The Players Write the Practice Plan – Vince DiGaetano, Assistant Coach, Fordham University

I met Coach DiGaetano in 2017, and I talk about the game and coaching with him often. He’s been a repeat guest on the podcast (see links below). And currently, he is an assistant coach at Fordham University. He has an intense passion for tackling and studies it better than anyone I know. I feel comfortable calling him the foremost expert on tackling. However, Coach DiGaetano also has incredible ideas outside of the tackling realm, and in this episode from the archives, he share the ideas he implemented as the head coach of SUNY Maritime when he took over the program just five days before fall camp opened. His work, his staff, and his players resulted in Maritime having a successful season in spite of the extreme circumstances of a last-minute coaching change. I want to point out that Coach DiGaetano accomplished this result while also holding down his day job of being a principal of multiple schools in the Bronx. Coach DiGaetano was forced to take a coach-on-the-fly approach, but the extreme situation led him to some insights into coaching and some incredible ideas which we share again here today. Show Notes: Players writing the practice plan What are their core fundamentals? What needs teaching? Working fundamentals in conditioning Working with strength and conditioning staff Strength coaches must have input 4th quarter drill Player surveys in season Three team goals Accountability for the coaches Using the feedback Assistant coach of the week building moral Balancing teaching, installing, correcting, and preparation Reversing the contact model Working body movement Working it into scheme Evaluation and development of younger players Getting the players involved in scheme It’s about working together to get the right answer Continue to recruit the players you have on the roster Grouping kids by ability to service them Working with the coaches too Look at the opponent Tackling drill adjustment Team tackling drill Learning from the unpredictable On May 2nd, listeners of Coach and Coordinator Podcast will be eligible to skip the waitlist, join AIM7, and benefit from the life-changing lessons that AIM7 will teach you. Sign up for this exclusive opportunity: https://www.aim7.com/coach-and-coordinator-podcast Follow Vince DiGaetano on Twitter @CoachDiG. Additional Coach DiGaetano Episodes: Trends in Tackling: https://spoti.fi/40LId2D Deep Dive on Defense – Team Tackling: https://spoti.fi/3GmADDH Defining Practice Tempos and Finishes for Better Performance: https://spoti.fi/3ZILC16 Coach DiGaetano Course: Effective Team Tackling with the 3 C’s: Contact, Chase, and Converge (over 3.5 hours of instruction, drills, and game film): https://bit.ly/3zysVCH Be sure to go to coachandcoordinator.com to sign up for our free Weekly Tip Sheet Newsletter which highlights the best ideas from the previous week, trending episodes, and featured resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices