Parker Resources

Evaluating Your Program & Staff (long post) Early in the off-season, gather feedback from the coaching staff and evaluate the program and staff. Here is the process I used as a Head Football Coach... STEPS FOR PROGRAM & STAFF EVALUATION 1. Coach completes Evaluation 2. Post-Evaluation Conference 3. Follow-up informal conferences Step 1: COACH EVALUATION A week or two after our last game of the season, I sent out an evaluation to our coaches. We did this through Google Forms, but you could do it with pen/pencil or e-mail if that is your preferred method. This evaluation is comprehensive and consists of two parts: Program Evaluations and Individual Coach Self-Evaluation. Program Evaluation The coaches rate their opinion of our production on scale from 1-10 (10 being best). They also comment on what went well and what we need to work on within each of the following categories: ➢ Total Program ➢ Offense ➢ Defense ➢ Special Teams ➢ Strength & Conditioning ➢ Practice Schedule ➢ Game Day Schedule ➢ Scouting Schedule ➢ Sub-Varsity Teams ➢ Booster Club/Fundraising ➢ Academics/Character Ed ➢ College Recruiting ➢ Injury Prevention & Management ➢ Facilities & Equipment ➢ Community Relations ➢ Use of technology ➢ Player Intangibles Self-Evaluation Each coach is asked to answer the following questions honestly: ➢ How would you rate your ability as a coach to evaluate a player’s strengths and weaknesses? ➢ How would you rate your ability as a coach to know the scheme at your position? ➢ How would you rate your work ethic as a coach? ➢ What did you think were your strengths this year? ➢ What did you think were your weaknesses this year? ➢ What are some things you want to work on in the coming year? ➢ What are some things the Head Coach can do to help you in the coming year? A good football coach can evaluate players’ strengths and weaknesses, understand the scheme, and work extremely hard. I identified these 3 qualities as the basis for our coach self-evaluation. Each coach rates themselves on a 1-10 scale on these 3 traits. The Head Coach should also rate each coach on these and discuss any major discrepancies. Step 2: POST-EVALUATION CONFERENCE After completing the online evaluation, the coaches then schedule a time to meet with the Head Coach to review their responses. Also use this time to discuss any issues or ideas that either of you has for the coming year. Most of the conference time is spent focusing on the coach’s answers to the self-evaluation questions. The conferences follow this agenda: ✓ Discuss any unique answers they had to the Program Evaluation ✓ Discuss the answers to each question on the Self-Evaluation ✓ Discuss any notes or points the Head Coach needs to make ✓ Provide the opportunity for the Coach to ask the Head Coach questions We had great dialogue in these conferences and left with a renewed sense of purpose for the next season. Obviously, if you have a coach in need of a formal performance improvement plan, this can be the time for that as well. The Head Coach sets the tone in these conferences by listening and genuinely showing interest in what each coach has to say, while staying focused on the program's vision and mission and working toward improvement. Step 3: FOLLOW UP INFORMAL CONFERENCES The most important aspect of your coaching evaluation will be the follow-up process. This is where most people accidentally lose sight and end up making the same mistakes each year. I truly believe all coaches are trying to win, grow their program, and be successful. Sometimes ideas on paper don't translate to the field and the locker room. This is a struggle for everyone. Therefore, the Head Coach must constantly work to ensure the adjustments and positive improvements identified during the evaluation process are implemented. The Head Coach is responsible for holding everyone to the standards set in the post-evaluation conference. Example of Follow-ups: ✓ If most coaches wrote that the offense struggled on the goal line, ensure they are working on learning more options for goal-line offense. ✓ If you determine that a coach is going to work harder on his special teams’ responsibility, you must follow up and encourage him to do so as the season progresses. Don’t wait until the next evaluation and let it remain a key concern. ✓ If a coach says he wants to learn more about strength and conditioning training, get him signed up for a course and remind him of clinics in the area. When the calendar shifts from “off-season” to “in-season,” everyone gets busy, and it is easy to repeat mistakes. I recommend you read the notes from all evaluations at least once every 2 months. This helps you remember what was said and motivates everyone to keep working on those key improvement areas. Remember, most coaches want to work and succeed. Use their self-evaluation as a tool to help them become a better coach. When they become better coaches, the entire program improves!

**Giveaway** 2027 Football Coach Calendar & Planner (digital version). To enter, just be following & RT/like this post. Draw 1 winner on Tuesday. Get organized in 2027! See more or order here: - Hard Copy a.co/d/0bBwDBgE - Digital parkerresources.org/calendar…

Here is a form an Athletic Director can send to a Head Coach to complete after the season. This is great for data and initiating post-season conversations for growth. Maybe it can help someone out today.

Are you interested in doing a Mini-Clinic for @ParkerResources? Sign up for a time here: calendly.com/parkerresources… Check out all previous mini-clinics here: youtube.com/@parkerresources…

Advice to those interested in Head Football Coaching jobs: - The last coach probably wasn't as dumb as you think - Be self-aware - It's an honor to be considered - Fit & timing are everything Good luck to everyone trying to get promoted this coming offseason!

Today is my birthday. For my birthday, I wished for all political ads, texts, calls to cease within 48 hours. You all are welcome.

I'm asking for some feedback here.... This is usually when I start working on the Georgia HS Assistant Coaches of the Year. I've done this the last five years. I need to decide if I'm going to do this again. I'm writing my dissertation (almost done and officially a Dr.), I'm swamped at my real job, and trying to be there for my family. I'm genuinely torn about whether I should do the work it takes to make this list as accurate as possible. It will never be completely accurate, and each year it seems to irritate more people. Being busy is the main reason I haven't been as active, but it's also now been a while since I coached. Maybe @FiredCoaches or @CoachLamb1 could take it on and do a better job than me. I am open to suggestions. If you have an opinion on this, comment or DM me. I am honestly interested in what you think. I need to get started soon if I'm going to do this again.

Gunner Stockton was awesome on 3rd downs and UGA offensive line played very well. Congrats to the Dawgs, good win for them. You guys don’t have to blame Coach Bobo for anything this time. (Although some of you may blame him for gas prices, 9/11, JFK, etc. 🤣)

New/Young Coaches: It's great to want to be a coordinator or head coach. Spend your time learning and developing as a coach and not obsessing over getting the title. You want to be READY when you chance comes. Impatience ruins more coaching careers than anything.

7 things I wish I could change for coaches If I had 7 wishes to help my coaching friends, I would wish to change these things.... 1. College Recruiting. The "transfer portal", "covid year", and "NIL" have completely changed recruiting. None of this has helped the HS coach. The coach is getting the same pressure from parents with unrealistic expectations of scholarships that are fewer and further between. 2. Coach Entitlement. Coaches on their phone at practice, thinking they should be calling plays after they worked 1 year, etc. Few want to learn technique and take pride in being a good position coach. Few want to work the hours it takes to plan and organize. The best staffs are still not worried about titles and still working hard. There is a balance, but many coaches do not want to put the time in now. It takes what it takes to be successful. There are no shortcuts. 3. Parent Entitlement. Some parents have always been a struggle, but the parent behavior seems worse and worse each year. Many admin are scared to deal with it early and it grows and grows. Parents forget the coach is a person and attack the coach publicly, in-person, behind-their-back, on social media, and anywhere else. Coaches aren't perfect, but it is way too easy and too normal for parents to attack coaches for playing time issues. 4. Impatience. This applies to coaches, players, and parents. Most coaches do not want to wait for a promotion. Most players don't want to play on the JV and develop. Most parents don't want to wait to be the booster club president. Social media has been around a while, but the last several years it seems to have dominated people's minds. Everything is about attention and instant gratification. There is no instant gratification in a successful athletic program. 5. Lack of respect. This has been on the way down for years, but it's gotten worse the past few years. Players and parents struggle more now to respect the coach and give them the benefit of the doubt when issues arise. Assistant coaches should always keep the boss in the loop and they should ask the head coach, "Do you need anything else" before leaving. They should be on time, show up, sit in the front, be a part of the school, care about the place, etc. These were all common years ago, but now can set you apart. People reveal their level of respect when they don't get their way. 6. Hurt feelings. There is no tolerance for disagreement. Everything seems personal. There must be healthy debates, disagreements, and conflicts to achieve success. It is harder in the current climate than it has ever been. It's very difficult to be a coach and keep score when everything is sensitive and personal. 7. Coach-on-Coach Social Media Fights Coaches have always been at odds with administrators, parents, and more but it seemed like other coaches always had your back except when you were directly competing in a game. That day may be long gone, but I can wish for it to come back. Coaching is still a great profession. Working with kids is still worth it. This is why I spend most of my free time trying to develop coaches. Let's work to reverse as many of these trends as possible!

There is a real lack in situational football awareness on display lately. This may be the worst I have ever seen.

It is critical that an Athletic Director knows the answers to these questions. Here is a form I recommend if you don't have something like this. Maybe it can help someone out today.

Everyone wants to be the leader until they have to have the hard conversations and make the difficult decisions. Leadership is not easy.

The most successful defenses are great at the following: - Alignment - Tackling - 3rd/4th Downs It is likely that on most every TD your team gives up this year, there will be a key play on the drive where you either misaligned, missed a tackle, or gave up a key 3rd/4th down.

It is critical to be organized as an Athletic Director. Here is a calendar for meetings and major tasks. Maybe it can help someone get more organized today.

A common mistake leaders make is assuming everyone is as invested in success as them. You must set the tone with great effort. Keep in mind that your minimum effort will be their maximum effort. Raise the ceiling on your minimum and increase their maximum.

All coaches know special teams are important, but some capitalize on special teams to help win games more than others. Here are some tips that may help you improve your special teams.... 1. Find your player most likely to block the kick. It is likely not who you think. The person with the best stance and start on the day you tested 40-yard sprints may not be this person. They must be fast enough, but they must attack the ball and not flinch. If they have never blocked a kick in practice, it is highly unlikely they will block their first kick in a game. 2. Teach the difference between blocked kicks behind the line of scrimmage and blocks that go beyond the LOS. Kicks that stay behind the LOS are live and should be attacked to attempt to return for a TD. Blocked kicks that go beyond the LOS should be left alone. No "Leon Lett situations" 3. Punt Block may be more valuable than wall returns. With so many penalties occurring on good returns, it seems more impactful to go for the block as long as you have a good plan to practice blocks and limit the possibilities of roughing the punter. 4. Catch punts. You can go for the block, but get someone to at least fair catch. Line up your returner based on scouting and encourage him to field any punt possible. The hidden yardage lost by people being scared to catch punts is astronomical. 5. Always send at least one to block. Even if you want to play “safe” on a punt, send at least one player to block the punt. A bad or bobbled snap should never get off as a punt unless you allow it by sending no one. 6. Teach First Touching. If the ball is punted and the punt team downs it by just touching it and NOT picking it up, it is still live. If the returner picks the ball up before the whistle is blown, he can return it with “no negative consequences” 7. Work some fakes.  A properly timed fake punt is a great way to steal a possession and show your team you are confident in their abilities. Have a great fake and use it at the right time to avoid coaching scared. 8. Reward the "first man to the 20" on Kickoff Watch each kickoff and find some small reward for the first player that crosses the 20 yard line. This rewards effort and technique as they likely had to avoid and give great effort to be first. 9. Teach everyone to assume it's coming to them on Kick Return. Remind everyone on the team they should assume the ball will come to them until it does not. It is a fumble until it is secured. They all have a job that must be done, but before they can do this job they must ensure the ball is not kicked to them. Too many high school games change with a fumble on Kick return by someone other than the returner. 10. Figure out who makes the most tackles on their kickoff team. It seems the same people make most of the tackles. If you can block their leading tackler, you have a much better chance at success.