Playbook

When I first stepped up to speak at that coaches conference back in 2019, we had just wrapped up back-to-back state titles, and folks wanted to hear about the offense we were running. What I shared then came straight from several blog posts I wrote here on www.CoachG.us, breaking down what was essentially an evolution—or maybe a reinvention—of the classic O’Brien offense pioneered by Coach C.H. Underwood back in the 1950s. That original system was built for six-man football’s unique demands, and it gave us a foundation that felt timeless.

Fast forward six years, and a lot has changed on our sideline. Since those early conversations, we’ve added four more state championships to the trophy case and claimed the district title in all but one season. That lone exception came in 2022, Grace Academy’s inaugural year of football—a rebuilding season where we were installing everything from scratch with a brand-new program. In fairness, those growing pains were expected, and we’ve been right back to dominating ever since.

Over time, I’ve put my own stamp on the scheme. Coach Underwood might raise an eyebrow at some of the tweaks—maybe even a few outright modifications he wouldn’t sign off on—so I’ve given my version its own name: Tribe Trips. The label actually came from an opposing coach during my time at Bastrop Tribe. They saw our formation, our motion, our relentless attack from trips sets, and that’s what they called it. It stuck.

At its core, the Tribe Trips is built on a simple but non-negotiable belief: any truly great offense in six-man football has to master seven key elements—and do them all from the same base personnel and alignment. Those elements are:

• Dive

• Sweep

• Counter/Draw

• RPO

• Drop-back pass

• Play-action pass

• Screen

Sure, every offense will lean heavier on some than others depending on personnel, but the best ones never abandon any of them entirely. They stay balanced enough to force defenses into impossible choices. In my view, only three schemes in six-man truly deliver that balance: the J-Bird, the Wing T, and the O’Brien family. These are the ones that stretch defenses with four- or five-gap concepts, hit with quick runs to set up the pass, and demand mental discipline from opponents. They punish the undisciplined, wear down the less physical, and create chaos when executed well.

I’m still old-school at heart: the team that can run the football consistently wins more often than not. Even Coach Mike Leach—the greatest Air Raid mind ever—knew that. He built his passing attacks around massive linemen who could move people and run the ball when it mattered. Run game control sets everything else up. Side note: if you have not read the book the book “The Perfect Pass” by S.C. Gwynne then you can’t call yourself a Texas football coach.

If you’re looking for the foundational blocking schemes and core concepts that undergird everything, head back to the six-part series I posted here in 2019—it’s all still up and covers the basics in detail.

I will do my best to update this seven part series each week before spring ball starts!