There are many different ways to develop and teach quarterbacks. At Carson-Newman College, we approach the teaching and development of the quarterback position through a macro or big picture look when installing the offense or plan of attack each week. But, on the practice field, we favor a micro plan, working on individual skills before we incorporate those skills with other positions. Both approaches serve their purpose, for when we install the offense, the QB sees the “big picture”. He realizes his role in how the offense is run and why his teammates do what they do. On the practice field, we want him to totally master the skills it takes to play QB, before we even integrate him with other positions. Thus we spend quite a bit of time on the “basics” before we ever get to the big picture or team on the field. These approaches, I believe, give the QB perspective on the field, equip him with tools to be successful, and give him confidence to execute.
The Macro Approach to Meetings
Quarterback coaches on every level would agree that there is never enough time to meet with their QBs. Coaches want to review video from practice, watch game film, scout opponents, develop leadership skills, go over checks and audibles, and implement the game plan. This is all supposed to be done in 15 – 30 minutes. Talk about impossible. Two things I have learned when faced with the impossible are: 1. Let them see the big picture when teaching, and, 2. Have a detailed plan for position meetings.
Seeing the Big Picture
Because the QB is such an important position, we as coaches feel as though we need to jump in right away and meet with our QBs. We crave all the time we get because we seek to cover the most intricate details with them. While these details are of the utmost importance, often a brief offensive team meeting can cover a lot of these details and show the quarterback why they are done. I have long been a believer that a player will truly be able to master his position when his knowledge goes beyond what he is supposed to do and instead understands why he is supposed to do what he does on the field.
We have all seen it before – a player can tell you his assignment word for word, but when it comes time to execute he doesn’t have the ability to adjust because he understands without comprehending. At Carson-Newman College, every play that is installed, every opponent that is scouted, and every game plan is done with a short offensive team meeting. This gives the offensive coordinator the comfort to know that we are all on the same page. He presents an overview and then the plan for execution. Players leave that meeting with the knowledge of how they fit in the big picture and what their role is.
Have a Detailed Plan for Your Position Meeting
I have long been amazed that some coaches who plan every detail of practice go into position meetings and wing it. In that very condensed window of a meeting, I have found it crucial to have a detailed plan or checklist for what I must get done. When I am rushed and don’t prepare such a checklist, I find that I do not accomplish half of what I need to get done. By preparing a list, I have a good idea of how long I can spend on each item and it allows me a chance to review before the meeting. It ensures that I don’t spend time watching useless video or talking about something that isn’t important.
We have a coaching philosophy at Carson-Newman College called “Coaching on the Run”. This means we don’t stop practice to correct but instead we make our corrections and keep moving. Players properly learn on the field through correct repetition. We are always trying to squeeze more reps into practice. This increases the importance of meetings when we can slow things down and teach our players. As I teach, however, I must be prepared because if I aimlessly watch video or teach without a plan, I waste every vital minute.
The Micro Approach to Practice
Dating back to my days as a player, I have been blessed to be around coaches who believe in a mastery of the fundamentals. Our head coach at Carson-Newman College, Ken Sparks, says “Football comes down to two things - blocking and tackling”. Our approach to practice reflects this viewpoint. We spend far more time on individual skills in practice than we do in 11-on-11 drills. We spend every practice dedicating ourselves to becoming better players by mastering the basic skills and it is through this mastery that players have confidence to perform them when it counts. These drills and skills for QBs can be broken down into two areas: 1. Passing and 2. Footwork and agilities.
Passing
In practice, we spend the very first minutes warming up our arms. While each coach may have different ways to warm up, we take our micro approach to this process. We start with medicine balls for strength and then move to a ten-yard warm-up in which we teach a progression for passing the football. From this point we move to some warm-up drills with wide receivers in which we execute simple throws with a very specific purpose. As practice unfolds, we will throw individual routes to specific positions and then will involve all the other skill players including defensive backs, and then perimeter or 7-on-7 looks. All of this is done before we do any 11-on-11. Through this process, each route and throw is understood and worked on.
Footwork and Agilities
Running an option offense requires our QBs to have excellent footwork. Because warming up an arm is often neglected, the result is often injury and poor mechanics. To build a more complete QB, we will always work on pitch skills and ball-handling skills while moving our feet in agilities. This is done through individual work over bags and with cones and then we work with RBs, targeting specific plays that work with these skills. The next step in the progression is to teach these skills with an offensive line and RBs vs. bags. We increase the application by going live either in a half-line drill vs. the front or on the perimeter with an option drill. Lastly, we will work 11-on-11. Thus, we get to do 11-on-11 drills only after we have worked the essentials of each skill.
To be able to teach and then replicate the exact detail of every movement of the QB is something that takes time and practice. While mastery is preferred sooner rather than later, it is through the macro plan of seeing the big picture in meetings that our players are taught the why and what to do. Then, on the field, through a micro plan of skill mastery, our players develop all the essentials of being a complete quarterback.
About the Author: David Needs has been an assistant coach at Carson-Newman for 15 years, now serving as Assistant Head Coach, Quarterbacks Coach, and Director of Football Operations. He was named Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the AFCA. A former quarterback for C-N, Needs received his Bachelor’s Degree in 1992. He also coaches the Carson-Newman track team.