W e want to thank both Bob Lichty and
the AFCA for the opportunity to
share some of our ideas with you. Our cur -
rent organizational structure is the result of
constant evolution over the last 27 years.
We began to develop this plan in 1972 at
Oceanside High School. We basically uti-
lized a complete two-platoon system.
Having had a junior varsity head coach
that was more concerned with his record than
with developing players for varsity competi-
tion, the decision was made to never again
have a head junior varsity coach, once he
quit coaching. As such, when he left our staff,
we reorganized so as to have one coaching
staff for all 10th , 11th and 12th graders. Much
like a college staff, in that each coach was a
position coach on offense or defense.
When we practiced, the offensive
coaches worked with the varsity, the defen-
sive coaches worked with the junior varsity
and the players would switch coaches so
that the coaches are required to coach
everything twice, once with the varsity and
then again with the junior varsity. The major
difference from most programs is that the
varsity has to scout themselves and the
junior varsity scouts themselves. The junior
varsity is never “cannon fodder” for the var-
sity. The primary advantage to this type of
organization is that each player is coached
at his position by the same person, the
same way for three years.
Our coaching is much more consistent
and the journeyman players are more pro-
ductive as seniors. Also, we bring up sopho-
mores for the playoffs so they can step right
in and play because they have been
coached exactly the same all year as the var-
sity players. Our policy is not to keep a
sophomore on the varsity unless he is a
starter. Since the players are being coached
the same everyday, we want them to get
playing-time experience. Very often by sea-
son’s end, some of our sophomores are bet-
ter than our marginal varsity players and may
actually play ahead of them in the playoffs.
Primary Consideration
of Practice Planning
1. Must be organized — head coach
must coach the coaches.
2. Everyone must be totally prepared.
3. Talk in meetings — do on the field;
coach on the run.
4. Must have an up-tempo practice
mode.
5. Adhere to strict time blocks — no
“one more play.”
• Proceedings • 77th AFCA Convention • 2000 •
6. Can only work two-deep in group and
team periods (max reps).
7. Structure accommodates the two-
Wildcat Staff and Practice
Organization
way player; one-way players get double
periods, but must work on scout teams.
8. Demand a positive approach in all
areas.
9. Be consistent.
10. Pay close attention to details and
demand perfection in execution.
11. Relate everything to game situa-
tions, even conditioning.
12. Make sure all players know coach-
es’ expectations; Set high team, group and
individual goals; Coaches have checklists.
We usually have an inter-school scrim-
mage on the second Saturday of pre-season.
On Wednesday of that week, our staff holds
a personnel draft using these guidelines:
Head coach selects the center, quarter-
back, runningbacks, and wide receivers for
the offense. The defensive staff selects and
entire defense and the offensive staff
selects remaining personnel.
Staff Breakdown
Head coach
Quarterback coach (passing coordinator)
Runningback coach Herb Meyer
Wide receiver coach
Tight end coach Head Coach
Offensive line coach
Offensive assistant El Camino High School
Defensive coordinator
Defensive line coach Oceanside, Calif.
Outside linebacker coach
Inside linebacker coach
Defensive back coach
Administrative assistant
On campus, full-time certified trainer
Strength and conditioning coach
Equipment man
Since we play double-headers on Friday
nights, all of our coaches must work both
games. The receivers coach acts as the
junior varsity offensive coordinator and our
defensive back coach acts as the junior
varsity defensive coordinator. The head
coach and defensive coordinator handle
the varsity squad.
Another thing we do is to assign an
assistant as the head coach for each of our
special teams:
Quarterback Coach: Punt Protection &
Coverage.
Defensive Coordinator: Punt Rush &
Return.
Inside Linebacker Coach: Kickoff
Coverage.
 Runningback Coach: Kickoff Return. • Switch - Offense & Defense (rope/gauntlet (each 2 minutes)); 2) junior
Receiver Coach: PAT & Field Goal. • Conditioning varsity has three tackling stations; a) head
Offensive Line Coach: Rambo Offense on, b) angle, and c) reaction (each 2 min-
(Short Yardage & Goalline). Wednesday utes). On Wednesday, the varsity goes to
The head coach of each special team is 1:50 p.m.: Study hall tackling stations and the junior varsity goes
responsible to: select two assistant coach- 2:30 p.m.: Weight lifting to agility stations. The team check is an
es to work with him; select his eleven 3:30 p.m.: Staff meeting alignment, recognition and 3-step reaction
starters, and five substitutes; establish all 4 p.m.: Practice — Same as Tuesday drill. On Tuesday, the varsity works on
phases of play and practice routine (film offense while on Wednesday they work on
study); control game substitutions. Thursday defense and opposite for junior varsity.
In our weekly practice routine, we will 2:15 p.m.: Practice — Pre-game stretch When we go to offensive/defensive
work team kicking in the following • Pre-game individual group blocks, our “one-way” players work
sequence: • Pre-game 7 on 7 in their group and then become a scout
Monday: Extra point & field goal. • Pre-game blocking, tackling, team player for the opposite group. This provides
Tuesday: Kickoff cover and kickoff work us with much better scout team reaction
return, Rambo. • Kicking circuit than going against our third or fourth team
Wednesday: Punt cover and punt • Scripted defense members. Our “two-way” players will work
return, Rambo. • Scripted offense one period on offense and then one period
Thursday: Kicking circuit (all phases by on defense. While we would like to be a
situations). Friday two-platoon team, we usually have two to
Our typical practice week: 1:50 p.m.: Meeting four players who go both ways. Often,
Saturday • Movie starters on one side of the ball will be back-
8 a.m.: Coaches meet. • Meal ups on the other side. In our pre-season
9 a.m.: Players stretch & run, check • Meet or Bus games, we always start 22 different play-
for injuries. 5 p.m.: Watch first half of J.V. game ers, giving the defensive staff the first
9:45 a.m.: Watch Friday game tape choice of personnel. This forces our coach-
- Va r s i t y / J r. Varsity O & D, then switch. Tuesday / Wednesday Breakdown es to work with more people and develop
11a.m.: Coaches meet — players of the 12 min.: Stretch depth. Once our league season begins, we
game, injuries, practice week etc. Watch 10 min.: Specialty will play our best players even if it means
next opponent. Exchange tapes. Develop 18 min.: Team kick players starting both ways.
preliminary game plans; scouting report 11 min.: Cats period A Good Coach is a Great Teacher
information 6 min.: Tackling & agility stations Be Honest
5 min.: Team check Be Consistent
Sunday 60 min.: Group Period One Be Demanding
Head coach and defensive coordinator Varsity defense & J.V. offense Be Sound Fundamentally
compile scouting report 15 min. Individual Be Enthusiastic
15 min. 7 on 7; 5 on 5 Be Positive
Monday 3 / 3: RB, TE and WR Show That You Care
1:50 p.m.: Scout report meeting 9 7 on 7
2:45 p.m.: Practice
• Stretch.
10 min. 9 on 7, 1 on 1
20 min. Team Adjust Your
• Specialty period. 60 min: Group Period Two
• Team kicking. Varsity offense & J.V. defense Calendar Now
• 15/15 Individual Offense and Defense. We expect to “coach on the run” which
• 15/15 Team Offense and Defense. means that all coaches have to do their So You Can
• Weight lifting. talking in meetings so that players get max-
imum reps on the field. This requires us to Attend the 2001
Tuesday script all the segments of practice so that
1:50 p.m.: Meeting we can maintain an up-tempo pace. While AFCA
2:45 p.m.: Practice we try to work all players during the individ-
• Stretch
• Specialty
ual periods, everyone must work both ways
in individual periods. When we go to group
Convention in
• Team kick
• CATS period
and team work, we only rep two-deeps. We
stretch everyone together so that our spe-
Atlanta,
Defensive Block
Individual
Offensive Block
Individual
cialty period has a station for every player
on the team. After team kick, our “CATS
Georgia
7 on 7; 5 on 5
9 on 7; 1 on 1
7 on 7; 5 on 5
9 on 7; 1 on 1
period” has two phases; 1) varsity has
three agility stations; a) 7-man sled drills, b)
January 7-10
Team Team violent running drills, and c) running

• Proceedings • 77th AFCA Convention • 2000 •