From Aaron Fernandez, Associate Head Coach / Defensive Line, University of Northern Colorado
Most defenses say “rush lanes.” Aaron Fernandez built a way to teach them, install them, and game plan them so your rush becomes a connected unit for four quarters. He calls it Coordinated Rush: a simple light system that creates “integrity of space” across the front (and the defense), while still letting rushers hunt.
The Big Idea: “Coordinated Rush” is pocket integrity, not just pass-rush moves
Fernandez’s goal isn’t to win one rep. It’s to rush as one unit long enough to affect the quarterback all game.
He ties it to three problems every staff fights:
- Rushes with no worth (four guys “rushing,” but not connected)
- Creating escape lanes by blowing space or stacking rushers on one side of the center
- Not matching rush + coverage, so the QB’s windows stay clean even when the rush is active
The Light System: Green vs. Yellow (simple language, clear intent)
Fernandez’s terminology is built around two colors that define how aggressive you can be and what the pocket should look like.
🟩 Green = Two-way go (protected by adjacent DL)
If you’re green, you’re free to rush with a two-way go because you’re protected by your adjacent linemen.
🟨 Yellow = Frontal rush (power/extension + vision)
Yellow isn’t passive. It should still “present green” off the ball, but the rush plan shifts into a frontal, power world with extension and vision through your key to the QB. The point is collapse: edge or interior.
Coaching note: This is where “rush lanes” becomes a teachable decision. Every rusher knows whether today is a two-way win or a collapse/contain win.
Why it works: it’s built for game planning, not chalk talk
Fernandez builds coordinated rush around how the QB actually plays:
- What windows he throws out of most (take them away and make him “choke the ball”)
- Protection patterns (man side vs. back side, slide tendencies)
- Scramble paths (where he escapes when timing breaks down)
Then he ties it together with the non-negotiable: whatever the front is doing must match what the coverage is doing.
The “how” you can steal today (without changing your whole system)
1) Give rush lanes a visual, not a reminder
Fernandez is blunt: players aren’t counting yards while rushing, so he gives them visuals and teaches zones (speed → power → counter) to avoid getting “pushed by rush with no worth.”
A simple install steal:
- DT power decision point around 3 yards (level off to QB hips; power/counter)
- DE power decision point around 7 yards
2) Interior cue: “Steal squares” to coach vertical rush
When the interior is green, he uses “stealing squares” (grid mindset) to coach vertical, B-gap intent. If you steal the square and the guard isn’t covering you up, you’ve won leverage at the top of the speed zone and can get downhill to the QB.
3) Edge cue: “Set line principle” (race to a landmark, read the tackle’s story)
For defensive ends, the cue isn’t “rush lane at 5.” It’s: race to the set line and let the tackle tell you the truth. If he stays square, win the edge tight/downhill. If he turns or sets across, come inside with power.
The base rush coordination you can install fast: Protect/Cover
Fernandez’s day-one even-front answer is a Cover side / Protect side setup:
- Cover side: end is green, tackle is yellow
- Protect side: 3-tech is green, end is yellow
Why he likes it: it encourages the 3-tech to play vertical “as long as he can,” while the end outside of him can speed-to-power and collapse the edge.
“Trap the quarterback” details you can coach immediately
Two clinic nuggets that feel like they came straight off a cut-up:
“Don’t chase sacks. Chase strip sacks.”
In his examples, he calls strip sacks “bonus,” and emphasizes the mentality: don’t chase sacks, chase strip sacks.
Loopers: aim for the “opposite cheek”
When running games, his coaching point for loopers is a landmark:
- Do not finish on the same side as contain.
- Aim for the opposite cheek of the QB. If you miss, miss correctly.
That one detail instantly cleans up “two guys in the same lane” on TE/ET games.
Game planning examples (what “coordinated” really means)
Fernandez gives a clear peek into how they build the plan:
- They chart QB scrambles and throw windows like a heat map, then coordinate the rush to remove what he wants.
- In one plan, the QB wanted to vacate the middle, so they used a double DT spy concept (DTs as yellow) and let the ends hunt.
- Versus empty, they had an empty response plan to take away boundary access and get color into “window one” quickly.
That’s the real point: the light system isn’t “a call.” It’s a language that lets you coordinate whatever you already do.
Keep Building Your Rush Plan
If this approach hits for you, here are the next layers to stack:
- Rush + Coverage Must Match: build the coverage answer that removes the QB’s favorite windows
- Games and containment rules: “opposite cheek” landmarks for loopers
- QB plan menus: heat map your scramble paths + throw lanes and coordinate your rush accordingly
Want the full install?
This article gives you the framework and several coaching cues you can steal right away. The full clinic session goes deeper into:
- the complete light-system menu (double cover, double protect, trio tools, mirror tools)
- how UNC ties games/stunts into the same green/yellow language
- more game-plan cutups (red zone, empty, athletic QB plans)
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About Aaron Fernandez
Aaron Fernandez is the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach at the University of Northern Colorado and serves as the program’s NFL Liaison. He joined UNC in December 2022 and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2024. In 2025, UNC’s defense improved across major categories, including scoring defense, total defense, sacks, and third-down defense.