Mike Higginbotham
@coach_mhiggs
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Husband, father, and football coach…Option Football enthusiast, offensive coordinator Pine Prairie High, La.
Louisiana, USA
Joined June 2021
Aspiring HCs and coordinators should get experience coaching at small public schools with limited roster/resources. 🧵.
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Coaching is a calling that goes beyond simple politics and drawing up plays. It’s about problem solving. The more problems you can solve the more valuable you become as a coach and a leader. Walking into the best situation as a young guy hampers development.
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2) You gain an appreciation for coaches who built respectable programs from the ground up without hundreds of potential kids and without outside recruiting. Out of 300 kids in the school 30 might join the team, and maybe 15 can actually play ball on a good year.
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1) You learn to scheme your system to what you have instead of what you want. It’s easy to draw up plays when you never have to worry about if players can physically execute them. But, what happens to your system when you don’t have those certain guys? Can you still run it?.
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4) You learn to manage players with limited depth. It’s not as easy to bench or lose a star player when his backup might be a kid that has no business on a varsity field. So you have to try to shuffle around the depth chart or scheme to hide the deficit.
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3) You learn to get creative with resources. Everyone can make it look good with a 2,000sq/ft facility or all the latest gear. But, how do you do it with limited space and equipment? Can you get the most from players using what you have? Squeezing blood from a turnip.
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Maybe my real coaching destiny is to spread the joys of splitback veer and flexbone to different programs. The Lord provided an opportunity to learn both and now I’m supposed to go out and spread the word.
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Massive, historical win for the Oakdale Warriors tonight over Kinder! Proud of these guys!
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@WingTCoachRyan Wing T, Split Back Veer, Flexbone, Power T…absolutely lethal offenses today, if you dedicate to learning and teaching the fundamentals of the system. People saying it won’t work at the high school level either don’t know how to teach it, or have some confusion about recruiting.
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@SFHShoops Set an example with placing family first, especially when 93% of the kids playing a sport are going to do it for free. Get rid of travel and summer ball. That will solved 99.9% of problems associated with kids trying to balance life and multiple sports.
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@FirstdownXOs The “Matt Canada” offense…a nightmare for quarterbacks trying to beat the play clock and get the play off. I would love to know the terminology used to call these plays.
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When you hear other coaches talking about hand off keys and pitch keys:
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@CoachMckieJr Impatience. Coaches step stoning to the next job, good players transferring to more established programs, bosses and/or boosters wanting immediate turnarounds, etc. Building up a program is a process.
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@ReportOption FB Pros- balanced, good if you have 1 great back and a few so-so guys, great 2x2 or 3x1 passing game, zone blocking, can be very deceptive.FB Cons- timing due to motions, SB may not be able to block, FB has to have speed, meshes have to repped A LOT.
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@JeffAnderson__ That “doesn’t prepare you for the next level” excuse has no merit. It’s a scare tactic used by people to try and pull athletes away from their home schools. You think those guys at Harding all came from flexbone or veer systems in HS?.
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John Curtis Christian, a split back veer team, had a 2024 WR commit to LSU. Reminder to other aspiring college prospects, it’s not about what offense you’re running in high school. Special congrats to that young man, and to all seniors signing their NLI today.
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@_Rayvon11 @ReportOption Army almost beat a Kyler Murray and CeeDee Lamb led #5 Oklahoma team in 2018 in Norman. Final score was 28-21. Took the game into OT. That game is a blowout if Army runs a more conventional offense. But Army kept OU’s offense on the sideline and had a shot at the upset.
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Lost to Rosepine 48-27, but the score isn’t indicative of how close the game actually was. We were tied up at 27 going into the fourth. Our guys played hard and we’re proud of the seniors leading the charge in their last home game. Back to work for next week. Go Warriors!.
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I’m always happy for my peers that get their HC shots, but I’m always wondering if I’m doing something wrong. Is it my interview? My resume? Or am I chasing the wrong jobs? Might be time to branch out more.
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School districts pay you based on the number of days you work. If you change districts in March for a coaching job, your salary is based on a 60 day contract…not a 180 day contract. You will only get 1/3 of your paycheck divided across 6 months. It’s better to wait until summer.
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Coaching has taught me a valuable lesson: some people will be negative about you no matter what. They’re always angry. Row your own boat and don’t worry about trying to impress/please everyone. If you leave it better than you found it, then you’ve accomplished something great.
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@WingTCoachRyan I’ll be in that situation this fall. Flexbone is tailor made for it. You can stretch the field with 2x2 and 3x1 concepts with 30/31 personnel, and still easily access your base running game without changing much unless you want to include shotgun alignments.
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1) Wedge.2) Triple.3) Midline.4) Toss.5) Bootleg Pass. Everything else is lagniappe.
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Two of the good ones right here on a visit to Lagrange(Ga) right after helping Oakdale win their third basketball district title.
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@fbcoachsimpson Motivation…scheme is irrelevant if you can’t motivate the players. Evaluating Talent is a close second though.
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@coach_whitaker @ReportOption Our triple rule in flexbone is block #1, so if it’s an odd front that guy is getting blocked. However if I’m splitback veer, I’m running outside veer and we’re doubling. I don’t like leaving the dive unprotected against someone that tight.
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The triple option was known as the “Lord’s Play.”.
@3YearLetterman @PastorTroyDSGB @CapitalismMag @SpencerSTRIDer @ChadMMurray @PattyMurray @SpiritAirlines @kfc @CoachWMuschamp @jrpsaki @Whitesnake He knew how to run the triple option
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@FilmHistoric @SpaceCoyoteBDS @FantasySavvy What is old will be new again. Saints and Auburn running some Singlewing, Lions and Chiefs running power sweep from splitbacks, Penn State running the T…what’s next to pop up again?.
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@425DC1 Anything with a TE. Forces the force player on the line to the TE side and we can run outside Veer until the cows come home because 9/10 he ain’t taking the dive. Once they break that stack to put someone on the dive now we can start with the option and playaction games.
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Girls basketball state championship and a boys quarterfinal appearance on the heels of a regional playoff appearance in football. You can’t make this up…this group of kids are putting Oakdale High on the map in athletics. The future is bright in Allen Parish!.
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My random thought for today: Normalize going under-center again. No one at any level should be taking snaps 3-5 yards deep when it’s 4th and 1.
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Everyone’s complaining about the NFL overtime rules, that haven’t really been altered since 1974, instead of complaining about the lack of defense from the #1 unit in the league and the Bills not forcing a return after their last TD to kill clock….
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Game day tomorrow…a little veer on veer action with Grand Lake. Not a fan of short weeks against unfamiliar opponents, but should still be fun.
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Told today that my offense was too simple and boring. I just shrugged and said, yeah, but it works. Entertaining and effective don’t have to be mutually exclusive. If you’re executing and scoring, does it really matter if it thrills?.
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@ReportOption SBV Pros- gap blocking is easier to teach, RB tracks are easier to teach, great for multiple good backs but no true ace back, TEs add a whole new element to veer.SBV Cons- limited passing game if TE isn’t that athletic, OV can be a pain if QB is slow, fans and kids can get bored.
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@Cowboys197712 @jellis21081 @ChuckModi1 That’s not how coordinating someone else’s system works. Offensive HCs guide new OCs initially through their verbiage and how the base plays work, but they have to make that system their own to be a successful coordinator. Trying to copy the HC is a good way to get fired.
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@ReportOption Run mid triple for 15 yards…then throw a shotgun pass that’s picked off the very next play. Watching these two try to be a shotgun offense is like pulling teeth.
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Shanahan coaching tree doing God’s work….
You love to see it.
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The flexbone is the most versatile formation, and the midline triple is the most dangerous play in the history of football. @ReportOption @KubiakJeremy #RTDB
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@CoachDDukes87 Coach, breaking into the HC ranks is ridiculous. I recently had my nose broken over a HC opportunity. Fourth time by the same school, and I was the top candidate the last 3 times. The last two I lost out to guys that have been HCs before. Your time will come. Just keep grinding.
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@CoachDDukes87 I feel you, brother. Keep your head high and keep doing you. Someone will give your shot one day. I learned to stop being bitter about the process a long time ago. Making them regret it is all we can do.
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@Coach_JacquesH Build a relationship with them beyond football. They’ll be more likely to play for you if you have that with them.
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@TheLastFullback Textbook cut on stretch play…read the OT’s block and stick your foot in the ground to get vertical.
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Opelousas area has come a LONG way in football. Congrats to the OHS Tigers for punching their ticket to the dome. Congrats to Northwest for a historic run to the semis. I feel like this is just the beginning for those guys.
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Harding University football is 13-0…running the flexbone. Let me say that again. Harding U…is 13-0…running the flexbone.
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@TYash42 John Curtis High and Acadiana High in Louisiana…split back veer teams, but two different styles.
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The best high school offenses are the Wing-T and Splitback Veer.
What opinion about sports do you have that would put you in this position against everyone else?
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Some folks aren’t ready for this conversation….
Why do people act like there aren't modern offenses that put up garbage numbers ever year too? Do you know how many 1-2 win 7.3 ppg spread offenses I've seen? How is dropping back to get sacked 20 times a game and going 5-35 passing helping develop college players?.
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@HistColFootball @AlabamaFTBL @Gruelingtruth @ClintKPoppe @SAlabamabelles @SSN_Alabama @RollTide Nick Saban and it’s not remotely close. Dude has literally mastered coaching college football in the modern era. I don’t think we’ll see something like what he’s done again for a long time, if ever.
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@JerryGordonFB @TYash42 Acadiana is almost a rolling start offense, but is not due to NFHS rules. Backs are up closer to the line. Rarely uses motions, especially out the backfield. Curtis uses a longer cadence, motions, backs are deeper, and QB actually reads the dive. Also a little more passing.
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It says a lot about a coach’s character when he’s technically fired, yet he still manages to get the most out of his players and assistants, almost turning the college football world upside down. #LSU #CoachO #LSUvsBAMA.
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This is mid triple: the backfield action is midline and the QB is reading the end man for pitch. If it were veer the back would be on the track they drew and the QB would be reading the end for give/pull and pitching off the force defender.
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Amid a teacher and coaching shortage in the state, some people think having a “do not interview” list is a good thing for a job that was already going to have a tiny list of applicants. Pure brilliance by limiting your choices.
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@CoachBandstra @txhsfbchat @Gun_TSystem @coachjoesalas @SpreadOffense @CoachMMJohnson @Coach_Steve72 4: PA Snag, Post, Bootleg, and another variation of Post that had its own special play call. This was running splitback veer.
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@rockpoltrock @WingOffUnite Michigan is the Power T state…namely Zeeland West. Also look at Elk River High.
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@FB_Academic @TheLastFullback @FullbackWatch @RunThePower @RUNTHETRAP @GoArmyEdge @PQDSystem @DrinkallCoach @Option_Memes @RTDBPODCAST @GroundStrikeO Trap, Veer, and Belly…in that order.
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@CoachHood82 They were so happy to get away from that offense though. I still remember that first offensive play in Collins first spring game…shifting from the flexbone base formation to a shotgun spread. Excited cheers everywhere.
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@CoachDanCasey It’s hard to run as is outside of Texas. Part of what makes it so appealing is how they’re able to run it. Louisiana rules eliminate the rolling start and downfield cut blocking. You’d have to heavily modify the system to run it and in the end, it’d just be another Wing-T look.
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@OldGoatClub It’s mid triple minus the dive read, or freeze option if you will. We do something similar in our offense. My original point was that it’s not inside veer because the QB pitched off the 5T and the dive action was midline. If it were IV everything would have been different.
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Oakdale Warriors come away victorious in a barn burner at Vinton, 42-41!.
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They have not contacted me since or responded to my follow-up. So if they ask questions about offensive schemes, know that they are looking for a spread guy and your answer can shut down your chances.
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Nebraska showed a lot of UC 12/21 personnel plays. Glad Rhule seems to be bringing the Huskers back more to their prostyle roots. Hopefully we’ll see some triple option or midline from the I with those stud QBs. 🤞🏻🤞🏻.
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