What’s it like to go winless during a season? Many coaches have experienced it and it can make for some depressing moments. When Lou Holtz became head coach at South Carolina, the Gamecocks finished 0-11 his first year. But Holtz knew they were in the rebuilding process. “Hey, we’re going to be better next year,” said Holtz. “After all, we can’t be much worse.”
This issue of Gridiron Strategies includes an article on a winless season. Chris Sutton is now the head coach of the Mark R Isfeld School in Courtenay, British Columbia. During his first year as a coach, his team went 0-7. His article, ‘Lessons Learned From An 0-7 Season’ reflect on it and what he learned. On page 18, Coach Sutton shares his thoughts on that long, seemingly endless season.
GS also includes drills that you can use on offense, defense, and special teams. Written by Phil Acton, a retired head coach, one drill includes the 15-Point Coverage Drill in which points are allocated for where a punt is downed. Inside the five is three points, downing the ball inside the 10 is two points, and downing the ball inside the 15 is one point. If the ball goes into the end zone, out of bounds or outside the 15-yard line, no points are awarded. Two teams compete with the winning team being the first to get to 15 points. The 15-Point Coverage Drill is an excellent drill for conditioning.
More defensive line drills are also included in this issue along with ‘Defending Double Moves’, ‘Beating the 3-5-3 With the Option’, and ‘Play Action Passing Off of Jet Motion.’ Dr. Ray Petras, a sports performance and injury management specialist, authors his second article for GS, ‘4 Russian Training Tips to Ensure Athletic Success.’
We welcome your suggestions and encourage you to submit articles and clinics to us. Feel free to email me directly at rlardner@lcclark.com. We hope you enjoy this issue of GS.
Respectfully,
Rex Lardner
Managing Editor