oakley wrote:Thursday, April 29, 2004
By Bob Davie
Special to ESPN.com
LUBBOCK, Texas -- The statistics prove that no one in the country provides more offensive yardage than Texas Tech under head coach Mike Leach. Last year, they led the nation in both total offense and passing offense. The Red Raiders averaged 582 yards a game in total offense and 475 yards a game in passing offense.
Texas Tech may be slightly under the radar when it comes to recognition on a national level, but they command the respect and attention of every defense they play. A lot of college offenses now run some form of spread offense and believe in the passing game, but none have had the consistent results like Leach. What makes his success even more impressive is that he has done it every year in the tough Big 12 conference and with different quarterbacks.
On our visit to Texas Tech we wanted to identify the specific things that make Mike Leach and his offense unique and so difficult to defend.
It All Starts At The Top
The Texas Tech offense starts with Leach, who serves as the offensive coordinator. The most important thing is that it is his scheme and he has great confidence and command of the package.
Leach has a "Let it rip" attitude and is not concerned with the fear of failure like a lot of coaches. An example of this is his desire to go for it on 4th down. In 2002, he went for it 40 times on 4th down and in 2003, he went for it 34 times. This is unusual, but it fits into his aggressive attitude and shows his confidence. Asked why he goes for it on 4th down so often, he simply says "I think we can make it."
Leach's path to the coaching profession was a little different than most coaches. He graduated from BYU in 1983 with honors, but did not play college football. He then went to Pepperdine Law School and finished in the top third of his class. His first Division I-A job was at Kentucky as offensive coordinator in 1997. In 1999, he went to Oklahoma with Bob Stoops and became the head coach at Texas Tech in 2000. He has led Tech to four straight bowl games and has an overall record of 31-21.
What Makes Tech Unique
The biggest reason Leach is so successful is because he has made a total commitment to the passing game. Because of this Texas Tech has a solid identity and focus in their offense.
They have the confidence to live or die passing the football and because of that they execute extremely well. Most coaches strive for balance in their offense and as a result, have to focus and practice a much broader package, sometimes spreading their players and execution thin.
Last year, Tech averaged 60 passes a game so it is obviously not a balanced attack, but this actually works in their favor. In practice, they spend virtually all their time focusing on fundamentals related to the passing game. From the time they hit the practice field until they leave, the ball is in the air and the emphasis in on throwing, catching and protecting the quarterback.
It takes great confidence in your scheme to be able to take this approach, but the players appreciate it because they can focus on execution.
Practice -- What's Different
When you watch Texas Tech practice, it doesn't seem as structured as most college practices. They do not stretch as a team and unlike most practices, there is not a horn blowing every five minutes to change drills. The bottom line is that the cosmetic appearance of practice is not as important to Leach as it is to some coaches.
Although not as structured, it is impressive to watch Texas Tech practice and you quickly see why it is so successful. The ball is always in the air and what the Red Raiders practice is what you see them do in a game. They work on every phase of their package every day and in most passing drills, there are four quarterbacks throwing and every eligible receiver catching on each snap.
There is great detail given to fundamentals in all phases of the passing game. Wide receivers, for example, work every day on releases versus different coverages, ball secur
Thanks for posting that, Oakley. Pretty interesting read. I've always thought of Leach as something of a mad scientist, but of course we all know he knows what he's doing. He's the Don Nelson/Paul Westhead of college football ("to hell with defense - we'll just outscore you"), but it's been pretty effective. Should be an entertaining game in September (I hope).
