Meet Football’s Offensive Innovator
Coach Craig Stutzmann
Photo courtesy of San Jose State Athletics
“Take the shots. Throw on beat. Challenge those guys. That’s the only way we’re going to win.”
— coach Craig Stutzmann
Under the tutelage of Junes Jones at the University of Hawaiʻi, Coach Stutz understood firsthand the power of the Run and Shoot offense. But he knew it could be faster and harder pressing.
From there Coach Stutz created his own version called the Spread & Shred, featuring two receivers split very wide, opening up the middle of the field, His offense utilizes the principles of the Read Option, where the quarterback can either handoff, keep or pass, but all wrapped up in a tempo that keeps defenses on their heels.
Stutzmann played receiver at Hawaiʻi from 1998 to 2001, signing with UH out of Saint Louis. He had 2,025 receiving yards in his collegiate career.
Photo courtesy of Texas State Athletics
“It’s a multiple-choice, counter-based offense. There’s not just one answer. It’s the best possible answer.”
—Coach Stutzmann told The Athletic in a 2025 feature article about the Spread & Shred
Photo courtesy of San Jose State Athletics