Welcome Blog "Air Raid is Art"

Welcome to the Air Raid Blog!

We’re excited to launch the official Air Raid Blog — a collaborative platform created by and for the coaching community of the Air Raid Certification. Our goal is to share valuable insights, schematics, and stories from the gridiron. Whether it’s play design, offensive philosophy, play-calling anecdotes, or career advice, this blog is your hub for all things Air Raid.

Air Raid is Art By: AJ Smith - Former XFL Offensive Coordinator

Over the past few months, I’ve been reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It’s a tremendous book — but what caught me by surprise were the striking parallels between Steve Jobs and Apple, and Hal Mumme and the Air Raid.

Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, just as the Air Raid was born from the collaboration of Hal Mumme and Mike Leach. Jobs and Wozniak set out to challenge the idea that computers were only for corporations and universities. They believed every household should have access to a personal computer — a notion that was scoffed at by companies like Hewlett-Packard who turned down the Apple 1 calling it a "nice toy".

In a similar way, Mumme and Leach defied football convention. The idea of lining up in four- and five-wide sets, staying in shotgun every snap, and throwing the ball 40 to 50 times a game was unheard of — even ridiculed. Coaches insisted you had to “run the ball,” use tight ends and fullbacks, and “dot the I” to win.

Both Apple and the Air Raid were born in defiance of traditional thinking. Both faced resistance from an establishment convinced their way was the only way. But like all true innovators, they were simply ahead of their time — and both Apple & Air Raid ended up on the right side of history.

Mike Leach with his pirate statue at Washington State

The crazy part is that the story of Apple and Air Raid similarities doesn’t just stop at the genesis. Both would find identities in being pirates.

Steve Jobs famously embraced the pirate ethos with the original Macintosh team. He hung a Jolly Roger flag — complete with a rainbow Apple logo for an eye patch — above their building to symbolize their rebellious spirit. This team wasn’t just different from industry giants like IBM; they were also radically different from the rest of Apple. They believed in challenging conventions, taking risks, and building something the world hadn’t seen before.

The Air Raid offense followed a strikingly similar path. Hal Mumme and Mike Leach were football’s version of that Macintosh team — unconventional thinkers who operated on the fringes of tradition. At nearly every coaching stop, they flew pirate flags and even displayed pirate statues as a symbol of their outsider identity. Like Jobs, they weren’t just breaking the mold compared to the broader football world — they were doing things differently than even their peers within the same programs.

Both Apple and the Air Raid thrived because they dared to think differently — and like true pirates, they didn’t ask for permission. They just sailed forward.

Steve Jobs in-front of the Apple "Jolly Roger" Pirate Flag

One of the most fascinating things I took away from reading about Apple was how often Steve Jobs saw himself — and his work — as art. That’s not something you hear coaches say very often. When the original Macintosh 128K was completed, Jobs had every member of the development teams signature molded to the inside of the case, just like an artist signs a painting. That really stuck with me — and it made me think: maybe the Air Raid is a form of art too.

I’ve seen Mike Leach and Hal Mumme sign countless drawings of “Mesh” for fans and fellow coaches. Their system, like a great design or painting, is simple, elegant, and intentional. One quote from Jobs really hit home:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” - Steve Jobs

That could just as easily be a core Air Raid philosophy. While NFL playbooks often run 200 plays deep, the Air Raid thrives on keeping it tight — 20 plays or less. We only run “95” one way. The tight end only lines up on the right. Why? Because it’s simple. And that simplicity leads to mastery. One of the most brilliant Air Raid-isms from Hal Mumme in recent years was this: when he was in Open, they only ran inside zone to the right — never to the left. The offensive line didn’t need to learn both directions. They got elite at doing one thing.

There’s a saying I love: “Any idiot can take something simple and make it more complicated.” The true genius is in keeping things simple. That’s the pride we take in the Air Raid. If you’ve ever sat in a Mike Leach meeting, you’ve probably heard, “Throw it to him — he’s open.” That’s it. No fluff. Hal Mumme would say, “Throw to grass.” No talk about coverages or anything complex. It’s pitch and catch — and it’s that simple. "We are not curing cancer" another favorite line of mine from Hal Mumme.

I used to laugh whenever a player came to us thinking he had the defense all figured out. Without fail, I’d respond with an old Jerry Glanville line: “You know what they’re doing? They don’t even know what they’re doing!” Which is why keeping it simple, easy, and executing is the purest form of sophistication in football.

“The real art is knowing what to leave out, not what to put in.” - Steve Jobs

When the first prototype of the iPod was presented to Steve Jobs, it had seven buttons and was bulky. Jobs took one look at it and said, bluntly, “This is shit.” He wanted it simplified to just two buttons. Then, in a moment that would become legendary, he dropped the prototype into a fish tank. As it sank, air bubbles rose to the surface. Jobs pointed and said, “You see that? Air bubbles. That means there’s space inside. Eliminate the space. Make it smaller.” That moment ultimately led to the innovation of the iPod’s iconic click wheel.

This story mirrors a common situation in coaching. As a head coach or coordinator, you’ll often have an assistant come in excited about a new play — usually something they saw on film from the NFL or a top NCAA program. They’ll push to add it, hoping to contribute something fresh to the offense. This happened frequently with Mike Leach and Hal Mumme. And they always had the perfect response, one that reflects total commitment to simplicity and Air Raid:

“That’s a great idea — but if we add it, what are we taking out?” More often than not, the idea died right there.

“The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times artist have to say, "Bye. I have to go. I'm going crazy and I'm getting out of here.” - Steve Jobs

Those of us who believe in the Air Raid know the scrutiny we face. We’ve all heard it — usually in the wrong environments — “We just have to run the ball!” To which I always reply, “We just have to throw the ball!”

The reality is, trying to run any offense — Air Raid or otherwise — without full buy-in from your staff can quickly become a nightmare. It’s not as simple as just telling your assistants what to do. There’s a human element involved. Your staff aren’t just employees performing tasks — they’re also managers of the most important group you have: your players. And today’s players are sharp. They pick up on everything.

If a position coach doesn’t believe in the system, the players will sense it immediately. And if their coach doesn’t buy in, why should they? That’s why, in some situations, if the culture is broken and the staff is toxic — and you don’t have the power to fix it — the best move you can make is to walk away.

A true Air Raid “artist” dies slowly in an environment where he’s forced to run a sets of plays instead of our system just to satisfy his staff — especially when he has the personnel to throw it and run our stuff. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and creatively suffocating. At that point, it’s better to step aside than to attach your name to an offense that no longer reflects your vision. Let the so-called “geniuses” take over and run their multiple tight ends, pack the box, and play stone age football.

But more often than not — they’ll lose in the end. So protect yourself, protect your principles, and never compromise the art of what you believe in.

I hope you have enjoyed this article. I look foward to seeing what our community creates for us all to see. In conclusion to comparing Air Raid and Apple, I would like to end on the subject that while Steve Jobs set out to intentionally “put a dent in the universe” and change the world through his Macintosh, Mumme and Leach were simply trying to score touchdowns — but in doing so, they unintentionally changed the world of football.