The 10 basic principles of football coaching. (Career Development).

Every football coach should begin each season with a rundown review of his basic philosophy. In my 42 years of coaching, I have always begun with a mental rundown on what I consider the 10 basic principles of a winning philosophy:

PRINCIPLE 1

Know your X's and O's:

Players always respect a coach who can step up to the blackboard and detail the offensive and defensive schemes that he intends to use that season.

PRINCIPLE 2

Set deadlines and discipline yourself:

Be organized when you meet with the players and assistant coaches. Set your agenda in advance: what you expect from your assistants and how you will communicate the direction you want them to take. Always be in control of everything you say and do and demonstrate strong leadership skills in organization, presentation, and motivation.

PRINCIPLE 3

Get your players' attention:

Be precise in setting team goals and empowering your players to set attainable personal goals and team goals. These goals should be the joint handiwork of the head coach, assistant coach(es), and players, and should be written down.

PRINCIPLE 4

Energize your assistant coaches:

It is essential to prepare a written job description for each assistant coach. Assistants must have a clearcut understanding of their job in order to run with it. Without such direction from the head coach, they will always be wondering what is expected of them. Allow the coaches to participate in the practice planning and to provide input in game strategies.

PRINCIPLE 5

Learn to say no:

Learn how to say no to many of the demands made upon you. Set the time for all appointments and make sure to always be there. This applies to practices, games, travel, recruiting, budgeting, coaches meetings, films, and scheduling.

PRINCIPLE 6

Determine your own weaknesses and work on them:

Study films, attend clinics, and work with other coaches to strengthen your skills as a technician.

PRINCIPLE 7

Determine your own style of coaching:

Always strive to be yourself, avoiding cliches and borrowed mannerisms. Players admire and respect coaches who "talk the talk and walk the walk," and who never put on airs and play the genius.

PRINCIPLE 8

Be a players' coach first:

Develop a connection between you and the players. Be someone the players can trust and to whom they can come for either personal or team matters. Always tell it the way it is. The truth may sometimes hurt a little, but it wins trust.

PRINCIPLE 9

Motivate, motivate, motivate:

Great individual and team morale is essential in football, and players have to be highly motivated to play it well.

PRINCIPLE 10

Do not read your press clippings:

Get up each day with the idea that you have this great opportunity to mold a young man's life through football, maybe mold a future leader in community, state, and country.