As I enter the heat of the college admissions process and ponder life beyond high school, I more and more think my HD career is slowly coming to an end (although I'll be around a fair amount longer as of now). I have always wanted to make a guide to give all the knowledge I have accrued back to the HD community. I am grateful for the support I was given early in my career and think every coach should earn similar support. I am hoping this forum covers a gaping hole in my eyes, a go-to, all info in one forum for a newbie since aejones thread is outdated and the guide to 3.0 is directed to a coach who played 2.0, not a newbie.

So, here's why I am making this forum. I am going to make my guide interactive, meaning if you guys disagree, have an alternative strategy, or see a missing piece to anything in my guide, I will make edits to the forum and google doc (that I am going to link to my forum so that if people want to use the table of contents feature to get to a category quicker, they can). I want to make this a guide that showcases many different strategies, not just one, as that is what HD is. Also, I plan on having a Q & A section for newbies questions. So... I have started writing, but I want to make sure I am not forgetting any topics before I post the initial "draft" on the forums. Provided below is a list of the topics I plan on covering (keep in mind this is for either just D3 or D3 and D2 I haven't decided yet):

• Job choosing
• Scouting (will include based on location, preference)
• Player evaluation
• Recruiting
• Balancing classes (including redshirting, cutting, senior transfers, etc.)
• Gameplanning (distro, doubling, positioning, tempo, depth chart, using data to change gameplans, creating smokescreens to not give away your plan to opponents, evaluating how other teams will gameplan, seeing through other teams smokescreens, etc.)
• Practice plan
• Scheduling
• Choosing sets

Thanks in advance!

Sounds ambitious, but great idea. If you need anyone to bounce ideas off, you know where to find me!

Damn, I started playing once I got to college.

Sports, I started playing HD in high school, played it for a couple years in college, and then got overwhelmed with coursework and fieldwork and internships so I hear you. I'd pick up a single team here and there but couldn't find the time or muster the energy to keep up with it.

But several years into a successful career and I'm back. I doubt whenever you drop your last team will be the last we see of you.

Regardless though, looking forward to this guide and best of luck with the college transition. As one of the more recent college grads active on the forums (I graduated 6 years ago but I graduated a year early) and as a member of my school's alumni board and volunteer with the admissions and career services offices I'm happy to share tips, tricks, and the like on the college experience any time.

Will be very helpful for the newer members of the HD community. Good luck with your project

I'd start the guide with just D3 because the focus would help. Looking forward to it!

im trying to think what it would have been like if i played this game in college instead of starting shortly after. probably an interesting train wreck, as college me wheeled from being so busy (a rare but severe occurrence) i would basically have to ghost ship, to the version of me doing nothing and with infinite time but facing the challenge of coaching under extreme inebriation. my forum posts would have been the drunken ramblings of a madman. so, about the same then?

i like the idea of a rookie focused guide, best of luck with the endeavor sports!

Posted by gillispie1 on 8/22/2020 8:01:00 PM (view original):
im trying to think what it would have been like if i played this game in college instead of starting shortly after. probably an interesting train wreck, as college me wheeled from being so busy (a rare but severe occurrence) i would basically have to ghost ship, to the version of me doing nothing and with infinite time but facing the challenge of coaching under extreme inebriation. my forum posts would have been the drunken ramblings of a madman. so, about the same then?

i like the idea of a rookie focused guide, best of luck with the endeavor sports!

Drunken ramblings of a madman? Finally I can relate to someone!