PULLMAN, WA – OCTOBER 15: Head coach Mike Leach of the Washington State Cougars directs his players including quarterback Luke Falk from the sidelines during the game against the UCLA Bruins at Martin Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Pullman, Washington. Washington State defeated UCLA 27-21. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
The Washington State Cougars and Nevada Wolf Pack don’t have a lot in common right now. For one, Washington State is 4-0 after defeating Nevada on Saturday, and Nevada is 0-4. But the teams do share some family history, an offensive scheme, and the use of VAR Football in their training.
It’s that last connection — VAR Football, which enables teams to train players in virtual reality 3D — that is quite intriguing. VAR Football is co-owned by Hal Mumme, the longtime college head coach who is credited with inventing the Air Raid offense. One of Mumme’s early students, Mike Leach, is the head coach of Washington State, where he runs the now-widespread Air Raid offense and recently purchased VAR Football.
“I like the point of view on the film. It’s like that deal the guy at Stanford’s making (referring to Derek Belch’s STRIVR) except it’s more practical and I like it better,” Leach told reporters.
What is perhaps more intriguing is that, using VAR Football, Leach coached his team to a victory over Nevada, which also deploys the Air Raid offense because the Wolf Pack’s offensive coordinator is Hal Mumme’s son, Matt Mumme. Leach has said he likes the way VAR Football can be used independently by his players, like quarterback Luke Falk.
“I like the point that it’s filmed and basically it addresses where the quarterback’s eyes are on a play,” Leach said. “I think that’s beneficial, I think it’s something very good for them to go do on their own so they can see what they were looking at and see where they should have been looking.”
“I use it from time to time, I think I like the regular film a little better, but it’s fun to put on the little goggles and see it from the perspective that you’re kind of seeing from the field,” Falk told reporters. “You can see the angles a little better instead of just from the sideline view.”
Leach and Falk both admitted they still prefer traditional film, but they said VAR Football provides another way to view the game and to learn from mistakes.
“In my meeting, as far as covering time…I still use the regular film because there’s a broader view and you can describe if this guy does this, it affects this, which affects this, which affects that,” Leach said. “But I do like it, I think it’s really good, and I think it does a good job.”
Leach mentioned another feature he likely won’t use, but that is nonetheless useful for many coaches who employ VAR Football: fiddling with traditional x’s and o’s in an interactive format.
“It’s also got a feature some people really like. It’s not one that I’ll use but still, a lot of people like it,” Leach said. “You can put little x’s and o’s on people out there and you can push a button and make them wiggle around the direction you want to, which that’s too video game for me.”
For Falk, VAR Football represents something different that he can go to when he wants the on-field perspective while training indoors.
“It helps,” he said. “It’s a little different, still getting used to it. I’ll probably lean more towards just the old-fashioned film more, but it definitely has its benefits.”
