Subject: And I would’ve got away with it!
Date: August 20, 2026

An all-time classic line from the old Scoobie Doo cartoons. Or is it?
Lemme blow your mind for a minute…

In the original Scoobie Doo series, no one ever says this line:

“And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!”

No one. One of the bad guys gets close, in one episode. But it’s an example of the Mandela Effect. You’d swear every single episode ended with the bad guy saying it.

Maybe those Scoobie Doo villains didn’t actually say it. But a heckuva lot of coaches say it every year.

“We would have won the game, if it weren’t for those slow, soft, scared kids!”

What’s the #1 complaint about those meddling kids?

Low Football IQ.

You have probably said this before. I have definitely said this.

But coach, I want you to know something…

Every coach has this problem.

On the Football Coaching Podcast a while back, we had Dominique Franks as a guest. He was an All-American at Oklahoma and NFL defensive back before his coaching career.

Dominique told a great story about Low Football IQ. When he played for the Falcons, they had two highly paid 1st Round Picks in the secondary who did not know any of the calls.

The coaches built the defense around those ultra-talented players. The guys on the field who did understand the defense would adjust them.

In other words, the Falcons coaching staff simplified the defense to meet those very gifted athletes where they were at, rather than bashing their head against a wall running a more complicated scheme.

Coach Simple Philosophy.

If it’s happening in the NFL, don’t be surprised when it happens on your team!
The new Coach Simple, Volume 1: The Lost Letters includes my 5-step system for simplifying literally ANYTHING you do. Including your playbook or game plan.

Here’s another truism I’ve learned about Low Football IQ…

There is no such thing as a Low Football IQ.

You have smart kids that have a high IQ. You have dumb kids that have a low IQ.

If your smart kids have a low football IQ, it’s because of bad teaching.

If your dumb kids have a low football IQ, it’s because of bad teaching.

Let’s start with the smart kids. If they came from previous coaching staffs who didn’t do a good job of teaching football, well… that’s your job. Teach them.

If you’ve been coaching them for a while and they still don’t understand football? You need to look at your teaching methods. Coaching is problem
solving, not complaining.

What about the dumb kids?

I know, it’s not nice to call kids dumb. But be real… some people are dumb.

Dumb adults used to be dumb kids. Therefore, we have some dumb kids now (who will be dumb adults).

But you have to meet those dummies where they are at right now. Especially if they’re new to the game.

If you were a math teacher (I was), you could be a genius. A phenomenal teacher. But if you try to teach calculus to third graders, it won’t work.

Do they have a “Low Math IQ”?

No.

They don’t have the foundation. They do not have the basic understanding necessary in order to learn calculus.

You need to meet them where they are.

Same with your playbook. Keep it simple so your kids can play fast.
One last thing…

Maybe all that doesn’t land with you. You think I’m wrong. You are committed to the fact that you have the biggest collection of Football Dummies ever assembled. In your private moments, you throw the R-word around.

Fine.

What are you going to do about it?

Those are the kids you have. You are a football coach. Football coaches are problem solvers.

Find a way. Whatever it takes, coach.

Along those lines…

The new Coach Simple, Volume 1: The Lost Letters manual is available for pre-order right now. We hope to start printing and shipping next week.

Here’s a peak at some of the problem solvers you’ll find in that manual:

Want to be among the first to get the new manual? Here is the link for pre-order:

Pre-Order the Lost Letters manual now >>

~ Joe Daniel