This is my only fear with Gruden becoming coach. His schemes are so incredibly complex it takes even the most knowledgeable NFL players time to grasp his concepts. I'm sure he's aware of this and will dumb it down, but the verbage to his playcalling is unreal. It's almost comical to hear his play calls from NFL films. It really might include 10-15 words.
West coast concepts themselves aren't that difficult, not much different than any other offense in the NFL. Coryell/Gibbs/Martz system is probably more difficult for a QB because of the steps and rhythm. Problems have always been with protections. The verbiage isn't in the end that much off from any other offense, and at least as of late, it has been trimmed down a ton for some of the newer guys.
1. Coryell = I Right Y Off Base 989 Y Poco
2. WCO = Green Right Y Close 376 Dbl Go Y Cop
3. EP = 0 Up 62 Semi Go Y Bowread
All the same, just different terms. Much of it being streamlined in the league.
Point is valid though, West coast was the worst of the worst in the verbiage category for years. Example: some refused to budge from Doublewing Right when all it was saying was 2x2/11 personnel.
Like said earlier though, protections are the problem. Just from a WCO you can have: 22/23, 24/25, 2-Jet, 3-Jet, 200-Jet, 300-Jet, 76/77, 376/377, Fox-2/3, Fire-2/3, and on and on. You add on the lengthy calls like you said and the sight reads/hots and it is beyond complicated. I've raised these issues previously, because frankly, it would be suicide to install a full WCO at this level.
Kiffin came in running WCO/Knapp in Oakland and having free-reign in Tampa in the off-season was schooled in it. Scrapped the protections, only ran IZ/OZ, and eliminated half the concepts. He was on the right approach. If anyone has any hope of installing a WCO in college it has to revolve around concision and efficiency. Shaw/Harbaugh figured out how.
