Aggressive Defense With The 4-3

Ryan Shimizu

I have never been a defensive coordinator, but I think I am a 4-3 guy. Right now, I am an assistant for a team that runs the 3-4 or 5-2 depending on the opponent. I have never been much of a fan of the odd front defense, but I have had to adapt and buy into the philosophy because I am trying to be a team player. I understand why we run the 30 or 50 fronts. It has to do with personnel. For some reason, our school has always lacked naturally big linemen and were have always been small. However, we have a bunch of athletes and my mentor has told me several times that a 3-4 defense is a good way to get the athletes on the field. Although I agree with the reasons for the 3-4 defense, I have to stick with my gut and go with the 4-3 defense when I become the coach.



When I was in college we ran the 4-3 and I fell in love with it. I like the idea that the defensive line can be versatile, I like how the line can be balanced and I like being able to shift from over and under. In the 4-3, I think there are more creative stunts the D-line can run. I like having a "true" mike. I like having aggressive and physical corners that can play press. I also like disguising coverages by making every coverage look similar with alignment.



My defense will be extremely discipline. They will focus on AATK (Alignment, Assignment, Technique, Key). Each player will have to know their AATK on each play and coverage. In my opinion, blitzing can be an incredible weapon, however, blitzing can be unnecessary if your players are extremely talented and discipline and they can stop the run without blitzing. Blitzing will only be used as a change of pace strategy, but our opponent can't block a certain blitz, I will keep doing it until they prove they can block it.



As far as a pursuit drill, I will have two different drills. The first drill, I learned in college. In college, I learned a "picket fence" drill where the coach taught us the order in which each position had to pursue the ball and what angles to take. It depended on what side the ball was going to. He would throw the ball to a side and we would have to run to that sideline and make a "fence" in the order he wanted. It gave us a perspective of what angles we needed to take in a game. The second drill is something that we do in high school. We call it the "4 corner" drill. We have a guy in the right and left flat, and guy deep on the left side and a guy deep on the right side. The QB chooses who to throw the ball to and all the players on defensive have to sprint to the ball at their angles. This emphasizes that everyone needs to run to the ball with effort on every play.

There are so MANY excellent 4-3 "systems":

In studying the great 4-3 coaches of the past  (for the "evolution" of the 4-3), I have compiled the following:

1.  Tom Landry's "Pro 4-3" ("4-3 Inside", "4-3 Outside", & his famous "4-3 Flex" package)

2.  Chuck Noll ("Tilt Nose 4-3")

3.  Buddy Ryan "Bear" package ("Bear" was from 4-3 personnel)

4.  Jimmy Johnson (brought what was called the "College 4-3" to the NFL).  LOTS of "4-3 Over" (a little "4-3 Under").

ETC.