40 days to Cougar football: What offense would you run?

With Mike Leach in Pullman there is no question of what offense the Cougars are going to run. As long as Leach is on the sideline, WSU is going to run the Air Raid, and likely without much change to the core of the offense. Leach isn't likely headed anywhere anytime soon, so the Air Raid will be a WSU staple for the foreseeable future.

What if, however, there was a change and Bill Moos appointed you as the next head coach of the Cougars. What offense would you run? Maybe you love the Air Raid and would continue to sling the ball all over the field and attack space. Maybe you'd prefer a pro set or a run-first offense. You could opt to run the veer if you'd like, it's your offense. There are a few factors to consider. You are running the offense in Pullman, so you need to be able to recruit the type of athletes you need. It's easy to Wisconsin's power running attack when you continually recruit top offensive linemen. That might be a bigger challenge at WSU.

If I were put in that position. I think I would run the pistol. I like the versatility of the pistol with its 11 personnel. You can still attack through the air, but the rushing attack is more of a focus and you can also incorporate the skills of a quarterback who can run. With the quarterback closer to the line than a traditional shotgun, the quick game is still very much a factor. I would try not to be married to any one offense and pull as many things that work as possible, but I would go with the pistol as my base.

You are now the head coach and your first task is to settle on an offense. What are you going to run?