The Football Coaching Podcast with Joe Daniel

Learn how to defend the spread option without rebuilding your defense for one opponent. Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how umbrella run fits naturally account for the dive, quarterback, and pitch, how simple tags can influence option reads, and how to prepare your scout team to give defenders realistic looks without trying to perfectly recreate the opponent's offense.

Learn how to build defensive line drills around the reads and reactions your players will actually use on game day. This episode explains how to improve alignment, stance, strike point, leverage, block destruction, gap control, pass rush, and screen recognition while eliminating drills that do not transfer to the field. Coaches will also learn how to progress from simple key read work into group and team periods based on the offensive schemes they expect to face.

Building an effective run game takes more than calling plays—it requires a practice plan that develops players step by step. In this episode, Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain explain how to structure group run periods that bridge the gap between individual drills and full team sessions, helping coaches reinforce key techniques without overwhelming players.

You'll learn how to organize half-line, 9-on-9, inside run, and outside run periods, keep every drill aligned with your weekly practice focus, and script meaningful reps that translate directly to Friday night performance. Whether you're refining your practice schedule or looking to ge...

Picking your starters for a football team is generally pretty easy. Whether you're a best-11 guy, have specialized positions for certain players, or fully two-platooned… those guys stand out and make decisions easily. However, once one guy goes down, the carousel begins. In this episode, Joe and Daniel go through talent evaluation, how to pick the best (and next best) player for each position, and how you can convince players to play a position that's new to them.

The Wing T offense is designed to make defenders hesitate, overreact, and abandon their fundamentals—but the best defenses do exactly the opposite. In this episode, Joe Daniel explains how to build a defensive game plan that handles the Wing T without installing an entirely new defense, including key coaching points, film study strategies, and practical in-game adjustments that help your players play fast and stay disciplined.

Whether you face a traditional Wing T, Gun T, or modern pistol variation, you'll learn how to identify what the offense really wants to accomplish and defend it with sound pr...

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Quarterback development goes far beyond throwing more passes. It starts with mastering mechanics, building consistent fundamentals, and creating practice habits that translate to game day. In this episode, Joe Daniel shares legendary coach Bill Mountjoy's quarterback teaching system, covering throwing mechanics, warm up routines, essential quarterback drills, and practical coaching points that help improve accuracy, consistency, and decision making without overcomplicating the position.

Indy period is the one place where you as a non-head coach or coordinator get the most say. You can develop drills to best service the players in your own group. But, many of us forget how simple this should be and start looking to be internet all-star indy coaches.

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to get the most out of practice planning your indy periods by planning your drills to have answers, organizing your periods to get the most out of your time, and building out your practices to progress skills.

Joe Daniel records a rare solo "episode zero" of the Football Coaching Podcast (nearly 15 years running) while co-host Daniel Chamberlain is away after the birth of his daughter. Joe previews the new Coaches Edge membership and monthly workshops (install plan in June, practice plans in July, in-season adjustments later) and then shares "21 things coaches disagree with," centered on "keep it simple" and that scheme is rarely the solution. Key points include: defenses boil down to even/odd and 7- vs 8-man fronts; numbers don't matter as much as run fits; defensive ends shouldn't be force players; a wide 5x5...

You don't need more practice time. In fact, you're probably using too much right now if you're honest with yourself. Practice shouldn't be a thing that your coaches and players despise.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the benefits of moving towards a 90-minute practice schedule. They talk through how to plan the practice with the new constraint, how you can get more in with efficiency, and the benefits of engaged players and coaches.

Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Your run fits are everything. Okay, you get the point. Your defense has to be built around your run fits. If you can't stop the run game, nothing else will matter.

On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the Umbrella Run Fits System, how to teach it to your entire defense in 10 minutes, and how to fit any run play without changing your defense.

Your team's culture, your team's character, doing what's right, making great decisions… it all starts somewhere. It takes time to build, and to build it you need the right tools. The priorities pyramid is that tool.

On this episode Joe and Daniel talk through what it means to build character, how the Priorities Pyramid helps, and how to teach your players to make decisions on the fly without outside help.

Your Week 1 Opponent may be a week away, or 12 weeks away, but it's never too early to start planning for them. As your working through your summer schedule, the 7-on-7s, Team Camps, Fall Install… It all should be guiding you to the same place, your Week 1 Game Plan.

On this episode Coaches Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss preparing for your Week 1 Opponent by Beginning with the end in mind, building out your game plan for week 1, and practicing so your players can execute flawlessly in week 1.

If the internet and Social Media have made football worse anywhere, it's given coaches the false understanding of what a good football drill looks like and why we use them. Too many whistle-bearers are turning to Tik-Tok and X to find their next day's drill, when they should be turning to their game film.

On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through Better Football Drills by starting with the 1-on-1 game, problem solving any problem, and using drills to build habits for your players.

Once you know a system like the back of your hand, it's nearly impossible to change the way you think about the game. Changing systems just because you have players that don't fit it perfectly is similarly almost an impossible task.

On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss how to fit any defense to the players you have. They talk through player-Centric Coaching, fitting the defense to your players, and executing faster on defense with a player-centric culture.

Building a culture takes a long time. "Rome wasn't built in a day," is such a comparable phrase, because you can't change things overnight. But, with the right tools, you can expedite your turn around time.

On this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through Building a Culture with the Players' Creed, how to establish the team's identity, and getting you players to buy into your culture and the creed.

Coaches are constantly looking for ways to get better at making adjustments. It's game night, the opposing offense is driving, you need to make changes but you can't install a whole new front right now. What's the quickest way to make adjustments on the fly, and where do you start anyway?

On this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Levers Principal, how to pull them for improvement, identifying which ones to pull, and how to build practice plans that highlight levers.

Building out your Run Plays for your system doesn't have to be complicated. You get a few base plays, you make them look as similar as possible, you add some wrinkles… bingo, bango, bongo, your offensive run game is born.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss what it takes to build out your run game, keeping the blocking simple for the linemen, designing your core to minimize break points, and adjusting that core to attack any defense.

Designing Defensive Plays generally isn't the big thing amongst football coaches. We always see the offensive guys putting their newest play design on a napkin at the local watering hole, but defensive guys "draw the field upside down" and don't get the same freedom to break traditional rules.

In this episode, Joe and Daniel walk through the fundamentals of Defensive Play Design, run fits being the foundation, building a play that fits your system, and how to attack your opponents.

Everything is YOUR FAULT! No, seriously, everything is your fault. What You choose to do with that information is often the make or break point in any endeavor. But, there's more to Extreme Ownership than that.

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the Extreme Ownership Principle, how you can take control of problem solving with extreme ownership, and how you can develop player leaders using the same principle.

Giving your linebackers the perfect gameplan for Friday nights is difficult. We've simplified it to nearly elementary coaching points, but the pressures of the game can take a toll on a young player's mind to the point of failure.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the ASKA principle for your linebackers, what makes it operate, how you can use it with your current playbook, and how it's a gameplanning tool in hiding!

Coaches across the nation are on a mission to build the "perfect" playbook. How do I carry the right amount of tools into a game without overloading my players? Here's the deal, most of us are getting it wrong and we're less efficient with the loads of plays we carry, rather than being surgical with a few great ones.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss limiting your playbook to plays that do a certain job, how to determine exactly what you need, and how to add new plays without confusing your players.

Building a practice schedule doesn't have to be a big complex thing. Sure, you make a ridiculously nice one on a spreadsheet, add photos, some color… or just scribble it on paper (don't do this, you coaches deserve better)… but the most important thing is the content. To decide what goes into your practice, you need to compartmentalize your coaching. 

On this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss how to use the containers principle, how staying focused leads to faster development, and how to get more done in less time.

On The Football Coaching Podcast, hosts Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel record live at Milton Academy in Massachusetts with guests Brady Bradbury and Kahn Chace, discussing what they wish they'd known before becoming head coaches. Bradbury says he initially assumed he'd run a complex 4-2-5 college system, but learned to tailor schemes to players and staff capabilities, simplify to help coaches teach, and manage constant daily "fires" unrelated to football.

The group emphasizes that coaches often overestimate staff buy-in, must intentionally schedule time to educate coaches, and should delegate without trying to control everything. Chace advises...

"Nothing new under the sun," is a statement that's truer than we like to admit. It also gives you the "okay," to stop pretending you're going to do anything different than any other coach out there. You don't have to build a brand new football idea from the ground up.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain jump into system stealing, system matching, and system evolution. Learn how to find proven systems, find the right system for your team, and how to evolve the system year after year.

As Spring Ball gets closer, 7-on-7 is looming, and season seems just around the corner, you're probably looking through your defensive install plan, scratching your head, wondering how to get it all in the most efficient way this season.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain talk through the best defensive install plan for the 425 defense, and likely any defense, for this upcoming season. They talk planning what you need to install, how to get it all installed in 5 days, and how to ensure you have enough ready for week 1.

Calling plays for your team's offense on game day doesn't have to be super complicated, but it does need to be methodical. Your plan to take advantage of the defense has to involve finding their weaknesses and exploiting them.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the four weaknesses of a Defense, how to build your playbook to attack those weaknesses, and how to identify the weaknesses during a game.

Building your playbook from year to year is one of the most important things you do to ensure success for that season. It is also important to remember that no two years are going to be the exact same. 

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how many plays to carry, how to build around your best play, how to execute that play at the highest level, and how to attack your opponents weaknesses.

As long as football has been around, there have been winners and there have been losers. Some teams find a way to win more than lose… and some teams get stuck in the losing column. It becomes their culture. 

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss how to break out of that losing cycle by building confidence, getting your players to buy-in, and setting expectations that you already understand will have some adversity.

Being a teacher doesn't stop when the last bell rings and you don your whistle. ""You're not so different, you and I." - Austin Powers" - Football Coaches to teachers everywhere. The skills you master to be a great teacher in the classroom can help your players on the field as well.

In this episode Joe and Daniel are joined by Ryan Moshak, a former Army Officer, athlete at Army at Westpoint, and current Football Coach. They discuss the use of traditional pedagogy, forced recall, formative assessments and more in teaching football to get kids to better...

Coach, you really don't need to recreate the wheel every season. There is a whole world of guys who are using the same plays recycled in a new playbook from year to year. We live in an amazing of SYSTEMS.

In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss what a system is, why you need to build one you can believe in, and how to adapt it year after year to fit your personnel.

"There's levels to this, man." That is true, there are levels to calling a defense. Every play in your playbook fits a certain level of play calling, and has a specific task. Calling defense isn't hard, if you have an understanding to your system, and use the tools to solve problems.

In this episode Joe Daniel and Daniel Chamberlain discuss the finer details to defensive play calling. They talk about the Three Levels of play calling, how you can always know what play to call, and how to use your own weakness to stay a step ahead. 

Simple doesn't mean Elementary… but it does mean reducing the clutter and eliminating inefficiencies. Everything about your program can improve with the Coach Simple Philosophy.

In this episode Joe and Daniel jump feet first into Season 20 with a deep dive into the Coach Simple Philosophy. What it is, how it can help you reduce, and how it can set you up for future evolutions of your program.

Daniel Chamberlain and Joe Daniel discuss the significant changes in college football due to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and the transfer portal. They reflect on the challenges and pressures faced by athletes and coaches under the new system, the destabilizing impact on smaller programs, and the evolving landscape of college athletics. Key topics include the history of athlete compensation, potential future regulations, and the shifting dynamics between traditional fans and modern expectations.

The 4-2-5 has a lot of answers to common problems in high school football. If you're team is struggling to stop the opposition, you'll likely find the answer somewhere within this playbook and scheme.

In this episode, the guys are doing a crossover episode on the Coaching 101 Podcast with Kenny Simpson. Check it out to find the basics of installing and running the most hybrid defense in football.

3rd downs on defense are the magic number. This one play, especially if it's the first 3rd down of the drive, can add or subtract several percentage points from the offenses' chances to score. So, how can we get better at stopping our opponent on these critical downs?

In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss situational practice planning to better prepare your players for 3rd down, how you can call your defense to be in better position to stop your opponent, and what we're doing to motivate our players during crucial downs.

3rd and Long is the ultimate, we don't have a great play here, offensive situation. The deep pass is already covered, the run hasn't been great or you likely wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. So, what are your options?

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the reality of 3rd & Long, what your real options are to convert, and how you can use situational practice plans to better prepare your players for the tough down and distance.

We've hit that time of year that guys go back "into the lab." This year you've diagnosed some other needs for your team, and the lab is changing from just being the weight room, to needing some speed development.

In this episode, Joe and Daniel discuss the benefits of Athletic Speed and Movement to get your team faster and more explosive this offseason. They talk through Football Speed Training Progressions, how to coach speed without being a guru, and dveloping the correct skills for football speed.

The screen game is a mighty weapon wielded by offensive coordinators across the land. But, it doesn't have to be your demise anymore.

In this episode Joe and Daniel discuss the ways to counter screen plays next season by practicing the screen retrace drill, using the system you're already in, and reading and reacting to any and every screen with your fundamentals.