David Dean: The Spread Offense Quick Passing Game

Spread offenses are all about getting the football to playmakers quickly and in space so that they can make big plays. Two-time NCAA D-II National Championship Coach David Dean of Valdosta State University has been highly successful at running a spread offense that gets the ball down the field. In a clinic setting, he discusses two aspects of his spread passing game: a drop-back and quick passing game concept. Both can be run out of multiple formations and adjusted to take advantage of a defense.

Coach Dean diagrams high percentage routes that can be run from multiple formations that put extra stress on any defense. His base play is a three-level route to the strong side that puts the flat defender in conflict. On the backside of the route, his best receiver works a combination of a dig, hitch or slant, depending on the weak side coverage.

Coach Dean also uses some formation adjustments to disguise the route combinations, including the "scatter" concept, which uses a triple stack alignment that gives his offense an explosive play against any coverage. He also covers his "speed out and go" combination. The QB reads make this play a high percentage route when he throws the out and a home run threat when the corner gives you the go on the outside.

After discussing each route feature and concept, Coach Dean overlays the most common coverage variations to show exactly what the quarterback and receivers are reading.

The presentation also includes an extensive question and answer session on the spread offense. You'll hear different coaching points about ways to attack in a spread offense.

By using simple schemes and reads, Coach Dean shows how your offense can look complex and provide with a scoring punch. Whether you are a player, coach, veteran or rookie, this video will help you understand the dynamic short passing game.

Produced at the 2013 Orlando Nike Coach of the Year Clinic.

68 minutes. 2014.