Coaches Spotlight:
Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

Mike McCarthy is considered one of the finest offensive minds in football, but that hasn't stopped many from criticizing the Green Bay Packers for making him the 14th head coach in the franchise's illustrious history.

Despite his resume, he still has something to prove. Green Bay went 4-12 last season, and frustration among cheese heads is mounting. Upon taking the job, McCarthy was immediately faced with a key issue: Would Brett Favre return to the team?

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One might think the situation in Wisconsin was sticky, but McCarthy felt otherwise. He says a team can't be built around one individual and -- while he wanted Favre back -- he was ready to build with quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm if that's what he needed to do.

Often, high school coaches are in a similar position: their entire team is defined by one key athlete, and that player -- due to his talent and leadership abilities -- sometimes makes the difference between a mediocre season and a good one. That's understandable to a point, says McCarthy. But it's important for high school coaches to realize that it takes a system to be successful over an extended period of time.

"You don't want to build a system around just one player," McCarthy recommends. "It's important to utilize a system that's built around your team as a whole."

Though he has never personally coached at the high school level, McCarthy is accustomed to dealing with young football players. Six of his 19 years as a coach were spent in the college ranks, and even today in the NFL he is dealing with a youthful lineup. Green Bay's current roster has an average age of just 26 years.

McCarthy, himself the NFL's youngest current head coach at 42 years of age, grew up in Pittsburgh. He played tight end in high school and filled that position collegiately at Baker, where he was an NAIA Division II All-American.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State in Kansas, and later coached the offense at the University of Pittsburgh. From there he moved into coaching positions with the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay (he coached Favre as the Packers' quarterbacks coach in 1999) before becoming the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

In New Orleans, McCarthy guided an offense that became prolific. In 2000, the Saints led the NFL in points (432) and touchdowns (49) and McCarthy was named the NFC's Assistant Coach of the Year by USA Today.

So when McCarthy, who is well schooled in the West Coast offense, says that a program or system should not be built around one person, high school coaches should listen. Then again, that's not to say one player can't take over a game at times.

"You need to have a difference maker on both offense and defense, a play maker that can help your team on each side of the ball," says McCarthy. "There are no guarantees in life, but if you have a playmaker on the field at all times you're going to feel much better about your chances."

Lastly, McCarthy says to listen to that age-old maxim: games are won and lost in the offseason. Today more than ever, it is important for high school coaches to prepare -- in some form or another -- not just in August, but year-round.

"You start developing your positions in the offseason," says McCarthy. "Otherwise, you're behind when practice starts."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.