The Frank Glazier Football Clinic

In January of 1988, Laurie and I flew out to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the American Football Coaches Association's Annual Convention.

I only remember two things about our week in the Peach State without looking at my notes. The first was getting snowed in at the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport when we were trying to return home to California. We just got our car turned in to the Hertz people after driving from downtown at about 5 mph on Interstate 85. As we deposited our bags and checked-in, they closed down the airport due to the coldest, snowiest weather to hit Atlanta in 25+ years. Nothing beats sleeping on the floor of an airport with a few thousand new friends!!!

More importantly, I remember picking up a flyer at the Convention about something called a Frank Glazier Football Clinic. Apparently they were big on the East Coast but I had never heard of it before. Their clinic in Pittsburgh in February of 1988 intriqued me.

Now at this time, most clinics limited a speaker to about one hour, just enough time to whet your appetite for his subject but never enough to fully develop the topic. What caught my eye about the Glazier Clinic flyer was that each speaker had THREE hours to get his points across. Also, George DeLeone of Syracuse University was going to talk about "Defending the Wing-T". This was a topic that was important to us and one that I had never heard anyone discuss on the West Coast.

I asked the Westlake H.S. Booster Club for money to send Dan Murphy, my Defensive Coordinator, and me to Pittsburgh for five days and they said yes.

Once in Pittsburgh and after getting on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by mistake, about a 30 mile mistake that is, we finally checked into our hotel and the clinic. It was there that I first met this jovial, rotund man with a mighty coach's whistle and voice to match named Frank Glazier. He was just a wonderful ambassador for the game who had been putting on great clinics for several years.

Dan and I were so excited about the clinic and the incredible format that on the last day of the clinic we looked Coach Glazier up to tell him what a great clinic experience we had had. We also talked to him about coming to Southern California because we thought his format would be greatly received.

In February of 1989, Coach Glazier did indeed bring his clinic out to Irvine, California and the rest, as they say is history! The Glazier Clinic has been held in the Irvine, Costa Mesa, Long Beach area every year since.

A great memory for me was Coach Glazier seeing Dan and I at that first SoCal clinic. He gave us a warm welcome and thanked us for the idea of expanding his clinics to the West Coast. Unfortunately, Coach Glazier passed away a year or two after this . . . GREAT GUY!!!

I talked to one of the young men running the Glazier Clinic in Costa Mesa this past weekend about expanding the clinic one more time, this time to Europe. He seemed receptive, we'll see.

2010 Frank Glazier Football Clinic

Costa Mesa, California

I arrived at the clinic early and had a chance to talk with some people before the crush of 2,000+ coaches hit the scene.

It was great to see some old friends and some newer ones since I have not been able to attend a clinic the last two years because of the much earlier departure date for Sicily.

Among the acquaintances I renewed were Tim Hartnet of Bakersfield Highland H.S., Pete Carrion of Contreras H.S., Ron Hamamoto of San Diego Lincoln H.S., Jack Fogarty of Vally View H.S., Cliff Farrar of Buena H.S., George Pascoe of Marina H.S. and Ray Medina of Bonita H.S. amongst others. GREAT TIME!!!

Gary Tabke on the left

Gary is the President of LinemenInc Camps. They put on skills camps for high school linemen. We had a nice talk about having them also come to Europe for a camp, I think it would go over big.

Sales Booth

Part of every clinic is salesmen trying to sell you every conceivable piece of football related equipment to make your program even better in 2010.

In about another hour this hall will be packed with knowledge hungry coaches!

The clinic started Friday afternoon and would finish at mid-day Sunday morning. I could only be there on Friday because Laurie and I were driving out Saturday morning to Las Vegas to see Andy and Jenn.

The Glazier Clinic did not disappoint me.

I started my day by listening to UCLA's Tim Hundley speak on

"UCLA's Tackling and Turnover Techniques".

Next up was Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo's Bryan Cook speaking first about

"Base Run and Play Action Schemes in the Spread Option"

and then on

"Creating Balance and Explosive Plays".

The big deal of the day for me though was the evening sessions with Gordon Elliott of Auburn H.S. in Washington. He talked for three hours on

"The Jet Sweep from Multiple Double Wing Formations",

"Complementary Running Game for the Double Wing Jet Offense" and

"Play Action Pass from the Double Wing Jet Sweep".

Coach Elliott was most illuminating and has really made me re-think my plans for our offense in Sweden. The things he is doing could be a great addition to the Hurricanes' attack this season.