Coach Scott Criner: Make it a collaboration, Selflessness, Uncommon

In this episode of The Coachers Podcast, host Keanu Yamamoto interviews Coach Scott Criner. Coach Criner shares his journey in coaching, the importance of family, and his philosophy on developing young men through sports. He discusses the evolution of athletes, the qualities he looks for in assistant coaches, and the challenges faced in high school coaching today. The conversation also touches on the significance of selflessness, community involvement, and the process of coaching rather than just focusing on wins and losses.

Scott Criner is a veteran football coach who just retired as head coach of Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho. A program known for its success and consistency in the 6A Southern Idaho Conference. He just finished his second stint leading the team—after initially taking the reins in 2013—Coach Criner has been instrumental in building a powerhouse that has reached state semifinals or championships nearly every year he’s been involved.
A Boise native and former player and assistant coach at Boise State University (until 1996), Coach Criner’s career spans decades. He served as offensive coordinator at Sacramento State, head coach at Timberline High School starting in 2002, and later at Eagle High School, where he helped develop standout quarterbacks like Taylor Kelly (Arizona State) and Tanner Mangum (BYU) en route to a 2009 state title. He also had coaching stops at NAU, Navy, Cincinnati and the infamous XFL, Las Vegas Outlaws.
Coach Criner’s first Rocky Mountain tenure (2013–2016) yielded a 38–9 record, including a 2015 5A state championship and Coach of the Year honors. He stepped down in 2017 to become athletic director at Eagle but returned to Rocky Mountain in 2018 as offensive coordinator under Chris Culig, contributing to titles in 2018 and 2020. Rehired as head coach in March 2023, Coach Criner emphasizes player development, camaraderie, selflessness and being Uncommon. Coach Criner, thank you for your time, insights, and wisdom!

Takeaways 

- Coach Criner has 45 years of coaching experience.

- Emphasizes the importance of family in coaching.

- Coaching is about developing young men, not just winning.

- Athletes today are less multi-sport and more specialized.

- Selflessness is a key value in his coaching philosophy and a great team.

- He believes in the importance of community involvement.

- Coaching is about the process, not just the end result.

- What you see is a direct reflection of how you coach and teach

- Coaches need to teach kids how to watch film and develop their football acumen

If you're a coach, athlete, parent, or fan - this is your vault for inspiration!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Coach Scott Criner
• 6:05 The Why Behind Coaching
• 7:31 Advice for Young Coaches
• 10:16 Qualities of a Good Assistant Coach
• 12:44 Difference in Athletes Over the Years
• 14:18 Coaching Philosophy: Selflessness & Uncommon
• 20:56 Lessons Learned as a Head Coach
• 22:12 Coaching Heroes and Influences
• 24:58 Offensive Philosophy and Adaptability
• 28:46 Hypothetical: If you could only run one formation what would that be and why?
• 33:12 Challenges in High School Coaching
• 35:45 One question for Coach Saban
• 37:04 Anela Question of the Day
• 38:41 The Meaning of Team
• 41:30 Son in law grade as ST coordinator.
• 42:59 Inflection point of your Career
• 44:58 Favorite practice period for O & D
• 48:05 Weekly Practice Structure
• 57:06 Building Leadership and Captain Process
• 59:58 Unique Team-Building Activities
• 1:03:39 Learning from Setbacks
• 1:07:20 Production Chart and Self-Scouting
• 1:15:56 Final Thoughts on Coaching and Leadership