The Gulf Coast Offense
Versus Coverages
Billy Joe
Head Coach
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, Fla.
• Proceedings • 77th AFCA Convention • 2000 •
I t gives me great pleasure to have the
opportunity to share our concept of the
Gulf Coast Offense (GCO) with the AFCA
membership.
Let me take just a moment to introduce
the FAMU staff to you. They make the GCO
effective by toiling long arduous hours in
the office, and working very diligently with
our football players on the field. They are
as follows: Jimmy Joe, assistant head
coach (wide receivers); Greg Black, offen-
sive line; Allan Bogan, runningbacks. Our
defensive coaches make the GCO better
by challenging it with fundamentally sound
schemes two times a week with our tuff-
thud drills. Thus, I would be remiss if I did
not mention their names. They are Clifton
Moore, defensive coordinator (lineback-
ers); Terry Jones, defensive tackles; Derek
Hill, defensive backs; and Eric Hayes,
defensive ends.
The first criterion for developing any
football concept is to recruit quality student-
athletes. Our priority is to recruit character-
oriented young men. We communicate in-
depth with their respective head coaches,
counselors, parents, friends and relatives
to actualize our goal of getting good play-
ers into the football program who will not
beat us with unnecessary infractions on
and off the field. We want players who have
set goals for themselves. They must have
long-range goals, for example, to be the
President of the United States or to
become a professional football player.
They should set those long-range goals
and not forget them. They are worthy
goals, but are highly dependent upon good
fortune, luck, and being in the right place at
the right time. If they come into true fruition,
it’s icing on the cake for your career.
But athletes should put more emphasis
on the short-range goals. Those goals,
such as becoming a doctor, lawyer,
teacher, preacher, mechanic, carpenter,
etc. These goals are not entirely based on
luck or being in the right place at the right
time. They are based on hard work and
perseverance. In other words, they should
set short-range goals that are believable,
achievable, feasible and conceivable.
We all know that long-range goals don’t
build a strong power base or a feeling of “I
Can.” Because one must have the opportu-
nity to experience success during that
interim time on their trek to success. Long-
range goals don’t provide that, short-range
goals do. If our players don’t have this
goal-oriented attitude once we introduce
them to our program, we certainly try to
instill it into them quickly.
We firmly believe that recruiting goal-ori-
ented student-athletes is a good start in
sustaining and keeping the success of your
program on the high echelon level of out-
standing teams year after year. It’s very
unlikely they will be the negative forces on
your team.
After all is said and done, our main
focus also should be impacting our player’s
opportunity to secure a quality education.
We must help them develop, grow and
mature as citizens. This will allow them to
maximize their chances to graduate from
college and provide the impetus to become
a productive person in our society. Money
should be our main concern as it relates to
helping our players. Money doesn’t moti-
vate me to coach better. What motivates
and fuels my personal engine? It’s when a
former player returns and says thanks
coach for what you did or said because I
am well equipped for whatever endeavor I
may encounter in the work force. That usu-
ally makes me well up with tears. We have
the opportunity to mold our player’s lives.
Let’s not blow it!
The evolution of the GCO is a compos-
ite of various offensive concepts that I have
used during my 26-year tenure as a head
football coach. It is simply a derivative of
the many spread formations coupled with a
few innovative schemes that our staff has
developed through trial and error. I named
it the Gulf Coast Offense because our
University is located in Tallahassee, Florida
near the Gulf of Mexico. I decided emphat -
ically to be committed to the spread look
when my staff and I accepted the job at
FAMU in January 1994. There are a pletho-
ra of skilled players in Florida. The four
Division I-A programs in the state cannot
sign all of the great ones. So, FAMU is able
to recruit quality skill players, such as wide
receivers and quarterbacks, which is what
the GCO is predicated upon. The talented
pool of players is readily available for our
type offense.
The GCO features a no-huddle while
using the two-minute speed (fast break)
drill for the entire game. Of course, that is
not so revolutionary, but, what we think
makes our offense special is that the quar-
terback calls his own plays and the head
coach sits in the press box during the
game.
Permitting the quarterback to call his
own plays, provides for plays to be called in
rapid succession, which makes it difficult Diagram 2: Trips pattern that is emblematic of our GCO is
for defenses to change schemes and per- the 726 arrow/wide (Diagram 6). It is great
sonnel. It also wreaks havoc on the condi- versus most coverages and at least good
tioning of the defensive unit. versus the remaining coverages. I will pre-
The head coach in the press box was sent this pass pattern to you versus most of
derived from Darrell Mudra while he was the coverages that we experience during a
coaching at Eastern Illinois University. In season.
1981, I took a lowly, out-manned Division II
Diagram 7: 726 AW vs. COV 1
Central State University team to play EIU.
We knew our team was not competitive our
first year a the helm, but the $10,000 guar- Diagram 3: Spread
antee at the time was enticing enough for
us to play them.
Coach Mudra and I exchanged pleas-
antries at midfield before the game. We
wished each other good luck before the
game. Then he said, by the way, I will not
be able to shake your hand after the game 726AW vs Cover 1: (Diagram 7) The pri-
because I coach from the press box and it mary receiver is always the X (split end)
takes me awhile to get back to the field. I unless coverage makes the quarterback’s
thought coaching from the press box was Diagram 4: Cinco progression the second, third, fourth, fifth
strange and the most dastardly thing a receiver. In this case, vs. man free coverage,
coach could do to his team. However, at the quarterback is instructed to look immedi-
halftime the score was EIU-51, CSU-0. I ately for Y(slot) crossing the formation.
said to myself, “I don’t care if it takes him an
Diagram 8: 726 AW vs. COV 2
hour to get down from the box. I’m going to
wait and ask him what’s the purpose of
coaching from the press box.” Darrell said
if you are a head coach who is thoroughly
involved in the logistics of the game and
have not delegated all of the responsibility Diagram 5
to your coordinators, it behooves you to be
up top because you get a better perception
and perspective on the continuity of the
game. I was convinced it was something I 726AW vs Cover 2: (Diagram 8) The
should do, but I didn’t have the courage to split-end should come open. This pattern is
do it until 1990 (nine years later). It opened ideal for Cover W. If the weak safety (JK) is
up a brand new world. We won the NAIA cheating weak side, the quarterback’s pro-
national championship in 1990 and 1992 gression is Y-to-Z. This pattern forces this
and were runners-up in 1991. I have not defense to play honest.
returned to the field since. I have no plans Diagram 6: 726 arrow/wide Diagram 9: 726 AW vs. COV 3
of returning to the field as a head coach
unless I become traditional by relinquishing
my dual role as offensive coordinator.
We utilize primarily four offensive sets.
Dual (Diagram 1), Trips (Diagram 2,
Spread (Diagram 3), Cinco (Diagram 4).
Our GCO philosophy with these forma-
Diagram 1: Dual
tions is to seek horizontal and vertical 726AW vs Cover 3: (Diagram 9) You
stretch, while deploying personnel almost will get one-on-one to the weak side. That
the width of the field. This scenario creates is about as good as it gets. The split-end
seams, holes and gaps in the defensive and Z will have to beat their defender on
secondary. In most cases we deploy our this match-up.
short side wideout on the bottom lip of the 726AW vs Cover 4: (Diagram 10) As
numbers and our wide side receiver lines you can see rotation is to the weak-side.
up on the top lip of the numbers (Diagram Your quarterback must work strong side
5). Our most prevalent and efficient pass from Z to F. Z must find a seam to settle

• Proceedings • 77th AFCA Convention • 2000 •

 Diagram 10: 726 AW vs. COV 4
down in if you need big yardage to get the
first down. The fullback’s wide pattern can
always be used to drop the ball off if Cover
4 is in a prevent alignment.
Diagram 11: 726 AW vs. COV 5
726AW vs. Cover 5 (Diagram 11) This
coverage should present many opportuni-
ties to the weak side. The quarterback must
rule out throwing to Z since he is being dou-
ble-covered. Ask your quarterback to
immediately focus his attention on X and
progress to Y if X cannot break this defend-
er. 726AW is a weak side pattern. It must
work if the coverage is strong side.
Diagram 12: 726 AW vs. COV 6
726AW vs. Cover 6: (Diagram 12)
Three deep zone with strong safety in the
flat is the most frequent coverage we
encounter during a season. The H-back
usually comes open versus Cover 6.
However, you can still work deep to X and
Z if the zone is playing too soft.
726AW vs. Cover 7: (Diagram 13) The
movement of the safeties tells us to work
either side. Since this coverage can be
some form of bracket, inside-outside or
short-long coverage. Our quarterback
works to any receiver that is single-up.
Thus, H-Y are our primary targets.
726AW vs. Cover 8 (Diagram 14) It is
always difficult to throw the ball to your
• Proceedings • 77th AFCA Convention • 2000 •
Diagram 13: 726 AW vs. COV 7
Diagram 14: 726 AW vs. COV 8
wideouts when you see double deep man-
under coverage. Your slots (inside
receivers) and backs are usually single-up
on this coverage. We use our pre-snap look
to determine which one of the three (H-Y-F)
receivers we should throw to versus Cover
8. Of course, under certain coverage con-
ditions, we will still work the ball down field
to X and Z even though there is a strong
propensity for teams to double-up on your
two wideouts.
Diagram 15: 726 AW vs. COV 9
726AW vs. Cover 9 (Diagram 15) Dogs
usually accompany Cover 9. It is a pres-
sure scheme with many players on or near
the line of scrimmage. Tough bump-and-
run coverage is played the most on all of
our receivers who are near the line of
scrimmage. This is when sight-adjust-
ments, check-offs, and hot maneuvers
come in to play. A lot of big plays can take
place if the proper reads and protection is
executed properly.
This pattern (726AW) has been a big
contributor to the success of the Gulf Coast
Offense. I hope this information interest you
enough to install it in your offense. As you
know, this pass pattern is just one piece of
the puzzle and must be incorporated with
your total offensive package.
Diagram 16
1. Passing Offense - 400.6 ypg
2. Total Offense - 535.73 ypg
3. Scoring Offense - 49.6 ppg
4. Individual Total Offense
QB - Patrick Bonner - 324.36 ypg
5. Receptions per game
WR - Jacquay Nunnally - 8.45 rpg
6. Receptions per season
WR - Jacquay Nunnally - 93
FAMU has been ranked very high in
final passing and scoring statistics in I-AA
for the last five years. In 1998, FAMU led
the nation in six offensive NCAA Division
I-AA final statistics (Diagram 16).
Finally, let me commend and congratu-
late Grant Teaff, his staff and the Board of
Trustees for doing an outstanding job of
presenting the membership with a well-
organized, first class convention. Again,
thank you for your presence and attention
to my presentation of the Gulf Coast
Offense vs. Coverages. Good luck to you in
this new millennium.
The AFCA
Promotes Positive
Recruiting
Practices
All Coaches: Be positive. Talk
about your institution and not
other institutions.
Head Coaches: If you have a
recruiting problem with anoth-
er institution or have rumors
flying that should be stopped:
Call the head coach of the
institution involved and talk
straight. It will eliminate a
lot of problems and hard
feelings towards one
another.