History
Tom Kaczkowski and Michael Taylor developed the Pistol Offense (called the "Shotgun I" at that time) in 1999-2000 while Tom Kaczkowski coaching at Division III Ohio Northern University, as a way of adding a greater running dimension to his passing game. University of Nevada head coach Chris Ault popularized the formation (and renamed it the "Pistol") in 2005. While the pistol offense has been experimented with by dozens of college football teams such as LSU, Syracuse, Indiana, and Missouri, Ault's Nevada Wolf Pack is most strongly associated with the formation.
Using the Pistol Offense, during the 2009 season, Nevada led the nation in rushing at 345 yards a game and were second in total offense at 506 yards. The Wolf Pack also became the first team in college football history with three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season: quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running backs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua.
Football Championship Subdivision team James Madison University used "The Pistol" to help beat #13 ranked Virginia Tech on September 11, 2010. The pistol has also made the transition to the NFL, mainly being used by the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins, as well as the aforementioned Kaepnernick with the San Francisco 49ers, who in the NFL Playoffs versus the Green Bay Packers set the all-time single game rushing record for a quarterback with 181 yards. Along with the wildcat, the pistol has added more of a college "playmaker" aspect to the professional game.
On December 5, 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers utilized the Pistol offense so quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could play with a bad foot.
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