All avid college football fans realize that coaches work year round to improve their program and overall team performance. For fans, it's obvious that from the end of the season until the signing date, recruiting is the No. 1 priority. After the signing date, the focus immediately shifts to spring football practice. The importance of recruiting and on the field spring practice in the development of the football team is obvious to everyone.

But while every fan's attention is solely on recruiting in January and February, coaching staffs must also focus on something else that is even more critical to their immediate success -- they must find ways to improve the productivity and performance of their existing teams and coaching staffs.

Everyone loves to talk about the incoming recruits and visualize how they will have an immediate positive impact on their football team. Forget what the "so-called recruiting gurus" say. The reality is your team will win or lose next year based on the players and coaches already in the program. This is what makes coaching a 24-hour a day job.

While coaches are flying around the country visiting high schools and players' homes, it's just as important that they give their current team back on campus just as much attention. I promise you a coach's day doesn't end when he leaves the last recruit's home or makes the final phone call. He must have an ongoing plan to both monitor and improve his current football team. Coaches never stop thinking about their plan. That's why many coaches sleep with a legal pad nearby so they can write down ideas that come in the middle of the night.

The months of January and February are critical to team development. You can't put it all on hold until after you are done recruiting. What I will do over the next several weeks is show you how coaches organize and implement a plan to improve their current football team while still focusing on the future with recruiting.

Over the next month, we'll break down the following topics:

I. Player development
A. Evaluating strengths and weaknesses
B. Offseason schedule
C. Academics
D. Team development

II. Evaluation of last season's team performance
A. Last year's offensive and defensive schemes
B. Strengths and weaknesses
C. Personnel

III. Staff research and development
A. New ideas and trends on offense and defense
B. Staff efficiency
C. Specific ways to improve team

IV. Organization of spring ball
A. Focus and priorities
B. Specific area of improvement

By the end of the spring, you will see why coaches earn their money.

Editor's note: As architect of top defenses at Texas A&M and Notre Dame, Bob Davie is recognized as a top X's and O's coach. His Football 101 broke down offensive and defensive schemes last year on ESPN.com. This spring, this will go inside spring football each week explaining how teams use the spring to prepare for the fall.