Is it me or does it seem like a decline in the quality of football at all levels? Special teams break downs, bad leverage, poor gap discipline, shanks, drops, throws in the dirt, over throws, bad situational awareness..... the list goes on and on. Maybe i am just growing comfortably into the grumpy old man role but it just seems more noticeable. Over this past weekend i saw a fair catch on a punt return at the 2 yard line, back to back shanks from a punter, QB slide 2 yards short of 1st down, home team had 5 false starts by the OL.....just sloppy, sloppy football. Am I alone in seeing stuff like this or am i just looking to hard for it?
Is it me???? or what???
- Thread starter Greengold_4ever
- Start date
Ok Boys I am back replying from Virginia but had to comment on this.
What has happened is that you have had so many not just old coaches leave the profession but ones in their 40's and 50's. We have said enough we are done see ya. What has replaced the quality coaches like Gillespie, Shuping, Propst, Snow, Norman, Gilcrest, ect ect ect are these back pack coaches. This group is all about instagram and trying to collect talent and not coaching them. IS it any shock that Millbrook beat Rolesville??? Now that the talent is a little more even. Or Weddington/Hoggard/ Eastern Randolph/ Hickory are still rolling. These teams have coaches not hype men. These teams have guys who know how to watch film and go to clinics and understand how to coach not just superstars but all players. Guys this will only continue to get worse as the 50 year old coaches continue to leave. You will see worse and worse coaching. You will see terrible fundamentals and teams that will just try to out athlete you and have no idea how to adjust at halftime. 10, 15 years ago some of these clowns and yes lets call them this would never sniff a head coaching job, today its par for the course. Lets just say a friend of mine in Kernersville told me its not the same. Back pack coaches have taken over and the quality of coaching is not the same. Many of us had to earn our stripes do the **** work just to coach in Varsity. If you did a good job you might coach special teams. Many of us worked our way up from position to coordinator to head coach. Now some Lay coach can get jobs thats not the case today.
What has happened is that you have had so many not just old coaches leave the profession but ones in their 40's and 50's. We have said enough we are done see ya. What has replaced the quality coaches like Gillespie, Shuping, Propst, Snow, Norman, Gilcrest, ect ect ect are these back pack coaches. This group is all about instagram and trying to collect talent and not coaching them. IS it any shock that Millbrook beat Rolesville??? Now that the talent is a little more even. Or Weddington/Hoggard/ Eastern Randolph/ Hickory are still rolling. These teams have coaches not hype men. These teams have guys who know how to watch film and go to clinics and understand how to coach not just superstars but all players. Guys this will only continue to get worse as the 50 year old coaches continue to leave. You will see worse and worse coaching. You will see terrible fundamentals and teams that will just try to out athlete you and have no idea how to adjust at halftime. 10, 15 years ago some of these clowns and yes lets call them this would never sniff a head coaching job, today its par for the course. Lets just say a friend of mine in Kernersville told me its not the same. Back pack coaches have taken over and the quality of coaching is not the same. Many of us had to earn our stripes do the **** work just to coach in Varsity. If you did a good job you might coach special teams. Many of us worked our way up from position to coordinator to head coach. Now some Lay coach can get jobs thats not the case today.
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Fundamental Basics are GONE and also my thing is what happen to the phrase - if they cant stop you why stop doing it because I never understood why teams who have success running the ball or passing n then when they get to a point they go away from whats working.
Also Offensively - WHY Do teams not run screens, slants, bubbles, 10 yard outs , 10 yard pig tail, etc its a lost art it seem bc every pass has to be 20-30-40 yard down the field, a 5-10 yard pass is still good enough in my eyes. I dont get the offensive of style anymore esp at the HS Level.
Defensively - I feel obviously - Football favors offensive football but the lack of discipline and awareness is lacking, not being in the right spot or alignment or whatever the case. TOUGHNESS is not there as u can see in some defenses.
Also Offensively - WHY Do teams not run screens, slants, bubbles, 10 yard outs , 10 yard pig tail, etc its a lost art it seem bc every pass has to be 20-30-40 yard down the field, a 5-10 yard pass is still good enough in my eyes. I dont get the offensive of style anymore esp at the HS Level.
Defensively - I feel obviously - Football favors offensive football but the lack of discipline and awareness is lacking, not being in the right spot or alignment or whatever the case. TOUGHNESS is not there as u can see in some defenses.
Welcome back and very well said. Don’t be scarce.
I think what we're seeing also is football is a reflection of society and even education. Society for the most part has become lazy and undisciplined. As the quality of "education" continues to go down, so does the quality of coaching. Is this one reason perhaps, that there are so many transfers year to year? I don't know, but it's food for thought.
Great points by all and i agree. Seems to be more flash over substance. Pro football, offense wise is completely about the Jimmy's and Joe's it is soooo vanilla every team runs the same stuff, same formations and same schemes. Defensively there is still some creativity. College is turning that way, everybody wants to run "pro style offense" except more out of shotgun. High school is following suit. There was a time when teams had identities "oh they're an I team running power and sweep", "they are a wing T team", "this week we play a split back veer team". Those days are fading fast and it is due to what was mentioned above nobody is teaching the game....only repping plays. Some times when i watch a game I wonder if the coaches knowledge came from playing video games. Rule changes haven't helped either. I am just glad it is not just me noticing the decline of good solid football.
Coach, I love it, back pack coaches. Just watch the sidelines, dang some are wearing them during the games.
Agree with most but have a few other ideas as to why the game has changed, The percentage of bad, average, good, and great coaches has remained the same IMHO. We had some terrible coaches in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s just like now. Just a few reasons to how we got to the current game.
1. Single wing/shotgun. The single wing was one of the most effective offenses in football. It has morphed into the RPO/Shotgun offenses we see today, The gun eliminated the full back position, and 21/32 personnel. Its just more effective and has more attack angles than traditional under center offenses. This has changed how defenses, passing games, and run games operate. These new offenses are more adaptable.
2. YOUTH FOOTBALL. Youth start playing football too young and there are too many youth teams and not enough players. 9 years old was the starting age in the past. Now there are 5-8 year old tackle teams with single group age limits modeling basketball. You sometimes have a hard time fielding 15 players for an age group. So you have bad practices, switching player positions over n over, and teams merging just to play bad football on a Saturday. Then you have super teams running through leagues creating mismatches. With CTE awareness going up most of your top athletes are playing basketball, baseball, and lacrosse. Most of your top HS players now either come from top youth programs, or top middle school programs that hoard talent. So these weaker football players sometimes end up in HS lost and confused. The average joe football player is not the same avg, joe from years ago mentally. Youth football has some of the worse coaching and not preparing players for high school.
3. Agree with coach about the backpack coaches. Think the quality of assistant coaches has gone down coaching wise. The most successful HS have a great staff, not just a great HC. An assistant should be striving to be a HC. Studying the game, learning game theory, and learning how to communicate with todays youth. The reason these backpack coaches get jobs is because they can communicate with parents, players, and know how to recruit players to your school. If you want to succeed you need 2-3 "backpack coaches". They know the kids, their situations. They know the lingo. You can be great X/O all you want but if you cant edit an Instagram video, pick johnny up for practice or counsel johnny when the opps are after him you not effective. So the staff needs these coaches in minimum quantity and not coaching major position groups.
Lastly like I mentioned about youth football. There are just too many high schools schools and not enough quality players. Then the top talent hoards at certain schools. When I worked USA football that was our biggest issue. Not enough kids playing due to safety concerns, We have to find a way to play football safely and build the numbers back up, and the quality will get better. IE Charlotte had 13 public football HS in 2000, and in 2025 its 21. Then add in charters, private, and Parochial. Just not enough players for everyone to be decent,
1. Single wing/shotgun. The single wing was one of the most effective offenses in football. It has morphed into the RPO/Shotgun offenses we see today, The gun eliminated the full back position, and 21/32 personnel. Its just more effective and has more attack angles than traditional under center offenses. This has changed how defenses, passing games, and run games operate. These new offenses are more adaptable.
2. YOUTH FOOTBALL. Youth start playing football too young and there are too many youth teams and not enough players. 9 years old was the starting age in the past. Now there are 5-8 year old tackle teams with single group age limits modeling basketball. You sometimes have a hard time fielding 15 players for an age group. So you have bad practices, switching player positions over n over, and teams merging just to play bad football on a Saturday. Then you have super teams running through leagues creating mismatches. With CTE awareness going up most of your top athletes are playing basketball, baseball, and lacrosse. Most of your top HS players now either come from top youth programs, or top middle school programs that hoard talent. So these weaker football players sometimes end up in HS lost and confused. The average joe football player is not the same avg, joe from years ago mentally. Youth football has some of the worse coaching and not preparing players for high school.
3. Agree with coach about the backpack coaches. Think the quality of assistant coaches has gone down coaching wise. The most successful HS have a great staff, not just a great HC. An assistant should be striving to be a HC. Studying the game, learning game theory, and learning how to communicate with todays youth. The reason these backpack coaches get jobs is because they can communicate with parents, players, and know how to recruit players to your school. If you want to succeed you need 2-3 "backpack coaches". They know the kids, their situations. They know the lingo. You can be great X/O all you want but if you cant edit an Instagram video, pick johnny up for practice or counsel johnny when the opps are after him you not effective. So the staff needs these coaches in minimum quantity and not coaching major position groups.
Lastly like I mentioned about youth football. There are just too many high schools schools and not enough quality players. Then the top talent hoards at certain schools. When I worked USA football that was our biggest issue. Not enough kids playing due to safety concerns, We have to find a way to play football safely and build the numbers back up, and the quality will get better. IE Charlotte had 13 public football HS in 2000, and in 2025 its 21. Then add in charters, private, and Parochial. Just not enough players for everyone to be decent,
Forgot another BIG issue. PARENTS, PARENTS, PARENTS. Every parent thinks their child is the chosen one. They harass coaches and mentally kids living through their child.
Another one? PAY these coaches, NO ONE effects children more than parents but #2 are coaches. They should be compensated for the long hours, hard work, and sacrifices they make. Football is king in America. NO way good to great coaches shouldn't make $100k minimum in NC.
Another one? PAY these coaches, NO ONE effects children more than parents but #2 are coaches. They should be compensated for the long hours, hard work, and sacrifices they make. Football is king in America. NO way good to great coaches shouldn't make $100k minimum in NC.
Last thing on this. the NFL.fined Gannon! Dude drops the ball at the 1. He should get chewed out. no contact but definitely chewed out. Crazy world where a coach gets fined for that
In North Carolina, coaching compensation plays a major role in the overall quality of leadership programs can attract and retain. Competitive pay structures are essential for drawing top-tier head coaches and assistants, yet the current pay scale places the state at a clear disadvantage. When compared to neighboring states such as South Carolina and Georgia, where coaching salaries are substantially higher. North Carolina struggles to compete on the same level.
As a result, many of the state’s most talented coaches have pursued opportunities elsewhere, while a significant number of elite coaches never even apply for positions in North Carolina due to the lower pay. This has created a noticeable gap in experience and pedigree, particularly within the Charlotte area. If those who left for higher-paying opportunities were still here, many of today’s head coaching roles would likely not be open.
By increasing salaries and offering more competitive incentives, North Carolina could not only retain proven coaching talent but also begin attracting elite candidates who currently overlook the state entirely.
As a result, many of the state’s most talented coaches have pursued opportunities elsewhere, while a significant number of elite coaches never even apply for positions in North Carolina due to the lower pay. This has created a noticeable gap in experience and pedigree, particularly within the Charlotte area. If those who left for higher-paying opportunities were still here, many of today’s head coaching roles would likely not be open.
By increasing salaries and offering more competitive incentives, North Carolina could not only retain proven coaching talent but also begin attracting elite candidates who currently overlook the state entirely.
Same story for teaching. I retired from NC with 28.5 years teaching and coaching and moved to VA. The teachers pay here is so much better and there are so many ways to make money its eye opening. It's been 15+ years since NC attack on public education started and it shows in the type of teachers you can attract and coaches. Its a shame NC is a beautiful state too bad many teachers and coaches can not afford to live in the cities there
Throw in up grading facilities into that mix as well. There is no excuse for some of the facilities some kids have to endure at their schools. All professions need the right tools and supplements to be efficient and successful.
Watching the pro and college games this weekend made me realize another contributing factor to the decline of quality. Too much specialization. "He is a slot receiver" "he is a cover guy not a run stopper" "third down back", "pass rusher"....how about we get back to making and coaching Football Players! Specialization used to be limited to special teams such as punters, kickers, snappers, returners and such now we have a guy for everything it seems. I understand roles are specific to skills and body types but i don't get how a guy can only be a slot receiver or just a pass rusher.
I am not a Patriot fan by any means but Julian Edleman comes to mind about being a football player. Dude was a QB in college and i am confident he could've played anywhere you asked him to because he was a football player.
I am not a Patriot fan by any means but Julian Edleman comes to mind about being a football player. Dude was a QB in college and i am confident he could've played anywhere you asked him to because he was a football player.
Don't know if it's because of mediocre offenses but defense is at least appearing to make a rebound in college. Teams like Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, Clemson etc simply not scoring as much seemingly as in the past. Could be due to new portal additions I suppose.
That goes back to NC being so cheap. There are a lot of states where
Coaches do not line fields
Coaches do not wash cloth
Coaches do not drive activity busses
Coaches do not mow grass
They coach
NC has been so cheap for so many decades that these "Extra" duties are baked into the cake and are an expectation. As soon as the teachers/coaches actually band together and expect more these poor facilities/ pay will continue
High school kids (and their parents) are expected to get paid, but we will not pay our own coaches (and teachers) enough. The system is broken.