The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel

You've just scored to get within 1. It's been a hard fought battle up until now, but the game is almost over and you aren't confident overtime is the best option. What do you do? The entire situation above was unnecessary, we were going for 2 no matter what the situation was. If you don't know why, then this episode is for you! Listen to Joe and Daniel as they break down some Two Point Conversion...

In a world where seemingly every small school coach thinks they have to keep the wishbone, flexbone, or wing T alive due to their "lack of size and skill", the zone run scheme may be the worst best kept secret.  On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by coaching legend Bill Blankenship to discuss the fundamentals of the Zone Run Scheme. They hit on what exactly a zone run is, why you need to a...

The Cover 2 Defensive scheme seems to be outdated and almost extinct. But, the defense has its place in your system, if not in your playbook for this year. On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the Cover 2 Defense, what it is, why you need it, and whether or not it should be a primary coverage, off coverage, or a situational install.  

As we continue our dive into the fundamentals of the game, blitzing has to make the cut. Although new coaches will likely send blitzes at random and ad nauseam, or search for the most complex blitz schemes known to man, the very simple Single Edge Blitz can be the key to success in gameplanned situations. On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Single Edge Blitz's uses, why you need to have the...

When in doubt, kick it out (of the reach of the front lineman and give your player a chance to recover it). That's the motto that really captures the spirit of a "onside everytime" coach. The onside kick is an excellent tool to use to steal possessions from your opponent when used anytime.  On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the ins and outs of the onside kick, the reasons you need to start u...

Offensive schemes in football have gone many directions throughout the history of the sport. But, in the run game, two schemes have remained: gap scheme and zone scheme plays.  In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by O-Line Coach Jack Dingus as they break down the basics of the gap scheme, why you need it in your playbook, and some key coaching points to use to be successful.

In a world where there are a multitude of ways to play defense, and minimal time to install the ways you want to do it, every defensive coverage you use has to have a purpose. The Cover 4 coverage is exactly that, a coverage with a purpose. Whether you're needing spot drop or quarters pattern match, you probably have a reason to install a Cover 4 coverage look. On this episode, Joe and Daniel are...

The shield punt is a very simple, yet effective punt scheme. With Special Teams being the least prioritized phase of football, having a scheme that's simple to coach and simple to execute can alleviate many of the Friday night woes. On this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Joel Mathews to discuss the basics of the shield punt scheme, why you should use it, and some key coaching points of a si...

Live and die by the sword! Okay, maybe not the sword in this day and age, but Defensive Coordinators have replaced the sword with blitzes, and living and dying by the blitz is very true of some coaching philosophies. The man blitz, or blitzing with any man coverage behind you, is a fairly safe and targeted blitz call to live and die by. On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the ins and out of ma...

As we start our dive into the basics of football concepts, we're getting our first taste of the passing game. This season on the podcast is all about learning the small pieces to sure up your coaching knowledge. On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the quick passing game, why you need it, and a few of the basic concepts you can install today.

Much like we started 2022, Joe and Daniel are closing it out with big predictions about upper level football. This time we're taking on the NCAA, Bowl Season, and the College Football Playoffs! On this episode, you'll hear us discuss the current state of the Transfer Portal, our thoughts on NIL and how it's changing the landscape of college ball, and some Bowl Game predictions you probably don't w...

Our Mailbag series continues with the second installment, as Joe and Daniel answer some more questions from subscribers. On this episode, we're covering poor character in players, Special Teams programs, and changing defenses from the 4-2-5 to the 3-3 stack.

This week Joe and Daniel are fielding questions from you, the listeners. Our topics on this episode include increasing player and parent buy-in to the offseason process, how to get your O-linemen to block the right guy, and how to see more of the game as a future coordinator. If you would like to send in your questions, click this link and let us know!

Calling defensive plays on game night may be one of the most stressful jobs in football. You have a limited amount of time to assess the situation, identify what call you want to use, and get it signaled in before a much more regimented offensive system goes to work. On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss exactly what it is that goes into a defensive play call, and ways to guide yourself into maki...

It's week 7. You're down by 4 against your crosstown rival in the 3rd quarter. The wind is in your face, your starting Right Tackle is gimpy and not playing as well as usual. You've been a step ahead of the defense all night, but you're quickly running out of bullets. With the season and bragging rights on the line, what call do you signal to your QB? In this episode Joe and Daniel break down the...

Not every high school takes the field on Friday night with the perfect kid in every position. Sometimes they have a SR Linebacker who never learned how to get downhill. Sometimes they have a freak speedster who doesn't have the confidence or ability to make a tackle. Coaches at many levels are usually trying to prevent one player from losing them the game and need to hide them in the scheme to eli...

Special teams can be both frustrating and time consuming. It's a part of the sport which can be so simple, but seems to be made complex by coaches trying to gain a competitive edge. In this episode, Joe and Daniel break down what changes make sense to make and how your game plan should be altered from week to week.

There's no worse feeling for a coordinator than to get to Friday night and our team can't match the opponent on the field. It doesn't matter what side of the ball you're coaching on, if you can't gain yards against their defense, or can't stop their offense, frustration and embarrassment will quickly set in. You need to have an answer as soon as possible. Hopefully, it's that night, if not at leas...

Injuries are an unfortunate part of football that can truly derail your season if they happen to a key player. Maybe it's your QB. Maybe it's your 5th QB. Maybe it's your lead tackler, or the best Offensive Lineman your school has ever had. If you haven't been struck by the injury bug yet, keep doing what you're doing because that's likely helping. But, understand that it will happen at some point...

Football is a game of adjustments. Whoever can make the correct adjustments the quickest will generally prevail in a game. The ASKA Principle and Pulling Levers is just an incremental adjustment system that allows a coach to make changes on the fly, or build a game plan throughout the week, and knowing exactly what they changed and why. On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what levers are, how...

Sometimes we find ourselves in a position where change is necessary in our depth chart. Maybe the injury bug has hit your team, suspensions, grade troubles… The list is endless. Regardless of the reason, you need to be ready to move players around within your scheme.  In this episode, Joe and Daniel are joined by Coach James Vint to discuss how to make changes to your lineup, when the foundation f...

Self scouting is hard to do midseason. You have 2-3 films from your opponent that you really need to start deciphering immediately. You still need to work in family time this weekend, and draw up the next magical offensive play (what was that play that the Chiefs ran last Sunday anyways?) that's sure to lead to victory. But, self scouting is an investment in yourself and your team that may be more...

"Football is a game of adjustments." I've probably said that phrase 25 times in the last 5 weeks. Some weeks we're better at it than others. If you're not make adjustments throughout the week, or on Friday nights, then you may find yourself playing less efficient football and in need of evolving what you're doing as a play caller. On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what it takes to identify t...

Across the United States, approximately 1,161 teams are playing 8-man football. Compared to the approximate 16,000 11-man teams and another 700+ college teams, 8-man coaches are at a disadvantage when it comes to adding to their offensive and defensive systems. You can't turn on the TV on Saturday and watch the local college team tear it up in the 3-2-3 defense. So, they have to be able to take ne...

The evolution of football, particularly on the Offensive side of the ball, is something that just about anyone can google and read the history of. However, very few coaches have lived the game and experienced those changes first hand. On this episode, Joe and Daniel sit down with NE Oklahoma and NW Arkansas coaching legend Bill Blankenship to get his perspective on the evolution of the game, what'...