Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Coach’s Clinic — Quotes and Statements

Posted at 4:00pm — 4/7/2008

Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Coach’s Clinic — Quotes and Statements

Coach Rod talking at the clinic to the high school coaches:
The best part of job is teaching, the games are okay, but I love practices.
If you do not want to put in the extra work then get out of the game. If you do not love it, get out.
School smarts and football smarts are different.
Be demanding and do not let up.
Teach passion.
Conditioning is key.
You are here to get your work done.
His team tailors their schemes to the least-smartest player on the team. His schemes are simple because of that reason.
Summer workouts he tells the players they are voluntary, but so is your playing time.
Young athletes will respect the coach who makes him do what he will not do on his own.
He believes in teaching fast early and teaching fast increases the learning curve.
He believes in putting up pictures of great past players of your program (NFL, College, and High School) and those will look down upon your players in practice and strive to be like those players by having goals.
Too much F*CKIN* talking, not enough hitting.
His most difficult job it is not enough to work hard, you must work hard enough to win.

On kids respecting vs. fearing:
Fearing is easy, eventually getting a kid where they respect you and they will understand what you are doing, and want to do it.
The kids in are in good shape but nothing close to what they will be after the summer.
He makes a decision based on building a program not a team. What is best for the program is best for a team. What is best for a team not always best for the program.
He told the High School coaches the lifeblood of the Michigan program is his relationship with the High School coaches.

The Recruiting process:
With every kid, his film will be watched first by his recruiting coordinator, then the position coach, then the offensive or defensive coordinator, then by Coach Rod. All four have to sign off on a kid for him to be offered.
His job is to recruit the best student-athletes then develop them: in the weight room, as a player, in the classroom, with the social life, and spiritually as well.

Coach Barwis:
Telling a story about one of the players about one of the first times working with the balls “These balls are stupid coach” and Barwis commented, “They are not stupid your just pissed off you cannot do it.”
Lifting is very important, but is not the only thing we do. Being Mr. Atlas will not make you a very good football player, but a guy that is strong, flexible, quick, etc. will beat the strong guy every time because being on the football field is about being balanced.
Said that Olympic lifting is only twenty percent of what they do. Therefore, he was telling the high school programs that you could do almost everything that the Michigan program does without spending a lot of money. Talking about going to Wal-Mart and getting, an exercise ball, ropes, weighted balls (like medicine balls) and not even pay $50.00.
If your players are willing to come in early or stay after practice and you do not have the time then you need to get out of the game because you need players willing to do the extra things and if you are not willing to do that as well get out of football.
We become what we do.

Coach Shafer:
This looks like an F*CKI** pillow fight, get aggressive and hit people.
Forty times do not mean anything – technique can outweigh speed.
Forty percent pressure we will bring.
Out number the offenses. They add a blocker we add a defender.
If they have “3 bigs” meaning other positions besides the offensive line that can block (TE and two RB’s) we will have nine men in the box. If they have “2 bigs” (RB and TE) we will have eight man in the box. If they have “1 big” (RB and no TE) we will have seven men in the box.
We are going to be a simple defense, but don’t take that as being a basic defense. We are going to be aggressive, attacking, and apply pressure.
Hell I will tell the offense what we will do. All they will be able to see what we are going to do all they need to do is out work us and out play us.

Coach Magee:
Create mismatches with faster quicker players such as scat backs, slot receivers, and running backs in the passing game against linebackers.
Get ball in play-makers hands (touches).
Think of the player not the play.
Shotgun makes it easier for the quarterback to make easier reads.
Make the defense defend all skill players.
Make defense play in space.
Keep it simple for the offensive line.
Make defense defend entire field.
Play multiple tempos.
Make quarterback a run and pass threat (dual threat quarterback).
Execution makes the offense simple, but not predictable.
Execute your base plays and practice repetition while getting better.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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