"At a time when innovation in football increasingly flows upstream from high schools to colleges and then to the NFL, Franklin has found a way to tap the wisdom of the masses. Like seemingly every new enterprise coming out of San Francisco’s Bay Area these days, Cal has found success by crowdsourcing."

I had never heard of this type of Crowdsourcing application before. Wow. 

Every Monday evening during the football season, Tony Franklin, the offensive coordinator for the Cal Bears, closes his office door, kicks back in his chair and hosts a conference call. On the other end of the line: 250 top high-school coaches from all over the country.

These sessions started as a way for aspiring coaches to seek advice from one of the most innovative offensive minds in football. Franklin’s Cal offense has already racked up 108 total points in just two games this season. But in recent years, a funny thing has happened. Franklin has started using the coaches as a sounding board for his own wild ideas.

“He has an open dialogue with some of the most creative coaches in America,” explains Cal head coach Sonny Dykes, Franklin’s boss. “He’s talking to them all the time, which gives us ideas and helps us stay ahead of the curve.”