Schutt Sports College Coaches of the Year

by: David Purdum
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DIVISION I-AA
Jerry Moore
Appalachian State

2006 I-AA National Champions (14-1)
Offense: Spread option
Defense: An aggressive 4-3 that can play an aggressive zone or man behind it

Not long after the Mountaineers finished celebrating their 2005 national title, it was time to put it behind them and focus on the next task – repeating.

“We had to tune out everything from the past season and focus on the goal at hand,” said Moore, who credited his older players for maintaining the team’s focus. But it was going to take more than just a little focus to repeat. It was going to take an improved kicking game and perseverance.

Moore was convinced his kicker wasn’t going to improve by simply hitting field goal after field goal during practice. Instead, he used more of a golf philosophy. “You know how you go out to the driving range and start with your wedge and work your way up to your driver,” explained Moore. “Well, then sometimes you get on the first tee and you hook it or slice it. It’s easy when you’re on the driving range.”

During practice, Moore would have his kicking units run onto the field between drills and have his kicker attempt one field goal to help simulate the pressure of a game situation. Appalachian State was successful on 10 of 14 field goals and 70 of 71 extra points.

The perseverance was especially evident in the national championship game against Massachusetts. The score was tied at 14 heading into the fourth quarter. But Moore chose not to make any big adjustments. “It’s like they say, ‘Dance with the person who brought you,'” he said. “We didn’t get rattled and didn’t get away from the things we do well. We stuck with running the football. Appalachian State would score two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to prevail 28-17.

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DIVISION II

Mel Tjeerdsma
Northwest Missouri State

Advanced to second straight title game (14-1)
Offense: Multiple
Defense: Multiple, based out of a 4-2-5

After becoming the first team to win five consecutive road playoff games and reaching the championship game in 2005, Northwest Missouri State was expecting big things this year. The year did begin that way. Injuries forced many players to undergo off-season surgery. Several key components missed most of spring practice. Instead of panicking, NMS head coach Mel Tjeerdsma used the opportunity to develop his depth. That depth, Tjeerdsma said, allowed his team to go 14-1 and reach the title game for a second straight season.

“We were deeper than we’ve ever been,” said Tjeerdsma, who just completed his 14th season at Northwest Missouri State. Injuries weren’t the obstacles Tjeerdsma overcame this year. His offensive coordinator Mark Tatum left to become the head coach at Missouri Southern, leaving Tjeerdsma with a difficult decision to make.

“I called the plays this year,” he said, “but I don’t know if I’d call me the offensive coordinator.”

Tjeerdsma adjusted to his team’s strengths, tailoring his offense to fit the talents of his QB, who became more of a pocket passer than the previous season. The result was a more physical offense centered around a controlled passing game that averaged more than 31 points a game. Defensively, the Bearcats were equally as impressive, holding opponents to just 11.5 points a game. The increased depth, Tjeerdsma said, was especially effective on defense.

“Our defensive coordinator [Scott Bostwick] has always believed in the theory of playing two-deep on defense,” said Tjeerdsma. “I’ve always gone along with it, but it really showed how important it was this year.”

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DIVISION III
Mike Drass
Wesley

2006 South Region Champions (13-1)
Offense: A balanced multiple attack
Defense: An aggressive, attacking 4-3

Wesley was the Cinderella story of 2005, coming out of nowhere to reach the D-III semifinals. This year, Drass was determined to replace the Cinderella tag with perennial power. In order to accomplish that feat, Drass did something different – he changed nothing.

“We’ve been running the same scheme since I’ve been here,” said Drass, who just completed his 15th season. That’s probably not a bad idea, considering the Wolverines have averaged more than 30 points a game under Drass. Having the conference’s Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Year, didn’t hurt either.

But in Wesley’s closest game of the year – a 13-10 win over Salisbury – Drass’ belief in his system proved the decisive factor.

Against an option team like Salisbury, Drass wanted to reinforce each defensive player’s responsibilities. “They had two or three plays that went for over 10 yards,” remembered Drass, “but other than that we kept them in check pretty well. We didn’t make any adjustments, but we just hammered home what everyone’s job was. Against an option team, I truly believe that all guys have got to do their job. It can’t be just one All-American having a great game. It’s got to be a true team effort.”

Off the field, Drass said he spent more time with his kids in a non-formal setting. He implemented an academic success program and met with his players once a week. “We talked about what was going on with their academics, their social lives and just spent some time with them,” Drass said. “It helped with their decisions off the field. It was time consuming, but it helped prepare them for things other than just on the practice field.”

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NAIA
Mike Feminis
St. Xavier

Upset defending champion Carroll College on the road to reach semifinals (10-3)
Offense: Spread
Defense: 4-3

St. Xavier Head Coach Mike Feminis knew his team had the potential for a special season. His recruiting efforts had paid off; the talent was in place. But there was still a decision to be made. During his eight-year tenure, Feminis had generally red-shirted his freshman. He changed that philosophy this season.

“I’ll never forget,” said Feminis, “on our third day of doubles, two of our senior players came over to me and said, ‘Coach, these freshman are unbelievable.’”

Feminis blended in his talented freshman class with his veteran players and reaped the benefits.

“Our older guys accepted our younger guys right away,” Feminis said. “They knew for us to be successful this year that we were going to have to rely on some of the young guys to come through. From a chemistry standpoint, we became a very cohesive unit from early on.”

With the chemistry clicking, Feminis strived to improve his running game. He accomplished that by encouraging his quarterback to run the ball more. “It just puts so much pressure on the defense when you have a quarterback that can run. We figured that out early in the season. I think that won us the [quarterfinal] Georgetown game.”

Defensively, Feminis shifted a few players’ positions to create a more athletic unit. He moved a defensive end to linebacker and a corner to free safety. “I knew before our first game that we’d be about 30 or 35 percent better on defense,” he said. “It just all kind of clicked.” It did: the Cougars led their conference in points allowed, averaging less than 13 points per game.

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JUCO
Brad Franchione
Blinn College

2006 JUCO National Champions (12-0)
Offense: Multiple, based out the I-formation
Defense: 4-3 that can shift into an odd-man front

Brad Franchione didn’t have a national championship-caliber team to start the season. The Buccaneers of Blinn Junior College were certainly talented enough. But they didn’t understand what it takes to win it all.

“Our kids needed to have a better understanding of discipline,” said Franchione. So the second-year coach spelled it out to his team in a player policy manual. “If you missed a football function, you were suspended. If you were late, you were disciplined.”

He quickly had his team’s attention, and a few months later, Blinn was every bit of a national champion.

The Bucs began the season using a spread offense, but Franchione soon realized how talented his TB Bernard Scott was and decided to tailor his offense to fit his star. Franchione went to a multiple, I-formation attack, which helped Scott rush for close to 2,000 yards.

Defensively, Franchione points to his front’s ability to shift from a four-man front to an odd front in order to get more pressure on the quarterback. The Bucs surrendered just 7.5 points per game and held Pearl River Community College to just six points in the Pilgrims Pride Bowl Classic. Franchione said the key to the win over Pearl River was containing the Wildcats’ mobile QB.

During the weeks leading up to the game, Franchione put his defense through an intricate drill designed to focus on containment. With two quarterbacks in the backfield, Franchione would blow the whistle and both QBs would drop back. The defensive backs would cover the receivers until the whistle blew again. Then, the second QB would take off scrambling, forcing the defensive backs to adjust and rally to the football. It paid off.

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