Coach and Coordinator Podcast

In this episode Auburn University’s Coach Herb Hand shares some valuable insight into being a successful coach on and off the field Coach Hand has been a key coaching component in some of the most explosive offenses in NCAA history. He reunited with Gus Malzahn for the 2016 season, joining Malzahn's Auburn coaching staff as offensive line coach. Prior to Auburn he helped develop the offenses at Clemson, West Virginia, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, and Penn State.

Coach Kennedy is entering his 4th season as the Head Football Coach of the BC Lancer Football Program and his 13th overall as a head coach. Prior to being named the coach at Brookfield Central, Coach Kennedy was also the head coach at Orlando Edgewater, Pulaski, Kenosha Bradford and Decatur MacArthur. Coach Kennedy's career record is 85-47. His teams have advanced to the playoffs 7 times, winning at least 1 playoff game in 7 of those 8 years. Coach Kennedy holds a 16-7 playoff record. He has advanced to the state quarterfinals 3 times (07, 08 & 09), semi-finals once (10) and won a WIAA Division 1 State Title in 2011. Coach Kennedy was named WFCA and Associated Press State Coach of the Year in 2011. In 2009 and 2011, he was named SEC Coach of the Year. In 2015, Coach Kennedy was named Greater Metro Coach of the Year. In addition to being the HFC at BC, Coach Kennedy also serves as the Strength & Conditioning Coordinator, Assistant Track & Field Coach and teaches in the Physical Education Department. Coach Kennedy is married to Melissa and has two daughters, Makenna and Shaelyn, who attend Elmbrook Schools.

Our guest today is Jeff Janssen. Widely considered the world's top expert on Sports Leadership, Jeff Janssen is the founder and president of the Janssen Sports Leadership Center. Jeff's pioneering work in launching and conducting college athletics' first Leadership Academies with student-athletes and coaches began over a decade ago. His groundbreaking work is what originally started the whole field of sports leadership development and continues to be the gold standard today. A prolific author, he has authored numerous books including The Team Captain's Leadership Manual, The Team Captain's Culture Manual, Championship Team Building, Jeff Janssen's Peak Performance Playbook, How to Develop Relentless Competitors, The Commitment Continuum™ System, and The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches. Jeff is passionate about his purpose of helping coaches and athletic administrators develop the world's next generation of leaders on and off the playing fields!

In his second year as the head coach, Jim Hilvert won his second state title at LaSalle High School in Ohio. Prior to LaSalle, in eight years as the head coach at Thomas More College, Hilvert had an overall record of 67-19 and won six Presidents Athletic Conference titles. Thomas More had undefeated regular seasons in 2009 and 2010. Under his leadership, Thomas More also attained a top 20 national ranking three times for Division III programs. For his efforts, Hilvert has been recognized three times as the Presidents Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Prior to Thomas More, Hilvert also has experience at Mt. St. Joseph, Winton Woods, Oak Hills and Western Michigan University. email: jhilvert@lasallehs.net twitter: @coachhilvert

Our guest today’s name is synonymous with great offensive line play. Jim McNally spent 28 years coaching in the NFL as well as 15 years at the college level. He is in the hall of fame at the university of buffalo as a player and a coach. To this day he is active in coaching in his yearly retreat as well as the ever popular C.O.O.L clinic. Though he has spent years developing his craft as a coach, he is constantly looking for innovations in offensive line play. Currently he consults for the Cincinnati Bengals. His knowledge of offensive line play is second to none.

Jim Ryan completed his first season at Rhodes College finishing 6-4 and putting the Wildcats back on a winning track. Previously, Ryan served as the defensive coordinator at Washington University (St. Louis) for four years. He was recently named the NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Ryan was named Washington University's defensive coordinator in 2012 and helped lead the Bears to University Athletic Association (UAA) titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Ryan's 2013 Bear defense ranked 5th nationally in scoring defense giving up a stingy 11.5 points/game and 19th nationally in total defense. Washington University played in the 2013 NCAA Division III national playoffs. Coach Ryan also served as the defensive coordinator at Rhodes this pst season, and is very knowledgeable bout the game.

Josh Floyd is the head coach at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama. Floyd coached H-T to their first perfect regular season in school history and has made an immediate impact. Previously, Floyd was at Shiloh Christian in Arkansas. He played quarterback their in high school for current Auburn University head coach, Gus Malzahn. Malzahn had a great influence on Floyd. Floyd discuss throughout the interview how culture and consistency are as much of a part of his four state titles as is the hurry-up no huddle offense which he learned from Malzahn.

Kevin Kelley is the head football coach and Athletic Director at Pulaski Academy High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Coach Kelley is best known as the first coach to adopt a game strategy free of punting. Since taking the head coaching position in 2003, Kelley has led the Bruins to five state titles in seven championship game appearances, while amassing a 165-25-1 record. As a successful head coach, Kevin Kelley has travelled the United States giving inspirational, motivational, and educational speeches about creative thinking and thinking differently.

Coach Mark Speckman has a long and successful history as a head coach and is one of the experts in the game on the “Fly” offense. Speckman was a head coach at the collegiate level for 15 seasons, including 14 at Willamette University. Speckman coached Willamette 1998-2011 and compiled a record of 83-59. The Bearcats won the Northwest Conference in 1999 and 2008 and made appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs in 1999, 2004 and 2008. Speckman’s 2008 team finished with an 11-1 record and was ranked as high as fourth nationally. Speckman was a finalist for the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year and was named American Football Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year in 2008. Speckman, who has been named a conference Coach of the Year 10 times, also served as the head coach at Menlo College in 2012 before going to the Canadian Football League. Speckman served as a prep head coach at four different high schools from 1981-94 before joining the staff at Willamette as the offensive coordinator in 1995. Speckman has served as a consultant to high-powered college football programs like Wisconsin, Oregon and Stanford and also has worked with the staffs of the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. A sought-after football theory and motivational speaker, Speckman drew media attention as a player decades ago. Born without hands, Speckman played linebacker at Menlo and later at Azusa Pacific University and was a NAIA All-American. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific in 1977 and picked up a master’s degree in health and human services from Columbia Pacific University in 1994.

Former U.S. Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff attracted worldwide attention for his success in turnng around a struggling ship, the USS Benfold, which became the subject of his first book It's Your Ship. Since that instant leadership classic hit the bestseller lists he's been a fixture on the lecture circuit, spreading the empowering message that any organization can be turned around with hard work and a compassionate firm leader. Abrashoff graduated from the US. Naval Academy and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for nearly twenty years. He was a military assistant to former secretary of defense William J. Perry. In this interview Abrashoff translates the success he had on the Benfold to how coaches can use his stratgies and ideas to create excellence in their programs. This is a simple yet powerful apporach to leadership. In the interview, Abrashoff said that Bill Belichick has mentioned It's Your Ship among his favorite books. Mike also points out how Western Michigan head coach PJ Fleck sat in his audience and filled a notebook during Abrashoff's talk. Abrashoff also mentions he is intrigued by Fleck's leadership style in the interview.

Saint Ignatius Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Nick Restifo is a walking encyclopedia of offensive football. With Coach Restifo guiding the offense St. Ignatius has won 11 state championships and three USA Today national championships. During his 36 years at the helm of the St. Ignatius offense, the Wildcats have won over 300 games. 15 Wildcat quarterbacks have earned All-Ohio honors during his tenure, and four of his quarterbacks went on to play in the NFL. You will learn from this hour spent with Coach Restifo.

This show is one that presents solutions to the major threat facing our game. Peters provides specific answers in how we can save the game at every level, and it starts with a thorough examination of the “why” behind the way the game is taught. The information he provides in this episode will open your eyes and spur thinking on how every single coach is responsible for contributing to creating a strong future for the game of football. Former Arizona Cardinals player Scott Peters is on a quest developing a nonprofit business that makes football safer for professional and young athletes more successful in blocking and defeating blocks with his innovative hand combat and leverage concepts. Scott’s new techniques are sought out by most NFL and Major College Programs, and they teach simple, powerful ways to neutralize blocks. Safe Football LLC was launched by Peters, who said he had a history of concussions throughout his professional and college playing days, including one sustained without any helmet contact. Because there is no helmet that will resolve the injury issue and the safest football involves simply not playing, Peters is out to show the techniques he developed that he believes will make the sport safer by using a combination of mixed martial arts and biomechanics. “It’s about achieving vertical lift with the hands instead of horizontal contact,” said Peters, who holds a communications bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University. “It allows someone smaller to overpower someone larger using tapping and lifting techniques. It takes away their power. You’re operating with perfect alignment and compromising their spine and shoulder movements. It’s as safe as it’s going to get.” With approximately 3 million youth playing football, and a major push by colleges and the NFL to implement various efforts to reduce concussions, the nonprofit has a ready-made market for its offerings. The business is a spinoff of Peters’ Fight Ready MMA gym in Scottsdale. The former ASU player set up shop in the Valley and is looking to branch out beyond the fighting skills. “I like to say, ‘Save the brain. Save the game,’” said Peters, who sits on concussion analysis panels. “There are better ways to do things.”

Steve Specht has been St. Xavier’s head coach since 2004, leading the Bombers to a 116-41 record with three state championships. He’s been named the NFL High School Coach of the Year, an Ohio Coach of the Year twice, and as one of the top 10 high school coaches in America by Athlon. Specht sits on the board of USA Football and has coached in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. You will be entertained and informed by this interview with Coach Specht!

4 year starter at St Johns University in NY where heScored 40 Touchdowns in as a WR. He went on to become a Graduate Assistant at St Johns earning a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Education. Coach Mac has been a Head High School coach for the last 18 years with 15 at Ridgeview HS in Orange Park, FL 2 at Baker County HS in Macclenny , FL and this past season was his first at Orange Park HS in Orange Park, FL. He has created the coaching website Playfastfootball.blogspot.com and his you tube channel Thomas MacPherson focused on helping coaches improve is approaching 1 million views. He has been a speaker at Glazier Clinics and has published material for AFCA Weekly and XandO Labs.

Alex Golesh, a highly successful recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach, joins Keith to discuss how his time as a graduate assistant helped him learn the value of hard work, why good tight ends are hard to find but harder to defend and why high school coaches (and parents) remain an indispensable part of the recruiting process. SHOW NOTES 2:20 What made Golesh want to be a football coach 3:22 First job 4:48 What Golesh learned in his early years as a coach 6:04 Developing as a recruiting coordinator 8:18 Learning from former NIU head coach Joe Novak 9:34 What Golesh tries to learn at every football convention 10:10 Keys to great recruiting 11:22 What high school coaches can learn from how colleges handles recruiting 14:44 Importance of building a culture of success 16:30 Importance of the tight end in modern offense 18:30 Thinking outside the box to recruit tight ends 20:50 How to utilize the tight end create mismatches 22:15 Employing a mesh concept to leverage the tight end 23:15 Focus on teaching the fundamentals 26:55 Best everyday drills for tight ends 29:15 The one key mistake Golesh made as a young coach 30:55 Best piece of coaching advice he’s ever received 31:40 What Golesh would tell a young coach 33:32 Book recommendation 35:55 Lessons learned from Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell 38:15 Keys to creating balance in life as a coach 39:40 Concerns for future of the game 43:40 Dealing with outsider influences in the recruiting process 46:10 Winning edge