Football's Eagle and Stack Defenses

by Ron Vanderlinden, Joe Paterno (Foreword by)

Multiple formation and motion offenses of the modern football era present many defensive challenges. Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses will prepare teams and individual players to not only defend but also attack and dominate whatever offensive tactics an opponent might employ. Author Ron Vanderlinden has been coach and architect of several of the most formidable defensive teams in the past 20 seasons. From the University of Colorado's national champions in 1990 to Northwestern's Big Ten title–winning team in 1995 to the revitalized, high-pursuit Penn State attack, Vanderlinden's well-drilled defensive players and units have enjoyed tremendous success. Now, in this book, you can learn all the details of the defensive tactics and techniques as well as the coaching points that can make these two defenses so effective. No other book combines these fronts, and there is no one better equipped than Vanderlinden to put them together in a variety of game situations that will allow your defense to control your opponent's offense. Football's Eagle & Stack Defenses will be your best defensive co-coordinator for this season and many seasons to come.

Genres: Football

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2008

Reviews

[Carl Parman]

I am a high school DC who has ran predominantly a 3-4 cover 2 defense and I picked up this book looking to expand my knowledge of even fronts. As I got into the actual chapters about the eagle and stack defenses it was by far too wordy. There is a real lack of diagrams making it hard to follow at times, and the author tends to go on a side note often. I think the chapters could have been shortened and some of the more detailed information added in at other points later. I explained this book to the other coaches on my staff as “it is like a coach is giving a clinic presentation but you are forced to face the back of the room, you know he is drawing while talking but cannot see it and only get to turn around about once every 5 min for a look at the board.” I was able to garner some knowledge from this read but I would not be able to implement either defense without re-reading each segment at least a second time and maybe a third while taking detailed notes and drawing on my own.

[Steven]

Very good book on the Defense used at PSU.