GBMWolverine: Coach’s Corner — Michigan Football — Offensive Scheme — The West Coast Offense

Posted at 6:00am — 1/22/2011

GBMWolverine: Coach’s Corner — Michigan Football — Offensive Scheme — The West Coast Offense

Everyone has heard of the West Coast Offense that Head Coach Hoke and Offensive Coordinator Al Borges were aligned with this past week in which Coach Borges calls his offensive scheme “Gulf Coast Offense” from his days at Auburn which has some tweaks from the “West Coast Offense”. Allow the GBMWolverine staff to provide some insight but note that some of the discussion is attributable to the great Bill Walsh.

Let us start with a quick history lesson. Bill Walsh was a disciple of the great Paul Brown and some thought he was destined to be a Bengal head coach. That did not happen and Coach Walsh found his niche with the San Francisco 49’ers and is credited by many as the inventor of the West Coast Offense. Like most innovations in pro sports, evolution is almost always a prime contributor. As in mutations there are two branches of thought: one branch is for the instant mutation that proves superior and takes over, the other branch is the gradual, natural metamorphosis that leads to a superior critter.

Bill Walsh may be the primary example of using the West Coast Offense successfully, but he points out the predecessors that provided at least some of the underpinnings of his philosophy. Foremost was one of the greatest offensive innovators in football history, Sid Gillman. A second was early Raider coach Al Rauch. Finally, is another true offensive brain trust Don “Air” Coryell.

Some offensive innovations are a collection of plays such as the various spreads seen now throughout college football. The West Coast Offense is more a philosophy and offensive system.

Hence, and importantly, the term modified West Coast Offense which has been introduced to the Michigan faithful this past week, is not a misnomer, it is factual in that the offense can be adapted to any teams need.

But as adaptable as it is, there are clear differences with other offenses. First, let us start with the philosophy. For decades, football was thought to be a run first- pass second- or pass only if needed sport. A team that threw first was thought to be inferior and covering up weaknesses. Pro teams became very good at stopping the run. So the innovators brought forth the idea of a backward football philosophy; that is, throwing the ball to set up the running game, instead of running the ball to be able to throw.

Unlike the vertical passing game of the early AFL, the West Coast Offense sought to control the clock and move the ball systematically down the field safely and with time management intended to control the clock. The intents are safe play calling, short passes that serve as running plays, wear out the other defense, and preserve yours.

This offense demands a smart quarterback, one capable of making reads and calling proper adjustments to the defense. This is the era when read patterns between the quarterback and receivers were the new rage. Regardless of the offense this still remains today. The quarterback must be efficient and skillful, and he need not have the strongest arm, but needs to have skills that are best described as “Joe Montana like.” The responsibility of the quarterback in this system is large, and as the quarterback goes, so goes the offense.

The quarterback has a series of reads to undertake; some short to deep, deep to long, or across the field. Today many offenses do the same.

Like the old BYU Norm Chow attack, the West Coast Offense employs precision timing patterns, many times using a minimum of drop back time, although the system incorporates as needed, three, five, and seven step drops. All five receivers are to be incorporated into the typical West Coast Offense. The intent is similar to the spread: get a good athlete in a position where he can make some yards. The offense takes what is given, patiently so, and is not greedy. The purpose is to be so successful that the defense must adjust to the offense and not visa versa.

Unlike some systems the West Coast Offense can be used with multiple formations, again making it a philosophy more than a set group of plays. Like the spread the intent is to turn some short gains into long gains because of mismatches. Some versions and formations of the West Coast Offense try and spread the athletes across the field spreading the defense vertically and horizontally. Again, this is a prime objective of many offenses today. Some West Coast Offenses try and flood an area, much like some of the pistol options with trips on the one side.

Unlike the modern spread, the West Coast Offense does not put all the eggs in one basket. There is a Plan B, a Plan C, etc. and if a defense shuts down a great West Coast Offense team, it has done well. In short, versatility is important and the use of motion, multiple formations and different personnel packages makes for the additional options hoped for above.

Since the West Coast Offense is for the somewhat scholarly, it should be no surprise that the early plays of a game are scripted, so as to provide a look at what the defense plans to do to neutralize the various options and formations.

The original West Coast Offense used several passing modes. First, the drop-back series was the timing pattern portion of the offense. Timing and taking what was given with short patterns was and is key. Second, the play action pass is used to score in the red zone. Think back to how Joe Montana owned this area of the field. The third mode is the action mode, a moving, rolling outside pocket that is used to combat blitzes or a great pass rush.

While the above three modes sound simple enough, remember that because of the numerous formations, motion, and personnel, preparation becomes more difficult than many of the modern, ‘simplified” offensive systems. The beauty is that it can be incorporated with other offensive modes and still be successful

Like any offense, the weapons must be at hand; anything from big backs to small backs out of the backfield, from small, quick receivers to big guys that can go deep. But more than anything the system needs a big time leader at the quarterback spot.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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