Every Tuesday during the season, Heidelberg’s offense scripts twelve to fifteen plays. The defense scripts twelve to fifteen of its own. Then the two units line up across from each other and run them. Some weeks the defense doesn’t need a scout card at all. When that week’s opponent plays defense the way Heidelberg does, the Berg’s defense just runs its own calls.
Jason Lewis, Heidelberg’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator, calls the period good on good. He says it has been part of the offense’s week for “a long time now” and that it has “helped us a ton.” His biggest reason for it is competition.
“It’s really hard to simulate high competitive periods in a scout team period.”
The offense it prepares
Lewis has been at Heidelberg for eighteen years. This fall his offense is averaging over thirty-eight points and nearly five hundred yards a game. Its latest Saturday was a 37-34 win at Mount Union, his alma mater. Logan Hansen of the Hansen Ratings noted it was Heidelberg’s first win over Mount Union since 1988, and it made Lewis the Coach and Coordinator Network’s D3 offensive coordinator of the week.
Heidelberg usually wants to run the ball consistently. Lewis thought Mount Union’s front was “pretty dang good” and that the run game might struggle, so the staff planned to take shots and be aggressive. “We just never really took our foot off the gas pedal and really attacked their secondary.”
Heidelberg finished with 544 total yards at nearly seven yards per play, including 400 passing yards, three receptions of more than 60 yards and seven completions of at least 20. It was not clean. “It wasn’t pretty,” Lewis said, “but we got it done.”
How the week is built
Heidelberg works Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the good-on-good work comes on the first two days.
Tuesday is a full team session. Each side brings its script, and the two units service each other, each giving the other the looks it needs.
Lewis splits Tuesday’s team work into two periods with different jobs. The first is for the new material: whatever has gone in for that opponent, or an adjustment for the week. The goal there is to get every new piece repped. “I want to make sure we get all that stuff repped once, at least once, with our first two quarterbacks especially.” The second team period moves to the general game plan. Tuesday is also a normal-down day, so the calls being repped are Heidelberg’s first- and second-down calls.
On Wednesday, the offense and defense do skelly together. Lewis said that takes it “off the bigs a little bit,” but the offense is “still getting the looks that we want at a high rate.”
No card, just react
Some weeks the opponent’s defense is similar to what Heidelberg’s defense does. In those weeks, Lewis wants his defense running its own package instead of a scout look.
“We want them to run their stuff so we get a good look, and they don’t have to look at a card and they can just react.”
That gives the offense a look close to the opponent’s from players running calls they already know, not reading them off a card. It also puts Lewis’s receivers against Heidelberg’s own defensive backs. “Our secondary is pretty dang good,” he said, “and I like our receivers having to go against a physical group.”
Competition is the point
Heidelberg doesn’t run good on good because it’s short on bodies. Keith Grabowski, whose Baldwin Wallace teams played Heidelberg, pointed out that both programs carried big rosters. Lewis agreed that Heidelberg has the players to run a full scout team. He also likes the scout players he has.
“Our scout team, we’ve got some good young guys, and they give a good look,” he said. “But just, you get guys competing, and I think that’s the best piece of it.”
For a staff that could fill a scout team every day, Lewis’s week answers a practical question: where does the offense get competitive reps once the game plan goes in? Lewis tied that competition directly to practice energy and what carries into Saturday:
“If you’re just so focused on the game plan and your guys don’t have any competitive juices flowing at practice, you’re not gonna have any energy, and it’s just not gonna be great, I think, when you get to Saturday.”
About Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis is the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Heidelberg University, where the 2026 season marks his 18th year on the Student Princes coaching staff. After serving primarily as an offensive line coach, Lewis was promoted to offensive coordinator following the 2016 season. During his tenure, he has mentored 34 All-OAC offensive linemen and helped develop numerous All-Region and All-American players.
Under Lewis, Heidelberg has consistently produced one of the more productive offenses in the OAC. He was named OAC Assistant Coach of the Year following the 2019 season after the offense totaled 4,898 yards and ranked eighth nationally. His offenses have continued to produce at a high level in recent seasons, including averaging more than 35 points per game in 2025.
Lewis joined Heidelberg as a graduate assistant in 2009 before becoming a full-time assistant. Along the way, he has coached multiple All-Americans and helped Heidelberg reach the NCAA playoffs, while overseeing offenses that have set program records and ranked among the national leaders in total offense and scoring.
A 2007 graduate of Mount Union, Lewis was a two-time All-American offensive lineman, a two-time recipient of the OAC Ken Wable Award, and a member of two national championship teams with the Purple Raiders.
Lewis is a graduate of Sylvania Northview and is married to Amanda. They have two children, Braydon and Colton.
Related
Connect on X:
Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski
Logan Hansen: @LogHanRatings
Jason Lewis: @coachjasonlewis
Check out this years Hansen Ratings here – HansenRatings.com
Keith Grabowski (00:00.952)
We’re with our offensive coordinator of the week, Jason Lewis, who is the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Heidelberg off a big win over Mount Union, his alma mater. So, Jason, a special win for you guys and a special win for you as well. First one for you over your alma mater.
Jason Lewis (00:19.844)
Yeah, it was it was a crazy day. So we went in there. I I think we were pretty confident going in there, which hasn’t been the probably case, you know, over the eighteen years of being here. and got it done. So it wasn’t it wasn’t pretty but we we got it done. So
Keith Grabowski (00:39.928)
Yeah, whatever it takes. that that’s something that’s only been done a few times here y before we got going over the last few decades that Mountain Union just does not really lose in conference during the season.
Jason Lewis (00:55.63)
No, not at all. And I was a part of one of those on the that sideline. So you know, i it’s one of those things that it’s not very common and you gotta kinda celebrate, you know, when that does happen. So
Keith Grabowski (01:10.314)
You guys have the offense rolling this year over thirty eight points a game, nearly five hundred a game on average and you know, another good day for you over Mount Union. What were some of the keys for you as you look at back back at the week and preparing for this that really fit you feel set you up for success?
Jason Lewis (01:30.515)
you know, the biggest thing is like, you know, we want to run the football and do that pretty consistently. I felt like their front was pretty dang good and we might struggle a little bit doing that. I thought, you know, we really wanted to take some shots and be aggressive and that’s something we really did. and you know
We just never really took our foot off the gas pedal and really attacked their secondary. and that’s something that was a big part of our game plan and we ultimately did a did a great job executing it.
Keith Grabowski (02:03.661)
I know you said one of the things that you like and and something that’s been key in preparing your team, not just this week, but every week, is good on good. Talk to us a little bit about that and how you set it up and why you feel that that’s such a good period for you guys.
Jason Lewis (02:20.036)
Yeah, that’s something we’ve done for I feel like a long time now. typically our work days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So Tuesday and Wednesday we’re making sure that we get a good a good on good period. Tuesday’ll be a full team session, so Tuesday we’ll usually script anywhere from twelve to fifteen plays and the defense will script from twelve to fifteen plays and we’ll service each other. there’s some weeks that defenses are similar to what our defense does and
We want them to run their stuff so we get a good look and they don’t have to look at a card and they can just react and I think that stuff has helped us a ton. Like our secondary is is pretty dang good and I like our receivers having to go and go against a physical group and things like that. So we do that on Tuesday and then, you know, we’ll service each other there and then on Wednesday, we do Skelly together. So we do kinda that way the
kinda take it off the the bigs a little bit, but we’re still getting the looks that we want at at a high rate and and things like that. So that’s it’s been really good really good for us.
Keith Grabowski (03:27.647)
in in you much like we were at BW, big rosters. So it’s not that you don’t have the guys to be able to run a full scout. I mean that’s that’s in in the OAC that’s a a rarity, right? But the value though of those kinds of periods compared to just the scout over the week. What do you feel that it does just does for you as a as a unit?
Jason Lewis (03:40.165)
Right.
Jason Lewis (03:51.077)
I think it’s just like competition. Like you can’t like it’s really hard to simulate high competitive periods in a scout team period. You know, our scout team, we’ve got some good young guys and they give a good look, but like just you get guys competing and I think that’s that’s the best piece of it. Like i if if you’re just so focused on the game plan and your guys aren’t don’t have any competitive juices flown at practice, like that’s y
you’re you’re not gonna have any any energy and it’s just it’s not gonna be great for I think when you get to Saturday.
Keith Grabowski (04:25.774)
For you, what’s typically the focus as you script those periods? You looking maybe to get some work at an adjustment or maybe something that’s new or or just focus on some of the things you do every week?
Jason Lewis (04:37.858)
I a lot of it on Tuesday is kind of our newer stuff, the stuff that we’re putting in for that week. It’s our first team period and I wanna make sure we get all that stuff repped once, at least once, with our first two two quarterbacks especially, and then
our second team period we kind of focus on more of our general game plan type stuff. So in our our like Tuesdays is normal down, so it’s our our first and second down calls. and really focus on on the newer stuff and you know, the the things we’re putting in specifically for that week or an adjustment or whatever it may be. So
Keith Grabowski (05:18.158)
Jason, haven’t been there a long time and you’ve seen, man, a ton of changes just to everything there. I think, you know, remember back to when Mike Hallett was the head coach and you guys moved back on campus. We used to play you guys over over at Frost Calno, the the the I guess the the community stadium and you know, you guys were able to move that back on campus. And I remember, you know, Mike Mike would call it’s like the county fair. I mean, you know, it was it was roped off.
I remember having to go up in the in the lifts. You guys had mismas stands, but it was a really, really cool environment. And now I mean, shoot, you guys got your own indoors. So it has to be exciting to just see some of those changes as you guys really have re remained together as a a core staff over that period as well.
Jason Lewis (06:08.174)
Yeah, it’s absolutely insane that we’re all still here and like it it’s a it’s an amazing thing. Like the the facility piece, like literally the our president came into our team meeting today and was talking about when he first got here and literally we played on campus. He got it was his inauguration, we played on campus the last two games of the two thousand nine season.
We had a rock concert stage for a press box. We had lifts for the coaches. And they brought in folding bleachers and we had one small set of stands that was permanent. So it started there and then went to some golf, you know, stands you see at a at a golf tournament with a tent on a pedestal for the press box and then now we have a permanent deal and have a beautiful indoor facility. So it’s come a long way in the in the eighteen years, but it’s been it’s been fun to be a part of.
Keith Grabowski (07:07.182)
Yeah, definitely. It was it was a fun place to play. You know, when you guys did bring it back on campus, yeah, I mean it was you could tell you guys need needed to do some work, but it it was really a cool atmosphere. You guys would get you know, your student body right down there around the field and we had some good games there as well. But th I mean it just had to be exciting for you guys to to to get a big win like this in the program.
Jason Lewis (07:32.834)
It it was absolutely it it was amazing, like
I like we ran you know to to seal the game we ran roll pass which is Coach Karras’s deal and I don’t I didn’t tell them that I didn’t was kind of afraid to you might find out now but you know and like it wa it was just kind of surreal and it was just like th this place has become home for me and like
Every year going into that game and it’s like, What are we gonna get out of our guys? And like it used to be our guys were scared. And honestly, I don’t think we’re never scared, but like it’s just hard place to go play. you know, and you get psyched out and we’ve had some really good games against them and just always kinda fell short and you know, to finally get it done is is absolutely amazing. So
Keith Grabowski (08:32.236)
You you brought up Coach Karris and there’s common things when we talk to a Mount Union coach, and there’s a lot of them around the country. So I’ve had a lot of former Mount Union guys on the podcast. roll pass obviously is is something that’s been brought up. And if you know any of any of those guys, you know, roll pass is a big thing for Mount Union. And then obviously players formation plays is something you hear all the time. just looking back on
the influence of Coach Karras and how much of of that has become, I guess, part of of you as a coach is does that kinda hold true to what we’ve seen, you know, with with all these other guys?
Jason Lewis (09:10.552)
Yeah, I mean, like I w if it wasn’t for I mean, there’s three guys at that place that really influenced me to coach. And it was Coach Karris, Matt Campbell, and Keith Wakefield. Like those are the three guys that really influenced me in it’s probably around my junior year and I was like, I want to coach. Like I I’d like I love this. And like
You know, like those guys have like just watching, you know, Coach Karris throughout the years and like sitting in a meeting with that man and writing the the first thing he wrote on the board no learning equals no coaching and that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life. You know? And like simple, like but he he got his his point across and was
Like you knew exactly what that man wanted and I appreciate everything that he’s done to me for me to this day and like you know like Met Matt Campbell, like he’s another huge piece of this puzzle for me. Like I wouldn’t be here probably like without his influence and what he did for the game of football for me. So like and then I got to coach with Coach Wakefield for the two years I was at Mount and then
Coming here under Coach Hallett, like the the whole piece, like, you know, in in working with Jake and Donaldson, like th this whole piece has been absolutely amazing. So the influence from all directions has been phenomenal and has led to a pretty cool cool part of my life I guess. So
Keith Grabowski (10:59.224)
Yeah, definitely. Well you see now too, Jason, and and you’re a part of this, like in the OAC, boy, I think it’s it’s coaching rich, you know. I mean people talk about the John Carroll Mafia. You see all the Mountain Union guys.
across the country. You know, at BW we got a number of guys who are at the NFL and college level and and guys all over high school football. It’s pretty cool just to see the influence that you start to have. And I’m sure now you you’ve got guys having been around eighteen years. You got guys out there coaching as well. and I think that’s what’s just so cool about the the conference. It is
Football tradition rich. football means a lot to every single one of those schools. And you got a lot of guys who are are influenced by the men who coach the game as well. And I think you’re starting to see that too, seeing some of the Heidelberg guys out there.
Jason Lewis (11:47.023)
Yes. It it it’s phenomenal. Like I text I literally had a picture pop up on my phone that a GA left a scoreboard on and I put a meme on it, said the guy’s last name and I literally sent him the the deal today. Like and he’s at Boston College. So it’s it’s a pretty it’s a pretty cool thing. So
Keith Grabowski (12:11.17)
Definitely. Well I and I wanna I want you to mention too the guys who are part of this with you and your offensive staff, obviously these kinds of things happen because of a collective effort.
Jason Lewis (12:21.55)
Yeah. Jamar Lewis has been with I f with me for a long time. He’s our receivers coach, pass game coordinator. he’s a huge part of this. He played at Heidelberg, you know, in two thousand nine, finished playing. He was the last until Saturday, the last running back that had a hundred yards from Heidelberg on Mount Union. So, you know, we I think in two thousand nine we we ran the ball pretty well. He had a hundred went for over a hundred against Mount. We did that on Saturday. So
But he’s been a a huge you know, influence in our program and our staff. I mean, J Lew is here and then coached for two or three years, left us and then he’s been back for the last seven or eight, I think, at this point. So we’ve been together for a really long time. And without him, I don’t think we’d be anywhere near where we’re at. So, and then Tate Shore’s our quarterback coach. Tate does a great job with our quarterbacks. He’s going on his third year here at Heidelberg.
great young coach and gets those guys ready to play. So I mean, I don’t have to worry a ton about what our quarterbacks are doing, which is is kind of nice. They they’re ready, you know, prepared to play, does a great job doing that. So, and then our tight ends coach off O line GA, Andrew Munger, is a Kalamazoo grad, does a great job for us. and then Troy Miller’s a a trying graduate his first year on staff with us and
has a great he’s a defensive guy which is kinda nice with the breaking down of film, has a great wealth of knowledge on that side of the ball and does a great job with our running backs. So the as a collective group, we we we have a a phenomenal offensive staff and I mean, like I’m just a dumb guy that coaches football. That’s what I tell everybody. Like I you know, like I th I I need some help sometimes, you know, so
That that’s that that’s kind of what those guys do for me. So and then I mean, I gotta shout out Donaldson and Jake. Like those guys are are absolutely a huge part of this this whole thing. We’ve been together for so freaking long that like it’s just it’s a special, special deal. Like You know, we we’ve been through some tough times, we’ve been through some some fun times and like we
Keith Grabowski (14:15.79)
Mm.
I was gonna say. Yeah.
Jason Lewis (14:37.732)
Like we are family in itself, right? Like we i i it i it’s an it’s an amazing, amazing piece. So
Keith Grabowski (14:44.216)
Yeah, no, it’s been fun to watch what you guys have done over the years and and the fact that the three of you have stuck together and and continue to do it. So you you’re doing an excellent job there as always. I’m excited to have you guys here representing Heidelberg as our offensive coordinator of the week and best of luck to you, Jason, and and the rest of the staff and your program at as the twenty twenty six season continues.
Jason Lewis (15:07.953)
Thank you so much. Appreciate ya.