An Exploration into the Gridiron Side of Tha Doggfather
In 2005, Snoop Dogg added another line to an already expansive résumé that includes rapper, actor, entrepreneur, and professional spokesperson for a wide variety of household products. That line was “youth football coach.”
Snoop not only supported his son’s football ambitions but went several steps further by founding the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL), a non-profit program designed to provide opportunities for inner-city children to participate in youth football. He didn’t just fund it. He coached. In full coaching gear. With plays. And a whistle.
Under his government-issued name, Coach Calvin Broadus, he led teams passionately from the sidelines, often in arenas populated by other serious parents. Snoop was known for his strategic acumen, running a tight ship, and even getting ejected from a game for arguing with referees over a call. League players reportedly referred to him as “Coach Snoop” with the same reverence people usually reserve for high school algebra teachers who assign no homework.
The league became so successful that it produced players who eventually reached the NFL, including Ronnie Hillman and De’Anthony Thomas. The SYFL’s motto, which may or may not have been developed in a Chevrolet Impala with hydrolics and smoke-filled windows, is “Each One, Teach One.”
In 2018, Snoop released a Netflix docuseries about the league, titled “Coach Snoop.” It showcased both the Man, the Myth, and the Midfield Motivator as he mentored youth while simultaneously remaining available for celebrity cooking shows with Martha Stewart.
It remains, to this day, the only documented instance in which the phrase “Doggystyle” and “Cover 2 Defense” have been used seriously in the same career arc.
Snoop Dogg, Grammy-nominated rapper, is also the guy yelling at 11-year-olds to stay in formation. And he is incredibly good at it.