Since the late 1980s, when it debuted in the hinterlands of college football, the high-octane passing attack known as the “Air Raid” has grown into the most explosive, most fabulous and most influential offense in the land.
The scheme, perfected by and most closely associated with the former Texas Tech and current Washington State head coach Mike Leach, calls for a more aggressive and creative approach to passing than anyone thought feasible in college football, where skill levels can be wanting and mistakes rampant. Just one team has won the national championship while running the Air Raid: the 2000 Oklahoma Sooners, who learned the offense the previous year from a 38-year-old offensive coordinator — Mike Leach.