Texas Longhorn

Defense

Developing a
Defense

Will Muschamp
 Developing a Defense
A. What Can Your Players Do?
Paterno
B. Draft Your Team – Offense /
Defense / Special Teams
1. Post Season
2. Pre Spring
3. Post Spring
C. What Can Your Players Handle?
1. “Coaching is Teaching, Teaching is the
Ability to Inspire Learning.”
2. Know the Player / Student
D. Philosophy / Scheme
A. What are You?
B. Whatever it is, Believe in it!
C. Players See Weakness / Uncertainty.
Technical Approach
E. Staff on Board!
- Problems in Staff Room are OK.
- Not on the Field or in Public.
- “Chain of Command”
 Mental Approach
A. What You Emphasize is Important
1. Effort – Anyone Can See if You Play
Hard.
2. Physical / Mental Toughness
a) Tackling
b) Blow Delivery
c) Block Protection
d) Execution
e) Eye Control
3. Turnovers / Ball Hawks
B. How We Emphasize
1. Hi-Lite Reel: Everyday Positive and
Negative.
2. Daily Production: Positive and
Negative. (Locker Room Lawyer)
3. Hard Hat: Blue Collar – Positive
Reinforcement.
4. Ball Hawk Shirts: Positive
Reinforcement.
 Installation
A. Offense/Defense on Same Page
B. Installation Tied Together –
“Win The Drill”
Winning the drill is not the important
thing. Bettering the team is. Put
your ego aside and practice getting
better at something – Not Winning
the Drill.
 Installation
C. Spring / Summer Scout
D. Opponent Study for New Installation
in Camp
Teach Concepts
A. Middle of Field Coverage-
Man/Zone/Pressure
B. Split Safety (2 Deep) Concepts
C. Split Safety (Quarters) Concepts
D. Gadget / 3rd Down Change Ups
E. 1 Gap Fronts
F. 2 Gap Fronts
G. Blitz – Max Pressures
 Self Scout
A. Just as you study your
opponent, you must continually
study yourself.
1. Are we becoming predictable to
opposing offenses?
2. Am I repping the right things
during the week?
3. What has been effective for us?
4. What has not been effective for
us?
 Defensive Fundamentals
A. Individual Time: Agility, Blow
Delivery, Contact.
Agility: Movement for the Position
Blow Delivery – Block Protection for
the Position
Contact – Tackling for the Position
B. Individual Time Spent
Emphasizing Installation for the
Day.
1. Runs: 2 Back, Zone Read, 1 Back,
Gap Schemes
2. Pass: MOF Coverage, Split Safety
Coverage, Man/Zone
3. Drills Should Mirror Installation
C. Team Emphasis
1. Pursuit
2. Tackling Circuit
3. Longhorn Drill (3-on-3)