The 'Lay it Down' Attitude: Building & Organizing Your Defense

with Joe Woodley,
Drake University Head Coach;
Grand View University Head Coach from 2019 to 2024;
2024 NAIA National Champions;
In 2024, was named in ESPN's "Coaches Who Will Define the Next Decade" of College Football (the only NAIA level coach to receive the recognition):
2023 North Division Conference Head Coach of the Year;
North Division Conference Head Coach of the Year in 2019, 2020, 2022;
Grand View University Defensive Coordinator from 2008 to 2017;
2013 NAIA National Champions;
2013 Football Scoop Coordinator of the Year;
2011 Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Champions;
2009 Mid-States Football Association Assistant Coach of the Year;
played college football for Iowa State University

In 2015, Joe Woodley's defense led the nation in points allowed, giving up just 13.9 points per game. His defense has finished in the top 10 in points allowed in six of the past seven seasons (2010-16).

Offensive football has evolved in recent years due to high-tempo and spread-the-field schemes. Being organized on the defensive side of the ball is more important than ever. Coach Woodley shares his blueprint and the Grand View Viking philosophy, organization and coaching responsibilities on defense.

"Lay It Down" is the attitude developed in everyone in the program. It dictates a mindset that "It doesn't matter who you play, or where you play them, just lay down the football so we can play our way." In 2008, Coach Woodley helped create the "Lay it Down" philosophy that led to Grand View to the 2013 NAIA National Championship. This philosophy is based on great effort and getting the ball carrier to the ground.

Defensive Philosophy

Learn the six key points that make up the Grand View defensive philosophy. You'll learn the importance of: playing with effort, knowing your role, getting over yourself and how to tackle the ball carrier. Points include:

• How to implement the "Lay it Down" mentality within your program.
• Five keys to excel within a defensive philosophy.
• How to teach your scheme philosophy, whether it be man or zone principles.
• How to get your team well-versed in the opposition's formations and alignments.

Practice Philosophy

Coach Woodley shows you how he gets players engaged in practice whether they're fully healthy or injured. You'll see how a weekly practice is conducted and how to get players to get the most out of each rep at practice. Learn how to:

• Delegate responsibilities in practice and throughout the week to your staff.
• Choose what to implement and focus on depending on the day of the week.
• Set a weekly practice schedule and daily defensive practice script.
• Divide reps between your ones and your twos.

Grading Out Players and Goal Setting

Once you have the defensive scheme and philosophy in place, you must be able to set goals and grade out players. Coach Woodley teaches you how to:

• Give a player a grade out of 100 at the end of the season.
• Weigh your performance rating system based on the importance of a category and the opportunities a certain positional group gets.
• Implement performance and outcome goals with your team.

Coach Woodley gives you the necessary tools to implement a defensive philosophy when you first take over a program. Defense wins championships, and this video gives you the necessary keys to implement a championship-caliber defense.

74 minutes. 2017.