A."/"Raider,''"LR"). Possible"gap"or"Lucky/Ringo"calls. NAVAJO.Navajoopenprotectionalertforgapsituation. "Open"awayfromcallvs.3manline. FBFreereleasetosideoftightendandrunappropriateroute. HBBlock"Whip"alertfor"bag,""open"and"gap"calls.(Vs.3manlineyouhave"P.") *In322(323),thelinenever"opens"awayfromthecallduetothe3stepdrop.HBhas"Whip."

Page499

Protection:6ManTurnback 2(3)JetProtectionsor200(300)JetProtections OffensiveLine:(Alertfor"Tom"or"Base"calls) Slideawayfromthecall. Backsideguardmay"open,""in"or"out." Use"L.A."/"Raider"or"LR"protectionwhenappropriate. "Base"callwillbemadevs."B"&"M"blitzor34fronts. Alertfor"Gap,""Ringo/Lucky"calls. FBDoublereadfortwoblitzerstothecallside.Alertfor"Tom"or"Base"calls.AlsoreadoffsideILBwhenC&Garecovered(51&57Fronts).Alerttocheck SSvs.theblitz. HBFreereleaseandrunappropriateroute. *ThisisalsoFox23Protectionfortheline.

Page500

Protection:8ManSplitFlow 28(29)Protectionsor328(329)Protections Designedasaprotectionfora4manblitzcomingfromthestrongside.ThisisusuallycalledwhenaSSblitzesfromtheTEside. OffensiveLine: Basicmanprotection. Vs.Nickel:uncoveredlinemanhasweaksideILB("stay,""slide,""elephant,""L.A."/''Raider"). Bettercalledvs."Odd"frontblitzes. "Open"awayfromthecallvs.3manline"noopen"vs.4manline. TEBlocks"Slow"Protection. FBBlockSSblitz.Vs.Nickel:check2ndLB/DB. HBOutsideLB,alertfor"bag,""open,"and"gap"calls(like2425).

Page501

Protection:8ManWKFlow 78(79)Protectionsor378(379)Protections DesignedasanaudibleforFSblitzthatisthreateningweak. OffensiveLine: Baseprotection. TE"Slow"protection FBBlockFS(mayswitch1andOwithguard)or1stblitzerawayfromcall. HBBlockoutside(2nd)blitzer. *Thisprotectionisusedmoreoutofa"Brown"set.

Page502

3StepRoutes

Page503

5StepRoutes

Page504

7StepRoutes

Page505

Play/ActionPass

Page507

AppendixH SampleClassicPlaySchematics

Page508

InsideRuns

WideTrapPlay

Page509

TrapPlay

Page510

TrapPlay

Page511

CounterPlay

Page512

CounterPlay

Page513

DrawPlay

Page514

OutsideRuns

WideSweep

Page515

WideSweep

Page516

PitchPlay(WeakSideToss)

Page517

PitchPlay(WeakSideToss)

Page518

TossPlay

Page519

TossPlay

Page520

PassPlays

VersusTwoDeepCoverage

Page521

VersusTwoDeepCoverage

Page522

VersusTwoDeep

Page523

TwoDeep

Page524

TwoDeep

Page525

VersusTwoDeep

Page526

VersusFourAcrossCoverage(RedZoneRoute)

Page527

FourAcrossCoverage

Page528

FourAcrossCoverage

Page529

FourAcrossCoverage

Page530

ZoneBlitzCoverage

Page531

ManCoverage(RedZoneRoute)

Page532

ManCoverage(1stPlay)/ZoneCoverage(2ndPlay)

Page533

ManCoverage

Page534

ManCoverage

Page535

ManCoverage

Page536

BlitzRoute(VersusManCoverage)

Page537

BlitzRoute(VersusManCoverage)

Page538

BlitzRoute(VersusManCoverage)

Page539

BlitzRoute(VersusZoneBlitzCoverage)

Page540

BlitzRoute

Page541

ZoneBlitzCoverage

Page542

PlayPass

Page543

PlayActionPass

Page544

PlayActionPass

Page545

AppendixI BillWalshCoachingLineage
AnumberofextraordinarilytalentedcoacheshaveworkedwithorforBillWalshoverthedurationofhiscoachingcareer.Manyofthesepeoplehavesubsequently goneontoattainveryresponsiblepositionsinthecoachingprofession,includingthoseindividualslistedbelow. NFLHeadCoaches(inalphabeticalorder) PeteCarroll(HeadCoach,NewEnglandPatriots). WorkedforGeorgeSeifertandworkedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco. PlayedforBillWalshinCincinnatiandcoachedwithhiminSanFrancisco. PlayedforBillWalshinSanFranciscoandcoachedforDennyGreenwiththeMinnesota Vikings. WorkedwithBillWalshatbothStanfordandSanFrancisco. WorkedwithBillWalshatSanFrancisco. WorkedwithMikeHolmgreninGreenBay. CoachedandplayedforBillWalshinSanFrancisco. WorkedforGeorgeSeifertinSanFrancisco. CoachedforBillWalshatbothStanfordandSanFrancisco. WorkedwithBillWalshatStanford.

BruceCoslet(HeadCoach,CincinnatiBengals). TonyDungy(HeadCoach,TampaBayBuccaneers).

DennyGreen(HeadCoach,MinnesotaVikings). MikeHolmgren(HeadCoach,GreenBayPackers). SteveMariucci(HeadCoach,SanFrancisco49ers). RayRhodes(HeadCoach,PhiladelphiaEagles). MikeShanahan(HeadCoach,DenverBroncos). GeorgeSeifert(FormerHeadCoach,SanFrancisco49ers). DickVermeil(HeadCoach,St.LouisRams).

Page546

MikeWhite(FormerHeadCoach,OaklandRaiders). WorkedwithBillWalshatbothSanFranciscoandStanford. PlayedforBillWalshatCincinnatiandcoachedwithhiminSanFrancisco.

SamWyche(FormerHeadCoach,CincinnatiBengalsandTampaBayBuccaneers).

NFLCoordinators KenAnderson(OffensiveCoordinator,CincinnatiBengals). PlayedforBillWalshatCincinnati. WorkedwithBillWalshinSanFranciscoandwithDennyGreenatStanfordandMinnesota. WorkedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco. WorkedwithMikeHolmgrenandRayRhodesinSanFranciscoandGreenBay. WorkedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco. WorkedinSanFranciscowithGeorgeSeifertandMikeShanahan. WorkedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco.

BrianBillick(OffensiveCoordinator,MinnesotaVikings). MattCavanaugh(OffensiveCoordinator,ChicagoBears). JonGruden(OffensiveCoordinator,PhiladelphiaEagles). PaulHackett(OffensiveCoordinator,KansasCityChiefs). GaryKubiak(OffensiveCoordinator,DenverBroncos). ShermanLewis(OffensiveCoordinator,GreenBayPackers).

CollegeHeadCoaches TomHolmoe(HeadCoach,UniversityofCaliforniaBerkeley). PlayedforandcoachedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco. WorkedwithBillWalshatStanford. WorkedwithBillWalshinSanFrancisco. WorkedforBillWalshinSanFrancisco(asamemberofthe49ers'minorityinternprogram) andwithDennyGreenatbothStanfordandMinnesota.

TerryShea(HeadCoach,RutgersUniversity). FredvonAppen(HeadCoach,UniversityofHawaii). TyroneWillingham(HeadCoach,StanfordUniversity).

Page547

AppendixJ Index
A AmericanBroadcastingCompanies,Inc.(ABC),382 Aikman,Troy,129 Alabama,Universityof,77,96,181,267 Ali,Mohammed,331 Allen,Ethan,509,528,543 Allen,George,48,49,316 Allen,Larry,126 Allen,Terry,132 Alvarez,Ed,436 AmericanFootballleague,6,31 Anders,Kimble,131 Anderson,Dave,31 Anderson,Ken,131,150,168,169,296,300,320,526,540,546 Andrews,George,158 Aristotle,95 Armour,Justin,509,523,528 TheArtofQuarterbacking,168 TheArtofWar,34,214,228,303 Ashe,Arthur,3,21,381 Atkins,Billy,433 Attaway,Jerry,469,470 Atwater,Steve,140 AuburnUniversity,158 Audick,Dan,190,514,515 AugustanaCollege,150 Ayers,John,127,514,515,518 B Badger,Brad,127,509 Baker,Tony,158 Banaszek,Cas,79 Barnett,Gary,23 Barrow,Micheal,30 Barton,Harris,126,508,512,517 BattleoftheBulge,22 Bears,Chicago,6,88,139,318,546 Beathard,Bobby,48,50 Bell,Bobby,137 Bengals,Cincinnati,ix,6,7,8,23.41,50,112,134,168,282,300,320,357,519,520,544,545,546 Benjamin,Guy,8,131,162,300,511,531 Berra,Yogi,319 Bertelli,Angelo,4 Bettis,Jerome,142 Bias,Len,198 Billick,Brian,x,546 Bills,Buffalo,50,544 Bleier,Rocky,516 BluebonnetBowl,8,9 Board,Dwaine,78,135 Bookman,Anthony,523 Bowlen,Pat,48,50 Bradley,GeneralOmar,71,111 Bradshaw,Terry,112,150 Brandt,Gil,50 BrighamYoungUniversity,6 Broncos,Denver,50,140,242,401,545,546 Bronzan,Bob,5 Brooks,James,510 Brooks,Rich,23 Brown,Jerry,90 Brown,Jim,517,519 Brown,lomas,125 Brown,Mike,50 Brown,Paul,6,7,9,23,41,83,202,263,266,320,357 Brown,Willie,150 Browns,Cleveland,6,320,519,540 Bruce,lsaac,122 Brudzinski,Bob,158 Brunell,Mark,374,403 Bryant,Paul(Bear),77,96,181,267,357 Buccaneers,TampaBay,50,113,138,139,142,158,168,545,546 Buckey,Jeff,127,509 BuildingaChampionshipFootballTeam,77,181 Bunz,Dan,137,322 Butkus,Dick,139 Butler,LeRoy,140 C California,Universityof(Berkeley),5,6,23,30,82,523,546 Campbell,Earl,288 CanadianFootballLeague,429,430 CandlestickPark,382,396,439,442,445,454,455,456,460,470 Capers,Dom,30 Cappelletti,John,158 Cardinals,Arizona/St.Louis,125,131,134,139,475,542 Carroll,Pete,89,310,545 Carter,Cris,122 Carter,Jimmy,22 Carter,Michael,134 Carter,Virgil,6,131,300 ''TheCatch,"148 Catton,Bruce,280 Cavanaugh,Matt,532,546 Centers,Larry,131 deCervantesSaavedra,Miguel,275 Chargers,SanDiego,6,7,8,31,50,139,146,171,243,300,391,475 Chavez,JulioCesar,331 Chiefs,KansasCity,23,46,131,136,319,341,369,546 Choma,John,511 Christiansen,Jack,19 Churchill,SirWinston,195 Cicero,MarcusTullius,98 Claiborne,Jerry,35 Clark,Booby,544 Clark,Dwight,30,112,123,148,295,514,516,521,522,524,525,533,535,538,542 Clark,Monte,290 ClemsonUniversity,148 Cline,Tony,509,523,543 CollectiveBargainingAgreement,60,65,426,427 Collier,Blanton,6,519 Collins,Kerry,374 Colorado,Universityof,23,162 Colts,Baltimore/Indianapolis,139,158,288,401 Comella,Greg,523 Confucius,61 Cook,Greg,131,300 Cooper,Earl,151,514,515,532,537,538 Coryell,Don,6,80,391 Cosell,Howard,3823 Coslet,Bruce,50,79,89,526,545 Coughlin,Tom,48,49 Cowboys,Dallas,23,30,50,112,116,125,126,128,129,135,139,140,157,222,288,369,382,396,400,514,535,538 Cowher,Bill,46

Page548

Craig,Roger,35,132,133,146,508,511,516,519,520,521,522,524,525,530,532,533,534,535,544 Cromwell,Nolan,158 Cross,Randy,127,508,514,516,522,542 Csonka,Larry,290 Curran,Pat,529 Curtis,Isaac,123,540 Curtis,Mike,139 Cusick,Bob,416,437 D Dahlen,Neal,208,430,4346,438,469,470 Dalman,Chris,129 Dargel,Ken(Kenneth),436,4515 Davis,Al,6,48,50,80,385 Davis,Eric,139 Dawson,Dermontti,128 DaysofGrace,3,381 Dean,Fred,135,146 DeBartolo,Edward,Jr.,9,37,146,268,396,416,421,422,423,424,428,429 DeBerg,Steve,112 TheDecisiveBattlesoftheWesternWorld,207 Deese,Derrick,513 Detmer,Ty,403 Dickerson,Eric,133,146,288 Dillard,Harrison,22 Dils,Steve,8,131,162,300,527 Ditka,Mike,49,88,125 Doleman,Chris,232 Dolphins,Miami,142,158,240,290,3189,340,533 Donaldson,Jack,320 Donaldson,Ray,128 DonQuixote,275 Dorsett,Tony,133,288 Dowhower,Rod,162 "TheDrive,"ix,9,2823 Dungy,Tony,50,545 E Eagles,Philadelphia,4,30,92,123,132,135,158,316,369,545,546 Edwards,Dr.Harry,116,120,197,330 Eisenhower,Dwight,321 EliasSportsBureau,361 Elliot,Lenvil,514 Elway,Jack,23 Elway,John,401 Esiason,Boomer,510 F Fagan,Kevin,135 Fahnhorst,Keith,126,508,514,518,519 Falcons,Atlanta,168,521 Fanning,Mike,158 FateistheHunter,328 Favre,Brett,129,168,171 FindingaWaytoWin,104,147 Flores,Tom,17 FloridaStateUniversity,187 Florida,Universityof,283 Floyd,William,513,541 Foch,Ferdinand,305 Forbes,3,13,29,47,75,111,161,189,207,267,281,321,329,339,395 49ers,SanFrancisco,ix,8,9,10,11,14,23,30,32,33,34,35,37,40,59,64,78,79,86,89,92,99,112,116,119,120,122,127,128,129,130,132,134, 135,137,139,140,142,146,147,148,151,157,162,168,169,190,208,232,236,238,2501,255,266,268,282,285,295,300,310,316,322,3301, 340,344,377,382,393,396,409,410,411,412,414,417,419,421,422,423,424,425,426,427,428,429,430,431,432,433,435,438,439,440,441, 442,443,444,445,446,447,448,449,450,451,452,454,456,457,458,459,472,474,475,482,512,514,516,519,545,546 Fouts,Dan,8,131,169,171,296,300,529 Fowell,Murian(Mo),416,436,45560 Francis,Phil,531 Francis,Russ,125,508,519,524,525,532,533,535 Frank,John,518,519,520,536,539,542,544 Fraser,David,29,51 Frazier,George,331 Frear,Mel,436 FrenchOpen(tennis),334 Ft.Ord(CA),5 Fuller,Jeff,142 Fuller,J.F.C.,207 Fuller,Steve,112 Fuller,William,135 G Gabriel,Roman,158 Gambold,Bob,19 GamePlansforSuccess,91,165,189,210,341,385 Garnett,Dave,1378 George,Ron,137,138 Georgia,Universityof,8,9,162,531 Giants,NewYork,9,50,136,340,475,525 Giants,SanFrancisco,457 Gibbs,Joe,48,50,91,210,231,394,511 Gilbert,Brad,336,337 Gillman,Sid,6,31 GramblingStateUniversity,150 Grant,Bud,385 Grbac,Elvis,403 Green,Dennis,44,46,50,78,89,189,1923,2501,467,468,545,546 Greene,Kevin,136 Griese,Bob,130 Griffin,Don,140 Gruden,Jon,92,546 Guadalcanal,22 H Hackett,Paul,78,546 Hadl,John,158 Halas,George,6,357 Haley,Charles,135 Ham,Jack,137 Hanks,Merton,140 Harmon,Derrick,518,542 Harper,Willie,137 Harrah,Dennis,158 Harris,Franco,133,516 Harris,Mark,509,543 Hart,B.H.Liddell,351 Hart,Tom(Tommy),78,467,469 HarvardBusinessReview,145,231 Harvey,Ken,136 Hawaii,Universityof,546 Headrick,Roger,50 Heat,Miami,142,347,349,392 Hecker,Norb,422,435,436,4379,469,470 HeismanTrophy,4,19 Hicks,Dwight,142 Hidalgo,Bob,30 Hillary,Edmund,21 HillsideHighSchool,4 Hinek,Bronco,468,470,473 Hofer,Paul,133,515 Hogan,Ben,332 Holmgren,Mike,50,78,80,89,2501,467,468,545,546 Holmoe,Tom,546 Holt,Pierce,134 Holyfield,Evander,23,331 Hooker,Joseph,22,280 HotAir:AllTalkAlltheTime,74 Hoyem,Steve,509 Hudson,Grady,30 Hunt,Lamar,49 I Illinois,Universityof(UrbanaChampaign),527 lrvin,LeRoy,158 J Jackson,Andrew,191 Jackson,Harold,158 Jackson,Keith,124 Jackson,Milt,78 Jackson,Monte,158 Jackson,Thomas(Stonewall),20,22,280 Jaguars,Jacksonville,374,401 Jessie,Ron,158 Jets,NewYork,49,104,116,147,3189,322,340 JoeRobbieStadium,ix Johnson,Bill,7,320 Johnson,Brad,187 Johnson,Essex,320,526,540 Johnson,Jimmy,48,49,50 Joiner,Charlie,123,529 Jones,Brent,124,125,513,517,530,532,541,544 Jones,Jerry,50 Jones,Joe(Turkey),320 K KansasStateUniversity,23 Kansas,Universityof,158 Kaplan,Abraham,10 Kapp,Joe,129 Kellar,Bill,123,162,531 Kemp,Jeff,542 Kentucky,Universityof,35 Kiick,Jim,290 Kirby,Terry,517,541

Page549

Klein,Gene,146 Klint,Dr.James,428 Klosterman,Don,48,50,146,147,157,158 Knight'sCross,29,51 Knox,Chuck,80,252 Knox,Rodney,64,393,436,44951 Kubiak,Gary,546 Kuerten,Gustavo,334 Kugler,Pete,134 Kurtz,Howard,74 L Landry,Tom,48,50,222,288 Lanier,Willie,150 Lathon,Lamar,30,136 Lee,RobertE.,13,280,306 LetterofInstructionNumber1,15,36,389,55,60,84,97 Levy,Marv,5,6,48,50,80,394 Lewis,Carl,3301 Lewis,Marvin,90 Lewis,Sherman,78,2501,468,546 Lincoln,Abraham,73 Lions,Detroit,113,122,132 Lofton,James,123,162,531 Lombardi,Michael,433 Lombardi,Vince,31,48,49,80,100,161 Lott,Ronnie,10,140,142,340 LouisianaStateUniversity,162 LouisianaTechUniversity,150 Lynch,John,142 Lynn,Mike,157 M Mackey,John,125 Madden,John,17,31,227 MajorLeagueBaseball,402 Manning,Brian,523,543 Mara,Wellington,49 Margerum,Ken,123,512,527,534 Mariucci,Steve,545 Maryland,Universityof(EasternShore),150 Matthews,Billie,78,415 Matuszak,John,397 McColl,Milt,137 McDaniel,Randall,126,127 McIntyre,Guy,127,508,511,512,519 McKay,John,19 McKay,Richard,50 McKittrick,Bobb,78,2501,467,468 McLaughlin,Leon,19 McPherson,Bill,78,99,310,467,468,469 McVay,John,9,10,146,157,190,411,419,421,422,4249,430,431,432,433,435,436,437,438,440,442,445,469 Meir,Golda,18,371 Miami,Universityof,158 Midway,Battleof,22,232,347,348 Milburn,Glyn,528 Millard,Keith,232 Miller,Ira,386 Mills,Sam,138 MiracleatMidway,347 Mitchell,Bobby,509,519 Mitchell,Scott,403 MondayNightFootball,382 Monroe,Carl,532 Montana,Joe,ix,10,14,30,40,112,130,131,148,162,169,171,208,296,300,340,508,512,514,520,521,522,524,525,530,532,533,534,535, 536,537,538,539,542 Montgomery,Bernard,237 Montgomery,Wilbert,30 Montoya,Max,510 Moore,Herman,122 More,Jim,19 MoreheadStateUniversity,112 MorganStateUniversity,150 Moritz,Dennis,437 Morris,Mercury,290 Morton,Craig,30 Mulroy,Vincent,527 Munoz,Anthony,510 Myers,Chip,79,112,123,526 MyAmericanJourney,24,327 MyLife,18,371 N Namath,Joe,112 NapaCommunityCollege,4 Napoleon,270 NationalBasketballAssociation,402 Nebraska,Universityof,132,158,283 Nehemiah,Renaldo,512,532,539 Nelson,Darrin,133,519,527,531 Newton,Nate,126 NewYorkTimes,31 NFLconstitutionandbylaws,424,452,468 NFLFilms,446,448,449,450 NFLHallofFame,8,30,100,119,125,131,142,148,150,161,162,165,171,210,222,231,385,395 NFLManagementCouncil,399,425,427,428 NFLOffice,446,449,455 NFLPlayersAssociation,150,152,188,399,404,427 NFLProperties,399,464 Nickerson,Hardy,138,139 Nicklaus,Jack,332 Noll,Chuck,165 NorthAfrikaKorps,22 NorthwesternStateUniversity,150 NorthwesternUniversity,23,528 Norton,Ken,331 NotreDame,4,8,112,142,148,158,169,283 Nugent,Dan,158 O OhioStateUniversity,6 Oilers,Houston/Tennessee,288,529 Olmstead,Michael,445 OlympicGames,22,330 OnWar,90,176,215,292,321,323 Oregon,Universityof,23 Ottoboni,John,436 Owens,James,1123,541 Owens,R.C.,428,438,43945,469,470 P Packers,GreenBay,50,100,124,129,135,140,158,161,168,331,545,546 Panthers,Carolina,30,136,138,139,148,374 Parcells,Bill,30,48,49,50,104,147 Paris,Bubba,126,508,516 Parks,Nathan,509 Pasteur,Louis,394 Paterno,Joe,339 Patriots,NewEngland,524,545 Patton,GeorgeS.,Jr.,15,33,36,389,55,60,78,84,97,121,255,271,276,325,329 Patton,Mel,22 Patton,Ricky,537 Payton,Walter,133,288 PennStateUniversity,158,339 Phillips,Jess,526 Plank,Ernie,433 Pleis,Mitchell,531 Plunkett,Jim,19,112 Polian,Bill,48,50,148 Policy,Carmen,59,385,421,422,425,426,427,428,436 Polybius,362 Pope,Marquez,140 Powell,Colin,24,327 Prange,Gordon,347,348 Prisoner(s)ofwar(POWs),23,145 ProBowl,121,122,123,124,125,126,128,129,131,132,134,135,136,138,139,140,151,364,367 Prothro,Tommy,7 Puki,Craig,151 Q Quick,Mike,123 Quillan,Fred,128,508,514,515,516,518,542 R Raiders,LosAngeles/Oakland,6,17,23,31,50,73,142,158,227,241,319,3689,397,544,546 Ralston,John,4,5,6,9,19 Rams,LosAngeles/St.Louis,49,122,146,147,157,158,288,316,545 Ramson,Eason,511,516 Randle,John,134 Rathman,Tom,132,508,520,530,532,534,536,544 Razzano,Tony,4314 Redskins,Washington,50,132,136,210,231,511,536 Reece,Geoff,158 Reese,Archie,134 Reid,Mike,134 RequiemforaHeavyweight,203 Reynolds,Jack(Hacksaw),139,1467,340 Rhodes,Ray,78,89,92,310,369,467,468,545,546 Rice,Grantland,267 Rice,Jerry,10,33,35,116,117,122,123,214,295,359,513,518,519,520,524,525,530,532,534,535,536,541,542,544 Riggins,John,133,511 Riley,Pat,142,347,349,392 Ring,Billy,518,522,538 Roaf,Willie,125 Roberts,Larry,151

Page550

Rommel,Erwin,23,29,51,75,78,281 TheRommelPapers,281 Rooney,Art,395 Rooney,Dan,49 Roosevelt,FranklinDelano,21 Roosevelt,Theodore,163,364 RoseBowl,4,23 Rozelle,Pete,399 RuntoDaylight,31 Rust,Rod,19 RutgersUniversity,546 Ryan,Buddy,30 S Saints,NewOrleans,40,49,124,125,318,519 Salina,Adam,543 Sallas,Lauro,22 Sampras,Pete,330 Sanders,Barry,132,133 Sanders,Deion,139,140 SanDiegoStateUniversity,158 SanFranciscoChronicle,386 SanJoseStateUniversity,5,23,427 SanMateoCommunityCollege,5 SantaClaraUniversity,428 Sapolu,Jesse,119,128,512,513 Schmidt,Neil,433 Schonert,Turk,162 Schottenheimer,Marty,46,341 Schramm,Tex,48,50 Schraub,Jack,30 Seahawks,Seattle,158,244,252,475,534,537 Seau,Junior,139 Seifert,George,80,89,92,99,310,330,421,4224,427,437,439,440,443,467,545,546 Shanahan,Mike,48,50,89,394,522,545,546 Shannon,Chris,428 Shaughnessy,Clark,6 Shaw,David,528 SheaStadium,322 Shea,Terry,546 Shell,Art,150 Shell,Todd,151 ShootingFromtheOutside,34 Shula,Don,48,49 Shultz,George,11 Shumann,Mike,515,516 SierraCollege,428,441 Simms,Phil,112,119 Simon,Keith,411,422,426,427,428,435,4367,439,440,442,445,459,468,469,470 Simpson,O.J.,112,288 Singletary,Mike,30,139 Singleton,Ron,190 Smith,Emmitt,133,288 Smith,Jackie,150 Smith,Martin,527 Snyder,Bill,23 Solomon,Freddie,295,514,521,533,537,538 Spangler,Blair,437 SportsIllustrated,148 StanfordUniversity,4,5,6,8,19,23,34,82,123,127,129,1378,142,162,300,519,545,546 Starr,Bart,130 StatsInc.,361 Steelers,Pittsburgh,46,128,142,165,395,516,526 Stenstrom,Steve,300,509,523,528,543 Stewart,George,316 Stiles,Lynn,78,468 Stockdale,Jim,23,145 Stover,Jeff,134 Stubbs,Dan,151 Stuckey,Jim,134,151 Studley,Chuck,78,147,310,322 St.Vith,22 SunTzu,34,214,228,303 SuperBowl,ix,x,8,10,17,23,45,46,48,88,91,132,140,146,151,162,168,190,282,300,349,353,364,3667,382,396,444,522,533 Swann,Eric,134 Sydney,Harry,512,524 T Taylor,Chuck,19 Taylor,John,ix,123,2956,513,520,530,532,534,536,544 Taylor,Lawrence,30,136,137 Taylor,Maxwell,197 Taylor,Rod,328 Tennant,Dr.Forest,428 TexasA&MUniversity,8,158 ThisHallowedGround,280 Thomas,Derrick,136 Thomas,Pat,158 3ComStadium,454,456 Tolbert,Tony,135 TomLandry,AnAutobiography,222 Trumpy,Bob,125,526,540 TurmoilandTriumph,11 Turner,Bobby,90 Turner,Keena,137 Tyler,Wendell,132,133,146,516,519,521,525,533,535,539 Tyson,Mike,23,331 U UCLA,4,47,162,249,543 UnitedStatesAirForce,167 UnitedStatesArmy,5,22 UnitedStatesMarines,22 UnitedStatesMilitaryAcademy(USMA),82 UnitedStatesNavy,22,145 UnitedStatesThirdArmy,33,36,39,55,60,84,97,121,255,271,276,325,329 USC,4,8,19,283 U.S.Open(golf),23 V VanDerveer,Tara,34 Vardell,Tommy,517 Vataha,Randy,19 Venturi,Ken,23 Vermeil,Al,78 Vermeil,Dick,4,19,30,49,80,316,545 Vietnam,23,145 Vikings,Minnesota,14,44,46,50,122,126,127,134,157,187,189,193,201,232,385,403,545,546 vonAppen,Fred,78,469,470,546 vonClausewitz,Carl,90,176,215,292,321,323 W Walker,Herschel,157 Walker,Jerry,436,4459 Wallace,Steve,126,511,512,513,517 Walls,Everson,535 Walls,Wesley,124 Walsh,Geri,7 WarAsIKnewIt,15,36,55,60,84,97 WarsawGhetto,22 Washington,George,58,193 WashingtonHighSchool,5,8 WashingtonPost,74 WashingtonStateUniversity,158 Washington,Universityof,8 Watters,Ricky,132,513,522 Webb,Allan,42931,432 Welling,Laurie,436 WestCoastOffense,ix,6,7,10,162,2089,310 Westhead,Paul,392 Wetnight,Ryan,528 Whitaker,Pernell,331 White,Mike,4,19,546 White,Reggie,135 Whitman,Bob,433 Wilde,Oscar,152 Williams,Aeneas,139 Williams,Erik,125 Williamson,Carlton,142,340 Willingham,Tyrone,79,90,546 Wilson,Billy,433 Wilson,Mike,508,512,518,522,532,534,537,539 Wilson,Ralph,49 Wimbledon,21,330 TheWinnerWithin,142,347,349,392 WinningUgly,336,337 Wolf,Ron,50 Wooden,John,47,249 Woods,Don,529 Woods,Earl,335 Woods,Tiger,335 Woodson,Darren,140 WorldLeague,1878 Wright,Eric,76,140,142,340 Wyche,Sam,78,89,112,510,546 Y Yanagi,Keith,330 Yanagi,Robert,330,416,469,470 Yeager,Chuck,167 Young,Bryant,134 Young,Charle,125,514,515,521,538 Young,George,48,50 Young,Rickey,529 Young,Steve,14,40,119,129,131,168,169,296,300,513,522,541,544 Z Zampese,Ernie,288 Zarlenga,Lou,437