National Football Foundation Riverside

I’ve consulted over 1000 coaches and schools as well as coached middle school, high school, Power 4 and Group of 6 College D1, and Professional Arena. Ive been a DB coach, defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, running back coach, receiver coach, OL coach, and Head Coach and General Manager. I’ve won on the last play, been beaten with Hail Mary and 50 yard field goals as time runs out. I’ve been praised. I’ve been fired. I’ve been attacked for every human flaw from poor play calling to being fat and dressing poorly, and been given more credit than I ever deserve. As a player I’ve been injured and had surgery to end a season and I’ve fumbled on the last play of the game to lose the game and I’ve been named player of the game and received honors for being a good player. I’ve buried many of my closest friends and mentors in this business (players and coaches). In other words I’ve lived a full life and have seen, felt, and experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of this game and this profession. And if I could describe the value of the entire experience it would be summed up in these points: 1) I never loved the game…But I cherished, respected, and grew from what the game provided for me and the countless players I’ve been fortunate to coach 2) Not all coaches are good humans. Some are horrible evil men, just as some lawyers, doctors, and military leaders are horrible humans…and I don’t give them a pass for winning and being fun and having power… and I don’t give myself a pass for the harm I’ve done either 3) The good coaches are incredible teachers, have empathy for other humans, have a deep desire to impact young people in a positive way, realize they aren’t perfect, work smart more than work hard, ask for forgiveness when they wrong someone, and are willing to lose their job in order to protect the lives and psyche of the young people they coach, master their craft, coach everyone the same until they “know them” then coach everyone different according to their skillset and learning preference, keep their cool when everyone around them is losing their cool, takes the blame for failures of their team or group and praises others when success lands upon them, and have built lifetime relationships with humans they coached, mentored, and guided…regardless of the success as a player that human had. 4) The best most impactful coaches aren’t transactional with the humans they have influence over. They deal firmly but humanely regardless of what that human can do for them As the season of 2026 nears and the drums of football beat louder than ever…Choose to be a good man, a good human, a good teacher, a good friend, a good mentor. Your influence is forever. Don’t take it lightly