The Origins of the "Buzz Press"- Jerry Finkbeiner's Twilight Zone Press

Jerry Finkbeiner's Twilight Zone Press Video Series

Here’s a breakdown of what I found on Coach Jerry Finkbeiner and his “Twilight Zone / Buzz / Zone-press” defense:

Jerry Finkbeiner — Biography & Coaching Career

Early Life & Education / Playing Background

Finkbeiner attended Southern Nazarene University (Oklahoma) as a player from 1975–1980, where he was a four-year letterwinner. (Apple Podcasts)
He was selected as a Christian Collegiate All-America in 1978. (Apple Podcasts)
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and later completed a master’s degree in Physical Education at Northwest Missouri State University. (Utah Tech University Athletics)

Coaching Career Highlights

His first notable head coaching stint was at Southern Nazarene (SNU) (NAIA) from about 1990–1996. Over six seasons, he posted a record of 186–20. (Utah Tech University Athletics)
During his time there, he led SNU to three consecutive NAIA national championships (1994, 1995, 1996). (Utah State University)
He was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1994, 1995, 1996. (Utah State University)
In 1996, Finkbeiner became head coach at Oral Roberts University (ORU), a NCAA Division I program. He stayed at ORU for 16 years (1996–2012), compiling a record of ~ 273–208. (Utah Tech University Athletics)
At ORU, he led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearances (5 in his tenure), six 20-win seasons, two conference regular season titles, and multiple conference tournament titles. (Utah Tech University Athletics)
In April 2012, he was hired as head coach of Utah State University (women’s basketball). (Utah State University)
Over his collegiate head coaching career (across SNU, ORU, USU), his cumulative record is often given as 570–366 (a .609 winning percentage) over ~30 years. (Utah State University Athletics)
In 2019, it was announced he would not return as head coach at Utah State. (Utah State University Athletics)
More recently (as of 2024), Finkbeiner has joined the coaching staff for Utah Tech University’s women’s basketball program (as an assistant). (Utah Tech University Athletics)

Personal / Miscellaneous

He is one of the few male coaches in Utah State women’s basketball history. (Utah State University Athletics)
His family: he and his wife Reva have five children and multiple grandchildren. (Utah Tech University Athletics)
He has been inducted into the SNU Athletic Hall of Fame (class of 2014). (SNU Athletics)

The “Twilight Zone Press” / “Buzz / Twilight Zone / Zone-Press” Defense

This defense is associated with Finkbeiner (he is considered one of its innovators or proponents) and is often mentioned in his coaching clinics/courses. (CoachTube) Here are the key attributes as gathered from sources:

General Concept & Philosophy

The “Twilight Zone Press” is sometimes used interchangeably or in conjunction with the “Buzz defense.” Finkbeiner refers to it as a “high risk, high reward” defensive philosophy. (Championship Vision Podcast)
The defense is a variation of a 2-3 zone (or zone scheme) that emphasizes defenders being active in passing lanes, rather than simply sagging or playing a passive zone. (Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Coaching)
The strategy forces the offense to play faster, navigate through pressure, make more difficult passes, and often induces skip passes, lob passes, and turnovers. (Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Coaching)
By pressuring the passing lanes and disrupting the offensive rhythm, it tends to cause rushed shots or mistakes. (Breakthrough Basketball)
The defense aims to collapse in on dribble penetration (i.e. when the offense breaks toward the paint) and force the opponent to rely on outside or skip shots. (Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Coaching)

Tactical / Structural Traits

Though I didn’t find a fully detailed playbook in my search, here are traits and design elements typical of such defenses (as described in sources and in related “Buzz / Twilight Zone” literature):

Origin / Usage & Evolution

The Twilight Zone Press is often promoted through clinic videos and courses, e.g. “Coach Jerry Finkbeiner: The Twilight Zone Press” on Coachtube. (CoachTube)
It was especially used during Finkbeiner’s successful NAIA championship run years (1994–1997) at SNU, where he used it as a primary defensive weapon. (CoachTube)
Some sources credit or associate the scheme with Coach Mike Divilbiss (designer of the “Buzz defense”) — in fact, other coaching blogs mention that Finkbeiner’s defense is a variant or evolution of the Buzz / Twilight Zone style. (Championship Vision Podcast)
In an interview/article, Finkbeiner commented on a “Buzz” e-book, acknowledging the similarity and evolution from the Buzz / Twilight Zone defenses. (Championship Vision Podcast)

Strengths & Challenges / Considerations

Strengths

Can generate turnovers and momentum shifts.
Disrupts passing rhythm and makes offense uncomfortable.
Forces tempo, which can work in favor of athletic and deep teams.
Makes offense less predictable due to pressure in passing lanes.

Challenges / Risks

Being “high risk, high reward”: when offensive passes break through or rotation fails, open shots or mismatches may appear.
Requires disciplined rotations and strong anticipation.
Demands athletic, alert defenders who can recover.
Vulnerable to good outside shooters if pressure is broken.
Fatigue may be a factor, especially over long stretches or against deep rosters.