#1 Defense in College Football and Developing Players off the Field – Jim Catanzaro, Head Coach, Lake Forest College

Our guest for this episode is Jim Catanzaro, the head football coach at Lake Forest College. 2023 was Coach Catanzaro's 18th year at the college level, 15 as a head coach. He's also now the Director of Athletics, overseeing the Forester Game Plan, which we talk about in this episode.

The Lake Forest defense was number one in the nation in college football in total defense in 2023, allowing only 191.1 yards per game, 5.6 points per game, and on third down, allowing just 18.9% conversions.

In this episode, Coach Catanzaro shares what it takes to create those kinds of numbers, both from the player development side on and off the field, as well as how the offense fits into that picture.

Show Notes:

• Defensive Performance Statistics
• Coach Catanzaro's Background
• Evolution of Huddling in Football
• Managing Game Tempo and Time of Possession
• Importance of Depth and Player Development
• Impact of Offensive Tempo on Defense
• Effect of Speed out of the Huddle
• Considerations for Player Workload and Injuries
• Off-Field Development

Follow Coach Catanzaro on Twitter/X @LFC_FOOTBALL.

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