Assuming we succeed...OK, it is the year 2011. Under Coach Rod Michigan has improved each year and is now widely considered a top five program. OSU is sweating, as Michigan is now their equal and poised to overtake the nuts. Programs from everywhere want to know the secret to the maize and blue success. Sure, everyone knows about Coach Rod's spread and shred. Everyone knows about Barwis S&C program.
My question is this: Do Coach Rod and Barwis continue to put on clinics for other college coaches. Maybe I am being petty here but do they really want to give away the nuisances of OUR success? Does anyone know what information is actually shared in these clinics? In the highly competitive and cutthroat world of major college football, why do coaches want to put on clinics for their competitors to benefit from?
Brian
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Thanks for the question. Stopping to build relationships with high school coaches is worse mistake any staff can make. High school coaches are some of the best sources of information about players you can have of their own players and those of their opponents. Getting film from high school staffs can be huge help getting information and film on players.
Clinics are also great opportunity to sell your program and facilities. Coaches accompany many players on visits. Many players also have all in season recruiting go through head coach. Having contact and relationships with high school staffs is probably one of the top goals any staff has.
In addition, remember there are no secrets in football. Major colleges do such a fantastic job breaking down film they know almost as much about schemes as those who "invented" them. In fact, many times coaches learn as much about a scheme of package from those who defend it as those who run it.
Want to learn more about what happens at Coaches Clinics go back in the archives in April from Go Blue Michigan Wolverine and see for yourself what the Michigan coaches were teaching coaches that attended the Michigan coaches clinic.
written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine
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This is a very interesting question.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a source on this, but I remember reading that Michigan's coaching staff (McCartney, Hanlon and Nehlen?) under Bo went to clinics put on by Darrell Royal (Texas) and I believe Emory Bellard (aTm) to learn the nuances of the wishbone attack, which in the late 1970s was already at it's zenith in college football.
Michigan had been running option out of the I formation since 1969 anyway, but Michigan first unveiled the wishbone formation rather late in 1978, and usually threw out of it anyway or used it in short yardage situations. It was not in-your-face dedicated wishbone a la Oklahoma or anything.
The point is, coaches beg, borrow, steal and reinvent offensive attacks all the time. Nobody grows and improves by keeping secrets in a magic green notebook in a safe. Plus, RR and Barwis and stafff probably learn a great deal more too from the new ideas of other coaches, and even from objections to and questioning of RR/Barwis philosphies. Clinics are a golden opportunity to check the landscape defensively too and to confirm or deny whether their philosophy is still "on track" or even applicable to the modern game.
This is something, I'm sorry to say, Mike Debord would never have done or agreed to participate in himself. And UM football is 1000 times better off now in this regard.