Coaching Modern Linebackers: Drills, Reads, and Block Destruction

About this episode

Kyle and Matt discuss modern linebacker play with Coach Nick Vagnone, focusing on drills, reads, and block destruction within a 3-3-5 defense.

Modern linebacker play lives in the tweener space: guys who can fit the run, play in space, and rush off the edge without being a true safety or a true edge. In this episode, Kyle and Matt sit down with Coach Nick Vagnone, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Lenoir-Rhyne University, to break down how he develops modern linebackers inside a 3-3-5. Coach Vagnone gets granular on the Sam, Mike, and Rush roles, the read step versus pop in place debate, how he teaches block destruction and tackling, and the exact Indy drills he uses to build it all. If you coach defense at the high school, youth, or small college level, there is a lot here worth stealing. SIDELINE HQ Stop running your equipment room out of a spiral notebook. Sideline HQ lets you check gear in and out in seconds, track what every kid has, and knock out end of season inventory in minutes instead of a whole Saturday. The first 30 days are free, no credit card, no catch. Try your free trial at www.sidelinehq.co CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and tonight's guest, Coach Nick Vagnone 06:00 Why Lenoir-Rhyne moved from a 3-4 hybrid to a 3-3-5 09:41 Building a player-led defensive identity 14:21 Defining the modern…

People in this episode

Hosts: Kyle Bradburn, Matt Dixon

Guest: Coach Nick Vagnone

Topics covered

• linebacker coaching
• defensive strategies
• 3-3-5 defense
• block destruction
• tackling techniques

Keywords

• linebackers
• defense
• football drills
• coaching techniques
• 3-3-5

Sponsors

Sideline HQ

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lenoir-Rhyne University

Products: Sideline HQ

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