Our Best Run and Pass Play

"Our offensive philosophy is based on these points. First, we are going to establish the run first. We are primarily a running team, and we know that ..."

Michigan and Big Play Defense

We stop teams inside the 10-yard line, and we try to sell them on that. Yet we know ourselves that we're in bad position, and we've got to gamble to get them stopped.

Gambling Defense (1970)

Look gentlemen, I find it's easy to over coach. We don't want to tell then how to step and make them cautious. We want them stopped okay, but if they stop then we will talk about the form after the game.

Coaching Philosophy

To be a good coach, I think you have to be yourself. You have to be your own coach. We all have personalities and different ideas of our own, and you will have your own plan. Your plan won't be like mine, but you will have a plan, and you will be able to sell it to your team and staff.

The Viking Pro 4-3 Defense

...The first thing we teach from day one in camp is that the name of the game is pursuit. You have to teach the defense to fly to the ball and gang tackle. You can talk about it all you want, but if you don't practice it on the field, you won't do it in the game.

A Method for Planning the Game

To save your own sanity, you'd better practice the last three plays of the game. I don't worry so much what they are. Don't get yourself in a position to try to think of something to do with just a few seconds left because you will always wonder why you didn't do something else. Through experience we said that we were going to have 3 plays.

Developing Consistency and Efficiency - 1977

I'll tell you how we used to start every season. We started it at spring practice. We would have a squad meeting together and before offense, or defense, or practice time, or anything else, I would ask them to think for a minute and answer this one question that I would ask them. How good do you want to be? Because this is not my decision. It is not our coaching decision. It is your decision.

Motivation - 1973

Now, understand, that you as a head coach must communicate with your assistant, to pass something on. This assistant will only pass on about 67% of the original statement. Therefore, the athlete will only receive about 25% of the original statement from the assistant coach.

Motivation, Louisville Defense -1971

What we all strive for is discipline. Vince Lombardi got discipline like no one else has. Bear Bryant got it his way. They discipline their players in their own way. In my opinion, one of the worst things you can do is force discipline on a football team.... If they are forced and they don't believe in you they will hang it up! Believe me, I've seen guys set down rules and he doesn't believe in them. He has no way of projecting his belief.

Utilizing the Blitz and Pressure Defense - 1992

I want to talk specially on our Blitz Package. The first thing we must do is answer this question. "Why do we believe in the Blitz?" The first thing is that you must know your own personality. You must have some type of philosophy. In college, more so than high school, you hire the type of people you want on your staff, so you pretty much have the same philosophy.

Pitt's Run and Shoot Offense - 1987

I like the 12 Play Set. I went to San Francisco in 1978. I listened to Bill Walsh talk about a 24 Play Drive. I took that back and built it into a 12 Play System. No matter who we play, our first 12 plays are pre-arranged.