CoachDan Casey

Who is Dan Casey, and how did he become a favorite follow for football coaches?

I want to thank Bruce Feldman of The Athletic for writing this article highlighting my journey. I would love for you to check it out!

“Kellen Moore can’t remember exactly when Dan Casey first got on his radar but the new Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator became such a big fan of the Texas high school coach’s work that he invited Casey to sit in on his quarterback meetings last year when Moore was the Los Angeles Chargers’ coordinator.

None of the players may have known who the former Davidson College defensive back was. Still, to Moore and countless coaches at all levels of football, the 32-year-old Casey — just seven years removed from divinity school — has been an invaluable resource when it comes to game-planning and helping grow the sport. The relationship started over e-mail, where the two football junkies discussed ideas before Casey flew to Los Angeles while the Chargers were having OTAs.

Casey thought it was “a high school coach’s dream.” For four days, he observed how Moore and the Chargers operated. Casey was fascinated to see the dynamic between Moore and Chargers quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who also worked with Moore in Dallas: how they were both so open to different ideas but how collaborative they were with their players.

What Casey never expected was that Moore wanted to pick his brain too…”

You can read the rest of the article here at The Athletic:

The 90-Day Gameplan

The 90-Day Gameplan

The 90-Day Gameplan is a straightforward Productivity Planner for Leaders & Coaches.

We overestimate what we can get done in a day, but we underestimate what we can get done in year.

In the past 10 years of coaching athletes and leading teams, I’ve found the most powerful accelerator of my productivity is to attack my goals with a 90-Day Gameplan. In 90 Days of focused effort you can establish habits that will lead to long-term Personal and Team Success.

9 Minutes a Day for 90 Days

Bixby (OK) has a Juggernaut QB Run Game

I got a message from a coaching friend recently saying, “You have to check out Bixby’s QB Run Game!”

When I turned on the film, I was blown away by the creativity and execution. QB Counter, QB Draw, QB Pin & Pull and more. They ran the QB out of Condensed Formations that resembled Single Wing, they ran the QB out of Empty Formations with shifts and motion. After spending some time watching the film, I knew I wanted to learn more from the Offensive Coordinator and QB’s Coach at Bixby HS, Tyler Schneider.

I’m fired up to announce that Coach Schneider will be presenting at The Play Caller’s Club Clinic in Houston, TX!

Here are a few cutups that caught my eye:

Empty Bunch Rt Jet QB Super (Super) Counter

I wrote about QB Super Counter in “The Ultimate Guide to Counter” but that only included 3 Pullers. Here Bixby uses 4 Pullers (GT + both Wings) to create a huge numbers shift for the defense.

Formation Unbalanced Jet QB Super Counter

This is a beautiful Super Counter off Jet Action. In UGTC I talked about how difficult it was for the defense to identify an In-Line TE Pulling. Bixby had a phenomenal TE who was athletic enough to Pull on on these Counter Schemes.

Empty QB Same Side G/H Counter Draw

Jenks (OK) has an impressive Tite Front Scheme led by DC Adam Gaylor. Jenks was one of the few teams to slow Bixby down at all. This Same-Side G/H Counter is a great wrinkle with Delay QB Draw Action. The Guard gets to the Mike LB and the H-Back works up to the Support Safety.

TE/Wing Lt Lead QB Pin & Pull

Here they run a standard Boundary Pin & Pull Scheme, but instead of handing the ball off, the QB flash fakes and the RB leads for the Weak Support Player. Adding a number into the Boundary springs an explosive play.

Formation Unbalanced Stack Rt Jet QB G/H Counter

If you watch Bixby, you know how much they stress the defense with Jet Sweep to the Field. The perfect companion play is a QB Counter back to the Boundary. They do a great job mixing Jet Sweep and Counter - they have weapons all over the field.

I would love for you to join us for The Play Caller’s Club in Houston, TX or virtually!

Incarnate Word's Record-Setting Offense

I am beyond excited to announce the first speaker at The Play Caller’s Club Clinic in Houston, TX. It is the current Offensive Coordinator at Texas State Mack Leftwich. Mack just wrapped up a historic season at Incarnate Word an up and coming FCS Program in San Antonio, TX.

This offense averaged a staggering 51.5 points per game led by the Walter Payton Award Winner (FCS Heisman) in QB Lindsey Scott Jr. He threw for 4686yds & 60 TD’s.

When you turn on the film you see that the QB is given a lot of autonomy and responsibility in the offense. It’s a QB friendly offense with a lot of freedom to get the best look.

Incarnate Word ran an offense that invited the defense to cheat and punished them for cheating. They have their staple plays, but they always forced the defense to defend both the frontside and the backside of each concept.

Motion to Trips Lt GT Counter Slot Tunnel

This is a great example - they run GT Counter into the Boundary with a Slot Tunnel Screen back to the field. If the defense cheats to GT Counter they’re light against the Screen, if they take away the Screen they’re light against the Boundary Counter. It’s a nice design and a decent gain, but more than anything it forces the defense to stay disciplined sideline to sideline.

Dbl Stack GT Counter Key Screen

The very next play is GT Counter with a Stack Key Screen into the Boundary. These Key Screens are a part of the Run Game. If the QB feels like he has the leverage, he has the freedom to get the ball on the edge. It’s not a groundbreaking play, but mixed with tempo it forces those Boundary defenders to close quickly to the Screen to prevent and explosive play.

Dbl Stack Key Screen & Go

This is the perfect example of an offense inviting you to cheat and punishing you for cheating. Incarnate Word has played with Tempo and thrown several Boundary Key Screens. The CB plays aggressively which leaves him susceptible to Screen & Go. The design is beautiful. The Stalk & Go runs the bender to pull the safety while Screen WR gets vertical late past the CB.

Stack Rt Trips Insert Iso Pop Pass

When Incarnate Word got in 11 Personnel they ran quite a bit of Split Zone, Capped Zone, Counter and Insert Iso. After meeting the LB in the B-Gap throughout the game, the H-Back is able to slip past the Mike for a Pop Pass in the high Red Zone. Invite you to cheat, make you pay.

Motion to Trips Rt Shallow Cross Dagger

Incarnate Word got the ball out quick early in the game, but as the Secondary loosens they have great concepts to attack in the intermediate passing game. This is a Concept I love. Motion to Wheel, Shallow Cross with a Dagger from #1. Great way to attack the Middle of the Field.

Invite the defense to cheat and punish them for cheating.

I’m excited to have Mack Leftwich present and spend some time with a great group of Offensive Play Caller’s in February!

Lincoln Riley's Screen Game

Lincoln Riley displayed a principle that I’ve been preaching in all the books I wrote. It’s called “Concept Layering” which starts with the base building block of your offense and stacks layers of nuance and complexity to that play.

One of the tope running plays that Lincoln Riley used at Oklahoma and continues to use at USC is GT Counter. The Concept Layering comes in that ways he dresses up GT Counter or how he uses GT Counter to pull the eyes of the defense in order to run something else.

This GT Counter Screen Sequence is a Master Class in Concept Layering!