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Coaching Trees

How football strategy spreads. Every scheme you see today traces back to a few revolutionary coaches.

Walsh's West Coast Offense revolutionized football by using short, horizontal passes as a substitute for the running game. Instead of running to set up play-action, Walsh used play-action to set up the run. The core idea: use timing routes (the ball arrives exactly when the receiver does) at or behind the line of scrimmage to create easy completions, then stretch defenses vertically once they overcommit. This seems obvious now. In 1979, it was heresy.

Notable Branches 🌿

Mike Shanahan

Broncos, Redskins

Zone blocking run game + West Coast passing = 2 Super Bowls

George Seifert

49ers

Won 2 Super Bowls coaching Walsh's system directly

Dennis Green

Vikings, Cardinals

Brought the WCO to the NFC North

Mike Holmgren

Packers, Seahawks

Coached Brett Favre and developed the system further

Jon Gruden

Raiders, Bucs

Won Super Bowl XXXVII running the WCO

Andy Reid

Eagles, Chiefs

The most successful living descendant — 2 Super Bowls, innovated the RPO layer on top of WCO