September 29th, 2021 | Josh Adelman
We are honored to award an active-duty Special Forces Soldier the September 2021 Coach of the Month distinction for his steadfast pursuit of coaching mastery.
Our September honoree must remain anonymous for protection due to operational security and the sensitive nature of his current role within the US Military. For anonymity’s sake, we will refer to our honoree simply as ‘Coach.’
Coach got his start as a freshman in college. One day he received a call from his High School Head Football Coach, Lin Havron, to do some scouting for his alma mater. A special coaching talent was recognized within him and eventually led to more responsibility. He learned more about the X’s and O’s on his scouting missions while sitting and discussing details with the rest of his coaching staff.
Eventually, Coach was awarded the role of Defensive Coordinator for the 7th grade, 8th grade, and JV game. He was also tasked with helping the varsity coaches in the box on game day. Coach Havron was influencing Coach to become the prototypical high school football coach. Then 9/11 happened.
The day after this tragic event, Coach enlisted in the US Army because his family lineage defended the USA since the American Revolution, and he was compelled to follow suit. Fast forward 20 years and Coach is nearing retirement from military service to continue to serve his country as a football coach. He tells us, “Coaching high school football has filled a void that I have had and has given me a purpose in life beyond the military. Each season the players are like a new guy arriving to the company that I have to prepare to be ready for whatever deployment is coming up or contingency operation that may arise.”
Coach reflects on how his military experience has influenced his coaching journey:
“To be honest coaching never left my mind. That is not a cliche answer but an honest one. I still possess the same book I’ve had since 2000 that I started scribbling notes and guidance from my coaches, plays, drills, mantras, etc. Even after joining the military, I continued to write in that book, and it’s sadly coming apart. I seriously thought that I would never have the opportunity to coach again at the high school level, because I was just a soldier with tattoos on my arms. Even though people will deny it, there is a stigma that surrounds certain branches in the military; your tattoos, or what you did to the point where civilians think they know your capability and just see you as the strong arm of the nation.”
“As fate would have it, when I was deciding to retire or continue past 20 years in the military, Coach Havron and I were reunited in Colorado when he was visiting his daughter who is a cadet at the USAFA. He told me that I had done my service to our nation and was going to retire. As weird as it may sound, I did not question him. I did talk to him about my anxiety concerning even getting a job because I was just a Soldier.”
“Coach Havron explained to me that he was an Army brat (I did not know this) and that my experiences, ability to plan, leadership, and knowledge that I possessed as a SOF soldier would be my strengths. Further, he talked about how I had the ability to see past the Xs and Os and could bond and create relationships with the Jimmy’s and Joes. I took those comments to heart and began to figure out how to take some of my SOF skills to transition them to football. I also began to learn how to become a certified teacher in Texas so I could coach. As well as teaching for a high school program, I also know how to conduct sync meetings, delegate authority, time management, conduct evaluations (like an NCOER), counsel, talent management, contingency planning, and conduct daily AARs.”
“I spoke about this with Brady Nix at STS because I did not honestly think that civilian coaches didn’t know how to do all of this. Seriously, this was a shock to me, because these individuals are leaders on and off the field but think they know how to lead. If you honestly think about it, we all learn the foundations of leadership and planning at the lowest level, and it is something of awe to civilians. I even developed a Mission Essential Task List (METL) in the same military format, but converted it to serve a football program. You may ask why? Well why not, if you have a format to go off of, then your mission (program future) will have a plan to guide it. In the military we have guides to keep us on track, now if a program has it or even as a position coach you have it and the parameters for evaluating it you won’t miss anything. We all know that planning can fill gaps or holes, and will lead to mission success.”
“The lack of planning leads to failure, and this goes for the military as well as for football at the lowest level. I’ve also viewed that there is a lack of communication and information sharing. This doesn’t mean HUDL, but other things in a program. A lot of coaches feel that knowledge is power, when really it is insecurity and fear. We all have had that command element while serving, and know firsthand how it effects a unit.”
“All of this I mentioned has molded me as a coach. I see things differently then when I started as an 18 year old in 2000. What I have done in the military is applicable to football, and I am seeing it more and more. The only underlining issue is the uncertainty that civilian administrators or hiring committees are aware of this.”
“Also, being in the military brought me to STS thanks to Google, which propelled me to Nate Young at Texas A&M, and Coach Mahon at Blinn Junior College. I’ve interacted with many Soldier Coaches prior to and after the STS football clinic. Not to mention, that I am the luckiest Soldier Coach in the nation because I am being personally mentored defensively by Coach Chuck Gibbs (who I didn’t know when I met him initially was already affiliated with STS). Also, his experiences surpass my football wise, but he has talked to me about more than football and how my SOF experiences are applicable. Which gives a sense of ease for those of us transitioning or already out. I hope every Soldier Coach has their own Coach Havron, Coach Gibbs, Brady Nix, Coach Cauley, and Nate Young.”
Coach has been refining his coaching craft for a lifetime and is now translating all of his knowledge, wisdom and experience to positively influence young athletes. He has accepted a coaching position in a community that is under-resourced and suffers from gang violence. He is committed to making positive change where it is needed most. It is without question that Coach deserves the September 2021 Coach of the Month award.
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