Football Discussion with Golden Gate HS, FL Defensive Coordinator PJ Gibbs
46 min readFootball Discussion with Golden Gate HS, FL Defensive Coordinator PJ Gibbs
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All right coach we're Back you look enthusiastic we're what do You mean what's going on I'm always Ready to go come on Now bust your child for some reason I Have all this weird stuff going around On my green screen it must not have Enough light or something I don't know It's all good you don't really got a Glow I don't have a glow or I feel like I do Have a glow a little bit a little bit Not I don't know you're fine I think You're good to go I should do what uh You ever uh what's the movie you ever See saving uh Sarah Marshall yes with a Guy on the computer and he changes the Background yeah it keeps changing the Background for over and over again he's Like surfing I think one time yeah he's Like oh I'm surfing that's what I'm Gonna do right now I'm changing Background here we go all right so yeah Like save s that's it all right well we Got we got a guess that we're bring on Coach uh PJ Gibbs uh defense coordinator Associate head coach of um Golden Gate High School in Naples Florida one of Your favorite places and uh we're g to Talk to him a lot of different things uh His Background um as a coach is extensive uh He was a Team USA Coach as well not just As a high school coach um but does a lot
Of different things I think he has his Own I've seen some of his own stuff on Like cover three and and different stuff Like that so pretty cool stuff we're Excited to bring him on we'll bring him On right now uh coach Gibbs how's it Going what's up guys how are you coach Good to see you appreciate you coming on Thank you yeah yeah no worries man we we Gave a a little intro uh about you uh I Think we did it did a little bit of Justice to it but I'd love for you to Tell everybody a little more about you Know your background and coaching I know You you come from Mana Squan we live Down here down the shore now you're You're an original from the shore tell Everybody you know how you got to where You are now uh well I mean I got here um We moved down we've been down here eight Years now um we moved down here in July 2015 um like you said uh born and raised In Manasquan uh played for coach kabo And coached for him and uh had an Opportunity to coach with a lot of great Guys um that was DC for Joe maruchi and Mwan um where foror Nar at sville so to To say my New Jersey experience learning From three Hall of Fame head coaches was Uh was was pretty uh extensive and I'm Working for Jay Price who was my Linebacker coach in high school and PK Hill who was my DC in high school and um Don Reed uh who worked for coach and um
You know uh a lot of the stuff that I've Done in in in my career is attributed to All the lessons I learned from those Guys and um I wouldn't be sitting here Today if it wasn't for You know their their uh belief in in us And and um you know so um you know I Can't thank them enough for everything They they've instilled in me um you know As a as a as a young guy coming out of St peters's College in Jersey City um And giving me an opportunity to student Teach for Jay price and and work with The linebackers in 2001 and just kind of Roll from there and um but we moved uh Out of New Jersey like I said eight Years ago I was hired at Gulf Coast High School uh was a CDC there um did Linebackers and DBS and um won the first District title in the history of the School the one thing down here is a lot Of the schools are newer right so like GF Coast when we came down in 15 was Only built in 1998 um and then after Gul Coast I went to paleto Ridge up the Street and you guys know um Nick citro Who played at Matan and um Nick came Down and did an unbelievable job for us As a a CDC and secondary coach um he's Now at a high school as the OC and the DC of Mockley So yeah yeah you know what if anybody Can do it it's Nick um 100% you know He's probably one of the most detailed
Um guys that I know and um you know He'll be a head coach very very soon Someday um you know in the future There's no doubt about it so uh we were At pal metto together um 2020 we had the Number one defense in the area giving up 6.9 points per game we're number one in The area uh we beat Naples High School Who I attribute to kind of like a Manisan in a sense as far as tradition And program um we were the first team in The county in seven years to beat him And the first team in 14 years to shut Him out so that was a pretty uh pretty Extensive accomplishment for for our Kids and um after that season I went up To East Lee County High School as the Head coach and um excuse me took over a Program that hadn't won a game in three Years and ended up winning four and We're very close to winning six um then We moved my kids school so I was Commuting hour and 15 minutes from each Way and um once we switch schools my Wife is kind of like listen I kind of Need you closer to home so um I reached Out to the principal that originally Hired me at G Coast was at Golden Gate And I knew the head coach there um we Had worked together for a year at pal Met Ridge and um asked if there was a Job opening and and uh Nick went to bat For me and um gave me the defense let me Do the recruiting and uh so this will be
My second year there and um uh if we Stay healthy year we're going to give a Lot of teams on our schedule a lot of Issues so I'm I'm really looking forward To that and Coach like you said I got The USA football stuff I was a head Coach for the US national team for two Years and uh Japanese team for one and That's kind of how this three high this Three safety system that I started in January came in to play because we were Very uh under uh overmatched Athletically and physically so we're Kind of looking for something that would Fit the the players uh strengths and Reached out to my brother-in-law who was At Missouri State at the time he's Assistant o line coach at Washington State now um and reached out to a couple Guys at Iowa State to kind of learn the Basics and put it in in five days and Walked away with the 28 to2 victory at At stadium with uh Rich Reed and Bob Jelli and Mike Galos uh on the sideline With me so that was uh kind of Full Circle for me because coach Reid was my Position coach at manisan and obviously Coach Galos coach with coach kaboo at Middletown North and was for with Coach Barnes at wall for all those years and Coach jelli is still one of the best um I know he's uh I know I know he's you Know in the admin role and doing what he Does but uh it was it was really cool to
See those guys just kind of hang out and Talk ball and exchanging stories you Know from back in the day and um you Know it really puts things in Perspective for you as a as a coach that That's my story uh great two great kids Uh 11 and N Payton and Logan and married To my wife for 14 years Kristen very cool what So did you move down there because of The the job opportunity or you decided You wanted to to go to Florida um we Move we moved down I mean we had bought A house in 2010 and and like anything in New Jersey taxes never go down yeah um So we we looked at expanding our house We we exhausted all avenues coach to be Honest with you and and um I started Looking um in the Carolinas originally Because my wife is a Clemson alumni so We were looking at North and South Carolina and I got offered a couple jobs And my brother-in-law who's at Washington state was an analyst at the University of Missouri for coach pinkle At the time and he was helping Recruiting Southwest Florida so he Called me one day and he said hey man I Don't know if you're looking to move but There's seven high schools down here and They're dying for teachers and coaches And our certificate has reciprocity down Here so I paid 150 bucks and got my my Uh my Florida sht with my masters
Because my masters and had leadership And um that was kind of it and uh I put My resume out my in-laws had bought a Place down here in 2013 So we went down I did three interviews Got offered two jobs and came back to my In-law's house and I told my wife I was Like if you're ready to do this this is Going to move fast because we got to Sell the house and you know we got to Get all the all the eyes dotted and the Te's crossed so that was kind of that Was kind of it it was football is what Is what got us down Here that's incredibly cool that's a Great story that really is a great story Um now you you I I went online and W Looked at some of the stuff from um like With with your cover through Defense and how you guys play it can you Talk a little bit more about that Because you have a unique way that You're you're playing that defense um That people may not be as familiar with It's had a lot of success for you talk a Little bit more about that sure so it It's a three safety system um it's uh a Lot of it is um you know still the Mana Squan Roots right so we're still very Gap control and GAP sound and everything I was brought up in in the 4-3 but the Thing is down here we see so much speed Um and and my thing's always been um I Want to get as many athletes on the
Field as possible we want to be fast and Physical and run of the football and be Relentless and um coach Coach Brown up UMass is a mentor of mine and and I I've You know known coach for 20 years I Remember him coming in to recruit um Joe Mey and Mike mey uh at manisan when he Was at nor Eastern in UMass and um That's kind of how we started and then He has a house down here so um we get Together play golf um Talk Football and So for for me coach to be honest it's About getting speed and athleticism on The field and it's numbers it's really a Numbers thing it's like for us we see so Much spread down here we have one team That's a single wing team down here um That we really just you know kind of Have to dig our heels on the ground and Kind of go away from what we do because They force you to do that right it's Like facing the option you know you gota Kind of you know um you know change up What you do a little bit but um you know Being being being uh to be like four Over three in trips and two on one on The backside side and just creating a Numbers thing where you know you're Forcing those coaches to hand the ball Off that don't want to do that they want To get the ball out on the perimeter to Their to their athletes and we're just Like and one of the things we preach at Golden Gate is we're going to dictate to
You like as a defense like I'm as an Offensive coach you're not going to Dictate to me I'm going to make you Adjust and and and Coach your kids and Just not do what you want to do and then We have this whole Havoc rate thing that We got from Coach Brown and the kids Really buy into it so um from a Schematic standpoint um we do a lot of Things a lot of simulated pressure stuff Um but we're not like a zero out Pressure team we play a lot of trap um We play a lot of uh fire we do a lot of Fire zones uh a lot of Creek pressures You know so a lot of things that I've Learned you know along the way and one Of the great things about living down Here is we have so much access to College coaches um you know as far as Like hey like I was I've been up to Florida twice in the last six weeks um You know I got a kid up there that um That uh I played with his cousin at Manisan and he's one of the linebackers There at at UF so go and visit Derek Every now and then and um had a good Good relationship with a lot of the Coaches and um and you got Miami's 90 Minutes from us um USF is now you know Two hours UCF is three uh gainesville's Four I mean if you want to Buck up and Go to tally that's like six um but we Have so much at our fingertips here in Flor it really helps you know really
Helps us yeah you're looking at you're Looking at Power five schools within you Know hours of driving distance and You're not talking just any power five School you're talking places where you Know you're playing on like you're on TV On Sundays where guys really want to go The highest of the high level you know And in comparison to here yeah we can Drive all those distances too and then Where are we going we're going to Ruckers we're going to Maryland what Maybe Penn State if you wantan to Syracuse I guess so now line up those Teams you just said and then the ones I Just said and what do you like you know And outside of rers everybody's at Really yeah yeah yeah outside of Ruckers Everybody's hours away so yep yep um we Have a good relationship with um the University of Michigan as well with uh Chris Partridge being back there and and And Ron Bellamy's a USA Football buddy Of mine and um you know Chris and I have Known each other since he was at pamis And um Anthony campel down here he's Assistant DB coach with the dolphins so Y and he's survived three head coaching Changes so no I mean Anon anon's Phenomenal he's always great you know Getting back texting he's so busy with That stuff and but Jersey were Everywhere they can't stop us we're Everywhere
No there's no doubt about it it's Interesting with with the speed that you Guys uh have to deal with in Florida Which is Um uh especially I mean obviously the Southeast is ton of speed uh but Florida In particular has a different level of Speed when when you mentioned that um You're trying to contain them so are you TR are you trying to force them to run Downhill more versus uh sideline to Sideline if they're trying to Incorporate their run game um and you Corral them or or is it is it the type Of thing by having those safeties Playing off and in that cover three um Where they're just able to Rally the Ball because they can see more they can They got more space to be able to Maneuver what what what is kind of the Philosophy behind it well I mean like Anything like I was saying before like We're very Gap sound so even with our Pressures everybody has a gap so we know If something pops we know we're somebody Messed up um as far as you know with With our strength with us being able to Run we want teams to go east and west we Don't want teams to go you know North And South um but again for us you know We see inside outside Zone we see a lot Of Gap scheme stuff Um you know GT counter power we see We'll see some power read some jet um
You know Sprint out uh you know a little Bit of drop back um you know out of the Gun uh but we're we're so Attacking um with with our pressure Packages and stuff it's uh you know it Puts our kids in a really good position To make a play and that like I said with That Havoc rate goal built in for our Kids they want to get the sack they want To get the tfl but they they want to Celebrate their teammates doing too you Know so that's kind of the Mantra that You know we preach is like hey do your Job run to the football and good things Will happen and don't try to do more Than you're supposed to do because when That happens then you got two guys in The same Gap and somebody's band is Gonna be playing and it's not gonna be Golden Gates that that's that's great that's Interesting um and and your Team USA so How how did you get involved with Team USA um which is out of which is from USA Football I'm assuming right so sir uh H How did you get involved in that and you Know kind of what was some of your Experiences with doing that what' you Learn um so originally I got involved um One of our former players at manisan Dan Gant was working for USA football and They had just started these Regional Camps now they they have since gotten Rid of the tackle football program which
I'm not going to comment on because I Really not gonna comment on it um so uh Danny reached out to actually uh Coach Price and I and said hey um it was like 200000 man had to be probably around 2000 2001 20 somewhere around there no It was it was later it was like 09 I Think I think it was that closer to 10 Closer to 10 it was the year we lost the M it was so I I was at Madan 060708 and I started all those sophomores that were Uh in 07 so the uh Jared Allison's the Johnny Schwarz the Danny clearies Yeah that whole group played def MacArthur Underwood all those guys Played defense for me as sophomores in ' 07 because I was that was after uh citro Had graduated in 06 and um we just went Young you know we just went young and That that team actually those seniors in ' 09 won the State title and I was at Manisan as the dline coach I had left in ' 08 um but I think it was I think it Was the the uh the summer before the 09 Season Danny reached out and said hey Going to do Regal Monroe High School Would you be interested they pay you Like 250 they give you a shirt and you Get the coach I'm like yeah sure so I Did Regional Camps um in New Jersey Pennsylvania and Maryland from 09 until I moved down to Florida and then as we were sitting in Our rental my wife and I because we we
Rented the place before we bought our Home and I was checking my school email And I got an email from Aaron Ingram and Aon Aaron Ingram was Colin Kaepernick's Quarterback coach at Nevada he's now the Director recruiting at Miami Ohio and it Was you know coach Gibbs uh we'd off Like to offer you a spot on the u15 National coaching staff for the Defensive backs and I'm like wow and It's all expenses paid they they pay for You to fly they give you a hotel room They gear you up um and you're coaching The best you're coaching kids that want To be there like they're representing Their country so that's how the whole National team thing started I was there 2016 I was with the u15 defensive backs Then uh 17 I was the Japanese defensive Backs coach um and that must have been Interesting yeah the Japanese experience Was and I told um so 1819 I was a head Coach for the US team and we beat Canada Both those years um so 17 and 20 with The Japanese team I worked with a bunch Of guys from Texas um in the 17 really Really good dudes um one of them was a DC at Allen High School where Kyler Murray went really good guy um and then 2020 when coach Ingram called me I was Actually at FAU with my daughter doing a Doing a clinic uh that's when Lane kein Was still there and um he said hey would You want to do this I said yeah I said
Absolutely he's like and you get you get To pick your staff I said great so I Called up a bunch of guys and I got Jelli and Galos and Reed and LJ Clark Was my DB coach from Lakewood um and Then I got two guys from Florida and I Told them I said guys listen this will Be the easiest week of your life as far As coaching comes because we had sent The playbooks to them in November Because they had a 12h hour plane ride You know coming over from Japan in uh in January and I just told him I said Listen they it's it's a culture thing Man like these kids were like so perfect Example complete difference so we're We're in AT&T Stadium it's the first Drive the kid misses a tackle or Rover a Middle safety and he comes over he's Like kids name was die and he's like Coach so sorry so sorry I'm like dude Just be quiet just go back out there you Know like don't apologize just just go Just go out and make the play um they Had brought four coaches from Japan over To learn from us and translate and stuff Like that and um some of the kids did KN Know English um you know and it's on YouTube the game is on YouTube it's uh You know it's readily available if Anybody wants to watch it it's um it's Pretty it was my my whole thing was and You know I'm a competitor I want to win But um doing this as long as I have you
Know this is one thing I told the Coaching staff at the end of the game And and obviously for me it's kind of Surreal because here's Mike Galos here's R reita here's Bob jelli guys that I Looked up to you know growing up um I Said what we just Did what we just did was allow these Kids to have this memory they can tell Their grandkids they flew to the United States and beat the us at football in Cowboy stadium I said that to me Surpassed anything for for me personally Um winning was great but to to have give Those kids that that memory that they'll Take with them for the rest of their Lives that that to me was Paramount that That was Awesome how big is football over there I'm curious like do they have high School teams in Japan or how does it Work there they yeah so what they do is They have they have like it's um weight Weightlifting is optional so it's not It's not like down here we have a class And the kids get a grade and that was The first thing for me in Florida was Like you guys get a grade for Weightlifting they're like yep so like We have first period weights for the JV Team seventh period weights for the Varsity team and they get a grade for That um you know it's it's it's crazy so They have um they do have high school
Teams Canada's a little different Canada Has like Club teams in different Provinces um but yeah they do have high School teams and uh we had two of the Kids actually were getting looked at by The University of Nevada while we were Out there the problem was at the time um Before covid because that was two months Before the you know the world went you Know crazy um they don't take Standardized tests over there they don't Take act or SAT but now it's all Different you know with the optional Stuff and everything so yeah now now it Wouldn't matter but that was a staple You had to have that to get to any American college so yeah no so they yeah They do have high school football it's Just a weightlifting thing was like club And they didn't take the standardized Test but yeah it's um they picked up on Everything and they studied their butts Off those kids knew everything you know The Preparation um I mean don't get me wrong We had fun it was during the playoffs so We watch parties for the playoff games And you know it was I mean I'm sure you Talked to elj he'll tell you it's one of The best times that that he's ever had You know as a Coach that's fascinating absolutely Fascinating I always was curious about That with like USA Football I knew a
Little bit about Canada because i' from Running Showcases of stuff I've had Canadian kids come down so I but I never I never understood really what Japan System was even though I knew that they Played football I just didn't know Exactly uh how it worked it's really Really it's fascinating to me um Florida Football and I'm I'm sure coach D would Like to talk a lot a lot about this and And and I'm sure you have a lot of Viewpoints on it um recruiting the type Of players you have down there um what What what what is the environment like From from a football standpoint with First with respect to recruiting and and Then how has things like nil affected You know you maybe your relationships With players or how everything works With recruiting with Players um well first and foremost nil In Florida for high school is is not Allowed which is weird because it's Florida right So you look like could you imagine like It's it's it's it's legal in Jersey but Not in Florida so I don't know I you Know I don't know yeah but um you know As far as the the recruiting aspect um You Know we we get a lot of we get a lot of Foot traffic you know W with with uh it We know we have the spring football we Have 19 practices and we play a game so
You know that's right smack during the Middle of the eval period um where Coaches can can you know can come on Campus um we had 57 schools in um during During the 19 Spring practices and uh we Had a good spring we had a lot of kids Get offers um you know we had uh one of Our 25 DBS picked up six in a week um You know and and it it's just um the I Think I worked it out to a a Florida Georgia Texas California football player High School football player will get an Average of 1,500 more meaningful reps Than someone in a non-spring ball State if you break down like practice Reps and things like that uh just by Having those extra practices just by Having Spring ball yeah yeah and and and It's uh you know it's it's something Where you know for the kids The coaches can come to PR like I we had Uh one practice we had Iowa State pit Illinois NC State UMass FIU and Florida State all there watching somebody you Know um and and that's that's a lot Better for them because they see the Tape but then they want to see the kit So that that's where I think coach it's A different because like you know when I Was at at manisan or or mwan you know They'd come in in the eval per period And it's like Well here here's you know This kid all right well I watched this Film but you know it's not like you're
Going to walk out and watch him in an Individual drill or tackling drill or Seven on seven or you know something Like that so that that I think has a Distinct advantage and you guys been Doing this a long time you know if There's a kid that's an absolute Dude they don't need to see him practice They they know they know the Kids right got it you know so in Jersey Now so we can that's just like such Difference you're talking about the Numbers and the amount of time and Reps And everything like when you look at it Here now yeah we're allowed to set those Up throughout the spring but it's not a Reg we're not running through practices Right we're we're there and it's Optional right like they'll tell we can Bring all the kids but it's only a Couple days you get like maybe four in The entire spring period and you know Who's running track who's doing this Who's doing that it's not a you know hey I want to see this guy come and listen You mentioned all those schools and then The difference is with me at SJ V it's William Patterson it's Monclair State It's Keane right it's we're talking Division three programs in comparison to Like you know what you're working with When you got you know all your big time Division one schools yeah with more Opportunities to see guys because you
Have just more practices well I really Wish to be honest with you there was There see the thing is we have one Division two school which is right West Florida and then everything else is NI So everything is either tops of the tops Like I I really I really D and d2s yeah I mean and the thing is I I um I I call I call Danny Garrett every every year You know because I'm like hey I got this Kid and he's like coach it's gonna cost This and you know because I I just wish There was that division three I mean we Have some in Georgia but I just wish That they would just you know some of These school would just buy into that That D3 mentality because I think that's One of the one of the advantages that You guys have over us is we have Majority I mean you you guys know Majority of those kids in our program Yeah we have the kid with the 16 offers And kid with the five offers and this That the other thing but the the like Most of my defense is D2 D3 and they Don't have that D3 option like I had one Kid two kids when I coached at Golf Coast um went and played all four years At Allbright went to Allbright went up In I can never forget this Ryan Rogers Comes into my classroom he's like coach I'm going to commit to Albright I okay I Said Brian have you have you been to Reading Pennsylvania I was like have you
Been around you know what no no no no no I said well you better get on a plane Drive around I said because you're gonna Spend the next four to five years of Your life there buddy you can't just say I'm going to ring Pennsylvania you know Um so we had two kids go a corner and And the linebacker and they they they Did really well um up there but yeah Coach that would be one thing I would Say I I really wish they would Embrace That you know down here and just kind of Add some of those Programs do do kids not play football if Basically they don't get to one of those Bigger programs is that what happens so They don't go on and play college Football down in Florida so is it a Situation where most of the kids are Basically like a scholarship kid or or a D2 kid or nothing is that kind of how it Works no I mean we we have a um the ni Do a really good job like Kaiser uh Coach Soha Kaiser I mean they played in The national championship game last year Ni so um and and they have huge support Um we were really really close with Their staff um Weber University which is In Lakeland Florida um coach Speakman is Recruited everywhere I've been he's been The ker County guy so I've built a Really good relationship with him South Eastern's had some turnover um you know Up there uh up in Lakeland as well and
Then we have St Thomas over in Miami um You know so we do have other options for Kids um you know and then we do get the Ohio schools that come down like Mountain Union comes down um uh I've I've gotten really close with Don BBE Who's at Aurora um and uh they come down Because we have this recruiting Fair Every year at K Coral high school so That's where all the d3s from like the Midwest and the Northeast will come down Um and the kids that so they do a really Good job uh what they do is so it's Usually a Tuesday Wednesday so the Coaches so myself and our head coach Will go and we'll have a Golden Gate Table and the coach the college guys Will come and say hey we're uh our Baseline GPA is this we're looking for This position XYZ all right and we do These edits so if you look at my social Media we have these the edits for the Kids with a QR codes on them basically Like their business cards so we get this To print to do a whole bunch and we pass Them out to the coaches or whatever so Then what happens is each kid that's Signed up for the recruiting Fair gets An index card with their name on it and Then the colleges write a Aurora University Mount Union University K so Now the kids come the next day we give Them their index cards now the colleges Have the tables then they go to those
Colleges that have written now they can Visit every table if they want to but I Tell them the guys that put their name On that index card you got you got to go There first and then they talk to the Coach and meet the coach and talk you Know Logistics and distance and Financial aid and can you get in and This all all that stuff so that that's One thing I I like that we do down here Um and again I'm eight years removed From Jersey so I'm sure you guys they Have something up there kind of similar To that yeah very similar they do it at Uh they do one at Mammoth Regional where You know it's mostly D3 schools they'll Set up their tables kids can go and kind Of do their thing yeah yeah we do it Like I said it's just there's more of Them around here right you got your D2 Pennsylvania like your Bloomsburg your East stalburg you know what I'm saying But you understand like it's also I also Look at it another way it's like you Know down in Florida it's like if I Don't get a scholar That ain't it's it you know what I mean Or the schools that are just in Florida Itself are National schools where that's My option right like that's that's where I gotta go they don't have the the Montclair the Kean the the the Rowen the Albre like that stuff doesn't exist so It's kind of I mean look there's not
Even a mammoth University or a Stonybrook University down there right It's onea or or or that's it I'm trying I'm trying to get uh I'm trying to get Our run our 25 running back up to Mammoth I've been been uh pressuring Coach Gallow a lot you know to have to Have him come down and and look at Trayvon's uh he uh broke the school Record as a as a sophomore he rushed for 77 yeah we and we took him out of three Games we were up you know he should have Rushed for 2,000 and um you know he he Improved he's 113 in the 100 he'll Probably be a 108 or a 109 kid when it's All said and done so um you know and They're very similar to us schematically So when I was up um when I went back to Visit my grandmother my par and my mom Um at the end of June I went up and met With Jeff and and Coach Neil and and Coach Gabriel and Coach Roberson and um My guy coach Kevin Callahan young Kevin Who we coached at madisan he was doing Doing doing good servant work he had the Kids running but I always like to uh you Know see the see the old Squan guys I Stopped down and saw Neil Sterling when I was in Jacksonville and Neil's retired Um opening up a gym with his wife in Jacksonville they got two great kids he Had a great career oh let me tell you That kid I I I I show the the when we we Be when we beat rson in the 09
Semifinals when he tipped the ball to Himself in cover three and went 40 for a Touchdown at the end of the game I show I said you guys want to know how to play An out in cover three I said watch this Kid you know that's how you do it right Here buddy yep so um but yeah like I Said I I I I tell all our guys like if You guys understand that it's a it's a It's a job it's a commitment like not Only is your academics a job so is Playing football at any level um and I Said there's a place for everybody like One thing we do we have that uh we have Stetson University down here which is The Pioneer league so it's real real High academic so we have we have two Kids that they're looking at that are They're pel Grant kids but they're very Good students so that kind of meshes Well with what they're looking for um a Former Ron uh player is the old line Coach now um and uh so he was down Recruiting and we uh he's like coach I I Played against you in ' 09 and Co coach Against you in 10 I said well I'm sorry To hear that no actually we're one one Against each other CU 09 we beat him for The conference and then 10 we opened the Season we lost to him but um and then we Have like a kid that's gonna end up Going to weaton college in Illinois he's Like a 48 GPA and it's a it's a Christ Centered he very very into his church
Very high academic so coach Holly the Running backs coach is like what do you Think I go coach this is Taylor Made for This kid he loves School loves to go to Church loves football and and he's a Full pel Grant kid too so he'll he'll go Probably for nothing you know when it's All said and done so it's it's a guys You know at the end of the day it's About getting kids to Opportunities and When you get them their opportunities Like you're there to help them but it's Their Journey right so it's if you make A mistake that's okay you got to learn From it it's adversity everything we Kind of taught you playing football and Um you know I'm just I'm happy to help As many kids as I can you know you know With our with our team well what's one Of the things that's really really Interesting that you spoke about a Little bit earlier too was how the Number of practice days you guys have um In the States of uh you know Florida Georgia um uh Texas and what South Carolina yeah California cal okay California because Spring ball um it is So much more it's interesting because Those four states represent like 80% of The division one scholarships too I Wonder if I I'm I'm sure no one has done A study on this but I wonder if there's A correlation between between just from A rep standpoint and obviously it's a
Look obviously football's important in Those four states too right and they're Huge States other than Georgia Georgia Is not a huge state but th those four States are big states too that obviously Has something to do with it but I but There has to be some level of Correlation between the fact that you're Getting extra reps um and and in your Development I remember when I was um I Was an assistant at Riverdale we won the State championship And um one of the things that the head Coach he still there DJ nyph he said he Used to say to me he said making the Playoffs and going to the state Championship when Los or Draw is so Important not because of you know us Being a great team but because we get an Extra five weeks of practice and not Only do our kids that are playing in the State championship get extra five weeks Of practice but all the JV kids and the Freshman kids we bring up those kids are Also getting five weeks of practice five More weeks of reps so over the course of Four years they're getting a full year More of practice than every other kid in In that doesn't make the state Championship you know from other schools Sure and I thought I thought that always Stuck with me and when you hearing you Say that you know it's like you know Obviously reps there's a correlation to
Your development if you're getting over The course of four years a Year's worth More of Reps versus another person even If those reps aren't live right just Just reps running routes just um it Definitely helps from someone's Development standpoint and when college Coaches are coming in all that combined With it it certainly really helps to Develop the overall player o over time There um I I just kind of thought that Came to me I'm just curious what you Thought about about that yeah no I I I Think it definitely has you know uh you Know some sort of uh you know um you Know definitely like something has to do You know where there's smoke there's Fire right so like something has to you Know correlate with that you know but um I still say the best high school Football player I've ever coached Against is Quint Nelson I don't care What state he's in that guy was a Freaking animal he's a monster I tell The kids all the time I'm like I Remember going to see them play Basketball against manisan and you know RBC and he's standing under the Basketball under the hoop and just jumps Up and dunks the ball at six whatever he Was 275 and I was like man and then he Came out and just whooped our butt um You know in that that 13 season in our Place um but yeah no I definitely think
So I mean you know wouldn't you know if We if we make it to the state finals We're playing 15 games you know um and You know and as funny you mention that Uh coach is that I can remember um us Playing getting ready to play Somerville In 94 when I was a sophomore when we Were playing in giant stadium and we're Sitting there stretching and I remember Coach Don Reid who was last year as a DC He's like he's like you realize there's Only three teams in the shore practicing Right now was like us Neptune and Somebody else um you know and that Always stuck with me like for us down Here the goal is to practice on Thanksgiving day because that means You're playing in the regional final That next that next Friday so I've done It once you know pal meow we lost in the Regional Final in 2020 but um hoping to Be watching manisan beat Wall on Thursday after practice and getting a Turkey ready on the smoker and then and Then head out and win a Regional Championship this year Very very cool very cool coach you uh Coach D you got any other questions for Coach coach we uh yeah just real quick We you know we had Mike Smith on from American Heritage he's originally a Jersey guy you know and and I have a Great relationship with him since you Know he was coached me when I was in
High school and then you know just kind Of stayed suit with it and uh you know One of the things he talked about Obviously and you've already brought it Up first was just the amount of speed in The State itself so in comparison you Know think about all your time in the Shore right we always look at you look At the shore and it's you know kind of Hard nose blue collar smack you know run The ball maybe we'll throw if it's third And whatever how was that adjustment for You going from that Ty seeing that to Seeing well now I'm in Florida and wow This is different yeah it's it's um it's It's there's definitely a learning curve Um you know when I first came down here Because you know I could remember you Know coaching and getting ready for Jared Allison and MacArthur Underwood um Uh getting ready to play against Bennett Jackson um you know and then uh early on In my career you know going from Manasquan you know the year in' 01 when We won it and then going to sville um And just being you know exposed to a Whole different part of the state which I never really had you know up in Middle Sex County and um you know the man Athlet we had up there you know with the You know Junior jabby ended up going to Notre Dame and it's amazing how Different those couple exits on that Parkway bro it changes man a lot so now
You're looking at us coming from North Jersey coming down here it was like whoa Yeah no I can only imagine the Transition from where you were to there Yeah it was um it's it took a while I Mean you know Kyer County we we have you Know a mocki where we're we're Nicks at Um traditionally has a lot of good Athletes and Nick does a great job you Know utilizing them and um you know then We get into like Naples like last year The year before the 21 season when I was At East um I think Naples beat Golden Gate like 59 to nothing and last year we Were tied 7 to seven at halftime um you Know but they had a running back going To Arkansas and a running back going NC State and on our defense we didn't have Anybody that was close to that so when Those guys got those one-on-one matchups They were power five running backs and And you know we ended up I think losing Like 31 21 something something like Whatever it was um but yeah every week It's like the we like we open up with Winter Haven in our kickoff game and They got a tight they have a 6 foot Three 220 pound three star tight end um You know and and then they have two Little quick slots and it's it's it's Something where like you always have to Know where their dudes are but there's Also the in the back of your mind you're Going well that kid over there is not a
Dude but that guy could take the ball And then and and go go pretty far you Know with it so there there's always There's always something you never you Never go into a week saying you know ah You know this will this you know we'll Be okay just playing this and whatever And then and then you got to get ready For the single wing which is like with High school kids you know it's like Getting ready for the freaking option It's like yeah we see it you know he got To see it every year with hell so oh I Mean I I one thing I tell our kids all The time this is something that coach Kaboo always told us when we wanted to Get into his coaching he's like Understand when you put your Lively Ood In the hands of 16 and 17 year olds You're going to drive yourself Absolutely bonders you know so that that Sticks in the back of my mind all the Time that's you know it's uh it's I mean We're in a really good spot um I'm Really excited for this season uh we got A lot of kids that um are bagg at 90% of The defense back from last year that um The year before I got there they were Given up 31 and we cut that to 17 in a Year um you know so I'm I'm really Looking forward to uh You know our guys you know they're Working hard in the wait room um you Know every day and um just building that
Bond in that camaraderie and I still do My Wednesday night dinners same thing I Did when Coach Price started it in 1995 Everywhere I've gone I've always done The Wednesday night dinners with the Defense and um you can take me out of Jersey but you can't take the Jersey out Of me so it's it's it's always here it's Great coach well you're in a great spot Because I've been there I've interviewed There back in 2013 and uh amazing Looking School great you know facility Wise great school I know it's a great Spot um so coach we I appreciate you Coming on uh really thank you for Everything uh in terms of you know just The input and just giving us a different Perspective on certain things and seeing How things are so I really appreciate it Yeah no well it's it's Florida in the Summer so anytime afternoon the Thunderstorms kicking so it's Always yeah uh where could people find You cu know you have you know your stuff Online I I see your handle um just let Everybody know where they can find you Yeah so I mean the Twitter is probably Easiest coach um and then the the system The three safety system um I have a Website it's it's uh the FB coach Gbs.edu Has been nuts I've been up to White Plains New York I've been to WAN Illinois i' I've been up to Gainesville
Helping out Ernest Graham up there with His his guys and and um you know doing Zooms with coaches and you know it's It's it's been really really neat um to Get a lot of the you know feedback and Questions and you know just you know We're all here to help you know at the End of the day I mean I I I don't mind Giving my stuff out because people got To stop it you know that's that's my my Feeling I'll give you the Playbook you Got to stop it you know and and uh but No it's it's been really really neat um Plus I'm sure you got a few tricks up Your sleeve too So always always got always got you give The Playbook but there's always a couple That right Master master still has it that's you're Good well coach thanks for coming on um We really appreciate it and we're Definitely G to be following you down The road and and uh we we look forward To to seeing everything in the season And good luck I'm sure Camp's coming up Soon So July 31st day one so we'll be ready To we'll be ready to hit it first game August 18th W must be Nice it is listen and that's that's one Thing getting used to like Friday nights You know because we were always Saturday Afternoons yeah you know so you know That was you know we go Scout on Friday
Nights and um yeah different playing on Fridays yeah everybody's playing Friday So like you don't get the ey test right Changes your entire week how you Prepare to go through because you look At you look at you look at the Max Preps And it says well this kid 6'4 and I used To like to go watch 61 not 64 you know Um and then we start so early we Actually get out we end school um we Talk about this all the time schedule Before uh we get out Memorial Day Friday Yeah you're out for like a month before My guys are even and listen my early Anyway because it's private right so That that in itself you're more on this College routine the College schedule Where that got can go like that I mean It's listen we see it all the time it's It's that's the way and we've even Started ear right like we we'll play Week zero which is you know August 20 Whatever I mean that's you're still a Week Ahead yeah no doubt it's it took a Little to get used to but uh year eight I think uh I think we're okay Now absolutely thanks again coach for Coming on and we'll see we'll see you Real soon appreciate buddy thanks much Bye see you later that was great that Was great stuff from from coach and I Have to check out his um uh cover three System yeah it's interesting yeah did
You get a chance to look at any of that Stuff yeah I just don't think it's just Too much like people just run the ball Too much here oh they do okay it's like A it's a look you I I'm everything like I would if I saw as much shred as he did It would definitely be something I would Look at right because it's you know like He said you want your best athletes on The field most times your athletes are More athletic faster can run and cover And do that type of stuff you know but But when you see the stuff that we see Where you know tight ends are tight ends Two running backs 22 person you know What I mean you're seeing more bigger Guys that are going to push you around Now you still need the big dogs up front Right you need that 4-3 or those extra Linebackers on the field so it's Definitely interesting to look at and From his perspective knowing what he Plays against and seeing that it's Definitely something that's probably Worked for him and that's why he uses it And now I mean look he's created a Market right like you just he just Talked about I've been in White Plains New York I've been over here you know Guys are calling him saying hey can you Come and Clinic us on this three safety Defense very cool stuff very cool stuff I always love hearing Florida Perspective on on speed and and all the
Things that go on from that standpoint Um also just getting a perspective like A comparison right like he was a high Level he he coached at the highest level Of shore conference schools that there Could be when they were at their peaks Right and now hey compare that to where You are now you know you heard him it's A totally different also and this is a Bigger thing you know when he touched About how much practice they get and the Rep the rep number he threw out was Insane that was Crazy yeah that that was definitely it Crazy and and then you know we're not Even talking about um and I would have Loved to dive into it but I didn't want To ask after he had mentioned it but Like USA Football doesn't have a Team USA yeah he didn't see yeah I guess I Guess it was like a postco type of thing Like should we bring it back should we Not bring it back and then they just Said well NFL has also become big and Pushing flag they're trying to flag They're trying to hit that market you Know yeah NFL Flag in comparison it used To be push USA football now it's oh Let's go to the FL I don't know who Knows yeah an NFL and that had to be a cool experience Yeah yeah now is NFL I I have to look I'm not sure NFL Flag it's not with USA Football right no it has nothing to do
With it I don't think because originally NFL had invested in that team and then They probably were went hey we want to Go this way yeah Flag remember the concussion thing Concussion came out and everything and It was you know what are we gonna do to Protect our kids and all that kind of Stuff so and so fascinating the school The school that he's at man they have Talk about Facilities nice oh okay Gorgeous it's like a full like I Mean campus right like hey this is a Campus like they got a pond on the camp You know I mean it's Golden Gate High School it's and it's not it's it's Gorgeous oh wow Jesus yeah man like What yeah it's a little different than I've here Oh but listen you heard his I think his Story is amazing right that place is Beautiful oh they got is that pickle Ball courts in their other their high School campus wouldn't doubt It oh wow that that place is yeah it's Gorgeous yeah and it's like uh I don't Know when I went when I interviewed There I got a gourmet lunch from the Because they that's what they do like They have a really good like I guess Like I don't know what is it culinary Program within the school so they uh Each day lunches like Gourmet sta so I
Had some good pasta down there I take That much that's incredible yeah it's Great I just love his story of like why He I mean look he was coaching at a high Level here he was about to he could have Probably taken head coaching jobs at a Lot of schools down here that would have Been very very respectful jobs and he Said you know what I want to make this Move and head down and he's been at a Couple schools down there too yeah you Know the other guy he's talking about Nikki citro great kid I know him because He was an assistant at Monclair after I Graduated for a couple years he's guy he Went down there and now he's coaching And has taken over some of these Programs they coached together for a Year and now they've kind of broken off And done their own thing but he he's an Amazing coach too he was really good When he was at Montclair and played in The shore so he's down there you know I Mean look it's a nice area to to be in But you saw and like he talked about a Lot of the same stuff that Mike that uh You know that Mike did uh at Heritage Right I see speed all over the place you Know and uh colleges that are coming in In and out and the access that they have I thought that was interesting too the Amount of access that he has to all of Those schools and he can go stop in talk To those guys anytime they want I think
That's amazing whereas you know here we Have one option in state they have Six there's a huge difference between That it it can't like these you know uh Egg uh what they what do they say uh car Before the horse thing um I just believe That all this stuff builds upon itself And over many Years things pull away because of the Way this is right so it maybe didn't Start out where no but some things take Time to develop and then you ultimately See what it's really about you know what I mean that's how Georgia gets better And better time Florida Texas California Name the states that that we're in that It's all the ones we talked about and Then yeah it's interesting and in the Northeast where things have become the Only way I could put it is deemphasized That's the only I'm talking about Football I'm not talking about anything Else about football it's not it's not What it what it is there it's it it's h How could a college team in a North I Mean Ohio State's the closest because They still have some level and a Michigan maybe se you know Interchangeable but outside of those too Does any north northern School even Remotely have a chance no way I mean Even those schools probably don't even Remotely have a chance But how could they they're not gonna get
Enough speed you know man it's just hard You know you're Asking 30 kids to move uh hundreds and Hundreds of miles Away over time that doesn't happen it's Just not you know they do they just Don't do that most people I read Statistic one time most people I think It was like 77% of people never move further than 13 Miles away from where they grew Up yeah so that's on average right Nobody likes to leave right nobody goes Away everybody wants to stay with they Right I guess you're comfortable I guess But I'll tell you what that's amazing It's gorgeous right yeah I might move Right now yeah well I I just just so my Kid goes to school like this gez yeah And that's a public school that's a Public school looking like That oh my goodness well anyway I I I I'm Getting I should show show everybody What I'm looking at I guess maybe just Before I go just so they could see what I I'm wowing over a school you know they Got good colors man they're like you Know they're like a you know they're go They're black and gold like a good like A like a real gold so they they they get After I'll just show it quick before we Go is that is it showing here yeah there It is there it is yes it is that's right
There that's a the you could barely in The right corner see the stadium that's A whole there's a whole campus beyond That let me see if I can find it uh oh Yeah the foyer walking in is pretty hard Yeah they're the Titans I think There not bad I love how look all right As a track guy you know what I think is The coolest thing the corners so these This in the 4×1 one these are the zones That you must hand the ball hand off the Ball hand hand the Baton within oh okay See I would that in the real life so They actually have it highlighted all The way Through so there's no mistaking it I It's mindblowing I've never seen that And that's something that's like high Level oh you've never seen it never seen That but that's how you know like they Care they care like that track coach was At every Board of Ed meeting to make Sure that when that track went down that Got painted or someone came up with the Idea was yeah maybe he was like yeah who Knows maybe that's something we should Maybe we could follow up on that be like Dude uh we just want you to know that This track idea is like great that's Like great they I bet you they have like Some probably big meats there Because um that that would just be Beneficial to any track person correct Yeah it's Unique I mean the stadium
Looks great too but but yeah yeah so That's my all right we'll we'll we'll Let everybody go On almost jumped the gun there but that This was this was great that was a great Podcast and uh you know I just figured He had a lot that relates to kind of What we're talking about right and then You know I mean look he came from here He went to there that's one thing right He's down there now so compare that School to what Mike has over at Heritage And then you know you got people He said it he goes bro you know how many Like people are down you know Dino's Down there for modern day now he's down Oh really coaching or just living no Coaching got like yeah he's got a team Down there or Something was telling me the other day Because he's like tight with himself Yeah yeah yeah right right of course That was his line coach um Perfect all Right till till next time we'll see you Guys soon
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