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Former University of Nevada head coach Chris Ault on the development of the offensive scheme.
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So quarterback generally is the highest paid position and professional football and young players like Robert Griffin the third and Colin -- predictor.
Redefining the way it's played the man who may be more responsible for the innovations that will make millions of dollars -- these talented athletes and those that follow.
This cap critics college Coach and we're joined on the numbers game now by the former head football Coach university Nevada inventor the pistol offense Chris alternates.
Good to have -- -- thanks for joining us.
Good morning -- glad to be Lydia well we could talk about a whole host of a different things I think you know for people.
-- -- we're just beginning to follow this is now with the Super Bowl and can't happen it getting all the attention.
Tell us what the pistol offensive -- just about every football fan knows -- the shotgun formation.
What makes the pistol different.
Well the the biggest difference is that the quarter MacKey is certainly off the offline senator he's four yards behind the senator and -- the back lines up.
Directly behind the quarter Mac anywhere from two to three yards.
Where is in the shot -- on the back as on the side are we call the -- of the quarterback -- the differences the pistol you've got one straight line.
From the center so your back and run basically downhill.
I want to know how you came up with that are what they.
What the reason that you started to run this offense was -- -- coaching for a number of years from traditional offenses and and everything else and then.
One day said let me try something different -- a metric wasn't -- a statistic was it just to gut feeling why did you make this change in.
And what was that process of you can take -- -- Welcome -- to break fleshy I always enjoyed throwing the football -- the collegiate level and.
Always liked watching shotgun teams.
What I didn't like about the shotgun was the running game you had -- east west before you go north south.
We had been one back offense here to university in Nevada prior to that and I thought you know if you can move the quarterback off the line much like a shotgun.
And put the back directly behind and is now again when you hand the -- to the back he's going downhill.
He's going towards the line of scrimmage.
I thought I wonder -- that could work right and the toughest part about that whole thing was the actual -- Between the quarterback in the running back and of course that's what took so long to develop and.
Again when we're doing -- there was no film there's nobody to talk to and I brought it up to my staff they thought I was nuts -- -- -- can quickly go back to the drawing board.
Convince them in all -- suddenly put it out and and really it was a fun deal because it was all hardware is trial and tribulation as we move down the road.
We saw some great things about it income run downhill -- also.
Get the quarterback on the perimeter.
And how does that -- which -- critic has done so well did when he played for you and east.
And he's done a -- -- well in the NFL but why was it's so revolutionary meaning you described that if somebody just walked in our conversation her -- They wouldn't simple -- crazy but apparently they did why is that the culture of football -- mean.
Because it major more efficient team -- -- more successful offensive team in.
Early all you did if you just think about simple terms as you.
Move the quarterback is set up a little bit you move the running back instead of next him behind him so it -- it's not it's this crazy revolution but it was looked upon as if you were doing something just completely.
Out of the ordinary what do you think that this.
You know we football coaches who work on a RKQ -- copycat people and that's exactly what the situation wolf as you know money and I was like and also wouldn't it to some degree still still still somewhat like that.
But you're exactly right -- to move that quarterback away from the senator have a back directly behind -- -- got a bit it was almost a felony.
I don't we.
It's -- what you think about it I don't know but what what -- -- this adjusting to him what difference did it make.
In terms of things you can measure afterwards how did you become -- more efficient team because of that.
Of that little changed because -- -- the stats and about a split up certainly McCafferty was there.
-- you huge numbers offensively but why why were you more efficient because of that change.
Well I'll tell you what it does and number one is.
When the quarterback gets the ball and hands it to the back he's giving it to the back in a deeper area right so the back can make is cut inside or outside.
Number two is -- thing that I really enjoyed it and you're seeing -- with that cap -- -- in the forty niners and.
And RG three would would the Redskins is the play action pass off of it.
The quarterback does not have to retreat on the play action pass.
-- -- play action pass he can stand their fake and then do is retreat and make the action over the middle -- to the outside -- wants to do so.
The two ingredients that I was really looking for -- being able to run the ball downhill and then play action pass off that.
-- the reading was the third phase of the pistol that's what you're seeing.
The forty niners do that when -- can either pull the ball or is he did last week against an land him -- off twice to gore for -- -- of those two quarterbacks running -- other quarterbacks in the -- that are running some version of this and I would think next year view probably see even more of this because of the success.
That -- had this year which brings up an an interest in kind of financial question or at least it does to me.
You get these quarterback RG three was a number -- to draft pick but you know the high take -- a lot of money -- -- was the second round pick.
But do you think these mobile quarterbacks and reversible that can also throw the ball because of the success -- offense that you invented.
It'll make more money now that they'll be a higher value on them in the draft because in the -- People what president -- that kind of quarterback.
You know with obvious exceptions over the years Michael Vick on not.
But a lot of those quarterbacks had slid where's the traditional pocket passer had been.
More highly valued and made more money at least at the outset of their -- think this offense in the success that it's had will change the value system for how.
Quarterbacks get paid as they come out of college.
You know call I'm not sure about the value system but I think what is does is it is expanded the landscape of NFL football from the standpoint.
It used to be that when you said he's a running quarterback.
Those morning quarterbacks couldn't throw right now you're saying he's a running quarterback and they thrower -- and that's a whole different ball game in.
You don't have to have a -- -- the ball bunch of times in NFL but he runs and enough to keep the defense honest.
I think it forces a whole other element defensively.
That they have to consider when they're playing a team that has a quarterback -- mobile.
-- couple of other questions and I think they're related.
To each other the one that's come up in almost every article that's been written about this is is the quote pistol offense that you invented.
Here to stay.
Or is it some sort of a college gimmick that won't last people look at the wishbone always option offenses that came and went never really caught on.
In the NFL and the thing they side over and over and I guess RG three would be an unfortunate example of this Robert Griffin in Washington is that -- quarterbacks are more likely to get hurt.
So teams because of the big investments in those quarterbacks won't stay with -- so what's your answer to that here to stay vs a gimmick.
But hey it's gonna stay is the auction offenses -- quarterbacks were very average average -- this is not an option offense.
The -- is part of it.
You can run any offence that you run in the pistol.
We did not run the read for the first two and a half years of -- the -- we ran the power game.
That that got gain the -- gain inside zone and outside its own game and and we're very good it.
They're -- was just another phase of it so.
Yeah RG three you know who we -- capitals guys you gotta get down you gotta get out of bounds RG three really great athlete -- is a I mean if they continue -- that he will get down he will understand that.
But you don't have to run quarterback every time the idea of the pistol offense is to give the ball to the back.
That's the guys paid to run.
The quarterback -- all option often that if in fact you have the read.
But you can -- the pistol and I that you can take any office that you've gotten NFL.
And -- -- formation.
And take advantages of the opportunities there.
I -- for example that would be -- -- -- running for 180 yards one week and then coming back in on the Russian the -- to -- one of which I think was scramble in the following -- can still running the same offense -- of recent the other question I had the reason I say they're related.
And the -- business a football questions.
It involves you personally through the hot commodity now everybody's talking he wants to know about this pistol offense -- he retired once before -- -- athletic director he went back to coaching.
Are you done with coaching or might you come back maybe in the professional ranks as a coordinator something like -- you have you heard from anybody are you considering any -- What -- let me say this one night when I did step down this time I'd been here for a total 37 years coast when he men and I did not use the word retires and I'm stepping down this time I wanna move -- Are there opportunities out there -- -- -- hopefully there might be.
If I'd you know somebody came and said they would like to talking about something I'd certainly be interested if I could provide something -- you know.
The pistol isn't just the only offense in the country -- but it is part of it -- and and I think it can help people so.
Sure there'd be an interest an -- -- an opportunity came this way.
And if I can put you on the spot has an NFL Coach short team as an NFL team are represented about the team contacted about anything like that.
No no not at this particular time they've contacted other.
People who talk to me but not a represented a -- NFL team at this particular time.
Art but it sounds like you -- -- -- does not the last we've heard of Chris salt and coaching I'm just making that assumption but maybe I'm -- -- -- -- -- and I enjoyed having a chat with you about and I've been fascinated -- watching this whole.
-- transpired obviously Robert Griffin.
Who we interviewed actually at the draft right afterwards and then the Colin -- -- emergence has been tremendous viewers college coaching came up with the whole thing so Chris all good luck and thank you very much for coming on.
Thank you -- glad to be would you.
