The 2025 Soldiers To Sidelines Football Coaching Certification Seminar, powered by the New York Jets and Ticketmaster, brought together service members, veterans, and military spouses for a transformational week of coaching education. Through the shared pursuit of leadership, teamwork, and personal growth, attendees learned to translate their military experience into the craft of football coaching at all levels.
This seminar was made possible by the generous support of the New York Jets and Ticketmaster whose sponsorship ensures that members of the military community receive world-class, tuition-free coaching certification. Additional support was provided by our valued corporate partners Wells Fargo, PenFed Foundation, and CVS Health.
Over the course of the week, participants engaged with NFL coaches, college coordinators, football educators, and leadership experts. The training blended football strategy, human performance, character development, teaching methodology, and modern technology—mirroring the complexity and beauty of the game itself.
What follows is a complete recap of this important event.
A Welcome Rooted in Service and Purpose
The seminar opened with remarks from Harrison Bernstein, Founder and Executive Director of Soldiers To Sidelines, who welcomed coaches to a week of learning and camaraderie. He emphasized that great coaching begins with curiosity and a willingness to grow. Bernstein highlighted how Soldiers To Sidelines provides tools—both educational and relational—that empower coaches to succeed long after the seminar ends.
Eli Hodges, representing the New York Jets and Ticketmaster, reinforced the organizations’ commitment to supporting veterans and military families. He encouraged attendees to embrace the networking opportunities and spread their knowledge into their communities.
Leadership and Teaching with Coach Brian Billick
A major highlight of the seminar was a keynote session from Brian Billick, Super Bowl–winning former Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens and longtime NFL analyst. Drawing on decades of experience across multiple levels of football, Billick provided practical insight into what makes effective coaching.
Rather than relying on inspirational rhetoric or exaggerated anecdotes, Billick focused on the principles of communication, clarity, and preparation, emphasizing them as the backbone of great teaching. He stressed the importance of establishing expectations, reinforcing fundamentals, and maintaining consistency—all lessons that resonated deeply with an audience with military backgrounds.
Billick’s appearance set the tone for the week: expert instruction grounded in real-world wisdom.
Coaching Fundamentals and the Inverted Pyramid of Success
Harrison Bernstein expanded the conversation by introducing Soldiers To Sidelines’ coaching framework, including the principle that coaching success begins with inspiration, builds through motivation, and is reinforced through fitness, technique, and strategy.
Rather than treating strategy as the foundation, the STS model encourages coaches to first shape character, mindset, and team culture—echoing the military’s emphasis on leadership and purpose.
Football Concepts: Space, Numbers, and Time with Coach Aaron Brady
Shifting to football-specific instruction, longtime high school and college coach Aaron Brady led an impactful session titled “Football Fundamentals: Space, Numbers, and Time.”
Brady broke the game down to its simplest conceptual elements:
- Space: How offenses create it and defenses restrict it
- Numbers: How alignments and personnel create advantages
- Time: How tempo and timing affect execution
By reframing football in these universal terms, Brady equipped coaches with frameworks that apply at every level—from youth leagues to college programs. He emphasized understanding why plays work, not just memorizing what to call.
Understanding Route Concepts, Coverage, Run Game, Run Fits, Pass Protection, and Pass Rush.
Using real NFL film, including examples from the Kansas City Chiefs, Bernstein demonstrated how offenses attack defensive leverage with concepts such as flat-seven and curl-flat, and how coaches can train players to read appropriate personnel to make decisions either from offensive or defensive perspectives.
Coach Aaron Brady broke down the basic fundamentals of how offense establishes the run and how defense responds by appropriately fitting the gaps. He provided a deeper understanding of key techniques and strategies offensively and defensively in the run game.
Mike Pollack, former NFL lineman and Director of Training for Tip of the Spear Football. Pollack presented modern, safe, and effective techniques for offensive line play and defensive line play. Using examples from his work with the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line, Pollack demonstrated how efficiency, leverage, and posture help linemen control contact, improve performance, and reduce injury risk. He also provided an in-depth look at the biomechanics for elite pass rush, highlighting the execution from NFL legends.
AFCA Partnership: Building a Professional Network
On Wednesday, Alan Dykens, Director of Membership Development at the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), presented on the partnership between AFCA and Soldiers To Sidelines.
Dykens explained how membership provides access to a vast network of coaches, professional development resources, and the annual AFCA Convention. He encouraged coaches to attend the STS Networking Hour event at the convention, emphasizing the importance of building relationships in the coaching profession.
Wisdom from Coach Steck: A Career of Service and Teaching
Later in the week, coaches heard from Dave Steckel “Coach Steck”—a Marine veteran and football coach with more than 40 years of experience. Stec shared lessons from his decades on the sideline, touching on humility, preparation, and lifelong learning.
He encouraged attendees to consider themselves students, teachers, and leaders—three roles that must exist simultaneously for a coach to grow. He also stressed the importance of caring about players first and teaching football second.
His session blended discipline with compassion—qualities that echo both coaching excellence and the military ethos.
“Ask the Coach” with Coach Mike Smith: Authentic Coaching Insights
Another major moment came with a Q&A with Mike Smith, former Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons and 2008 NFL Coach of the Year. Smith shared his journey through decades of coaching, focusing on the importance of authenticity, consistent behavior, and learning from adversity.
Smith discussed the dynamics of coaching at the highest levels and how collaboration among staff members contributes to team success. He emphasized tailoring schemes to what players can execute and keeping the playbook manageable—principles that apply from youth levels to the pros.
Thursday Night Breakout Sessions: Coaching Expertise Across Every Position
One of the most powerful components of the seminar came on Thursday night, when participants entered Football Breakout Rooms taught by elite guest coaches representing a broad spectrum of college and professional programs. Each coach provided position-specific instruction aligned with their expertise.
Below is a detailed recap of the session.
Offensive Breakout Rooms (7:35 – 8:25 PM)
Quarterbacks — Robert Weiner, Toledo University
Robert Weiner, Quarterbacks Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator at Toledo University, presented “Quarterback: Part Physics, Part Math, Part Art.”
Offensive Line — Bob Wylie, Former NFL Coach
Bob Wylie, widely respected offensive line coach and NFL veteran, led “Teaching the Offensive Line.” He focused on stance, psoture, first steps, and leverage along the line. Wylie’s detailed, experience-driven approach helped coaches understand how to teach OL play with clarity and confidence.
Wide Receivers — Jeff Endy, Ursinus College
Jeff Endy, Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach at Ursinus College, delivered “WR Skills and Fundamentals.” Endy walked through releases, route running, tracking the football, and leverage manipulation.
Running Backs — Gary Ramey, Jr., Former OC at Brown University
Gary Ramey, Jr., former Offensive Coordinator at Brown University, taught “Utilizing TE in Your Offense in Multiple Ways.” He covered movement patterns, blocking assignments, and matchup advantages across formations. Ramey’s teaching highlighted the versatility required of modern tight ends.
HB/TE/FB — Ryan Mattison, Georgetown University
Ryan Mattison, Running Backs Coach at Georgetown University, led “Inside Zone Fundamentals & Coaching Points.” His session focused on footwork, aiming points, tempo, and reading defensive alignment.
Defensive Breakout Rooms (8:35 – 9:20 PM)
Defensive Backs — Jerod Kruse, Tennessee State University
Jerod Kruse, former NFL defensive backs and special teams coach and current DB/Special Teams Coach at Tennessee State University, presented “Defensive Back Fundamentals.” He covered stance, Press Man technique, tackling, and reading receiver intent.
Linebackers — David Blake, Kent State University
David Blake, Linebacker and Special Teams Coach at Kent State University, taught “Basics of Playing Linebacker.”.
Defensive Line — Larry Johnson, Ohio State University
Larry Johnson, Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach at Ohio State University, delivered “Coaching the Defensive Line.” Widely considered one of the top DL coaches in college football, Johnson broke down hand striking, rush lanes, and technique development across fronts.
Technology, Tools, and Teaching with Coach John Mumford
To complement the football instruction, Coach John Mumford demonstrated the Go Army Edge App, a powerful visualization tool used to diagram plays and simulate formations. He showed coaches how to build and share plays, create practice scripts, and modernize teaching methods using 3D modeling.
Final Thoughts and Future Impact
As the seminar concluded, Alyssa Allen and Harrison Bernstein guided participants through certification requirements and encouraged them to stay engaged with Soldiers To Sidelines for future opportunities. Graduates receive not only a certificate and STS coaching gear but lifelong entry into a community of peers, mentors, and leaders.
The 2025 Soldiers To Sidelines Football Coaching Certification Seminar powered by the New York Jets and Ticketmaster proved once again that coaching is more than teaching plays—it is teaching people. Through the support of the New York Jets, Ticketmaster, Wells Fargo, PenFed Foundation, and CVS Health, the STS mission continues to grow, empowering veterans and service members to lead the next generation of athletes.
This seminar reinforced that football—like military service—is built on discipline, unity, and purpose. And as these newly certified coaches return to their communities, schools, and teams, the impact of Soldiers To Sidelines will continue to echo far beyond the field.
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