The first edition of Coaching Team Defense was printed over 20 years ago. Yet, the lessons within it remain vital for football coaches to this day. In fact, the lessons contained in this book may be more important to today's football coach than they were even at the time of the first printing of the book. Coaching Team Defense is widely regarded as one of the best defensive football manuals ever written. The book reinforces the belief that Fritz Shurmur was a mastermind in building great defensive teams. A proponent of coaching with simplicity, this revised edition delves into team defense basics and the guiding principles of team defense. Coach Shurmur's ability to think beyond the traditional envelope has inspired and guided football coaches for decades. This revised edition of this classic book offers several new features, including online access to a video in which Coach Shurmur shares his insights and observations on the key factors involved in coaching sound team defense. Topics covered in this book include: Goals and Objectives Personnel: Physical Qualifications Personnel: Mental Qualifications Defending the Run Defending the Pass Pass Coverage Zone Pass Coverage Man Pass Coverage Nickel Defenses Practice Organization Scouting the Opponent Scouting Forms Coaching Team Defense is widely regarded as one of the best books ever written on defensive football. The book reinforces the belief that Fritz Shurmur was indeed a Renaissance man in the field of coaching--intellectually wise, innovatively creative, and ingeniously astute. His ability to think beyond the traditional envelope has inspired and guided football coaches for decades. --Rex Norris; NFL Coach, 1985-2002; Defensive Line Coach, Chicago Bears, 1999-2002 At the time of its initial publication, Fritz Shurmur's book was a one-of-a-kind, must-have resource for football coaches on both sides of the ball at all levels of competition. This revised edition of this classic book offers several new features, including online access to a video in which Coach Shurmur shares his insights and observations on the key factors involved in sound team defense. --Tom Olivadotti; NFL Coach, 1985-2005; Defensive Coordinator, Miami Dolphins, 1987-1995 Fritz's prescription for developing a shutdown team defense had a profound impact on the game. His theories, thoughts, and philosophy, which he shares in his landmark text, were spot-on. --Larry Kennan; NFL Coach, 1982-1997; Executive Director, NFL Coaches Association, 1998-2011 Over the course of his 45-year coaching career, Fritz Shurmur was regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the game. The defensive units he coached, college and professional, were characterized by their tenaciousness, as well as by their physical and intelligent play. They were described as intense, the major characteristic used to describe their coach, both on and off the field. Fritz, who coached in the NFL for 24 seasons, was a firm believer in the potential for greatness that is possible when people work hard together. His coaching philosophy was built on a strong commitment to the team, its goals, and its objectives. He believed that, without exception, the most successful teams have always been those who placed a strong emphasis on the team. Shurmur's coaching career started in 1954, as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Albion College in Albion, Michigan. He served in the role for two seasons, before accepting the defensive coordinator's position for the Britons, a responsibility he held for six seasons (1956 to 1961). In 1962, Fritz accepted a job on the University of Wyoming's staff as a defensive coach. He served in that capacity until he was promoted in 1971 to be the head coach of the Cowboys, a role he had for four seasons. During his tenure at Wyoming, the Cowboys twice led the nation in rushing defense and once in total defense. His stellar coaching career in the NFL began in 1975. For the next 19 seasons (1975 to 1993), he coached in the NFL for a variety of teams, including the Detroit Lions, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Phoenix Cardinals. In 1994, Fritz's status as a coaching icon in the NFL accelerated, when he accepted the position of defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Three seasons later, his defense played a significant role in the Packers winning Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, over the New England Patriots. At every stop of his exceptional coaching career, Shurmur was renowned for having an innovative mind on defense. His impact on the defensive side of the ball, as well as the game itself, was profound and has been and will continue to be highly regarded in the coaching community. Almost two decades after his death in August of 1999, he remains one of the most respected individuals to ever coach the game - at any competitive level.