Coach-By-Coach Responsibilities on Game Day

by: AFM Editorial Staff
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Coaches across America at every level require their players to be prepared for every game so they can be as effective and efficient as possible. If you do not require the same game day plan from your coaching staff in both responsibility and communication, then you are not being true to the requirements you place on your players.

In researching another project for AFM, we found a wide discrepancy on game day responsibilities and communication among coaching staffs at various levels. The problem seemed to be a limited flow of information and not a detailed organizational game plan for coaches on game day.

University of Central Florida Head Coach George O'Leary welcomed AFM to his football offices in Orlando in discussing the subject. While each staff has a different configuration, UCF places four coaches in the press box or upstairs booth with the rest of the offensive and defensive staff on the field. The Golden Knights have two offensive coaches upstairs – the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach – as well as two defensive coaches – the defensive line coach and the secondary coach. "This way both the front and back of our offense and defense are covered," said O'Leary.

"The key is constant communication and adjustments with your coaches," according to O'Leary. "I let our OC call the game but I'm always looking for offensive and defensive tendencies out of our opponent. We're also always checking down and distance, hash or middle of the field placement, and personnel groupings. We'll chart formations and tendencies upstairs and then make adjustments – on offense and defense – at the end of each series."

What are each coach’s game day responsibilities and how does the communication process flow? The organization and game day responsibility at UCF should help your communication process as you get ready for the 2007 season. While the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator are on headset with all of their respective staffs, each coach has specific responsibilities and lines of communication.

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OFFENSIVE COACHES

Offensive Coordinator
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He calls offensive plays with a game plan chart, a down and distance chart and field position chart. He is on headset with the head coach and all offensive coaches.

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He talks to the wide receivers and quarterbacks coaches about any adjustments needed in the passing or running game. He is on headset and communicating with all of the offensive coaches.

Offensive Line Coach
Location: Sideline

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He coordinates blocking schemes and play calls and communicates primarily with the tight ends coach (in the press box).

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He reviews the blocking schemes and defensive fronts and makes adjustments to the running game. He communicates with the tight ends coach on the opponent's defensive fronts and coverage.

Wide Receivers Coach
Location: Sideline

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He is directly responsible for signaling personnel and substitutions and is primarily on headset communication with both the OC and OL coach.

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He reviews route patterns, what’s working and what isn’t and makes adjustments. His headset communication is with both the OC and quarterbacks coach with the three coaches making coverage adjustments.

Tight Ends Coach
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He is responsible for keeping coverages and front tendencies by field position and is on headset primarily with the OC and offensive line coach.

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
Makes adjustments with OL coach in attacking defensive fronts and is on headset with OC but primary contact is the O-Line coach.

Quarterbacks Coach
Location: Sideline

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He has play signal responsibility from the OC. He has headset communication primarily with the OC.

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He reviews game plan after each offensive series and makes adjustments. He is on headset with the OC and adjustments are made for both the running and passing game.

Graduate Assistant
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He charts coverage and front trends as well as comparing tendencies by man and zone pressure vs. personnel groupings. He prepares these charts for halftime adjustments. His headset communication is with the OC and WR coach.

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He reviews game charts for adjustments to be made between series and at halftime. He has headset communication with OC and WR’s coach and helps the WR’s coach with hard to see pass coverages serving as his ‘eye in the sky.’

Student Manager
Location: Sideline
He records the complete play call sheet including run/pass ratios as well as down and distance information.

DEFENSIVE COACHES

Defensive Coordinator
Location: Sideline

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He coordinates defensive play calling and signals the defense their formations, blitzes, and stunts. He’s on headset with the entire defensive staff but communicates primarily with the two coaches in the press box: the defensive line coach and the secondary coach.

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He reviews opponent’s formations and personnel groupings with coaches in the press box and makes necessary adjustments. He communicates primarily with the defensive line coach and secondary coach in the press box.

Defensive Line Coach
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He is responsible for communicating offensive formations and tendencies as well as blocking schemes. He is on headset with the DC, keeping him aware of the opponent’s formations and blocking schemes.

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He is responsible for making defensive adjustments based on opponent’s blocking schemes. He's on headset with all defensive coaches but talks primarily to the defensive coordinator.

Linebackers Coach
Location: Sidelines

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He is responsible for all substitutions and adjustments, keeping a call sheet for down and distance. He is on headset with the DC and D-line coach, reviewing the opponent’s offense.

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He is critiquing linebacker play and making adjustments to the defense based on formations and personnel groupings. Communication is with all defensive coaches.

Secondary Coach
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He is responsible for identifying substitutions and special groupings such as a two tight end formation by the opponent’s offense. He is on headset with defensive coaches and communicates the special groupings and formations to the DC.

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He coordinates all coverage corrections with his secondary, reviewing patterns and coverage. He is on headset with all the defensive coaches.

Graduate Assistant
Location: Press Box

Responsibilities and communication when defense is on the field:
He watches coverages and fronts and prepares charts for halftime adjustments. He communicates directly with the Tight End’s Coach who gives him information on fronts and coverage by field position so he can prepare halftime charts.

Responsibilities and communication when offense is on the field:
He completes charts to be used for halftime adjustments and communicates directly with the Tight End’s Coach so adjustments can be made between series and at halftime.

HALFTIME:

During the designated 20 minute halftime, UCF utilizes their time accordingly:

• Both the offensive staff and defensive staff meet separately for five minutes. The OC reviews both the down and distance tendencies, formation tendencies, and field position information with Coach O’Leary and the offensive assistants. The DC reviews the opponents run/pass ratio, formations used, and recommends adjustments with the defensive coaches. During this time three individual charts are reviewed with the aide of an overhead projector: ‘Exotic’ or plays by the opponent that were not charted or a part of the game plan; a quarterback pressure chart; and a fronts and coverage by field position chart .

With the help of the GA’s charts, the individual coaches look at what’s working and what’s not. More specifically, on defense, what adjustments in both personnel and coverage should be made. Are the stunting and blitzes effective, and do we need to change our own coverages? On the offensive side of the ball, is the game plan working? Are the blocking schemes effective and do we need to change our own tendencies in terms of play-calling on down and distance?

• Offensive and defensive coaches meet with their respective units for five minutes. An adjusted battle plan is then implemented, both offensively and defensively.

• A break down meeting by position takes place for about five minutes. Individual assignments are reviewed, techniques are discussed, and adjustments are made.

• The captains then bring the team together for both the coaches and team leaders to speak to the players before the second half kickoff.

As a general rule, only a few adjustments are made on offense and defense. Halftime, according to the coaches, is more a time to re-group, encourage and re-motivate. The first series – for both sides – to start the third quarter sets the tempo of the second half and, in many instances, determines the game’s outcome.

Encouragement is an important part of halftime. UCF’s offensive coordinator Tim Salem has a poster in his meeting room that says, “Ball Security is Job Security...Yours and Mine.” Meant for the running backs, it also implies the direct effect it may have on coaches.

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GAME DAY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE SPECIAL TEAMS COACH

“Most schools prepare an offensive and defensive game plan but don’t do the same for special teams play,” says Head Coach Lyle Lansdell of Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana, CA. “Special teams is the most critical part of the game and, in many cases, decides the outcome. You need a special teams game plan and that’s where you can get an edge.” Lansdell has been involved with football – as a player, coach, and administrator– for 45 years and has authored more than 10 books on football instruction and technique.

Calvary Chapel starts with preparing a special teams foundation during the week, charting every tackle and preparing for all six phases: punt coverage and return, kickoff coverage and return and both field goal unit and the blocking FG team. The press box/booth is responsible for alignment of special teams units (i.e., to the wide side, etc,), injury reports, and confirming what was seen on tape during the week.

“We chart every tackle, for example, on special teams play,” says Lansdell. “Generally 70% of the tackles on special teams are made by one or two players. In addition to looking at our opponent’s special teams play on tape, we check during warm-ups if what we scouted matches what they practice. For example, is the field goal and PAT holder 7 or 7 1/2 yards from the center? How far back is their punter from the line of scrimmage? What is the punter’s plant foot? What about the timing in getting the punt off? We have a two-page checklist to review before the game starts. Another area is directional kicking. We do it and so do many of our opponents. A specific alignment creates seams and pockets so you can confirm the area of attack.”

According to Lansdell, three people on the sidelines have special teams responsibility: the head coach, the special teams coordinator, and a sideline coach responsible for substitutions and schemes, injuries and fatigue factors, getting each unit ready and making sure there are 11 men on the field for all special team units. Coach Lansdell will then remind the unit of execution needed. “Many times the emotion of the moment leads to some confusion and many of our special teams players play both ways. That’s why a specified coach has to know which players are a part of every special teams unit.”

Halftime is also a time for special teams adjustments. “We look for breakdowns--a blocked punt or something similar and we make sure we’re communicating so it doesn’t happen again. While we don’t pay too much attention to special teams at halftime with our offensive and defensive responsibilities, we emphasize the importance of the second half kickoff and how crucial a good return – or kickoff return coverage is – to start the second half.”

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GAME DAY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR YOUR QUARTERBACKS COACH

Chuck Apap is a 36 year veteran of coaching, 26 as a head coach in Michigan and the last two at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley, AZ. He coached at Walled Lake High School in Michigan for 21 years and at their rival, Central High School for five years. “I’ve found through the years that the most important thing you can do for your quarterback is have a quarterbacks coach,” says Apap. “It’s really that important at just about every level.

“That way, your QB coach is communicating with your quarterback every day at practice getting ready for the next game. You work on his mechanics during the week, his reads, his audibles and what defenses your opponent will be running so by game time there is continuity and trust between the two. A QB coach knows right away in a game if the mechanics are wrong, if his QB is having trouble reading a defense, or if his focus is not there.

“The QB coach is looking for those things – his mechanics and his reads – when we come off the field during a game. After each series we meet at a designated spot on the bench with a blank board and find out what the QB is seeing, what coverages our opponent is in, what’s working and what isn’t. It may be that we scouted them in a cover 2 but they’re showing us a cover 3. Then we make our adjustments. We also see what routes worked and what didn’t. Does the post route work or are they shutting it down? The QB coach is always giving our QB information on the defense.

“If our quarterback has thrown an interception, we would want to make sure there’s no ‘baggage carried’ to the next series. Confidence is critical to a quarterback and we – myself and the QB coach – want to make sure he retains his focus. You always want to keep your quarterback encouraged and not get down on himself.

“We run the Wing-T and we chart each play so we can review our progress at halftime. The quarterback reviews with us the success we’ve had running the ball – by hole and down and distance – as well as the successful pass plays. Did the short routes work better than the medium or longer ones? Is there a weakness in their secondary? We will also review audibles called in the first half and those projected in the second half. Adjustments are then made in our game plan.

“Practicing audibles is the key. You can’t just wait for the game. It’s important to audible practice with your quarterback from day one in training camp. If you want a 17 year old to dictate your future, you want him as prepared as possible.”

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