Featured courses
- TCU’s 3-3-5 and facing bigger personnel by Keith Grabowski
- Top 10 College Football Players to Watch for in 2022 by Alec Burris
- Clemson vs. Syracuse Matchup of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- The Most Important Components of Air Raid by Keith Grabowski
- 4 Plays that Benefit from Bunch Formations by Keith Grabowski
- Sprint Out Passing: Move the Pocket for Success by Keith Grabowski
- How to Maximize Tackling Efficiency within Scheme by Keith Grabowski
- Offensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- How a Stoplight Can Make Your Fly Sweep Takeoff by Keith Grabowski
- 3 SPO’s to Protect the Passing Game and create opportunities in space by Keith Grabowski
- Adjustments to Defeat the Tite Front by Keith Grabowski
- Keep your Drills Fresh and Your Skills Developing - Offense by Keith Grabowski
- Coach Kevin Kelley, Outside The Box by Keith Grabowski
- Want your defense to get off the field after third down? Sims and Creepers are the answer! by Keith Grabowski
- Create More Turnovers with Circuit Training & Win More Games! by Keith Grabowski
- Devastate the Defense with TE RPOs by Keith Grabowski
- WAKE FOREST’S UNIQUE RPO GAME by Keith Grabowski
- Red Zone adjustments by Keith Grabowski
- CoachesClinic.com Featured Matchup: Cincinnati vs Indiana by Caleb Hopkins
- 3 NFL ZONE RUN PLAYS FROM WEEK 7 by Alex Kirby
- O, D & ST Adjustments to help you beat this and that by Keith Grabowski
- Evolve your Defense with Quarter, Quarter Half to Stop RPO by Coach Grabowski
- Sonny Dykes Teaches You How to Put Together an Offense by Coach Grabowski
- FIVE REASONS TO RUN THE 3-3 DEFENSE by Alex Kirby
- Getting Your Defense Ahead - 1st and 2nd down Pressures from Noah Joseph by John Grayson
- Chad Morris Teaches How To Builds an Offense by Coach Grabowski
- Get Your Offense a +1 With the QB Run Game by Coach Grabowski
- Are You Causing a 14 Point Turnaround...Against Your Team? by Coach Grabowski
- Learn How to Improve Your Offense with USC’s “Harrell Effect” by Coach Grabowski
- The Power of Influence - Rick Jones, Mizzou by Coach Grabowski
- Easy QB Runs to Drive Defenses Crazy by Ryan Eisenberger
- How many different ways can you make the defense cover everyone? by Ryan Eigenberger
- Win Passing Downs with Creepers and Sims by Coach Grabowski
- 3 Third Level RPOs for Explosive Plays by Keith Grabowski
- Always have a plan to play your best 11 by Keith Grabowski
- Dominate the Defense with Double Teams by Coach Grabowski
- Buffalo OC teaches his model for game planning by Keith Grabowski
- The Chess Match: Win on the Perimeter (Part 1) by Coach Grabowski
- Put your 3 Deep Coverage in a Better Position with Zone Alert Rotations by Coach Grabowski
- 5 Keys to Using Trick Plays by Coach Grabowski
- Learn from 'Juggernaut' Offense by Keith Grabowski
- Play Action is a Cheat Code! - 5 Play Action Concepts to Increase Your Expected Points by Keith Grabowski
- Gap Schemes vs. Tight Fronts, Play Action Shots and Misdirection by Coach Grabowski
- Bob Wylie - Offensive Line Breakdowns by Coach Grabowski
- Utilizing the Hybrid Linebacker to take away Offensive Advantages by Coach Grabowski
- Always have a plan to play your best 11 by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: #6 Oklahoma vs #21 Texas by Caleb Hopkins
- Easy for You - Difficult for Them Adjustments by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: Davidson College vs Presbyterian by Caleb Hopkins
- Week 5 National High School Football Rankings by Keith Grabowski
- Protecting Aaron Rodgers (and your own QB) by Caleb Hopkins
- Defensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- Woo Pig - Add a wrinkle with these Arkansas Downhill Run Variations by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: #7 Cincinnati vs #9 Notre Dame by Caleb Hopkins
- Offensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- Coach Jason McEndoo Teaches #12 Oklahoma State’s Top Running Play by Keith Grabowski
- Adjustments - Attach Screens to your best plays, defend star receivers, & movement to stop the run by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: Army vs #16 Wake Forest by Caleb Hopkins
- Setting up your young Qb for success by Keith Grabowski
- How To Implement A Running-Back-By-Committee Scheme by Brandon Ogle
- How To Become The Most Feared Offensive Lineman In Your League by Chrisian Benavides
- Wylie, McNally and Alexander Key Coaching Points on the Wide Zone Play by Keith Grabowski
- #21 Coastal Carolina’s play that is a whole offense within itself by Keith Grabowski
- 4 Plays that Benefit from Bunch Formations by Keith Grabowski
- Best Mesh Concept Plays by Ron McKie
- Forming Families For Football by Darryl Page
- Top 5 Things Coaches Should Strive To Get Out Of Spring Camp by Darryl Page
- 10 Tips To Know Before Attending Football Camps by James Breland
- Offensive Line Drills by Rick Bouch
- You’re a captain, now what? 5 Tips to bring your team together and establish yourself as a true leader by Lester Crafton
- COACHING THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE VS SPREAD TEAMS by Alex Kirby
- Gifts From Grinch by Coach Grabowski
- A Package to Help You Win Mid to Late Season by Coach Grabowski
- The Future of American Football: How to Run the Spread Offense by Coach Scott
- Chris Ash teaches Longhorn Tackling by Coach Grabowski
- The misunderstood Yet Powerful Run Scheme - Duo by Coach Keith
- 7 RPO’s for your playbook by Coach Keith
- THE GUS MALZAHN QUARTERBACK COUNTER PLAY by Alex Kirby
- FIVE TIPS FROM GUS MALZAHN ON HOW TO BUILD YOUR PLAYBOOK by Alex Kirby
- LITTLEST KID ON THE FIELD TRUCKS LINEMAN – YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP by Jacob
- HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR OFFSEASON FOOTBALL TRAINING by Dominic
- BAD CALL, GREAT COACH: THIS IS WHY PLAYERS LOVE PETE CARROLL by Jacob
- How to Get Recruited for Collegiate Sports by Brandon Ogle
- How Offensive Coaches Win with Pre-Snap Movements by Trevor Strong
- HOW VAN HALEN AND CHIP KELLY CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH by Alex Kirby
- FIVE REASONS TO RUN THE JET SWEEP by Alex Kirby
- THIS GUY’S DESIGNS ARE MAKING NFL HELMETS LOOK LIKE RELICS by Jacob
- Five Leadership Lessons You Learn Playing Offensive Line Worth More than the Touchdowns You Won’t Be Scoring This Season by Lester Crafton
- 3 Things most High School Coaches are doing wrong with their kickers... by John Carney
- THE #1 THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO COACH OFFENSIVE LINE by Alex Kirby
- How to Force More Turnovers as a Defensive Back by Brandon Ogle
- 10 NFL AND COLLEGE HEAD COACHES WHO GOT THEIR START IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL by Alex Kirby
- Top 10 Air Raid Offense Plays by Coach Trevor Strong
- Ten Best Running Back Drills by Coach Trevor Strong
- How To Build Chemistry Between A Quarterback & Receiver by Brandon Ogle
- How to Master the Punter Position by Brandon Ogle
- 20 GREAT FOOTBALL PEOPLE TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER by Alex Kirby
- 9 Best Defensive Back Drills by Rick Bouch

Evolve your Defense with Quarter, Quarter Half to Stop RPO
Good defenses and defensive coaches evolve, and that’s exactly what has happened for Jason Makrinos and the University of Findlay defense. Having lived in a quarters world for a long time, Coach Makrinos felt that his defense was constantly in conflict. That’s not a good thing in an RPO era where placing players in conflict is a key for offensive success.
That led him on a search for something better and allowed him to evolve his defense. He found it with quarter-quarter-half coverage. It gave him a run fit of a Cover 3, which allows a plus one in the box, but still allows him to be in a split safety coverage that allows him to play the field and the boundary how he would like it.

In 2019, it helped the Oiler defense to a #5 ranking nationally in turnovers. Everyone knows the importance of turnover margin as a key factor in winning.
Prior to coming to Findlay, Makrinos was the co-defensive coordinator at FCS Duquesne University. Makrinos coached a defense that statistically improved in multiple important measurables including: points allowed, pass defense, interceptions, and third down defense. In that season, the Dukes' red zone defense was seventh in the country in the FCS. He has the Oilers on that trajectory as well.
For Makrinos, quarter-quarter-half, or Cover 9, was an answer that helped take his defenders out of conflict. Playing coverages that allow for multiple forms of run support from a two-high look can allow for numbers advantages over offensive alignments.
A key to stopping RPO is determining where you want the ball to go. It’s something that you want to be able to dictate differently from week to week. The offense is always trying to manipulate the defense, but Makrinos takes that same approach to his game plan and what he is going to allow the offense to do, and what he will absolutely have the defense take away.
Why is this important? Maybe one week you face a top talent receiver who is dangerous with the ball in space. You probably want to take that option away and put it in the hands of someone different. Maybe the next week the running back is a difference maker that can pick up big chunks when there’s not an extra hat to stop him, but the receivers are average. Committing your numbers to stop the run would be the move that week. Considering what your defenders do best is also a factor. Strategic flexibility is a key to defensive success.
Consideration also becomes where on the field you want the ball. Do you want it on the field or the boundary? Where do you want your extra run support? These are all important considerations in game planning, and in designing your defenses for multiple answers.
This is an approach that is effective for the Oilers and Makrinos shares their Evolution, Communication and Structure, as well as their base Cover 9 Trick in free these videos:
The idea of having strategic flexibility on defense really allows you to put your players in the best situations. That’s alway been a number one priority for every staff I have coached on, and I am sure it is true for you. The way Coach Makrinos explains and illustrates this in his course gives you a powerful weapon in taking away the offense does best as well as highlighting your own strengths.
Get his course “Defending RPO’s with Quarter-Quarter-Half” and have better answers for your defense!
He shares his Cover 6 & Cover 9 as well as the various techniques and adjustments he uses, and illustrates all of it with game film. This offseason is a chance to evolve your defense, and like it was for Coach Makrinos, quarter-quarter half may be the answer.
Want to hear more Makrinos strategy and philosophy? Listen to him take a Deep Dive on Defense “Creating Turnovers” on Coach and Coordinator.