Coach -
When Tom Bean High School Head Coach Steve Fex talks defense, he emphasizes two things above all: always having an edge and always having an overhang.
In a recent clinic session, he broke down some of his favorite pressures — including bash and stash — and explained not only the mechanics of the calls, but also how his program builds ownership with players through naming and understanding the system.
The “Bash” Pressure
Coach Fex starts with bash, a pressure he calls “a lot of bang for the buck.” The design stems from showing an odd front pre-snap and shifting to an even look on the snap. The outside backer (the “blood” linebacker) comes hard and flat to the mesh point, forcing the defense to reassign the edge and overhang responsibility.
- The defensive end squeezes down when the guard steps away.
- The bandit backer becomes the edge player.
- Inside backers must fit in relation — exchanging gaps with the end as needed.
This pressure helps counter mismatches. If an offensive tackle is overpowering a defensive end, shifting the matchups allows the end to battle the guard instead, while the blood linebacker gets a free run at the tackle.
“It changes the matchups,” Fex explained. “That offensive tackle is tougher than my D-end, that’s a bad night. But now the D-end is on the guard, and the blood’s in the tackle’s grill.”
Edge and Overhang: The Non-Negotiables
Throughout his teaching, Fex reinforced his defensive golden rule: “Always have an edge. Always have an overhang.”
Edges prevent the offense from gaining quick, vertical yards off short corners. By forcing plays wide, defenders can rally to the football with speed and effort.
“90 percent of offenses are C-gap and wider,” Fex said. “We want to keep long edges so they’re going laterally more, and our athleticism and passion will catch them.”
Giving Players Ownership
One of the most unique aspects of Fex’s system is how he involves players in the naming process. Whether it’s bash (blood linebacker blitz) or stash (stud linebacker variation), he encourages players to help create terminology with a hook they’ll remember.
“I’ve always had the kids involved in that process,” Fex said. “They’re the ones who have to remember it. Let them feel ownership.”
This balance of schematic detail and player-driven culture makes the pressures not only effective but memorable — something his defenses can execute under Friday night lights.
Takeaways
- Disguise fronts: Start odd, shift even to stress blocking rules.
- Reinforce edges: Never call a pressure without ensuring edge and overhang integrity.
- Empower players: Simple, memorable names stick — especially when players create them.
As Coach Fex summed it up, pressures like bash and stash don’t just create schematic advantages — they build identity.
-Coach Grabowski & the CoachesClinic Team
P.S. Coach Fex has put together a library of defensive resources:
Attacking Multiple Blocking Schemes with "Knockback!" Block Destruction!
Building Safe and Effective Tacklers
Man (Short Yardage / GL) Coverage
THE FEX FACTOR: ATTACKING FROM THE ODD FRONT The Complete Defensive System
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