Triangulation – The safety’s triangle alignment will keep balance in your defense vs. multiple formations

We are strong believers in the 3-4 at Southern Illinois and, as a defensive staff, we do not deviate from our commitment to running the 3-4 defense. Dale Lennon, our head coach, implemented this scheme as defensive coordinator at the University of North Dakota in 1991. During this time, I was the secondary coach and have been a part of coaching the 3-4 defensive system for 20 consecutive seasons.     One of the advantages of running the 3-4 system is the ability to remain balanced vs. the multiple offensive formations that one will face throughout the season. The secondary alignment rules and landmarks are crucial to balance the defensive alignment. This is especially true when teaching the middle 1/3 safety’s (high safety) alignment when playing three-deep pass coverage. The high safety alignment rules need to be simple, yet sound vs. all types of offensive formations