Valdosta State Defense - \"Code Red\" and Teaching Philosophy

by: Joe Cauthen
Defensive Coordinator at Valdosta State, 2007 Division II National Champions
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First of all, I would like to thank AFM for asking us to share a few thoughts with you about Valdosta State and some thoughts about our "CODE RED DEFENSE". On behalf of our Head Football Coach, David Dean. and the rest of our Staff, we would like to share some of those thoughts that we believe helped us get through some halftime deficits we experienced throughout the year all the way to last year’s National Championship.

Every group, unit, team, or some affiliation of people must have a purpose. At Valdosta State, our defensive staff developed a Mission Statement for the 2007 season. The fact that we were a new staff, accompanied with the winning tradition at VSU, we wanted to give our players something with a new flavor and to strike interest in what we were going to do with them. We wanted them to buy into what we were about and also give them something to fall back on when times were tough. Those times could include on the field, in the locker room, off the field, and every other facet our student-athletes college life.

The Blazer defense in the past was known as the "Black Swarm.” We did not want to take that title from them. We still wanted that mentality. However, we also wanted something different. We called it "CODE RED.” We started building on this in the spring and it carried over into the fall. We made a wallet card for each player and coach and held all of them responsible for knowing each and every aspect of the statement. Every meeting and every sideline huddle was dismissed with the question, "Mission?" and the players responded with "CODE RED!!!!!.” Here is the Mission Statement:

CODE RED:
This is what we believe in. To play defense at VALDOSTA STATE, you will honor and respect this code. This is for the SWARM!! To anybody else, it means nothing. However, for us it serves as the ultimate challenge. Embrace it!!!!!

1- I will work HARD in the classroom and on the football field (H=hustle, A=attitude, R=respect, D=discipline).

2- I am accountable for my preparation and execution.

3- I can be trusted by my teammates, coaches and professors to ALWAYS do the right thing!!

4-I am part of eleven strong and will guard my post and everything within the limits of my post until properly relieved.

5-THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS...................................

Now that we had something to rally around and a purpose for what we were doing, we needed to get started on how, what, and when were we going to implement our defensive schemes. When we decided on the how, what, and the when were going to things, we needed to make sure that what we implemented, our players understood, Our philosophy at VSU is to be the best teachers that we can be. My background in teaching has taught me that understanding principles and concepts were best understood and played out if progressions were followed. Knowing that, we have progressions for everything that is implemented. We teach first and coach second. We try to explain why we do this, why they do this, and what we are trying to accomplish. It is easy to tell a player, "You are going to align here and do this.” We want to tell him, "You are going to align here, do this, because they do this. The result of us doing this will cause this to happen." We believe that if our players understand that we know why we are doing this, then they will buy into what we are trying to accomplish. We believe that the finality of this, though, is players making plays with great anticipation, and enthusiasm. They will play FAST!!

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