Coaching roles and responsibilities

[Obliviax]

I don't ever listen to these NFL hype shows and find them to be embarrassing, to be honest (win Terry Bradshaw's Money!) but I listened to the Browns hype show Sunday morning and found this to be interesting.

Several players are out with COVID as well as the HC and RB position coach. (subject to change today) There was a good conversation on severity. There were three players on the panel that all agreed:

• the HC was least valuable on the sideline and there would be little impact on a COVID loss. The idea is that the HC sets strategy that is pretty much locked before gametime. The HC then makes the key gametime decisions on going for it, using timeouts, and capitalizing on momentum.
• The OC and DCs are key because they call most of the plays (subject to the HC strategy and potential override). The biggest issue is keeping track of player availability. So, like last night when Godwin and the other WR got hurt, they OC had to keep up with who was available and what plays were available given the set of players. Two WR's hurt? Gotta fill with TEs. and limit the plays that are available. Position coach may go to a TE and tell him he's got to line up as a WR and do the best he can. Often they will yell to the player on what to do if they are not familiar with the play.
• Position coaches assess who can and who will play. If a guy is dinged up, the position coach determines who is available and lets the OC/DC know. Then he regulates who runs onto the field and when. A WR is gassed? he gets called off the field and replaced by the position coach who relays that to the OC.
• So a player tells the position coach their status (or trainer). The position coach relays that to the OC/DC. the OC/DC calls a play accordingly. The position coach then assures that the talent for that play is on the field. So if you are playing a prevent defense (or third and forever), you have 2 S and 3 CBs instead of 2 and 2. If they call a play that requires 3 TEs and 2 WRs that is up to the position coach to assure that they have the 3 and 2 talent on the field.

So as soon as the play ends, the position coach tells the coordinator who isn't available (sometimes by name if it is a playmaker and sometimes by position if there is a lack of position players available). The C calls the play. The position coach sends the player package out. The C relays the call to the QB (or the right person on D). They call the play in the huddle and start the sequence over after the results of the play.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Pretty interesting. Keeping everything straight and up to date has to be difficult. And since some HC are Napoleonic, it would make it more difficult.