Random rants about coaching, parents, and other tidbits.....

- It goes without saying, but I believe there are only a handful of schools (regardless of sport) in each division that has a realistic chance of winning the state championship each year (especially in the state of Michigan).

- I am of the belief that program stability is more important than wins and losses.

- The most difficult thing coaches deal with in all sports is players that have unwarranted freedoms (yes, I said unwarranted) of being on their electronic devices all day in school and at home, and then we expect them to sweat, get beat up, and focus at a 2 hour practice.

 -The next most difficult thing coaches deal with is having to recruit your own kids in the building to stay there.  If you aren't recruiting them, a shady coach at a different school is. 

-Coaches at all levels need to understand that we are all in this TOGETHER.  The success or failure at one level is no more important than the other.  The focus should be on developing the player throughout his/her entire career. 

-Within minutes of meeting a parent at my daughter's soccer practice he proceeded to complain about the coach.   I don't care, buddy.  Sign up to coach next time.

-I miss the days when kids played sports just for the fun of it, instead of worrying about a college scholarship, highlight tape, etc. 

-To the "coaches" out there of 7 on 7 travel teams, AAU, teams, recruiting services, and "personal" scouts:  I know you think you are helping kids and parents but you're not.  You are confusing them, and giving them a false sense of worth. If it's all about the kids then do your "services" for free. 

-Just because you are qualified and ready for a job, it doesn't mean it's the right one. 

-There isn't one, tried and true way to do things. Do what you believe in and stick to your guns. 

-It's not fair to compare team to team or school to school.  Every situation is different. 

-Parents, if you don't show up to a preseason parent meeting, then don't complain to the coach if you don't get the answer you want. 

-If your child is good enough then he doesn't need to specialize in one sport, year round.  

-If you want to learn more about a sport, don't listen to the idiots on the radio.  Research it yourself. 

-The FIRST thing you should tell your kid after a game (win or loss) is that you love them and are proud of them.  That will mean more to them then any game details anyway. 


-Brian

"Toss" the Play Out- Coach Marrogy

As most of those who know me personally, you that I am NOT a fan at all of the toss play, toss sweep or any type of outside run play in that regard. There are more negatives then positives,  in my opinion, when you run the play. 

First and foremost most people who want to run the toss play say, "we want or need to get the edge." In todays football that is a big fallacy, simply because you don't "need" to get the edge. There is enough run plays to keep teams honest inside the tackle box to give your linemen an advantage. Why do you need to get the edge? Or have to get outside on a run play? Too many coaches this day in age want to try to live in the past with that play, because of those reasons alone.   It is a negative thought process.

Another negative I see with the play is you're asking one or possibly 2 linemen to pull and get outside of the tackle box, which is something that they are not used to doing. I mean seriously, an offensive lineman pulling around and trying to block a defensive back? It is absurd in my opinion. There are plenty of ways of getting outside, using screens, reverses, keeps, etc without having to ask your linemen to pull and get out onto the perimeter. This is putting your most important people on the field at a disadvantage.

Another negative I want to talk about with the toss play is that when you pull a lineman especially out onto the perimeter, you are now creating a seam or a lane for a defensive back or linebacker to run through. If you are a defensive coach you must be licking your chops scouting teams that shows outside runs such as toss or jet sweep. For defenses, it is a fast flowing play. And defensive players are taught that when they see that type of action to get to the edge faster then the offense. For defensive coaches, it is an easy read to make an easy read to teach your players.

No Counter???!!!!!

Coaches who are obsessed with running this play, don't realize that it is the only play when you have no counter action off of it. What I mean by that is when you're trying to get to the edge or perimeter and the play is not there, it's not like you can stop on a dime and cut it back because you're just taking yourself out of the play in general. 

An example of this would be a simple isolation play. When you run an Iso play, and if the play design is not there you can still go forward into another gap in get some sort of positive yards. On a toss or jet sweep, you can't. You just have to live with lost yardage because the play is so far behind the line of scrimmage.

Now, most coaches who do like the play and run it will say: "I will just bring two more people to the point of attack to get out on the edge then the defense can handle." I think this is a little misleading. When you bring more people to the point of attack or a formation that coaches think gives them an advantage to run this play, that just brings more people from the defensive side of the ball to that point of attack. And in my opinion its just too much for something you really don't have to do. 

My final example of this is teams who come out in Bunch. The formation itself is great but, its pretty predictable. Sure, you have your basic run plays that work.  But the only main runs that you have is the toss and defenses already have an advantage just by scouting you.

As always, gives us some feedback.   Coach Marrogy

The Spread Offense Running Back in Pass Protection

Over my 18  years of coaching football at some level, I have had an inner struggle (like most coaches) with finding ways to make your team better.  It probably isn't healthy that these may take place in January or February, while trying to fall asleep, but only a football coach can understand the importance of getting it fixed RIGHT NOW!!

Just recently I have had discussions with a few offensive coaches regarding their running backs in pass protection schemes. It seems simple enough on the surface:  Pick up the EMLOS on a full slide, dual read the LB's away from the slide call, etc.  If you use two backs in the backfield the potential for a "max protect" comes into play.

But with the trend in offensive football over the last 10 years to go faster, and get more speed on the field, what to do with your running back in your pass protection has created a new dynamic for offensive coaches everywhere.

                                           THE PRACTICE TIME DILEMMA

If you  know me then you that I am very specific when it comes to how we spend our practice time. I don't like "doing things just to do it."  My high school practices as a head coache didn't last more than 2 hours once school started.  So I told my coaches to do (what they think) are the most important drills to them, to help us win a game on Friday (obviously your everyday drills apply as well here).

If you are a "full speed ahead" spread team then your philosphy is to attack, attack, attack. You want great tempo, got the ball out of your QB's hands yesterday, wear down your opponent's defense because of your superior athleticism and stanima, etc.

Even if you aren't a "warp speed" spread team your philosophies are similar:  you like the advantages that letting your playmakers play in space gives you.

So if 1 of the 2 examples defines you, I ask the question, "How much practice time do you give your running back's coach to practice pass pro?"  Before we attempt to answer that, here is some facts I have obvserved while coaching in this offense:

1. RB's in my version of the spread have never been very big.
2. Their demeanor is very similar to that of a WR (some, not all, hate stalk blocking).
3. It is the type of player that I want to get the ball to in space.

Now let's assume you are playing on Friday night.  Some coaches I know practice offense on Monday, defense on Tuesday, and let Wednesday kind of be a situational day.  So Monday is your big offensive indy day to work on all of your drills.  So knowing these things about the personnel of my RB, my daily drill package as an RB coach would consist of: ball security, footwork drills, making sure the exchanges with the QB are on point, keep working landmarks and foot work on run plays, shore up route running, etc.

When do  you try and fit in pass pro?  Even if you do in this type of practice structure, you will only get about 10-15 minutes a week do live blocking drills. Maybe you will do some indy offense on Wednesday, but I venture to guess that pass pro isn't the RB coach's top priority that day.  Ask any offensive line coach you know if he'd be ok with only 10-15 minutes of live blocking drills a week and see how he would feel about that.

Let's say you are a coach that prefers to practice offense and defense everyday.  The RB coach will most likely be given less indy time due to the fact that you are working both sides of the ball on the same day. What part of your drill package do you sacrifice to get the pass pro drills in?  Do you try and force it in multiple times a week?  Or just the one day so you can get to your other drills?  Anybody else see the problem here?

                                                          MY SOLUTION

It's late in the 4th quarter of a  game you are trailing by 6.  It is a tough battle with both teams playing some physical football.  It is 3rd and 12 on your own 30 yard line with less than a minute left.  An obvious pass down to most, and if you are a drop back team then a 5 step pass concept down.

Your undersized, speedy RB has already carried the ball 18 times, is a 2 way player, and on this passing situation he will be asked to take on a blitzing LB that outweighs him by 30 pounds. I don't like the odds.

My solution to the above problem?  Don't bother trying to block the guy!!!  Put your RB in the route and get him the ball.  Even if it is a hot situation where he gets a quick pass due to the blitzing LB then so ge it.

"But what if he gets tackled short of the first down, isn't that what defenses want?"  Yes, but this is 4 down territory anway.  And even if it isn't 4 down territory, punting and defense are part of the game.

"See, I don't like teaching my QB to throw hot.  It is too much to give a high school QB."  How is it any different then teaching your OL to bump out if there is a blitz off the edge?  How is it any different than having your RB read 1 to 2 on zone?  Your QB should be your smartest kid as it is, so if he can't handle something you have drilled in him all offseason then maybe he shouldn't be your QB.

"I don't like throwing hot all the time and having my QB get hit." Throwing hot is basically quick game from the gun.  If you are afraid of that in your drop back scheme then don't run that scheme!!  Throw quicks, screens, sprintouts, boots, etc.   There are a lot of ways to get the ball downfield if you have too.

We could spend hours upon hours talking about different pass protections for different schemes and personnel groupings.  I wanted to give my opinion on RB's in pass protection with the type of scheme I am most comfortable with running.  Thanks to Nick Marrogy, Jim Sparks, Pete Niglio, Tony Rouse, and Terrance Wilson for the ongoing discussion.

Brian

Make sure to check out some of my favorite football sites:
smartfootball.com
http://brophyfootball.blogspot.com/
http://nohuddlespread.proboards.com/index.cgi?
http://coachhoover.blogspot.com/
http://blitzology.blogspot.com/

Can't Imagine in a Different Uniform

Just heard the news that Albert Pujols is leaving St. Louis to join the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Part of me doesn't mind sticking it to the Cards' since they throttled our Tigers in 2006.  However, the traditionalist in me doesn't like to see an icon leave the place where he won 2 World Series championships and laid the foundation for a future Hall of Fame induction.  I am glad Steve Yzerman never left or was traded (almost happened; remember Alexei Yahsin?), Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker retired as Tigers, and Cal Ripken stayed in Baltimore.   

So since I am on the topic, here are the players in sports I do NOT want to see leave their current teams, like the player or not:

Tom Brady-No Patriots dynasty without him.
Ray Lewis-I think defense with the Ravens, and that means Ray Lewis.
Derek Jeter-Yankee for life.
Dirk Nowitzki-Ok, in truth I could care less about the NBA, but threw one in for my NBA friends.
Justin Verlander-Obviously.  I wouldn't care if any other Tiger were gone.  Even Cabrera.

Off to clean the house.  I am sure there are more that I can't think of.  Fill in the blanks for me.  

Brian

You Want a College Football Playoff? Shut Up!

Every year around this time people start shouting from the hills about how a college football playoff system will make everything better.  It isn't fair with the current setup.   Too many teams don't get a fair shot at the BCS title game.  While the system is far from perfect, my answer to you is: GET OVER IT.

Do you really want it to be like college basketball where nobody cares about the "big games" in the regular season?  If your school loses a "big game" do they still have a great chance at making the tournament?  Of course they do.  That doesn't happens in college football.  And be honest, come February how many of you are overly fired up about college hoops?  Conference tournaments that are just money makers and dont' really prove anything either?  You just want to skip ahead to March and fill out your bracket, you could care less about any regular season game.

Now look at the last 2 weeks of the college football season as a fan.  No from your spot of trying to make everything perfect and fix college football. Oklahoma St. just lost a dramatic game in overtime to knock it from the BCS #2 spot. Alabama still has to play Auburn.  LSU still has to play Arkansas.  Oregon plays USC tonight.  And don't forget 1 loss Oklahoma still has to play now 1 loss Oklahoma St.  When did the end of the regular season mean this much in college basketball? 

You can make every argument you want about a playoff.  And you would be partially right.  The BCS isn't perfect, but it gives the regular season meaning.  You run the risk of demeaning Alabama vs. Arkansas, Michigan vs. Ohio State, etc.  Just enjoy the drama that is unfolding here and stop clamoring for something else.

A Lot to Talk About

Football season has finally ended for me (5-4 not a bad way to go out).  Now I am experiencing some form of "Seasonal Depression."  I love spending time with my girls but I find that as stressful as a season can be, I enjoy the rush of the competition everyday.  But now I have time to catch up on my blog :)


1.  First let's talk about the amazing season the Tigers just had.  Baseball really is a game of inches, right?  I mean who thought the Cardinals, who were left for dead 2 months ago, would win the World Series?  So the Tigers really aren't that far off.  Yes they could use a 2B.  Yes they could get a little faster.  Like all teams, they could use more bullpen depth (I don't freak out about the #5 starter as much as some fans.  Name me one #5 starter who is really good anyway?  If he was any good, he wouldn't be a #5).  But they are really good, and really close.  I don't expect much to happen this offseason from DD.  The Tigers should bank on players like Boesch, Jackson, and Avila to continue their development, and if a tweak needs to be made then you do it at the trade deadline.  Pitchers in catchers report in a mere 3 months. 

2.  Big Ten football is not really good compared to the rest of the country.  Coming from someone who has won 8 games total in 2 years, I know how hard it is to win at whatever level of football it is (even if the media and fans don't).  You're first Big Ten Championship game could feature Michigan, whose best win was over......Western Michigan? vs. Penn State, who beat Temple by a whopping 4 points.  Again, it's not fair to criticize teams who are doing what they need to do to win.  I just can't wait to hear the Michigan and Michigan State fans to start clamoring for "national respect."  You don't deserve it. 

3.  The Lions' 6-2 start has everyone in the D fired up for a playoff run.  Even their two losses, at home to Atlanta and San Francisco, aren't bad losses.  They were competitive games vs. good football teams.  With games against Green Bay (twice), at Chicago, at New Orleans, and the hated cross country trip to Oakland, fans can't expect the Lions to beat out the Pack for the NFC North title.  Still, a 9 or 10 win season is not out of the question.

4.  When the Red Wings started 5-0, I know we were all thinking "let's cruise control until the playoffs start."  Happens every year.  Now after they have lost 6 in a row, scorching their opponents for 6 goals during that span, does panic set in?  I won't go that far.  But it is very alarming. 

Brian

7 on 7's and Greatest Sports Memories

Christian Davis of the C & G Newspapers just wrote a pretty neat article about summer passing leagues.  As this is my 2nd year as a head coach going through it, I can honestly say I hate them. 

I can't stand dealing with coaches who are putting in things they will not do in the regular season.  True, they may just be trying some things out before deciding to install them in practice.  But I believe the majority of them don't do it that way.

Case in point, we threw last night against two other schools.  One did everything they would do during the season, no brainer.  The other school did not.  The school is in Pro I often during the year according to my friend on the staff.  So why were they in Ace Gun last night?  Who knows.

The other problem I had with them is when they were on defense.  They kept ZERO LB's  in the box.  None.  Now if you play that way in a game fine, but I doubt it.  What team wouldn't run the ball there?  They played that way knowing they wouldn't play it like that during the season.  How does that make there kids better?  Pisses me off.

Lastly, give me your top 3 best sports memories.  It could be watching it on TV, in person, etc. Mine are:

1. 2006 ALCS Maggs walk off homer to go to WS.  In person.
2. 1997 Red Wings Stanley Cup championship.  Non in person.
3. 1999 Michigan State football game at Notre Dame.  Great place to see a game.

Brian