Pulaski Academy Football is Still Doing it Differently

September 27, 2015 

You may or may not have heard of the little Arkansas School that doesn't punt on 4th down. They also use the onside kick and like to utilize downfield laterals often. I love it! This distinction belongs to Pulaski Academy Prep in Little Rock. These theories come from the mind of Coach Kevin Kelly, a devotee of statistical analysis and considered legendary in high school coaching.

The fanfare and hoopla about Pulaski Academy using nontraditional playing tactics are valid because they win a lot of football games under Kelly's tutelage. Pulaski's record through 2014 stands at 138-25-1, and he is 4-0 this year. They have won 4 state championships in the thirteen years with Kelly as the head coach. Not bad, considering Pulaski Academy did not have a big winning tradition before he came. He has built this program into something incredible using his unorthodox coaching style, which goes beyond gimmickry.

What is the big strategy he uses? The core belief is the statistical analysis proves that a higher percentage of success for making first downs is not by punting. Instead of giving away the ball, the offense can use four downs to make ten yards. In addition, is the surrendering of field positions to the other side. Kelly doesn’t believe a team should punt and let the other side dictate the score. The numbers he uses show that even the slightest bit of success will make a difference in the game. This also proves correct when it comes to onside kicks. Kelly is looking for a successful return rate of at least 18% to give his team an advantage. You may be wondering how this will be called success with an 80% failure rate. Again, the slightest edge in these strategies can be the difference in the contest. As proven by a Harvard Professor and Kelly, there is proof in the pudding.

This year, Kelly incorporated rugby-style downfield laterals into his game plan. The benefit of this strategy is still under review, but Pulaski is 4-0 this season. The theory of using more players to push the ball downfield is not new to football but is rarely used at any level.

When I think of Pulaski and Kelly, I think about the ability to use statistics and unconventional ways to beat opponents. Analytics is very prevalent in sports now but not to the point where the numbers are changing the game's flow. In baseball, I often wonder why you want your starting pitcher to constantly pitch 6 to 9 innings when a more significant number of pitchers throw less. The Oakland A's were the first franchise to utilize statistics to the point where the team was assembled by their on base percentage numbers. This year, in the NBA finals, a three-point jump-shooting team won the championship, a debatable strategy by the so-called experts. The change to fully accept and incorporate statistics is gaining ground, but a reluctance to rely on them still draws apprehension because numbers do not quantify team chemistry and dynamics.

The truth is a delicate balance of the two is needed to create a winning formula. It is not easy to corral as a general manager and owner to put the coaching, players, and strategy in motion that translates into success. On the contrary, one little unmeasurable thing exists that every statistician hates, and it's called "luck." Luck is when injuries to your key athletes are minimal but can flip on your team when a bad pitch in a playoff game is knocked out of the park, and you lose. I wonder how far Kelly will succeed in his formula, and it will mean a chance to coach at a higher level. Winning will eventually convince somebody to hire him to run their college team. Salute, Kevin Kelly.