Review by Booklist Review
NFL coach Mike Shanahan led the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowl championships in the late nineties, but his greatest legacy to professional football are his assistant coaches who are revolutionizing the game as head coaches themselves. Silver, an award-winning journalist and sports analyst, provides a detailed and emotional look at five coaches who first worked together for Shanahan in Washington: Matt LeFleur, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, and son Kyle Shanahan. Labeled the Fun Bunch by a fellow coach, they were determined not only to think outside the box but to create a new one. Silver employs an impressive array of sources, including personal conversations and interviews, to describe the ambition, intelligence, and sometimes failures of these men who began as colleagues and continue as rivals but remain friends. Casual football fans may be confused by the coaching jargon, but the behind-the-scenes and real-time game conversations of coaches and players create a fast-paced and entertaining narrative. Intimate exchanges and humorous anecdotes aside, this book should be on the shelf of every football coach present and future.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this illuminating report, journalist Silver (Golden Girl) details how in the early 2010s, Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and "his Brat Pack of disciples" developed a novel approach to coaching that transformed the NFL. Their system relied on developing unique strategies for each opposing team and tailoring plays to their own players' individual strengths. For instance, Silver discusses how for the 2012 season, Shanahan fused the "plays and blocking schemes that showcased Morris's ability with a system that Griffin could digest and operate from the get-go," helping the Redskins win the NFC East. Rivalries developed between members of the Redskins' brain trust as they moved on to other teams, Silver writes, describing how as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Shanahan "was almost too angry to speak" after he was denied a spot in Super Bowl LVI by a loss to the L.A. Rams, headed by his former Redskins protégé Sean McVay. Silver is a true football wonk, delving into the minutiae of Shanahan and company's plays to explain what made them so brilliant. By tracing how five Redskins assistant coaches went on to become head coaches in the NFL, he makes a persuasive case that the brat pack has been a "pivotal force in football." This deep dive delivers plenty of rewards. (Oct.)
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