The FNF Coaches Talk Podcast

Brian Johnson agreed to become the Cal head football athletic performance coach in January. Johnson has spent the previous 11 seasons on strength and conditioning staffs at FBS schools and in the NFL. Most recently, he served as director of strength and conditioning at Arizona (2018-20), where he heavily implemented sports science while also working as a liaison between the football program and the Center for Innovation in Brain Science. Topics include: How would he assess his HS strength program at Godby High (Fla.)? (1:55) What was missing? (3:00) Playing at LSU, what were the biggest takeaways from your college experience? (5:15) How do you break up the season in terms of phases? (7:20) What about position groups? Customizing workouts? (9:45) What is a standard week like during the summer? (12:35) How do you generate energy in the weight room? (14:35) What lifts do you test players on? How does it work? (18:00) What technology do you use in the weight room? (21:45) How do you avoid soft tissue injuries? (24:10) How does he train for speed (28:10) How do you balance giving players enough recovery time vs. pushing them to make gains? (30:45) How has your philosophy evolved over the years? (32:45) What is your in-season philosophy? (36:00) What did you take from your NFL experience? (37:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is going to help you come up with a health and safety plan for your team so that you don’t have any players who suffer from heat-related illnesses. Our guest is Cold Daddy CEO Hobby Howell. He talks about how his company’s patented portable water chillers make the game safer for coaches and players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We want to share products with you that make you more efficient as a coach, and this is certainly one of them. The CoachComm Cobalt Plus headset system with a Player Receiver helped one Arkansas coach win a state championship. Shiloh Christian’s (Ark.) HFC Jeff Conaway used the Cobalt system for the first time in 2020, taking advantage of the Player Receiver. During each practice, eight of his players wore receivers on their arms, giving the coaches a direct line of communication. Conaway is the first guest to explain how the product helped his team. The second guest is CoachComm VP of Sales Mike Whitley, who talks about how the product can benefit teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More and more football coaches are taking their cues from a high school track coach in Plainfield, Ill.  Tony Holler invented a revolutionary new method of training sprinters at Plainfield North High (Ill.) called “Feed the Cats.” It’s a minimalist approach to training which discourages putting sprinters through long workouts that make them feel crushed by the end. Topics include: Why sprint training needed to be done differently (2:30) What is the Feed the Cats program? (4:45) Why it took courage to do something differently (7:10) How he fills practice time with so few reps (11:30) How often athletes should be training at top speed (14:35) Record, record and publish (18:05) Never crush the physical or emotional soul of athletes (22:10) Micro-dose training (25:35) How does this impact injuries? (32:00) What technology helps coach? (36:35) Do you ever hear from parents who say you need to be training them harder? (39:55) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Roger Harriott, head coach at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Harriott has led his alma mater to four state championship since his hire in 2015. Harriott opens the curtain on the culture at St. Thomas Aquinas, how he and his staff mold student-athletes into better people, and how he positions them to impact others in a positive way throughout life. Topics include: The structures he has in place to mold better men (1:40) Objectives vs. goals (8:00) Forming a brotherhood (12:30) Instilling optimism and confidence in players (16:00) The value of knowing how to become successful (23:00) Being a role model in a conflicting world (28:00) Glamorizing dangerous men (35:00) How his team improved its GPA (42:00) How he learned to harness his emotions after a loss (46:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is one of the most successful coaches in the country and a legend in the state of Texas. Aledo High School’s Tim Buchanan has built a dynasty since his hire at Aledo High School in 1993. Aledo won its Texas-record 10th state championship in January. He talks about his vision for a program that competes in one of the most competitive districts in the country and what he’s learned and how he’s changed in 28 years as coach. Topics include: How he instilled a culture when he took the job in 1993 (2:45)The challenges of taking over a program in transition (4:50)Why he doesn’t talk about wins or championships (7:30)How he builds relationships with players and coaches (11:00)How calling his players’ parents knuckleheads worked out (15:30)His strength and conditioning philosophy (18:00)Why he makes his players run track (22:45)Technology that helps his team win (29:00)Apps he uses for video (33:45)How he collaborates with assistants for a game plan (37:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Brad Doherty, athletic director at Branson High School in Colo. In a small rural community with a dilapidated football field, Doherty launched a fundraising campaign for a new turf field in December. In just over three months, he has led an effort that has brought in $440,000. They plan to have a $540,000 project completed by the fall football season. Doherty goes through all of the steps you need to take to get approval for a project like that as well as how his marketing efforts, grant applications and community outreach led to a viral fundraising campaign. To check out the specifics of Branson’s fundraising effort, visit: https://bransonschooldistrict.com/football/ Doherty talks about: Why his program needed a new field (3:00)What he had to do to get approval from the School Board (5:00)How a viral YouTube video caught the attention of the entire nation (7:00)A media and social media strategy that brought national attention to his program (9:00)How he met his goal of raising $450,000 in three months (13:00)The secret to applying for grants (17:00)How he pitted vendors against each other to bring the price down (22:00)How to create a sense of urgency for donors (27:30)Why the proposal should include benefits beyond football (33:00)How he put the kids to work to appeal to donors (35:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is one of the biggest social media influencers in high school football, Kurt Hines. He’s the coach of Coronado High in Calif. He kicks off FNF Coaches Appreciation Month by sharing his inspiration for coaching and how he continues to inspire others through his platform. He talks about developing leaders (6:00), developing a love for coaching while preparing special needs students (10:45), developing relationships with players (18:00), culture-building activities (25:00), his process of game-planning (31:00) and his experience developing an audience on Twitter (36:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is an expert strength and performance coach in Colorado, Rob Van Valkenburgh. Coach Van Valkenburgh has trained D1 athletes as well as pro athletes in preparation for the NFL Combine. He now owns his own gym in Littleton, Colorado, where he trains high school football players year-round. He talks about his philosophy of instilling confidence in high school athletes (3:30), the most important thing coaches should focus on at this time of year (6:00), how to coach the squat (9:00), which lifts or drills he tests (14:00), how to monitor athletes’ habits off the field (24:00), what a productive weight room should look like (30:00), and mistakes all coaches make (38:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is the head coach at one of the most distinguished programs in the country -- Hoover High School in Alabama. Josh Niblett took over for legendary coach Rush Propst in 2008 and has since led Hoover to a record of 159-25 including six state championships. Niblett’s football resume includes a playing career that peaked at the University of Alabama under Gene Stallings. He’s also served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Jacksonville State University. At Hoover, he’s produced arguably the top program in the Southeast. Niblett shares his vision for culture building and gives the inside scoop on his team’s strength and conditioning program. Stay tuned for that interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast is going to be informative for high school coaches, as it introduces a new technology that allows coaches to make in-game adjustments in a more efficient way. The ProCom LoudMouth is a one-of-a-kind device sits on the sideline and allows coaches in the press box to talk to their group of players or the entire team, AND the players can also speak back to the coach. The first guest is Nick Johnson, an offensive line coach for the Parkview High football team in Georgia. His school experimented with the LoudMouth during the fall and is set to put the new technology to the test on game day in 2021. The second guest is ProCom Founder and CEO Frank Girardi. He talks about how he conceived the idea for the new technology and what benefits it will offer coaches on game day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Torres is an up-and-coming star coach from Pebble Hills High in El Paso, Texas. He took over as head coach when the high school opened in 2016 and quickly established one of the top programs in El Paso. Torres is meticulous and organized in his coaching style, and he has instilled a culture of discipline in his players. Listen to him talk about how he did it and share some secrets about starting a program from scratch. Topics include: Why he was attracted to the idea of starting a new program from scratch (2:00) How he hired assistants (5:00) How he instilled a culture of discipline (9:00) His program’s 365-days-a-year calendar (11:30) His philosophy on strength and conditioning (15:45) How he motivates athletes in the weight room (18:00) Why his players lift on game day (22:15) How he develops leadership skills in his players (24:20) How he’s responded to his failures as a coach (28:00) How he seeks out mentorship opportunities from other coaches (34:00) If he would ever consider coaching at the college level (38:00) How he’s prioritized the mental health of his players (42:00) What he’s doing to help players get recruited (44:00) What new tech products he’s using to help his team (45:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jacksonville State University (Ala.) recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach J.R. Sandlin became a social media star through a series of Twitter posts in which he provided instructions to recruits with the hashtag #Recruiting101. Sandlin knows something about what college coaches are looking for. He worked as a recruiter at Alabama under Nick Saban for two national championship seasons in 2011 and 2012. He also recruited for Tennessee, Notre Dame and Central Florida. Topics include: How recruiting has changed during the prolonged NCAA dead period (2:30) What he wants to see on a highlight or cut-up (5:30) How to make a workout video verifiable (8:00) How he invests a player’s character (12:00) What questions a player should ask after receiving an offer (20:00) The importance of playing multiple sports (32:00) What he learned from his experience coaching under Nick Saban (42:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Eckley led the Jackson High (Mo.) football team to its first state championship in the program’s 125-year history. His squad bounced back from an overtime loss in the 2019 title game to run the table for an undefeated season. Topics for the podcast include: What message he gave his players in the locker room after the 2019 defeat in the state title game (2:30) When he started looking ahead to 2020 (4:55) Setting a theme for the championship season (7:30) His philosophy for strength and conditioning (11:00) Seeking out mentors to advise him on overcoming a devastating loss (11:00) What to focus on after a big loss – and what not to focus on (14:30) Keeping a short-term focus with a long-term goal (17:00) How he led during the pandemic (21:30) The role of his team’s leadership council (22:40) Change of direction drills to get players in football shape (31:45) What he did different during the playoff run in 2020 (33:15) How he helped his players remain composed in a high-pressure state title game (35:30) What he uses for video technology (39:30) What he uses for analytics (42:30) Which strength app helps his program (46:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rodney Saulsberry is the head coach of the Whitehaven Tigers in Memphis, Tenn. He led his alma mater to state championships in 2012 and 2016. In an inspiring interview with the longtime coach, he talks about building a program that an entire community can be proud of, some of the challenges he’s encountered in an urban setting, and how he’s persevered with an attitude that anything can be achieved through hard work. Topics for the pod include: How Coach Saulsberry created a program that the Memphis community can be proud of (2:15) How he established his brand and culture (5:20) His GPA philosophy (Be grateful, be positive and be accountable) – 5:45 How he established academic standards (6:50) How he established a feeder system through the middle school system (13:50) How he handled having the 2020 season cancelled (18:30) How he hosted combines and a skills camp for recruiting (20:45) How he advises players to promote themselves with recruiting videos (22:20) How he energizes himself each season (28:00) The affirmations his players say every day (31:00) How he gets buy-in from the players in the offseason (33:00) What technology he uses to help his team (36:40) Which fundraisers help his team raise money (39:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is currently one of the hottest names in college football coaching -- San Jose State coach Brent Brennan. Brennan has led San Jose State University through a massive rebuild since his hire in Dec. of 2016. This season, San Jose State was undefeated in the regular season and finished ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. Coach Brennan talks about the following topics: The first steps he took to establish a culture after his hire (2:45) Academic accountability (4:20) His strength and conditioning philosophy (7:15) The 2020 team’s slogan: “Climb the Mountain” (8:15) What he’s looking for in assistant coaches (12:30) What SJSU coaches and players due together off the field (14:40) The challenges he faced in trying to lead a rebuild (17:30) What types of players he’s recruiting (21:10) How recruiting has changed in California with no high school football (24:00) SJSU’s support systems for mental health and mental performance (27:45) Apps he’s using to help his team (31:30) Mentoring opportunities with high school coaches (32:20) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Jeff Conaway, who led the Shiloh Christian football team to an Arkansas state championship this fall for the first time in his seven years as head coach (2:00). Since his hire in 2014, he has worked to establish a culture that helps players grow spiritually (4:30), academically (6:45), socially (8:55) and athletically (11:55). He shared how his discipleship program helps foster a championship culture (22:30). He also shared how his strength coach has implemented an innovative program that focuses on movement (33:45). Finally, he shared some new technology (47:00) and apps (50:30) that helps his program this fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Holmes, who led the Bishop Miege football team to six consecutive Kansas state championships from 2014 to 2019. Holmes, who started as the Bishop Miege head coach in 2012 after eight years as an assistant. Topics with Holmes include: What are the expectations at Bishop Miege? (2:15)Why is it important to include the parents in the goal-setting? (3:30)Meeting with other coaches outside the program (6:00)Individual meetings with 108 players (12:00)How he gets a 12-month commitment from coaches and players (15:15)How do you fill out a coaching staff? (21:00)What if the most talented players don’t commit? (25:00)What are some challenges you’ve encountered related to establishing a culture? (30:45)How do you get incoming freshman integrated? (34:15)How he develops a pipeline development at the youth level (38:00)What is a new piece of tech he’s using? (41:15)Fundraising during a pandemic (43:45)How he focused on mental performance this season (46:45) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa high school coaching legend Tom Wilson of Dowling Catholic led his team to state championships in seven consecutive seasons before that streak ended this fall. We took a deep dive on culture-building, and Coach Wilson talked about the steps he took to establish that culture when he was hired as head coach 16 years ago. Topics include: The first steps he took toward creating a championship culture after his hire (3:10). The questions he asks applicants when they’re interviewing for a position on his staff (11:00). How he sets expectations and holds players accountable (15:10). How he structures his strength and conditioning program (18:30). How he designed a point system to reward players for a 12-month commitment (22:30). What his networking sessions are like with other coaches (26:30). What he asks players annual exit interviews (29:45). Why he loves off-site team-building campus with required reading (33:30). How recruiting is different during the pandemic (34:30). How he set up a feeder system (36:45). How his Booster Club functions (42:20). A 2020 fundraiser that worked with alumni on social media (43:30). His tradition of calling alumni on the night before the state championship game (45:30). A new piece of technology he started using in 2021 (48:00). How he monitors players’ mental health more than ever (50:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Maurek has more than 30 years of experience as a coach. He is currently the quarterbacks coach at Michigan City. He also started the website, highspeedspreadfootball.blogspot.com. In this podcast, he talks about his team’s season in Indiana (5:20), how his scheme keeps teams off balance and increases reps in practice (10:15). He shares his biggest coaching influences (14:45) and talks about the process of getting plays in quickly from the sideline (18:45). He also talks about his role as a special ed teacher and what impact the pandemic has had on his students (22:00). Finally, he breaks down the college football season and picks his favorites for the national championship (32:40). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Jackson has more than 30 years of experience as a coach. He is currently the head football coach and athletic coordinator at North Forney High School in Forney, Texas. Coach Jackson orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in Texas high school football history in 2010.  He helped Mesquite Poteet go from 1-19 before his arrival to 12-3 in his first season, when he was named the Texas 4A 'Coach of the Year'. In 2015, he was named the Dallas/Ft. Worth 'Tom Landry' award winner and in 2018 the Texas High School Coaches Association 'Coaching Beyond the Game' award. In 2016 Coach Jackson published his first book, Culture Defeats Strategy.  It has sold over 7,000 copies. In January, Culture Defeats Strategy 2, was released. Coach Jackson talked about his team’s season, which is continuing with a trip to the playoffs (2:30). He also talked about the impact the pandemic has had on his players (5:00). He shared the lessons he imparts in his book about building team culture (9:45) and surrounding himself with quality assistant coaches (15:25). Finally, he breaks down new technology (21:20), strength and conditioning (27:35), and the publishing industry for coaches (35:10). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast, he shares how his team’s season came to an end due to a COVID outbreak during the playoffs (1:45), how he thinks the season should have been structured (4:00), and how he’ll work harder to remain engaged with his players this offseason (7:30). He also shares how he has established a championship culture at Salguaro (10:00), and the mentality that he takes into each season following a state championship (13:45). He shares team-building exercises and talks about how he structures his staff to ensure the position coaches are developing lasting relationships with players (20:00). Finally, he talks about his experience with USA Football and how his role as head coach of the US National Team has taught him how to make the game fun (25:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ingram talks about his background in football (1:30), how he got into coaching (2:20) and how he landed with USA Football (3:30). He talked about how coaches can get involved with the USA Football National Team program (5:30) and how to nominate players (6:45).  He talks about the pathways in the National Team program (8:45) and some of the top players to come through the program (14:10). He talks about how recruiting players for the National Team has changed during COVID (18:00), what it’s been like getting to games this fall (20:15) and how the quality of play has been impacted (21:00). He talks about the scheme he suggests for USA Football coaches (22:00). He also talks about the state of college football and the NFL (26:30). Finally, he talks about what it’s been like to video conference on Zoom during the pandemic (30:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Specht talks about how he was influenced by Bill Belichick and John Wooden (1:45), and how he’s adopted the St. Xavier school mission to establish his team’s culture (3:00). He talks about the importance of players self-policing each other (4:30) and the need for leaders to take accountability for losses (6:30). He talks about “The Long Blue Line” at St. X and the mission of making it “look right”. The 2016 season was one filled with adversity for St. X (13:00), but his team’s culture empowered the players to prevail (16:00). He explains what it means to make it “look right” in practice, in the strength room and in the classroom. He shares how his team has dealt with a COVID season (21:30), how recruiting is being impacted (24:15), and how his players got in shape despite the stoppages in the spring and summer (27:00). He also talks about how he has filled the void with a lack of conferences and clinics in 2020 (30:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He talks about the inspiration for the Man Up Movement (1:30) and how he has linked up with a domestic violence advocate (5:40). He also shares his background in football (10:15) and what inspired him to become a coach (13:30). He reflects on his career path to becoming a head coach (16:20) and recently going back to his roots as an offensive coordinator (18:30). He talks about his commitment to strength training (21:30) and his philosophy on coaching during a playoff run (25:00). He shares how he devises his offensive scheme (28:00) and talks about how his team has done with COVID (30:00). Finally, he talks about how recruiting will be impacted by a prolonged dead period (36:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He shares how he keeps up with video of college and NFL games in-season (1:45) and how he’s established a network of coaches for video breakdowns (4:00). He talks about his background in the sport of football (5:30), how he got into coaching (9:15), and what his experience has been like at St. David’s School, which has an 8-man program (12:50). He talks about simplifying and maintaining perspective during a COVID fall season (15:30) and taking precautions from a conditioning standpoint by allocating timeouts (18:00).  He talks about X’s and O’s and the coaches who are ahead of the curve in terms of play design (20:30) and how the pandemic affected his content (26:45). Finally, he breaks down NFL and NCAA offenses that are starting new trends (36:45). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parker talks about how he stayed so organized during his coaching career (2:30), and how he’s sharing those organizational strategies now (5:15). He talks about growing up playing football in Alabama (9:45), how he got into coaching (12:20), and how he turned around Chapel Hill in his first coaching position (13:15). He talked about being a young coach on a staff of veterans (15:00) and becoming a “name” in the Georgia high school football coaching community. He opens up about why he decided to get out of coaching (18:00). Coach Parker always had a strategy for dealing with parents (24:00). Parker talks about the motivation behind starting Parker Resources (32:00), what coaches are talking about now that the season has started in 35 states (37:00), the impact of COVID (38:30), and starting a podcast (42:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Klatt talks about his experience growing up in a house with a legendary high school football coach (1:40) and aspiring to become a coach himself (3:30). He talks about his playing career as an option quarterback in high school (5:40) and going from a walk-on to three-year starter at University of Colorado (7:15). Dave Churchman talks about his football background (12:00) as one of the worst defensive backs in Colorado history. He then shares his vision for the PassLab headset and how it will help high school quarterbacks (13:30). Klatt talks about how the headset can help quarterbacks at all level by helping them train their eyes to look off defensive players (15:30). Klatt talks about how the PassLab headset is actually a perfect fit for high school teams that run the RPO scheme (23:00). Klatt shares how games are different this year from a broadcaster’s perspective during the pandemic (28:15). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He talks about the shift to spring football in North Carolina (1:10), how that will change his team’s training plan (1:30), and the frustration of watching neighboring states play football this fall (2:45). Lowman feels the momentum from last year’s championship will be lost due to early enrollment issues (4:30), and he has concerns about whether his players will be at a disadvantage due to the lack of recruiting opportunities (7:00). He talks about his father’s coaching career helped launch his professional career (9:30), how he managed playing quarterback under his father (14:20), and how they communicated after games (14:50). Lowman took over as a young head coach on an established team that had already had success (18:24). He talked about how he implemented a new scheme (20:55) and became one of the highest scoring offenses in the country (21:00). He talks about establishing a winning culture during a pandemic (24:00), starting a healthy accountability challenge on Twitter (25:45), and whether he has any funny stories from coaching during the pandemic (30:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novakov talks about when he knew he wanted to become a coach (10:00) and the pressure of coaching high school football in Texas (11:30). He talks about the downsides of being a head coach (17:00), and how the profession will change coming out of the pandemic (19:30). Prior to his team’s state championship, Coach Novakov made an effort to be more efficient with his time (20:30) and he got rid of “filler” (21:30). He also rehashes his team’s run to the state championship (22:45) and shares what goes into establishing a winning culture (23:00). Finally, he talks about the challenge of keeping 15- to 18-year-old athletes safe during an era of COVID (28:10). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Stone is also the founder of the “Back to the Basics” camp program. This includes organizations that are located in the United States as well as other countries around the world. He has also authored the Back to the Basics series of Football Drill Manuals. He talks about what it will be like to return to football in Illinois (2:00), how the weather might impact the game plan (3:15), and how the weather impacted his team’s playoff run last year (5:45). He talks about streaming games of teams in other states that are playing this fall (8:30), how he juggles all of his jobs with five kids (12:30), and how his camps will change post-pandemic (14:00), and the biggest positive he can take from the pandemic (19:15). He talks about going back to school (23:00), what inspired him to write 14 books (24:30), and his playing experience as a quarterback at the high school, college and pro level (30:15). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill talks about being a coach’s kid (2:47), how he trained for professional wrestling (5:50), and playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers under Chuck Knoll (7:40). He talks about his coaching days, when he wrestled a brown bear (11:20), why he started his own podcast during the pandemic (13:45), and whether he thinks teams should be playing high school football this fall (15:30). Finally, he shares the products that are popular this year at Sideline Power (21:30) and the benefits of each one (25:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Putnam talks about Florida’s return-to-play plan (3:30), which will see teams take the field as early as Sept. 4. He talks about the way in which teams have been running practice drills and the safety protocols in place (6:15). Putnam talks about what it’s like to cover high school football during a pandemic (9:25), the game atmosphere (11:00), and how fans will engage with the teams (13:00). Coaches in Florida have been split on returning this week, as some coaches want to see what the virus numbers look like after a couple of weeks in school (14:20). Putnam suggests a new high school football in calendar with the season starting in October and ending in January (21:47). Finally, he talks about how he’ll spend Week 1 of the high school football season in Florida (31:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aerial Attack is similar to the Snap Attack model used by NFL teams, only it’s 40 pounds lighter and less expensive to suit the needs of the high school market. The only alteration is that the Aerial Attack only spins as if it’s coming off the foot – or out of the hand – of a right-handed specialist. Barber talks about his football coaching experience with big-time programs in the state of Georgia (2:20), what he’s hearing from coaches in regards to the return to play (6:30), and how it will impact the future of high school football (9:00). He talks about the evolution of Sports Attack dating back to Bill Walsh (12:20), how the Aerial Attack makes practices more efficient (16:30), and what advantages coaches are getting from using the product (22:00), and how to make it fit within a tight budget (27:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas talks about how his team prepared over the summer for its first game (2:45), which will be Aug. 28, between several stoppages. He shares the safety measures his team has in place (7:57), including wearing masks and limiting athletes in locker rooms and on buses. Thomas talks about weighing the option of playing this fall rather than in the spring (11:30) – a decision the state of Missouri left up to coaches. Mental health has also been a concern for Thomas and his staff (17:00). He also talks about his experience using Lazser Down and Distance Markers and the benefits it has for coaches, players, fans and officials (27:45). His team will take advantage of a sponsorship opportunity afforded by Lazser Down (31:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike discusses the benefits of using Lazser Down and the fundraising potential his company offers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sport Scope CEO Derek Taylor is the co-founder of one of those companies. He discusses streaming options through Sport Scope and his company’s ability to set up a fundraising page for each and every team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He talks about the way his team dealt with the pandemic, his staff’s return-to-play strategy and his outlook for the fall season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Orsillo and his staff have worked closely with the Florida State football team, and many current NFL players. He explains ways in which coaches can train their players for better mental performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue with the theme of Innovation and Technology, we welcome a guest today who has contributed to the advancement of storing, sharing and analyzing game film. QwikCut Founder Todd DeNoyer and his team began marketing to high school teams in August after building momentum over the last four years. QwikCut an affordable video analysis platform to elevate game performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Girardi doesn’t have the background you’d expect for a Founder and CEO of a headset communication company. He started his career as a physical education teacher before making the switch to his lifelong pursuit – building quality headsets for coaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many coaches are familiar with MVP Drive, a company that developed the world’s first robotic tackling dummy. MVP began as a collaboration between Dartmouth head football coach Buddy Teevens and a group of engineers and athletes from Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering. The idea behind the robotic tackling dummy was to to help reduce unnecessary contacts and the incidence of injuries suffered during football and other sporting practices. At Dartmouth, concussions were reduced by 58% in the first two seasons of implementing the MVP Drives into practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, we featured one of his tweets about different idiosyncrasies of game day coaches which we really enjoyed. https://twitter.com/CoachRegalado/status/1263276014404349952 Coach Regalado is the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at PSJA Memorial High School in South Texas. He grew up playing football in that area, and recently returned to coach high school football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gonzales and his team also created a platform that allows coaches, referees and parents to see data that will help determine when players should be removed from play. Visit FitGuard.me to learn more about the technology or listen to the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might be familiar with Matt from our monthly print publication. Each month, he shares a product that is helping coaches win. Matt talks about the new products hitting the market in 2020, the ways in which coaches are using the pandemic to create more flexibility in their budgets, and how he started in the coaching tech industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smith uses digital platforms and apps to program his team’s workouts, so we discussed how he’s created a “tech culture” and maintains device discipline in the weight room to keep his players on task. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk to Kevin about how the pandemic has impacted his business and the importance of planning ahead for when there is a return to play. Kevin talks about the ways in which his business is working with coaches during these uncertain times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining host Dan Guttenplan on the podcast, Donaldson shared strategies for coaches to cope with anxiety during this stressful time. She also offered leadership advice for coaches who may be wondering what to tell athletes who are unsure of what the future will hold. Join us as we discuss the mental health effects of the pandemic, and let us know your take on Twitter @fnfcoaches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last decade, The Old Coach has discovered a new passion – acting. He’s been cast in over 100 productions, including Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Now You See Me, When the Game Stands Tall, and Parkland. The Old Coach and FNF Coaches editor Dan Guttenplan discuss the ways in which the COVID-19 outbreak will impact the sport of football as well as a journey through the recruiting expert’s various career paths. Follow The Old Coach on Twitter @TheOldCoach. For his football insights, visit TheOldCoach.com. For his acting resume, visit carlthecoachbailey.com/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smith Performance owner and Southside High strength coach and offensive coordinator Dee Smith joins the podcast to talk about ways in which you can keep athletes happy and healthy while getting bigger, faster and stronger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FNF Coaches contributor Derek Smith joins the podcast to talk about his experiences writing about coaching legends and covering HS football in North Carolina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices