When football is family, players thrive: Poway Titans football coach Brandon Harris brings a winning strategy

POWAY, Calif. — Put the ball down.

Four seemingly simple words that belie the conviction of Poway High Varsity Football Coach Brandon Harris. His team knows these words well.

“We don’t belabor the negatives. We say, ‘put the ball down,’ let’s keep going, and push forward. Don’t let the disappointment of the last play impact the next,” Harris said.

He uses the phrase put the ball down as a metaphor for both football and life. “You will have ups and downs and challenges in many situations throughout your life, but you need to keep moving and keep growing.”

Reflective leadership

Harris’ forward-looking philosophy, coupled with his leadership and the team’s hard work on and off the field, resulted in the Titans winning the 2024 CIF San Diego Section Football Division II Championship.

Harris is no stranger to success. This state title with the Poway Titans is Harris’ seventh overall. He also earned six additional titles during his time as head coach and offensive coordinator with previous high school teams.

When he was growing up, Harris remembers feeling as though his own teachers and coaches never made mistakes. He didn’t get to see that human side of them. Harris deliberately takes a different approach in his role as mentor with his players. He lets them know it’s normal not to be perfect all the time. “I try to take the pressure off of kids and give them room to play free without fear of making mistakes—nobody here is perfect, including me.”

Harris is thankful for last year’s team, especially the seniors, who, he says, were open not only to a new coach but also a new program. “It’s not easy trusting a new face, but they did,” he said.

Luckily, his defensive scheme was one they had used at Poway for years. However, Harris introduced a new innovative offense, and it took time. Once they had it down, everything clicked. “After that, we exploded in the playoffs, and that’s when we saw the scores start to spike,” he shared. Harris is thankful for the supportive administration, the Poway community, Head of Football Operations Andy Julian, and Statistician Jason Lindquist.

Preparing for the season

Harris is also grateful for the preparation time during this year’s off-season. A luxury he did not have last season since the school brought him on staff in March. Shortly after their final game, Harris and the team hit the ground running in preparation for the next season. During early morning workouts in December, players focused on plyometrics and agility training. After that, it was the lifting program, followed by summer workouts.

Harris shares that this season’s team is eager to prove themselves. His goal is to continue to cultivate a group that can make things happen. It’s a months-long process that began immediately following last season with individual player meetings, setting goals and following through.

But the learning isn’t only physical.

“We make it about more than just football—we make it about family. We learn about each other on a personal level, and the stakes become higher because you care more about the guy next to you.”

Harris’ approach is working, and the Poway Titans are on their way.

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