PAT NARDUZZI- CLINIC NOTES/OVER COVER 4

PAT NARDUZZI

I have been going to clinics for a long time now, and enjoy all of them that I go to, feeling that I am always learning something.  The AC Nike Clinic at the beginning of February proved to be the best one yet, for the simple fact that Coach Narduzzi is the single best clinic speaker I have seen to this point.
I think the ultimate compliment is this.....me and a few of my coaching brothers looked at each other as soon as it was finished and the resounding statements was, "Damn, I wish I could go back and play for that guy".   There are very few people I have seen, and as you can see from past posts I have seen alot, that left me feeling this way.

It is widely known that he keeps the scheme and adjustment simple, so that his players can play fast...but what really stuck out to me was his emphasis on technique.  For a long time now I have believed that technique trumps scheme a lot of the time, especially as a high school coach, and to hear his emphasis on it made me feel like I was doing something right.
Below are the notes I took, with a few other things mixed in.  I would love to start a conversation about it, so feel free to comment below.

Spartan’s Identity

·      SPARTAN DAWGS

·      “A focused group of vicious brothers, forever bonded together, to wreak havoc upon all oponents”

·      Core Values: Big Plays, Relentlessness, Swarming

·      Force Turnovers, Be Hungary, Have SWAG

**This is created by the players for their identity

Spartan DAWGS 2011 (I believe)

Defensive Philosophy

Defending the Run Game- Defensive Philosophy

·      Stop the Run- Build A Wall

o   Make offense one dimensional

o   Defend Opponents favorite runs in practice

·      FUNDYs

o   Coach the Little Things

·      SPEED

o   Evolution of the 4-3 Defense

·      KISS

o   So they play fast

o   No thinking

o   BONE HITS- Chart Big Hits

·      Disguise

o   Always look the same pre-snap

·      Zone-Blitz vs Man Blitz

o   Zone blitzing is safer and easier

BASE DEFENSE vs. 2x2 (OVER CVR 4)

PRINCIPLES OF BASE DEFENSE

·      Alignment Rules

o   Allow for easy adjustments

·      Nine Men in the Box

·      Bounce Inside Runs Out (Spill and Chase)

·      Make Outside Runs Cutback (Force)

·      DL

o   Attack and React

o   Get a great takeoff and work from there

·      LB

o   Key Read and Run

o   Read the “Guys that don’t lie”- Uncovered Players

·      Safeties

o   Read Key

o   Play Run to Pass

·      CBs

o   Press

o   Play great technique

WHY COVER 4?

·      Gets 9 Men in the BOX

·      Allows LBs to RUN

·      GREAT against Shotgun/QB Run

·      GREAT for Screens

·      Takes away all underneath throws

o   Forces LOW % throws

·      Easier to predict the release in WR routes

REASON FOR CB PRESS TECHNIQUE

·      Attacking Mentality

·      Forces a bubble in the WR release

·      Keeps the WR off safeties

o   Safeties are generally the force players

o   The inside press tech of the CB keeps WR from having clean crack on $ on their way down to play run

·      Forces throws to the opponents secondary WR

·      Easier to Coach

·      PLAYERS LOVE IT

·      Restricts the routes that a WR can run

o   WR can only run 5 routes against an inside technique press Corner

CORNER PLAY

·      Press the #1 WR

·      Align to the Inside Eye of WR

·      Shadow Tech

o   Shadow first step with inside foot

o   Give a little ground

o   Once WR breaks cushion, offhand JAM

·      Gives the Illusion of FULL PRESS

·      Routes CB will see

o   Fade

o   Hitch

o   Post/ Post Corner

o   Corner

·      Play Run Support 2^nd

Safety Play

·      9x2 of #2

o   Outside alignment if TE

o   Inside alignment if removed

·      Stick Feet (Flat foot read)

·      Read QB to #2 to #1

·      Vs. Trips play YO-YO  (trips side safety rock down, away safety MOF)

·      Beat the CRACK BLOCK

o   Read MUST be fast

·      Key the QB- “Key the guy that throws picks”

LB Play

·      Heels at 5

·      3 match LB (ILB) plays Out to Vertical

·      2 match LB (OLB) plays Out to Vertical to In

LBs/Safeties

·      LBs can run in the run game.  Attack read. Safeties have force and BCR/Windback

·      In PASS game, Safeties get help from LBs rerouting WR

vs. TRIPS

All-22 Michigan St. vs Illinois- 2013

Nick Saban Nike Clinic Notes- Corrected Version

 Nick Saban Nike Louisville Nike 2013 

What you do is important (as a coach):

-          Important for impact on players

-          Important for impact on the community

Everything you do is affecting someone, somewhere.     

Alabama’s Success and the “Process”

-          Have to have a foolproof systematic approach to what you do

-          1998, stopped talking about winning and instead focused on the “process”

-          Live in a results oriented society that puts additional pressure on players

-          Talk to players about a process they can relate to in order for them to be all they can be and not worry about winning and losing a game

-          Players should worry about effort, toughness, ability to execute, competition one play at a time without looking at the scoreboard

-          Don’t talk about winning championships, talk about being a champion

-          The other team is not the competition, they are a variable, the competition is to be all they can be

-          Players believe what they do will affect  the outcome of the game

-          DEFINE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION

-          Alabama strives to be a physically dominant team

-          You cannot dominate a team until the seventieth play of the game. You need to be doing something else the first 69 plays.  Keep a mindset to go towards that 70^th play

-          You win with the right kind of people. Get the right people on the bus in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus.

ON RECENT ARRESTS:

-          He and staff named “wrong guys” the week before, they happened to be the ones arrested.

-          The guy that won’t run down the field hard on scout coverage team is the same that will bring trouble to the team.

Pyramid of Success (from Wooden):

“Mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like mediocre people. Don’t let this dynamic coexist on your team.” Saban

-          The fountainbleu in Miami is the worst place to ever get your team ready for a game.

-          If your guys screw up send them home on the greyhound, not first class

-          Have a standard of excellence.

Setting Goals:

-Goals are not stats!! Stats are results!!

-Being an efficient route runner or technical blocker is a goal

- Expect achieving goals to be extremely difficult, then when it does become difficult, it will only be a speed bump and not a goal ender.

- Be positive about what you want to accomplish

Accountability:

If you have clearly defined expectations and an established standard then accountability is on the players.

Be a champion every day, not strive to win a championship.

Players Today:

-          Be careful what knowledge your players consume

-          Don’t suppose that they have positive role models or any at all.

-          Be a positive role model to them

-          Instant expectations set players up for failure (A Five Star Guy isn’t a five star guy first day of frosh year)

“Dumb players do dumb things, Smart Players seldom do dumb things, Which are you? – Parcells

Football- 3^rd and Short Coverages

Play Press Man most of the time, especially in 3^rd and Short situations.

Importance of knowing the difference between in phase and out of phase, and the difference in technique between the two.

3^rd and 5 playing soft zone is stupid, you will get beat for a first down.

Bump and run gives a 50-50 chance of making a play on the ball

Get the second step on the ground quick (Coaches the kick slide instead of the false step)

Stay square on the second step. Do not squat feet on move. Keep shoulders over toes.

One hand jam on middle of the field coverage.  Two hand jam will get you beat if he WR rips outside of you.

If you have someone over the top of you two hand jam is fine.

Jam him with the off hand of the direction he releases.

Teaches speed turn (baseball turn) on double move.