High-Risk Football- Arkansas High School Coach Kevin Kelley’s System. Would A College Or Pro Coach Try This?

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I didn’t see the ESPN piece on this just read something about it in the newspaper and read about it online. Kevin Kelley a high school coach in Arkansas has an approach to the game that is different from everyone else. His team almost never punts. On kickoffs there is no surprise on-side kicks because they on-side kick every time they kickoff. They go for it on 4th down every time.

Kelly has been successful, he coaches a powerhouse in Arkansas and has won 3 state championships. The question is-would this work in college or the NFL? San Diego State Head Coach Rocky Long has said he isn’t going to punt this year when his team is inside the 50 yard line.

I have always thought college and pro teams should go for 2 after every touchdown instead of kicking the extra point. I do not see Coach Kelley’s system-which he has stated is based on statistical analysis catching on. Coaches by nature are conservative. Also with the 24 hour all-sports radio stations, the ESPN all the time, the internet etc.. If a coach decided to do something on this order and failed and lost a game because of it all hell would break loose. I think after one loss the coach would abandon the system if he survived on the job. A Bill Belichick could get away with it but not many others would. It would take a coach who felt that he was on the skids anyway to try it. I’d love to see someone do it but I think it would be a long wait.

I don’t think you could take the never punting approach. The no-punting inside the 50 I could see. Coaches like Belichick and Bill Parsells have always done things differently. I remember Parsells regularly going for it on 4th and 3 at say the opponents 37 yard line and having great success at it. I am going to be interested to see if Coach Long at San Diego State sticks with the no punting inside the 50 this year.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/scorecasting/09/15/kelley.pulaski/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

4 responses to “High-Risk Football- Arkansas High School Coach Kevin Kelley’s System. Would A College Or Pro Coach Try This?”

  1. i think the first guy to do this will not last. i agree that you run more time off the clock and you keep control of the ball with this.
    i have read about Kelley before – one of the things he did before hand was gather the booster club and fans and explain that there were going to be times that they gave up easy touchdowns and things because of the failure to convert. he had them buy into it first.

    personally i think it is a good idea. kind of like any video gamer playing madden. they do things unorthodox. the kids will get it, the parents may not be able to shift paradigms.

    • i think doing this in high school is one thing..doing it in the nfl is another.. also you better have a good team if you are going to do this. if you are a 2-8 high school team i think this would be a disaster.. if you had the 85 bears defense it would work.

  2. there is too much armchair quarterbacking and things. i remember the flak that belechick took when they failed on that 4th down. manning was going to beat them anyway unless they kept the ball.
    most of this is it looks easy to be a coach therefore anyone can do it. so its easy to criticize.

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