Most teams have plays. Few have a system. That’s why: Film doesn’t transfer Practice feels random Players hesitate on Friday It’s not effort. It’s lack of structure across: • Film • Practice • Offense • Defense Everything has to connect. I built a system that ties it all together: Film → tells you what matters Practice → trains it Offense/Defense → executes it Now players don’t guess… they understand. I put the full system together here ↓

The season ends. The evaluation begins. One of the biggest mistakes coaches make is jumping right into changing schemes without evaluating what actually happened during the season. Before you start adding new plays, formations, or coverages, ask yourself: What did we consistently execute well? What mistakes kept showing up every Friday? Were our struggles because of personnel, scheme, or coaching? Did we ask our players to do too much? What could we have taught better? Sometimes the answer isn't a new playbook. It's simplifying what you already do and teaching it better. Self-scouting isn't just about evaluating your players. It's about evaluating yourself as a coach. The best programs don't wait until August to fix problems they identified in October.

Are we spending enough time teaching football IQ, or are we just teaching kids to memorize assignments? There’s a big difference between a kid knowing WHAT to do and understanding WHY he’s doing it. Can your players recognize a defensive front? Identify a coverage? Understand why we’re attacking a certain area? Or are they just waiting for the next play call? I think sometimes we underestimate how much our kids can learn about the game if we actually take the time to teach it. The more they understand, the faster they can play. How much time are you spending developing football IQ in your program?

Coaches, how many hours are we wasting recreating things that have already been done? Practice schedules. Personnel sheets. Depth charts. Player evaluations. Offseason planning. Every year we spend hours putting together the same stuff when that time could be spent actually developing our players and improving our programs. That’s one of the biggest reasons I started Winning System. To give coaches practical resources they can actually use. Not a bunch of fluff. Just tools that make our jobs easier and help us become more organized and efficient. If you’re starting to plan for next season, check out what we’re building. 🏈 linktr.ee/winningsystemco What’s one coaching resource you wish you had heading into the offseason?

Are we putting our players in positions to be successful, or are we asking them to do things they simply can't do? I think sometimes as coaches we get so caught up in what WE want to run that we forget about who we have running it. Not every kid fits the same system. Not every offensive lineman can make the same block. Not every QB can make every throw. Our job is to figure out what our kids do well and find ways to put them in situations where they can succeed. That doesn't mean lowering expectations or making things easier. It means being smart about how we use our personnel. Good coaching isn't just about what you know. It's about getting the most out of the kids you have. How much are you willing to adjust your system to fit your players?

Understanding personnel should be one of the first things every young coach learns. 10 = 1 RB, 0 TE 11 = 1 RB, 1 TE 12 = 1 RB, 2 TE 20 = 2 RB, 0 TE 21 = 2 RB, 1 TE First number = RBs. Second number = TEs. The rest are WRs. But knowing the numbers isn’t enough. Personnel tells you WHO is on the field. Formation tells you WHERE you put them. Same 11 players. Completely different pictures for the defense. Learn personnel. Then learn how to manipulate it.

Motion should do more than change the formation—it should force the defense to communicate, adjust, and reveal its plan. Use it to identify coverage, create leverage, gain numbers, and build better matchups. Every motion needs a purpose.

Nasty splits aren’t just for blocking. Reduce the WR to 1–3 yards outside the tackle and force the defense to adjust its leverage. Now you’ve created better blocking angles, more space outside, and natural traffic in the pass game. Same alignment. Run and pass. Don’t let the split become the tendency.

The H-back is one of the most valuable pieces in an offense. He can insert on linebackers, kick out the edge, lead through the hole, sift across the formation, release into the flat, or work the middle of the field. The key is making sure he isn’t a run-only player. If the defense knows his movement always leads them to the football, you’ve created a tendency. Build runs, play-action passes, screens, and boots from the same alignment and initial movement. Same personnel. Same picture. Multiple answers. That’s how you make the defense hesitate—and hesitation creates offense.

DOWN “G” FROM PISTOL UNBALANCED 🔥 The offense creates an extra surface at the point of attack, forcing the defense to adjust its front and account for another gap. The goal is simple: create numbers, widen the edge, and hit the crease inside the kick-out block before the defense can react. If the defense doesn’t recognize the unbalanced surface before the snap, Down “G” can create a major numbers advantage at the point of attack. Coaches—how are you adjusting your front and defending this?

Cover 2 isn’t complicated—when everyone understands the system, communicates, and plays with discipline.

Most quarterbacks don’t need a stronger arm. They need a better throwing motion. The biggest problems I see: • Poor base • No hip-shoulder separation • Arm-dominant throws • No weight transfer • Inconsistent finish Velocity comes from sequencing—not muscling the football. Build the movement pattern first. Arm strength becomes a byproduct. What’s the most common throwing flaw you see in young QBs? 👇

The more 7-on-7s I watch… The more convinced I become that we’re confusing entertainment with development. Don’t get me wrong, we do 7-on-7s, and I absolutely believe there are benefits. QB timing. WR chemistry. Communication. Coverage recognition. Competition. Those things matter. But somewhere along the way, the focus shifted. Instead of using 7-on-7 as a tool to develop better football players, we’ve turned it into a summer spectacle. Football is still won by blocking, tackling, physicality, discipline, and execution. If your July doesn’t make you better in November… What’s the point?

Coaches spend too much time chasing the next great play. Great programs spend their time building better players. Players who understand the game. Players who communicate. Players who execute under pressure. The playbook matters. Player development matters more. Build the player. The plays will take care of themselves.

Coaches spend too much time chasing the next great play. Great programs spend their time building better players. Players who understand the game. Players who communicate. Players who execute under pressure. The playbook matters. Player development matters more. Build the player. The plays will take care of themselves.

Things Only Football Coaches Say “We’ll be out in 90 minutes.” 2 hours, 47 minutes later…

Choice routes aren’t about giving receivers freedom. They’re about teaching them to make the same decision your QB would make. If they see the field differently, the route is already broken.