Fred Farrier, the head football coach at Hazel Green High School in Alabama, has over 20 years of experience coaching college football. He started his college coaching career in 1998 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University under Nick Saban. Farrier has coached at various levels, including D2, D3, FCS, and FBS. This is how he coaches his running backs.
Understanding Your Players
Farrier categorizes football players into three types:
- Average Player: Knows and does their job.
- Good Player: Knows their job and someone else’s.
- Great Player: Understands everything.
He emphasizes the motto: “Excellence is the Expectation.” Encourage players to stop settling for average and strive for greatness in everything they do.
Player Accountability
In meetings, players must:
- Remove their backpacks
- Sit with their feet on the floor
- Sit up straight
- Focus on the coach
- Put down their food
- Stop playing with their hair
- Have pen and paper ready
- Pay attention
- Write everything down
- Ask questions
RB Commandments
The 12 commandments for running backs are:
- Proper depth
- Correct stance
- Proper steps
- Create mesh
- Secure the football
- Proper tempo
- Burst
- Make one miss in the hole
- Run through contact
- Protect the football
- Make one miss at the second level
- Finish plays
Ball Security
There are six points of pressure when protecting the football:
- Index finger/eagle claw over the tip of the ball
- Palm of the hand
- Forearm
- Armpit
- Ribcage
- Offhand wrist squeeze
Farrier emphasizes “perfect ball security” because “ball security is job security.” One drill involves doing up-downs while holding a tennis ball in the armpit without letting it fall.
RB Responsibilities
Running backs need to:
- Block
- Run the ball
- Catch the ball
- Carry out fakes
When catching the ball, use your hands and look it into the tuck with your eyes.
Yards After Contact
To practice creating yards after contact, focus on:
- Stiff-arm tool
- Breaking tackles
- Juking
- Bursting
Avoid running out of bounds except in two-minute situations. These can be practiced through bag drills.
Protecting the Quarterback
Running backs must protect the quarterback by:
- Watching the reads under pass protection
- Executing blocks
When practicing blocking, work on:
- Base and balance
- Closing the gap
- Protecting the insides
- Forcing the defender up the field and outside
Footwork is crucial for run game mesh, focusing on tempo and patience (Video: 48:21-48:26).
Emphasizing Technique and Fundamentals
Always return to technique and fundamentals. Remind players that excellence IS the expectation. Use the acronym “BELIEVE” (By Eliminating Limitations It’s Easier Validating Expectations) to motivate and achieve goals.
