Kevin Turco is today’s guest on the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast during Military Appreciation Week. Turco, a former Marine, is the head coach at Lindenwood University—Belleville (Ill.). He details his journey as a football coach, including his spur-of-the-moment drive across the country to South Carolina to attempt to get a meeting with Lou Holtz. He also discusses “unit leaders” in his program, the inverted pyramid of leadership and why he refuses to open the football office on Sunday.

Show notes

• :39   Football player-->Military-->Football coach
• 2:19   Driving overnight across the country to show up at Lou Holtz's office
• 6:29   The time Turco did a full game breakdown for Holtz...but on the wrong side of the ball
• 8:50   How military experience matters in coaching
• 11:30   Establishing a new culture
• 15:50   Why Turco doesn't run players
• 17:08   Coach--> coordinators --> unit leaders
• 19:43   The inverted pyramid of leadership (and Turco's chain of command)
• 22:32   Choosing unit leaders
• 24:54   Why--and how--Turco refuses to open the office on Sunday
• 28:05   The winning edge

Subscribe to the USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast on iTunes and see all coverage for USA Football's Military Appreciation Week here.