Imagine you are playing free safety, a deep middle third of the field.

You line up 10 yards off with one receiver to the right and a tight end and receiver to your left. Two running backs plus a quarterback get set in the backfield.

The ball is snapped. What do you do next? Well, that depends on what your coaches have taught you.

Some coaches stress technique. Others stress the schemes. Still others believe hustle cures all.

Every coach should have a coaching philosophy that helps explain to their players the “why” of their tactics. A coaching philosophy is not a tactic. It is the tool used to bridge the gap between tactics and why you’re choosing to coach a particular way.

For example, my defensive philosophy is to play with eyes and feet. Every opportunity I get, I ask my players: “What do we play defense with?” To which they (should) respond, “Eyes and feet!”

I ask the players this question when we install a defense, I ask them during drills, and I ask them at the end of practice. I try to make this phrase as ingrained as possible.

• A philosophy is something the players can easily remember and quickly recite.
• A philosophy should express to the players what you, as a coach, want them to do while they’re in the game.
• A philosophy does not take the place of a scheme. Xs and Os are always needed.
• A philosophy can serve as a reminder if a player forgets his job.

Eyes and Feet

I use this doctrine with both middle school and high school teams, simplifying it for the younger players. If you have a philosophy, I’d love to hear it in the comments. If you don’t have one, I urge you to create one for your players. Using this defensive philosophy as a teaching tool has helped my players understand their jobs more clearly and ultimately improved their play.

The first part of Eyes and Feet is the eyes. When we play with our eyes, we are reading our keys.

Cornerbacks, strong safeties and outside linebackers typically read the end player on the line of scrimmage – tight end or tackle – to determine if the play will be a run or a pass. Inside linebackers read the guards – not the running backs – to determine where the ball is headed because blocking is almost always needed for a successful play. Running backs without the ball could simply be a decoy.

The second part of Eyes and Feet is the feet. For this, we practice reacting as often as possible.

As soon as the defensive players see that the play is a run by reading their keys, they find the ball-carrier with their eyes. Then they use their feet to get to the ball-carrier as quickly as possible.

Conversely, if the offensive linemen show pass by standing up tall, the defensive players know to get to their drops and find the receivers in their zones. We play more zone-based defense than man-to-man, so keys would be different if playing a man coverage.

In the opening example, if the free safety does not remember what he is supposed to do, he reverts to the philosophy Eyes and Feet. He would remember that we use our eyes to read our keys then our feet to take us to the action. He should find his key as soon as possible to tell him what to do next in my defense.

Trickledown effect

The key to a good philosophy on either side of the ball is to come up with one that has a trickledown effect. Many of us have heard about Kevin Kelley of Pulaski Academy in Arkansas, the coach who almost never punts.

Coach Kelley’s philosophy is simple: Keep possession. He rarely punts, and he onside kicks after every touchdown. He wants to keep the ball in his team’s hands at all times. His philosophy trickles down with a positive effect. If he doesn’t turn the ball over, his opponents cannot score. If his opponents cannot score, he wins the game.

Using Eyes and Feet as our philosophy, we are teaching players to read their keys and always move their feet. Always moving our feet had a trickledown effect on our players’ hustle. Because they are always trying to get to the ball, we force massive amounts of turnovers – plus-22 in 2015. Having this many turnovers helped contribute to our ability to win games.

A united front

Creating a philosophy also benefits your coaching staff. Sometimes, coaches are not on the same page when teaching schemes and can give players conflicting advice. If your staff has trouble with this, adding a philosophy to your unit’s play may help smooth things out.

By adding a clear coaching philosophy, you give your coaches and players an overarching theme to how they should be performing in the system. Each of my position coaches knows to start teaching players based on their eyes first, then their feet. If players’ eyes are not reading their keys, their feet won’t take them to the correct spot.

Having a philosophy also helps you make decisions clearer and quicker. Coach Kelley rarely debates whether or not to punt. On top of that, his offensive coaches know they need to practice fourth down situations, and his defensive coaches need to practice being put in tight spots.

Working together becomes easier when the whole staff is on the same page.

The best teams and units have a uniting theme that helps them win. Some put it on T-shirts. Others know it by heart.

Clear communication. Positive trickledown effects. The ability to make clear, quick decisions.

What does your team’s philosophy look like?

Mike McCann played football at Charleston Southern University from 2004-08. He recently published a book about his time at CSU, the lessons he learned and the incredible true story of the 2005 team. Learn more about it at “Believe EG21: Play Like There Is No Tomorrow.” Mike is an author, entrepreneur, football coach and philanthropist residing in Charleston, S.C.