Subject: Get mad. Then go do your work.
Date: August 31, 2026

A week ago I talked about the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. It has some great little one-liners for football coaches.

Plus it’s a quick read.

I’m going to steal one more. Like a true artist.

In a section talking about trolls and haters, he drops this one…

“Get mad. Then go do your work.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d think a football coach said that. Not an artist.

Throughout the season, you will get mad. Despite all your hard work and planning, other people are going to screw it up.

You might even screw it up yourself.

Kids are going to blow an assignment.

Another coach is going to teach it the way we’ve always done it, even though it isn’t working.

Parents. ‘Nuff said.

A few years ago I found the first edition of Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense manual on Scribd. It had been downloaded over 6,000 times. I couldn’t help but do some quick head math…

And get mad.

Then go to work. I got it taken down. And fast forward to now…

Coaching Football’s 4-2-5 Defense, 2nd Edition is a beautiful spiral bound print manual. Can’t download that. But you can order it (and get the bonus PDF, old habits die hard).

Order the 4-2-5 Defense manual >>

Someone is going to piss you off, coach. You might be pissed off right now.

Get mad. It’s your right to get mad.

Then take a deep breath. Count to 10. Do whatever Daniel Tiger says to do (this is my life now).

And get back to work.

You are a football coach. A problem solver.

Call it Extreme Ownership. Or just call it being an adult.

Find a way. Whatever it takes.

Here’s another one.

I hate 7 on 7. It makes me mad.

But it’s a necessary part of practice. So after a deep breath…

I went back to work.

The latest episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is all about Group Passing Drills. Including 7-on-7 drill. Listen or watch it here:

Group Passing Drills on The Football Coaching Podcast >>

Coach Simple. Play Fast. Win.

​~ Joe Daniel