30 Years... Still Working to Improve: An Old Coach Learning From the Best & Brightest Young Coaches

[ChiefSmoke]

Paranoia is my best thing.  Professional issue of the day is that I am getting old. I don't want to get outdated. I don't want what we do in our football program to be behind the curve and not the best possible across the board for our kids. And, old or not, I still want to be the absolute best football coach that I can be. There is still more for me to learn and much that I can do better. 

 

Brandon Smith before he lead our KY All Stars to a 2 TD victory over TN.

*photo by theguru!

Last February, I drove to Bowling Green to meet with Coach Brandon Smith, one of the finest young coaches in the state. Yesterday morning I met with our strength coach at Mercer County, Josh Painter, another outstanding young football coach. Strength is moving toward POWER... strength AND speed. Josh has us changing with the times and I am glad. We use and have Tsunami Bars. Love them and GREAT for our kids! I couldn't spell Tsunami four years ago. 

 

 

Coach Josh Painter with our Titans

 

 

After meeting with Josh yesterday, I drove to Covington Catholic to meet with Coach Eddie Eviston, another outstanding young KY HS Football Coach. It was also good because Trosper got a chance to throw with some of the CovCath guys while we met. 

 

Coach Eddie Eviston w/ his Cov Cath Team

 

All three of those guys played for outstanding coaches : Brandon (his Dad, Chuck) ; Josh ( his Dad, Doug) ; Eddie (Bob Schneider-NewCath & Bill Cronin- Georgetown). 

 

I appreciate these young guys helping an old coach. I learned alot. I am a better coach because of those meetings. And, found out maybe I am not THAT old. Many of the things we are doing.... we need to keep doing those. 

 

But, old coaches.... seek out those young guys and listen. 

 

And, while I am at it.....young guys.... don't get your feelings hurt when the old coach doesn't implement your idea. That doesn't mean he isn't listening. It very well may mean he has 10-20 prior experiences and he learned the hard way... we need to do it the way we are currently doing it. 

 

When I was a young assistant coach at Paris HS, I made a suggestion to Coach Gruneisen in regards to some adjustments that I thought would help our defense. After listening, he said, "I don't want to do that." End of discussion, and that was fine with me. I understood he was the head coach. I am not sure that would go over as well in the 21st century. But, my Dad was a head football coach. I understand.... at the end of the day, the tough decisions are on him, and he will face the consequences for those decisions more than anyone else in our program. 

 

In closing....if you schedule South Warren (Brandon Smith) or Covington Catholic (Eddie Eviston), be ready. Those guys will have their teams ready to play. 

 

Reese Smith of WVU Football in our Athletic Complex w/ Tsunami Bar

 

 

 

 

 

[9068]

1 hour ago, ChiefSmoke said:

Paranoia is my best thing.  Professional issue of the day is that I am getting old. I don't want to get outdated. I don't want what we do in our football program to be behind the curve and not the best possible across the board for our kids. And, old or not, I still want to be the absolute best football coach that I can be. There is still more for me to learn and much that I can do better. 

 

Brandon Smith before he lead our KY All Stars to a 2 TD victory over TN.

*photo by theguru!

Last February, I drove to Bowling Green to meet with Coach Brandon Smith, one of the finest young coaches in the state. Yesterday morning I met with our strength coach at Mercer County, Josh Painter, another outstanding young football coach. Strength is moving toward POWER... strength AND speed. Josh has us changing with the times and I am glad. We use and have Tsunami Bars. Love them and GREAT for our kids! I couldn't spell Tsunami four years ago. 

 

 

Coach Josh Painter with our Titans

 

 

After meeting with Josh yesterday, I drove to Covington Catholic to meet with Coach Eddie Eviston, another outstanding young KY HS Football Coach. It was also good because Trosper got a chance to throw with some of the CovCath guys while we met. 

 

Coach Eddie Eviston w/ his Cov Cath Team

 

All three of those guys played for outstanding coaches : Brandon (his Dad, Chuck) ; Josh ( his Dad, Doug) ; Eddie (Bob Schneider-NewCath & Bill Cronin- Georgetown). 

 

I appreciate these young guys helping an old coach. I learned alot. I am a better coach because of those meetings. And, found out maybe I am not THAT old. Many of the things we are doing.... we need to keep doing those. 

 

But, old coaches.... seek out those young guys and listen. 

 

And, while I am at it.....young guys.... don't get your feelings hurt when the old coach doesn't implement your idea. That doesn't mean he isn't listening. It very well may mean he has 10-20 prior experiences and he learned the hard way... we need to do it the way we are currently doing it. 

 

When I was a young assistant coach at Paris HS, I made a suggestion to Coach Gruneisen in regards to some adjustments that I thought would help our defense. After listening, he said, "I don't want to do that." End of discussion, and that was fine with me. I understood he was the head coach. I am not sure that would go over as well in the 21st century. But, my Dad was a head football coach. I understand.... at the end of the day, the tough decisions are on him, and he will face the consequences for those decisions more than anyone else in our program. 

 

In closing....if you schedule South Warren (Brandon Smith) or Covington Catholic (Eddie Eviston), be ready. Those guys will have their teams ready to play. 

 

Reese Smith of WVU Football in our Athletic Complex w/ Tsunami Bar

 

 

 

 

 

Great points Coach. So old I remember you as an assistant at Paris. I always felt assistant coaches make suggestions....head coaches make DECISIONS. In my mid 50s served as assistant head coach to a 25 year old that had asked me to take that position.....after an extremely tough loss told her she could fire me, but if you don't do what I'm telling you when we walk in that locker room we're done. She listened....and we ended season in the fieldhouse regional final losing to a great Montgomery County team.