THE ENTIRE BLACKOUT DEFENSE SYSTEM (Vol. 1-25)

Coach Hickman takes you through his plan for Goal Line Defense and the two calls he uses weekly to make life hard on the offense to run the football in the endzone with both a Bear Concept and an old-school 6-2 alignment.

Coach Hickman takes you through gameplanning organization methods and tips for handling all of the "Hully Gully's" the offense can throw at you in a game.  Formation into the Boundary, Defending Empty and Unbalanced Sets are covered in depth as well as Special Situations like 2 Minute and Hail Mary.  

Brett Hickman has spent the last 17 years of his coaching career with adminstrative duties and coordinator leadership roles ranging from Offensive Run Game Coordinator, Special Teams Coordinator, Defensive Coordinator, Assistant Head Coach and Head Coach.  In the last installment of The Blackout Defense System, he takes viewers through his organizational methods of producing productive units in the fall.  Starting in January and Febraury with self schouting and quality control and ending with his game-day defensive coaching procedures, Volume 25 is an all-emcompassing look at what a veteren coordinator believes in organzationally and structrually.  

Solve Country Cover 3 problems with Match and Auto calls that give you Base and Sub-Package answers to the vertical passing game while still allowing the defense to gap out against the run.  Coach Hickman goes over one of his favorite calls in this 45 minute video that will have you organized and ready to play post-safety defense.  

In this installation of the BDS, Coach Hickman begins a three-volume  breakdown of Special Situations. Played primarily on non-neutral downs, Coach Hickman goes over his match-heavy Nickel personnel package and the Dime groupings he uses to get off the field on 3rd Down.  This Volume is going to show you just how creative you can be both with protection manipulation and provide coverage variety to confuse Quarterbacks. 

Redzone is pne of the most critical determining factors on winning a football game.  In Volume 23 of the BDS, Coach Hickman goes through low, mid, and high red area philosophies that can keep the opponents kicking frustrating field goals and keeping your team in the game with momentum saving "four-point plays"  

The Blackout returns with an in-depth look at Quarter/Quarter/ Half and Half/Quarter/Quarter coverages.  Coach Hickman takes you through his variety of C2 side checks and how he implements them to halt perimeter run games or take out a dominant receiver.  

In 20 years of coaching , Coach Hickman has defended the Flexbone TWENTY-TWO times. The son of an option coach and a former Triple Option QB at the High School level, he shares theories and principles behind the offense that Defensive coaches should know to andequetly prepare their teams for Friday nights.    With opponents ranging from Carson-Newmans old Split-Back Veer to the more traditional flexbone sets of Navy, The Citadel, and Wofford, BDS members  will see a well-schooled two-hour presentation that will get you ready for your next veering opponent.  Whether or not you base out of Three Down or Four Down, there is something in here for you!  

In this volume, Anderson University Defensive Coordinator/OLB Coach Brett Hickman walks through his complete teaching progression and drill tape. Upon completion, viewers will have a firm grasp on defending both the run and pass from The Blackout’s Joker and Bandit positions.

In 2025, Anderson utilized variations of Cover 4 on nearly 40 percent of their snaps. This volume offers over an hour of teaching, including organized modules, PowerPoint breakdowns, and in-depth game film study.

Coach Brett Hickman breaks down The Blackout’s two most utilized 4-down fronts and highlights the unique technique carryover from the traditional Tite and Okie families previously installed in the system. He shares simple ways to preserve odd-front spacing while improving pass-rush angles and creating new presentation challenges for opposing offenses.

In Volume 16, Coach Hickman breaks down two 2-Deep Trap pressure concepts within The Blackout System. This in-depth presentation explains how to implement  versatile heaters designed to stress the offense by eliminating perimeter runs and RPOs from their arsenal.

The Blackout System implements two different types of 5-man Cover 4 Firezones.  In this installment, Coach Hickman goes over over this series of man-match pressures that can be run on any down and distance.  

Firezone pressures are a time-tested way to create negative plays while keeping the defense sound with zone coverage on the back end.

In Volume 15 of The Blackout Defense System, Coach Hickman details the schemes, coaching cues, and adjustments that have been part of this package for more than 15 seasons.

In Volume 4, Coach Hickman walks viewers through detailed weekly schedules, practice plans, and game-planning templates for both a platoon program and a true two-platoon system. Drawing on his experience as a high school head coach and longtime defensive coordinator, he outlines the key details, advantages, challenges, and practical implementation strategies for installing and operating the Blackout System at any level.

Reminder; PDF Slides are available at the end of the presentation if struggling to read on video.

Having a clear, common language for both staff and players is essential to long-term success. In Volume 2, Coach Hickman breaks down his terminology for offensive formations, alignments, adjustments, and motions. This shared verbiage will be used consistently throughout the remaining videos and will help viewers better understand the detailed coaching points presented in each subsequent volume.

In Volume 3, Coach Hickman guides viewers through nine videos covering topics ranging from staff expectations to his Football 101 program—an introductory system he and his staff implement with every defensive player during the first week of spring practice and fall camp. Upon completion, viewers will have a clear understanding of the common language used by the defensive staff and players at AU. This foundation establishes the framework for continued learning and deeper development in the following volumes.

PDF Document included. 

The Blackout Defense System features a creative approach to packaging pressures, allowing you to generate 30 different calls from just five core patterns. In this volume, Coach Hickman lays the foundation for all ensuing chapters , detailing how to efficiently install, clearly communicate, and precisely execute Firezones of every variety.

All of the visual aids for better reading capabilities from The Blackout Defense System.

Over the past two seasons, Anderson has played 45 percent post-safety defense.  This begins with Country Cover 3.  Coach Hickman goes through The Blackout's Sky and Buzz rotations with key techniques and coaching points.  

In Volume 9, Coach Hickman dives deep into the first-week installation of The Blackout’s base fronts and creepers. This volume includes two hours of detailed visuals, coaching points, and Anderson University game film to clearly illustrate concepts and on-field application.

PDF Documents including for better viewing of PPT materials on video.

In this volume, Wofford College  (formerly of Anderson University)  Defensive Line Coach Caleb Fuller provides expert-level instruction for developing a dominant defensive line. Covering everything from stance and start fundamentals to advanced stunts and twist games, Coach Fuller gives coaches the resources to build a championship-caliber unit.

One of the newest defensive trends in football popularized by Brian Flores is the mastery of Cover 4 Firezones.  In Volume 17, Coach Hickman goes through a deep dive of playing these paths with both a traditional Cover 4 scheme and a Palms variation.  In 2025, AU ran this concept 150 times, giving up only four yards per play.  

In this volume, Anderson University Co-Defensive Coordinator and Inside Linebackers Coach AJ Jones provides expert-level instruction for developing inside linebackers in The Blackout. From alignments to run fits and pass coverage schemes, Coach Jones gives coaches the answers needed to anchor their defense in the middle.

In Volume 7, Anderson University Secondary Coach and Pass Game Coordinator Malik Chevry provides a foundational guide for coaches implementing base coverage concepts from The Blackout, along with his weekly drills emphasizing footwork, eye progression, tackling, and ball skills.

Volume 1 provides an in-depth look at Coach Hickman’s career path and the origins of the Blackout Defense, including the mentors who shaped his philosophy and the development of his modern 3–4 defensive approach. This volume also introduces the current AU football coaching staff, outlining their backgrounds and credentials as they guide you throughout the series.

The second portion of the video presents a clear overview of the system’s core philosophy, mission, and scheme overview along with a preview of what coaches can expect to learn in the remaining installments of the series.

Volumes 2-17 will launch the first week in March 2026.  Volumes 18-25 will be available Summer.  Contact us via email at  blackoutdefensesystem@gmail.com 

In Volume 8, Coach Hickman walks through his annual coordinator calendar and provides a detailed look at staff organization from a game-planning and practice-preparation standpoint. He also draws on his experience as a high school head coach in a non-platooning program to shape his philosophies for programs of similar size.