Allen starts out with the premise that small changes yield big results. This won me over because after 24 years of being a Head Football Coach I did not want a complete overhaul. I wanted a tune-up.

The Open Loop Concept – anything that requires your attention is an open loop. It could be ending world hunger or installing a light bulb. So the key is how you manage your action. What can you do NOW to close your loop? The key is to get started – taking action reduces stress. The thing you must do is get all your loops out in front of you. Then make lists of what must be done and how each loop can be closed.

The Five Stage Process
1. Collect – an inbox is a simple way to collect. Collect then empty.
2. Process – Getting the inboxes empty. Can you take action on this? If “no” then trash it. If “yes” then what? Do, Delegate or Defer.
3. Organize – if you can do it in less than 2 minutes do it. A project is anything that takes more than one step. A project goes to the Calendar. #1 Specific actions,#2 day/time specific, #3 Day specific information required.
4. Review – review at appropriate intervals. Weekly reviews are the keys to success. Gather & process stuff – close loops. Tie up loose ends.
5. DO – purpose of workflow is to make good choices. Intuitive choices go from hoping to trusting.
This simple 5 step process is a great tool for un-cluttering your mind and thus reduces stress.

Allen’s purpose of the book is to provide stress – free productivity. Cleaning the clutter on your desk is another component of David Allen’s system. I am one of the biggest culprits in this area. But I picked up some key tips from this book.
1.Get a new filing cabinet.
2.Use a label maker to mark your files. (It’s fun)
3.Take & file notes. I am by nature a voracious note taker. I never rely on my memory.
4.Have materials available and a good size work space.
5.Never keep reference material not being used on your desk. This was a biggie for me.
6.Keep your file drawer less than ¾ s full. Easier to get files in & out.
7.Customize Your System for yourself.

Two other great tips are – Stress is caused by surprises – the more organized you are the fewer surprises you have. And interruptions don’t interfere with your job the ARE your job.

To sum up Allen’s workflow process:
1.Put Stuff in your inbox.
2.Is it actionable? If no the Trash it. If yes move forward.
3.What’s the Action? Project, Plans or DO (2 minute rule)
4.If no 2 minute magic then either delegate or defer.
5.If you delegate – you wait. If you defer give it a spot on your calendar & decide on the next action. Be Specific.
6.Follow up with weekly review.

Getting Things Done is a quick read (less than 200 pages) simple but extremely worthwhile. I recommend it for football coaches but also to anyone who feels that they are constantly swimming upstream. Everyone wants to simplify their lives and still be productive, David Allen shows you how.

Two other excellent Time Management Books are: 1st Things 1st by Stephen Covey and Time Management for Busy Executives by Lawrence Fine.

The Eagle Defense with 1/4, 1/4, 1/2 coverage is his base defense. It’s the best run defense vs. a 2 back attack because it puts 9 in the box. Obviously, the first objective is to stop the run. Coach Vanderlinden details the coverage adjustment vs. various formations – checking to Cover III vs. trips, or playing Twins in Cover III or an overloaded Cover II. He goes into a variety of Zone Blitzs to pressure the Quarterback without putting your secondary in Man coverage, although he also has some interesting Man coverage stunts. The Eagle Defense is a gap control defense with the entire front responsible for one gap so it is very simple to play.

The Stack Defense can be a 43 or 44. The 43 is Jimmy Johnson’s Defense which also puts nine in the box against the run. The 44 is basically Tampa Two with one of the Safeties coming up into the box. So the 44 is played with Cover III.
Coach Vanderlinden does a great job explaining Cover IV (Quarters) and how effective it is against the run and how it really helps vs. four verticals. Coach V also goes into the strength and weakness of every front and coverage. In addition he shows how to fill the gaps against common run plays from every front and coverage.

Coach Vanderlinden also shows the Evolution of his defense since joining the Penn State staff. The 443 Stack became PSU’s base Defense in 2004. They still use Eagle vs. 2 back or 2 Tight End sets but they feel the 44 Stack gives them more flexibility.

This book also does a great job describing the techniques and drills for every position in detail.
I think this book is a great addition to a coach’s library whether he’s a defensive coach or an offensive coach. You can purchase it at Coaches Choice (see my links section) – it’s a good investment.

When you think of great football coaches, the name Vince Lombardi will always come to mind. As a matter of fact if you think of great coaches Vince Lombardi’s name is there. Come to think of it if you think of great leaders again you think of Vincent T. Lombardi. So a book about Vince Lombardi’s principles by Vince Jr. has to be on your reading list.

This book was a pleasant surprise because it wasn’t written by Vince Sr. but Vince Jr. does his Dad proud. What It Takes To Be # 1 is a great read with a tremendous insight into the core beliefs of a legendary coach. It is a well organized text written with a leader in mind.

Some of my favorite parts of the book deal with specific “Lombardi Rules”. For example The Lombardi Leadership Model:
1.Know Yourself – self-knowledge is essential.
2.Build Your Character – character needs to be built & nurtured. “The difference between big men and little men is strength of will” Lombardi.
3.Earn Your Stripes – a leader must earn the right to lead. No leader can continue to lead unless he wins battles. Lombardi did not have an easy path to greatness – he paid his dues. Today our society is enamored with resumes, networking and hot to get a job and moving up the ladder without really learning how to do the job. Malcom Gladwell in his best selling book, The Outliers, deals with what he calls the 10,000 hour rule which is all about paying your dues for success.
4.Think Big Picture – the major objective can never change. Have a vision and stay the course. Set the example. Develop high standards and then embody those standards. Know what a great team should look like. One of my favorite quotes is “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing” I don’t know the author but it really hits the nail on the head. I see many teams and organization bounce from trend to trend, buzz word to buzz word, constantly changing direction looking for magic bullets and never ever getting it done. Some organizations idea of a long term strategy is changing the lunch menu, every day. Every time you change a system or a philosophy you lose all the banked reps you accumulated in the old system and are starting all over again. Lombardi’s system worked whether Frank Gifford, Paul Hornung, or Larry Brown was running the “Lombardi Sweep”.
Stay the course, adjust and adapt but keep the core in tact.
5.Leaders Are Made Not Born – leadership grows from self knowledge, character, integrity, competence and vision. Study the great leaders; learn from those who have done it. It takes time to develop these qualities, sometimes it takes a lifetime to become an over-night success.

This book touches on many other lessons from Lombardi and of course deals with the Lombardi Mantra – The Commitment to Excellence. The basis of that commitment is the daily discipline of striving and driving for excellence in all you do. The Commitment to Excellence has been the most inspiring part of Vince Lombardi for here was a man that truly “walked his talk”.

I strongly recommend What It Takes To Be #1 to anyone in any type of leadership role. But if you are a football coach I would suggest this as reading material prior to pre-season camp. This book is also out on CDs and can be listened to when taking that vacation trip.

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius was a book written to himself from his heart. It was advice he was giving to himself. It was like a journal or a self-help book for himself. As a result you’re treated to the most intimate thoughts of this great emperor.

One of the principle beliefs of Marcus was: The Present Moment is all you have. I reviewed Spencer Johnson’s book The Present earlier which was devoted entirely to this principle. Marcus trained himself to focus his total awareness on the present and turning away from the future and the past. He said”Discard everything except these few truths: we can only live in the present moment, in this brief now; all the rest of life is dead and buried or shrouded in uncertainty.” This is great advice for any coach worrying about a future opponent or the rankings etc.

Another bit of timely advice is to look at things without judgments. Never harbor resentment, accept things that come your way as part of life. Concern yourself less with what you have and more on what you are. Be true to yourself and concern yourself only on what you can control. No coach even the great Vince Lombardi was in control of winning or losing. A coach is ONLY in control of preparing his team to be in the best position possible to win.

Marcus also had some other sound coaching wisdom. Never blame anyone other than yourself. Always give gratitude but never expect it. Stop talking about what a good person should be and just become one. These are wise coaching lessons that have been used by many of great coaches.

“The Warrior Spirit” – don’t think about other people unless it’s to help them. Keep the mind from wondering toward malice. It should be clear to all that you are not about envy. A warrior overcomes desire, has a deep love for justice, and accepts with all his soul all that happens to him. He never craves approval. WOW is that something we all can reflect on.

The Fortress of the Mind – your mind is invincible when it draws into itself and calmly refuses to act against its will. The mind freed from passion is a fortress in which to retreat. Your inner truth is to be true to yourself.

Carpe Diem – make today special. Don’t concern yourself with malicious slander, it will pass. Replace the fear of death with the fear of not using life. Think of yourself as already dead and you’ll have nothing to fear.

I must admit I originally pursued this book because my wife, Joanne, was a Latin major and taught high school Latin, but I came away from the book with pages of valuable coaching advice. Mark Foster does a great job of making this book enjoyable to non-Latin readers. You don’t have to be a Latin scholar or history major to extract numerous coaching and leadership tenets from this book. I would strongly urge you to give it a try.

In 1988 I had the good fortune of coaching with a young coach by the name of Amos Jones who had played for Coach Bryant (the only way Amos referred to his former coach was Coach Bryant), his devotion to Coach Bryant was so strong I started to study his biographies and things written by or about him. The best book about Coach Bryant that I’ve come across is The Last Coach by Allen Barra. Barra, a writer for the Wall Street Journal gives a great account of a great man’s life.

Barra traces Paul Bryant’s life from literally the bottom up. Paul was born in poverty in Fordyce, Arkansas and used football to get an education at the University of Alabama. From there he became a coach and the rest is history. His coach Frank Thomas had a positive influence on Bryant especially in his motto: The Team is more important than any player. Bear suspended two of his best players Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler for thinking they were bigger than the team.

Barra does an interesting comparison between Vince Lombardi and Paul Bryant. Both used tough blue-collar, over-achievers to build their programs. Both stressed Defense first, and emphasized controlling the ball on offense. And of course both were fanatical about physical and mental toughness. Another interesting note is both were fired as an assistant coach. Lombardi was fired at Fordham University and Bryant was fired by Red Saunders at Vanderbilt. Also both were born in 1913. They were turn-around artists and were believers in discipline as the foundation of the program.

Bear’s first Head Coaching position was at the University of Maryland and it lasted one year. When the school’s President re-instated a player that Bear had kicked off, Bear was off to The University of Kentucky. Maryland 5-8 in previous two years went 6-2-1 in Brant’s one year.

At UK, Bear turned his second program around by recruiting a large number of talented athletes and letting them fight it out to see who played. Toughness was the name of the game. UK Finished 5-3-1 in year one and had a win over Red Saunders at Vandy. In year two Bear led the Wildcats to a 9-2 record and a trip to the Orange Bowl. 1950 was a defining moment for the 37 year old Bear leading UK to an 11-1 record and they upset Bud Wilkinson’s OU Sooners in the Sugar Bowl 13-7. In 1951 and 1952 UK went 13-8-1 and Bryant felt he had hit a ceiling. !953 saw UK go 7-2-1 and it was time to move on.

The story of “the Junction Boys” has been well documented but it was far from Bryant’s best work. In 1954 Texas A &M won only one game but The Bear established that foundation for toughness that would pave the way for big things. He built the team around John David Crow and went 7-2-1 in year #2. Bear was at A&M for four years and had a record of 25-14-2.

Back at Alabama Bear Bryant became a superstar coach. TV was becoming popular and college football was made for it. Bryant turned “Bama around in typical Darwinesque fashion – only the strong survive. Get his guys and outwork and outhit the opponent.

Weed out the weak and work with what’s left. Football is a tough game that can only be won by tough people. Total commitment was demanded.

!959 saw the Tide go 7-2-2 and the turnaround complete in only year two. Bryant stacked one great recruiting class after another and won the National Championship in 1961 in only his fourth year. Bear went on to win the National championship in 1964 and 1965. The Tide finished undefeated in 1966 but was 3rd behind Notre Dame and Michigan State who finished 9-0-1. Bear had reached Legend Status.

In the late 60s Bear hit a slump and had two 6-5 seasons before reviving his career with two key factors: The Wishbone and integration. Bear was a strong supporter of integrating the Bama football team and in 1970 that was accomplished. Bear also switched to the Wishbone in 1971 and had the finest offensive production of his career. In his first 3 years in the Bone, Bear was 43-1! Bear felt the Bone gave him an advantage because he was not recruiting the same type of people as everyone else. Bear also thought the Bone was a great Passing Offense because of the one on one matchups. So Bear threw the ball more effectively than the other option coaches of the day. Bear also liked the Bone because it was an unselfish offense. Everyone had to block.

The Last Coach is a fascinating book about a football coaching legend. Allen Barra is a thorough writer who digs deeper than most into the life of Bear and not just the legend. I strongly recommend this book. Coach Bryant turned around four football programs and hundreds of lives.

The Five Dysfunctions of Team is a fable about a CEO in charge of turning around a sagging company. The new CEO’s first order of business was to get all on the same page. She started by observing and absorbing the situation. She then started a series of off-sight retreats to get the team pulling in the same direction. She used a pyramid model to explain the Five Dysfunctions. They were as follows:

1. Absence of Trust – the base of the model was the absence of trust. Lack of trust stymies discussion and debate so there isn’t much creativity going on. No creativity means no growth and no “buy in”. When people are not listened to, they never take ownership.
2. Fear of Conflict – is the second level of the pyramid. Fear of conflict prevents bad behavior from being corrected. To turn any program around you have to establish the creed that” Everything is Important” – details are the difference. Whether you study Vince Lombardi, Bear Bryant or Joe Paterno, they all were stickler for details. If you worry about being liked, details will start to slip and before you realize it, you’re losing.
3. Lack of Commitment – is the third level of the pyramid. Great teams unite behind a decision because all have been given a voice. A leader must be decisive and never fear being wrong. A leader must be willing to trust his intuition to make tough choices.
4. Avoidance of Accountability – is the fourth dysfunction. The great leader must be willing to challenge the team members and call them out when their performance doesn’t meet expectations. It’s always easier to over-look sub par performances rather than to confront them. Simple evaluations and performance reviews are a must for team growth.
5. Inattention to Results – is the final dysfunction. This is the ultimate dysfunction – to care about your agenda rather than the team goals. Like Larry Byrd once said “Some guys put up numbers and some guys win championships.” Whenever an individual places more importance on “his touches” than winning; then he has to go.

This book is not only informative but directly relates to the team-building every coach is faces. In a culture of the “ESPN Moment” and the media glamorization of the showboat and loudmouth, building team values may be the most difficult challenge facing coaches today. I strongly recommend The Five Dysfunctions of Team as a tool to help you with the process.

This book is a great source of insight for a coach at ANY level, and also can be valuable to any leader putting together a cost/effective organization. The Education of a Coach takes its place right next to Bill Lewis’ book Moneyball as the manual to get the most with the least. Develop a system that will allow you to compete successfully against those with superior resource.

Halberstram explores the influences that led to the Super Bowl coach we know today starting with his father Steve. Steve Belichick was a college coach who taught young Bill the value of scouting and how to study film. Steve’s philosophy was “make your opponent play left-handed”. He passed the idea that the team always comes first and discipline was not taught but lived. Steve taught Bill the value of hard work and there were no shortcuts to success.,

Al Davis, the long-time Oakland raider boss, passed on the importance a developing a system that utilizes SPEED. Davis was ahead of his time with his emphasis on speed. The 34 Defense put the most speed on the field.

Perhaps the biggest football influence on Belichick was Bill Parcells. Parcells won two Super Bowls with the Giants and took two other teams to the Super Bowl. Belichick was a major part of Parcells success. The Parcells Doctrine was as follows:

1. Bring in new blood. Attitude is everything. Get rid of negativity.
2. Build the defense first. Lawrence Taylor was the key to the defense.
3. Control the tempo and the pace of the game – protect your defense. The Giants beat the Buffalo Bill’s high-powered Red Gun Offense in the Super Bowl by slowing the game tempo to a crawl.
4. Have YOUR guys around you. Bring in high work ethic guys and get rid of lazy ones. Discipline and character count.
5. Eliminate turnovers and penalties.
6. Yards per attempt is the most important passing stat but you must be able to run the ball when everyone knows you are going to run it.

The Patriots were Belichick’s second Head Coaching stint. He was fired from the Browns but by the time he came to New England, he and Scott Pioli developed “The Patriot Way” Scott Pioli was a key piece to this development.

1. Only bring in work ethic guys. Bring in guys who love the game.
2. The Montana Factor – the key to being a genius is the QB position. He must make winning decisions. Tom Brady is great decision maker and doesn’t turn the ball over.
3. Everything must be earned. There are no entitlements. Practice is important and off season conditioning must be competitive.
4. Keep opponents out of the end zone – force field goal attempts. Conversely, score touchdowns in the Red Zone.
5. Rebuild the roster based on price/production. Have a solid system of evaluation. Always evaluate and re-evaluate your roster.
6. Develop depth in the defensive line; you must always keep these guys fresh.
7. You must be able to control the clock.
8. Take away the opponent’s bread and butter. Create doubt in the mind of the QB
9. Always practice with a sense of urgency. Preparation is critical to success.

Belichick strongly believes in eliminating the virus of “I deserve…” and uses the entire off season to upgrade the roster. Team, team, team is Belichick’s theme. The single most important job of a Head Coach is to get the players to believe what you say and to keep that belief during tough times – keep doing what he tells us and we’ll win. Either get the players to believe or GET players who believe.

This is a great read and a valuable coaching and management resource, I highly recommend it. The Education of a Coach will add a positive influence to your coaching background.

The Powell Principles by Oren Harari is not autobiographical but delves into the Principles that Colin Powell lived by. It is an easy read and a great book for coaches, teachers or anyone in a leadership position.

The following are the 24 Principles outlined in the book:

1. Promote a Clash of Ideas – debate and discussion produce new and fresh ideas.
2. Be prepared to “piss” people off – the goal is to be effective not liked.
3. Establish Trust – trust is essential for credibility.
4. Walk the Talk – do as I do.
5. Pick the Right People – seek talent and values not just a resume’.
6. Listen – be an active listener; use every means necessary to communicate.
7. Be Vigilant in Details – mastery of details lead to better execution of the campaign.
8. Be a Disorganizer – complacency leads to mediocrity. Always look to be better.
9. Check Your Ego at the Door –
10. Let Change Lead to Growth – great leaders direct change.
11. Seek Consensus but Don’t Be Ruled By It –
12. Fit no Stereo-types – no one way is the right way.
13. Simplify – effective leaders take the complex and render it into something graspable.
14. Let the Situation Dictate Strategy – avoid one size fits all mentality. Don’t fight yesterday’s war today.
15. Push the Envelope – no guts no glory.
16. Close with the Enemy – execution matters, a plan is only as good as the zeal to execute.
17. View People as partners – every job is important.
18. Challenge the Pros – disagree without being disagreeable.
19. Don’t Rely on Charts and Titles – leadership is about influence.
20. Trust those in the Trenches – cultivate a spirit of initiation.
21. Make Optimism a Priority – perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
22. Have Fun in your Command – enjoy yourself.
23. Strive for Balance – do your work and then go home.
24. Prepare to be Lonely – being in command can be lonely.

This is a brief summary of the 24 Powell Principles. I recommend this book and also Powell’s autobiography. General Powell’s performance during the Gulf War (Desert Storm) exemplified the principles that Oren Harari writes about in his book: The Powell Principles. Colin Powell ideas for leadership have great relevance in the world of college football and would be of interest to any coach or administrator.

The 2009 Coach of the Year Clinic Manual was exceptional and is worth getting. There were many exceptional lectures including Dick Anderson’s article on PSU’s counter run and play action pass, Mark Dantonio’s piece on Quarter coverage, Monte Kiffin’s lecture on Tampa 2 and many others that are very informative and guaranteed to stimulate some thinking.

One article I enjoyed was Paul Johnson’s lecture on the Spread Option Attack. Paul Johnson is a MASTER of the Option and does a great job explaining his version. This is a must read for anyone interested in the Option. I would suggest that Jim Peterson send this article to some of the ESPN crowd so they don’t sound so stupid when talking about option football.

Another excellent article is on The Zone Read Option by Chip Kelly. The job Chip has done at Oregon is truly outstanding. Mark May was calling for his head after his 1st game but has come out of it smelling like a “Rose”. Kelly does a great job explaining the Ducks inside & outside Zone Read package. One of his coaching points is “Fast through the hole, not to the hole”.

Mark Richt always has interesting information and the 2009 Clinic Manual he does a nice job describing the Bulldogs 3 & 5 step passing game. His “run it” route is a great is a great answer to press man/free coverage. The receiver gets off the jam bursts downfield for 8 yards then “hits the brakes and turns back for the ball.” The QB takes 3 quick steps in the gun & delivers the ball.

Skip Holtz also has a nice piece on the passing game. He says “the Quick Game levels the field” – I strongly believe the Option & the Quick Pass in combination are an underdog’s best friend. This idea was the hub of the Triple Gun Offense.

Larry Fedora of Southern Miss does a nice job explaining his high percentage passing game and balancing the run and the pass. Though not an “option coach” Fedora likes to run the Speed Option from the gun 4 or 5 times per game to keep the defense honest. He also does a good job discussing the “double scat route” as a high percentage throw.

There are many, many ideas in this manual and there is every year. Regardless of what offense or defense you run there is always a little something to ad a little “spice to your sauce”. I would recommend getting the new Coach of the Year Clinics Manual every May – it’s a winner.

Gladwell discusses an undersized, under-talented girl’s basketball team of twelve year olds. The coach had to develop a strategy that could give his underdogs the best chance of winning. He thought about how David slew Goliath. He surprised him by attacking him, he used an unconventional weapon, and he followed up on his advantage.

He decided the David’s of the world have a chance if they don’t play by Goliath’s rules. So he decided on a full court press all game. His team had remarkable success.

Gladwell talks about T.E. Lawrence better known as Lawrence of Arabia using unconventional tactics to defeat the Turks during WWI. Raiding the Turks and using hit and run tactics overcame military superiority. Doing the unexpected gives the underdog a chance.

There are other examples in this essay about the David’s victories over the Goliaths. Every football coach has had to deal with a Goliath.

The Birth of the Triple Gun Offense

In the spring of 1999 while at Washburn University we had to come up with a strategy that was unique and would allow us to compete with the larger and more talented programs in our conference. We decided to run the triple option from the shotgun. After a tough start the team embraced the new offense and that fall we had the best season that Washburn had had since joining NCAA Division II. We set all the school’s offensive records and Triple Gun was a major part of our team’s success.

In 2005 we installed the Triple Gun at The University of Charleston and we had the biggest turn around in conference history finishing 8-3. In the 5 years we have been at UC, our record is 37 – 18. In 2009 we finished ranked 19th in the nation. We have also set all of UC’s offensive records.

The same principles that David used to kill Goliath, that Lawrence of Arabia used against the Ottoman Empire and that the coach of the girls basketball team used to win a championship are used in the Triple Gun. They are:

1. Don’t play by Goliath’s rules. Change the game. Do something unique that is tough to prepare for.
2. Think outside the box. If you do what everyone else does you have to be better than everyone else. But you can always be THE BEST at YOUR system.
3. Do the unexpected. Be unpredictable. To do this you must have a diverse and flexible scheme. Your scheme must be able to adapt in an instant.
4. Practice and play with relentless effort. Relentless effort trumps talent. David must work harder than Goliath. He must be better prepared.

The last factor of The Triple Gun is that you recruit players that don’t fit in Goliath’s offense. It’s a great scheme for “unwanted talent”. This is similar to the “Moneyball” principle used by Billy Beane in building the Oakland A’s on a small budget. In 2009 our QB was only 5’7” but led the nation in pass efficiency & scored 23 TDs. He has been 1st team all conference for 2 years. Our best running back was only 5’8” but averaged 10 yards a carry. Great players are often overlooked because they don’t fit Goliath’s template. This gives David a HUGE recruiting advantage because he doesn’t compete against Goliath in the recruiting wars. Players that fit in The Triple Gun don’t fit in standard offenses.

In conclusion I would recommend looking up Malcolm Gladwell’s essay, and would certainly recommend any of his other books. Also don’t be afraid to be different or to use your imagination, just think if the Wright brothers didn’t think man could fly – we would never have lost luggage.