Coach and Coordinator Podcast

On today’s episode of the Coach and Coordinator Podcast, host Keith Grabowski welcomes Pete Rossomando, offensive line coach, Vanderbilt. 2020 was Coach’s first year at Vanderbilt after coaching the offensive line at Rutgers in 2019. Rossomando also has head coaching experience as he led Central Connecticut State from 2014-18. He joins the podcast today to talk about how he has developed as a professional. Show Notes: 1:20 Coach’s journey 5:36 Preparation 7:58 Importance of having the answers for players 10:41 Importance of building relationships with players and knowing their strengths and weaknesses 12:40 How he builds relationships and treats his players 16:23 Starting relationships with the new players 19:19 Being yourself 24:05 Finding your way as a coach 27:23 Approach to clinics 29:50 Recruiting during Covid 33:11 Figuring out the makeup of guys when you can’t be around them right now 36:02 Coach’s talk at the Lauren’s First and Goal clinic 38:34 Winning Edge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of the Coach and Coordinator podcast, Host Keith Grabowski is joined by TJ DiMuzio, QB Coach and Pass Game Coordinator at Monmouth University. In addition to Monmouth, DiMuzio has spent time coaching at Widener, Bowling Green, Hofstra and Delaware. Coach has become an expert at molding quarterbacks as well as finding ways to maximize his kids time in the meeting rooms. DiMuzio and Grabowski discuss some of coach’s methods as well as some drills coach puts his QB’s through. Show Notes: 1:09 Coach’s journey 3:28 What it was like being at Delaware 5:33 What lessons he learned early in coaching that have stuck with him until today 8:40 Different strategies Coach uses for classroom teaching 13:40 Getting better retention out of players 15:35 Maximizing his QB’s 17:22 Drills coach likes to use for his QBs 20:25 What Coach has focused on in building his network 22:24 How he tries to stay connected to his network 24:08 Overview of Coach’s talk at the Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic 26:23 Number of passing concepts coach will put in any gameplan 27:40 Winning Edge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's podcast, host Keith Grabowski is joined by Ian Shoemaker, OC at Eastern Washington University. During this recording, Shoemaker was Head Coach at Central Washington. Shoemaker discusses a number of topics, including how the mere presence of a tight end on the field can make defensive coordinators think twice. He also hits on the importance of run-pass balance, how drones can save college coaches money and why empowering assistant coaches is an important part of overall staff development. SHOW NOTES • 1:17 Coaching journey • 4:55 The challenge of combining systems that don’t fit together • 6:15 Focus on the job you have • 8:32 The importance of run-pass balance in keeping defense off guard • 10:38 Scheme and the importance of personnel flexibility • 12:27 The tight end paradox challenge: Finding, recruiting and converting them • 13:31 Why simply having a tight end on the field makes defensive coordinators think twice • 17:07 Approach to coaching as teaching • 20:28 How drones can save your program money (and time) • 23:59 Building culture and involving players in the process • 27:08 Staff building, and why it’s important to empower assistant coaches • 30:28 Breaking down Shoemaker’s “Indy” play • 33:39 Involving your playmaker • 35:58 Playcalling with the game on the line • 38:54 Book recommendation • 40:24 Why watching other teams practice can make you a better coach • 41:06 Learning hitch-boot • 42:12 Concerns for future of the game • 43:51 Be willing to be poor early on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast, host Keith Grabowski is joined by Chris Monfiletto, TE’s Coach at Rice University. Coach came to Rice in 2019 after having spent the previous seven seasons as head coach at Kenyon College. At Kenyon, Monfiletto took what was a struggling program and turned them into a consistent winner. Coach joined the podcast today to talk about how the tight end position has evolved as well as how he recruits and molds each player into a specific tight end role. Show Notes: 1:16 Coach’s Journey 3:24 Learning from your players 4:39 How coach developed his philosophies 6:13 How he turned around a program 8:20 Coach’s passion for the game 10:58 Finding kids who love the game 12:15 Piecing together different pieces from recruits to build the whole picture 13:29 Determining different roles for his TE’s 16:19 Coaching all the different skill sets of TE’s as well as fitting them into the gameplan 18:17 Streamlining how the players learn 20:08 How the wound up with a TE getting carries from the backfield 21:06 Coach’s contribution to the gameplan 23:32 “Program Guys” 24:34 How coach deals with success and failure 27:27 Coach’s talk at the Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic 29:03 Winning Edge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Coach and Coordinator podcast, Vince Digaetano, special teams quality control assistant at Fordham University (NewYork), joins us! Digaetano, who has served on multiple coaching staffs in his career, shares with us his advice to coaches on tackling. Show Notes: 1:50 Key statistic on how well your athletes are tackling 4:00 Know your tacklers 8:05 Having measurables to help your athletes improve 11:40 Feeling fundamentals 18:40 Methodology for approaching game-day 22:22 Playing off blocks 26:45 Programming week-to-week based on game-day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keith Grabowski was joined by Drew Lieberman, founder and CEO of the Sideline Hustle. The Sideline Hustle is a platform that breaks down wide receiver technique and shares tools for wide receivers around the country. Coach Lieberman shares his leap of faith to creating this platform, its growth and the results the organizing has experienced thus far. Show Notes: 01:00 What led to the Sideline Hustle? 02:55 Player engaged content 04:20 Where to go with Sideline Hustle? 06:12 Route running 08:30 Getting to the defender’s blind spot 10:57 Training the attack of the blind spot 12:35 Training the slot receiver 14:48 Attacking the short arm 16:25 Techniques against press coverage 18:18 Coverage triangle 21:34 Keeping scheme simple 23:32 Culture of the receivers 26:25 Great things picked up for the off-season 28:34 Double down on social media 33:10 Excitement at National Conference Connect with coach: Instagram: @sidelinehustle Twitter: @sidelinehustle Youtube: The Sideline Hustle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest on the Coach and Coordinator podcast is Matt Jones, offensive line coach at Texas Southern University. Jones is in his second season at Texas Southern coaching the o-line. Last year, Jones helped Texas Southern to a rushing average of 126.5 yards per game and only allowed 15 sacks in 11 games. Jones came to TSU after spending one year in the same position at Jackson State University. Prior to Jackson State, Jones spent two seasons in the FBS with Tulane University. Jones coached at Villanova University for one season before moving to Tulane. Jones began his coaching career at the NAIA level with Avila University in Missouri. While an offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Avila set 16 program records including fewest sacks allowed, rushing yards in a season and rushing touchdowns. Before going to Avila, Jones coached offensive line and tight ends at the University of Saint Francis in Illinois. Jones started in coaching as a student assistant while at Eastern Illinois University and then Lincoln-Way Central High School (Illinois) after graduating from Eastern Illinois. On today’s show, Jones and host Keith Grabowski talk about his philosophy coaching the offensive line, safe blocking techniques and his social media presence with #LinemanLunch. Show Notes 1:08 The use and beginning of #LinemanLunch 3:56 Using visuals in improving coaching 4:41 Beginnings of his coaching journey 6:00 Advice to coaches who want to advance to the college level 7:42 Mentors throughout his coaching journey 11:38 Being prepared to test your knowledge of your position 14:19 Promoting learning and teaching in your program 16:10 Developing a culture within your position team 19:55 How offensive line techniques have changed and will adapt 24:26 Teaching safe techniques and fundamentals 26:15 Using techniques from other sports into football 28:44 Balancing building skills and learning schemes in practice 32:19 Being efficient with teaching formation 34:50 Having the coordinators all on the same page 38:50 Creating confidence with play-call decision making 40:37 Benefits of using the Duo play on the offensive line 43:54 Deciding between blocking schemes based on offensive formation 45:04 The Winning Edge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Knight and Keith Grabowski team up for this special Leadership Journey edition of the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast. This podcast will occur weekly throughout the season, focusing on issues that teams face during the season. Knight, the CEO of Focus 3, discusses trust in today’s podcast. 2:24 Football and coaching are commodities 4:16 Why does trust matter? 6:37 Coaches need to build trust to push players 8:26 Operating out of compliance 11:21 Titles don’t earn trust 15:05 Trust creates honest conversations 16:33 Trust comes from character, competence, and connection 21:04 Every behavior delivers an experience that increases or decreases trust 26:20 Years of experience does not matter 31:15 Identify your character 32:17 Attitudes, actions and words 36:03 When stakes are high, trust is more important Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the 2020 USA Football National Conference, we spoke with Keenan Bailey, an Offensive Quality Control Coach at Ohio State University. On this episode of the Coach and Coordinator podcast, hear how coaches at Ohio State emphasize competition, run blocking, a practice swing mentality at practice, and finishing routes to their wide receivers. Also discover what Keenan Bailey has learned during his coaching journey from Ohio State coaches such as Urban Meyer, Ryan Day, and Brian Hartline. 0:20 Intro 1:42 Ohio State University practices 2:13 Keenan Bailey’s background 7:16 Learning from experienced coaches 7:38 Wide receiver play at Ohio State 9:29 Practice swing mentality 11:40 Break point and catch point 13:58 Competition at practice 16:20 Wide receiver blocking 19:22 Avoiding laziness as a receiver 22:43 Blocking in space 25:08 Running routes to the block 27:01 The winning edge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices