What sets great coaches apart isn’t just what they know—it’s how quickly they make it make sense. Will Lawing, offensive coordinator at Boston College and former NFL assistant, has built his reputation on that edge: the ability to speed things up without losing substance. Whether he’s designing game-day adjustments or shaping the growth of his staff, Lawing leans on systems that are tight, habits that are deliberate, and a teaching style that pushes clarity without cutting corners. It’s not about rushing—it’s about moving with purpose.
“You’ve got to have your next play ready—no matter what just happened.”
That one quote frames Lawing’s entire coaching philosophy: keep your players in rhythm, your plan nimble, and your operation tight. In this interview, he breaks down how to accelerate everything—from play-calling tempo to red zone walkthroughs, to how a staff divides self-scout responsibilities to multiply insight.
1. Accelerate Play-Calling Rhythm: Don’t Let the Game Catch You Off Guard
In the NFL and SEC, hesitation gets you beat. Lawing learned early from Bill O’Brien that the best play-callers don’t just call plays—they call series.
“You need your next play call ready—whether it’s 2nd and 4 or 2nd and 13,” Lawing said. “The game doesn’t wait. If you’re slow, you’ve already lost the drive.”
That means you must anticipate both success and failure. Coaches often plan for what they hope happens, but great play-callers prepare for what might happen—including setbacks. When your call sheet reflects both, you’re never searching—you’re attacking.
2. Accelerate Learning with ‘Feet Meets’: Walkthroughs That Stick
Classroom time only goes so far. Lawing emphasizes the value of getting on your feet and walking through situational football—especially in red zone and scramble scenarios.
“If you’ve got them in a room for 30 minutes, you’re losing them,” he explained. “Find ways to steal walkthrough time—during special teams, warm-ups, wherever. Make every second teach something.”
At Boston College, they carve out these “feet meets” to walk and jog through plays, routes, and scramble drills. By slowing the game down in practice, they’re preparing to play faster when it counts.
3. Accelerate Third Down Execution: Think Protection First, Then Playmaker
Every offense wants to be elite on third down—but Lawing doesn’t start with the route tree. He starts with the front.
“Third and medium, we always talk protection before we ever talk concepts,” Lawing said. “What are we getting—and how are we going to protect it?”
Once protection is secured, he builds the plan around the player he trusts most. Who do you want the quarterback starting his eyes on? That’s your progression anchor. Lawing mixes progression reads with deeper option routes, ensuring quarterbacks can adjust quickly when defenses disguise looks or bluff man coverage.
“If you’re converting third and medium, you’re scoring points,” he said. “So we don’t just draw it up—we weaponize our best guys in those moments.”
4. Accelerate Offensive Adaptability Through Relentless Self-Scouting
Before you can fool the defense, you better stop fooling yourself.
“Every D-line room in the country is studying your stance,” Lawing said. “So you better self-scout your guys or you’re giving away the play.”
From TV copy cadence analysis to formation tendencies, Lawing’s offense tracks more than 60 variables weekly. Each gets assigned to a different coach, creating a collaborative self-scout system that feeds the entire staff. It’s not optional—it’s embedded in their workflow.
“We call it ‘The 60 Things.’ Someone owns each one,” he said. “If you’re giving the third down report, you own the third down self-scout.”
This builds accountability and trust—and gives every assistant a chance to put their stamp on game planning.
5. Accelerate Staff Growth by Giving Away Ownership
Too many coordinators try to do it all. Lawing’s solution? Give your assistants real responsibilities—and let them own them.
“The best staffs I’ve been on, duties were divvied up. Nobody had to do everything,” he said. “That ownership? That’s badass.”
A coach in charge of red zone reports isn’t just delivering data—he’s leading that segment of the game plan. That level of trust not only sharpens the product, it builds confidence across the room.
And when results come?
“If you’re ranked high in red zone and that was your area, you feel that win. That’s your contribution.”
6. Accelerate Simplicity: Don’t Let Good Ideas Derail Reps
Everyone loves a good whiteboard session. But Lawing cautions against over-designing a game plan with plays your players haven’t repped with conviction.
“We’ve gone down that road. You get hyped about a play that fits the scout—but if it hasn’t been repped, it usually doesn’t hit,” he said.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t evolve. It means your system should evolve through consistent layering, not last-minute insertion. When reps meet creativity, execution accelerates.
7. Accelerate Innovation Without Abandoning Identity
As a film junkie, Lawing watches everything—from NFL cutups to high school full-game film. But he’s selective about what becomes part of the install.
“You see cool stuff. You tag it, save it,” he said. “But don’t fall in love with things that don’t fit your players.”
Instead, he encourages building a personal library of ideas. Concepts that might not fit today could solve a problem next year. The discipline is in choosing only what builds on your core—not distracts from it.
Final Thoughts: Build Fast by Slowing Down the Right Things
Will Lawing’s approach doesn’t just help coaches go faster—it helps them go smarter. By embedding process, empowering people, and ruthlessly protecting the rep base, Lawing proves that acceleration isn’t chaos—it’s clarity.
“Accelerate everything,” he said. “That doesn’t mean rushing—it means knowing exactly what matters most and putting it in motion.”
Related:
The Art of Play Calling – Dub Maddox, Offensive Coordinator, Union High School (OK)
From the Archives – Joe Dailey, Receivers Coach, Boston College