Mike Leach: Unlocking the Secrets of the Air Raid Offense

with Mike Leach, Mississippi State Head Football Coach from 2020 to 2022;
Washington State Head Coach from 2012 to 2019;
2018 AFCA Coach of the Year;
2x Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2015, 2018);
Texas Tech Head Coach from 2000 to 2009;
2008 George Munger Award;
2008 Woody Hayes Trophy;
2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year (2008);
All-time winningest football coach in Texas Tech history;
More than 150 NCAA, Big 12 and school records broken as Texas Tech's head coach;
Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach in 1999;
Kentucky Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach from 1997 to 1998;
Valdosta State Offensive Coordinator/OL/WR/QB Coach from 1992 to 1996;
Iowa Wesleyan Offensive Coordinator/OL Coach from 1989 to 1991;
In 1989 he joined Hal Mumme's staff at Iowa Wesleyan - Leach and Mumme coached together through 1998;
their coaching partnership encapsulated the genesis of the potent Air Raid Offense, for which Mike Leach was known as the 'Mastermind' behind the offense!

Mike Leach is widely known for developing the "Air Raid" offense with Hal Mumme. In 2013, only his second season at Washington State, Coach Leach's team ranked fourth in the nation in passing offense and went to a bowl game for the first time in 10 years. At Texas Tech, his offense led the nation in passing six times in 10 seasons.

In this informative, dynamic presentation, Coach Leach teaches you how to structure and efficiently run your practices by focusing on how to better teach and more effectively implement multi-faceted play. Coach Leach's ideas will:

• ensure that your practices are allocating sufficient time to the necessary skills and drills
• improve practice tempo
• maximize practice repetitions

First, Coach Leach discusses how and when to implement a new play. He goes on to explain that although he will tweak and adjust plays for different opponents, success is found in drilling each play more specifically or being more precise when teaching particular techniques.

Referencing his signature "mesh" play, Coach Leach takes you through the specifics and philosophies necessary to build a potent "any down play" that can be the foundation and signature play of your team's offense. The mesh pass concept is a staple in the "Air Raid" offense that has helped Coach Leach's teams break NCAA passing records. You'll see how to implement it from 2x2 and 3x1 sets. You'll also get drills to improve fundamental skills in the Air Raid, increase completion percentages and reduce turnovers.

As he takes you day-by-day through his weekly practice plan, Coach Leach identifies points of emphasis from the planning of practice to the execution and technique improvements. Using practice film, he sets up and critiques drills that develop young quarterbacks and receivers. While critiquing practice film he touches on points such as:

• changing the arc of the ball to allow the receiver to make the quarterback right
• changing hand placement when catching a horizontal pass, which is different from catching a vertical pass

Using game film, Coach Leach shares technical and situational specifics that apply to quarterbacks and receivers all within the context of his mesh play.

This presentation will help you plan a successful practice, while understanding technique and basic schemes to improve offensive productions.

Produced at the 2014 Las Vegas Nike Coach of the Year Clinic.

92 minutes. 2014.