The ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT hire..replacing Jerry Martin

[FDNY99]

here is a picture of the Miss St weight room:
RECQVJBEOPWZMIB.20091102225358.jpg (old weight room)
New Weight Room:
JERQNXJBVNATMQI.20130206233832.JPG
DUHOSAFQBHELLHM.20130206233832.JPG

Looks like they use the POD system there as well

 

[BHusky]

I expect the new guy to come in and run it his way from day 1.

This isn't rocket science -- lift this, this way, until this. Repeat this often.

It isn't rocket science, but at this level there is quite a bit of science behind it and you don't just tell kids how much to lift and how many times they need to do it. This is not just bench, squat and curls. Division 1 teams (in all sports) need a very precise program for what they play and most times the programs are customized to each kid based on how they develop, position, differences in recovery time, current strength/conditioning numbers. You need to work with the medical staff to help rehab injured players which means you need to know a decent amount about the injuries, muscles involved, etc., so that you do not impede the players recovery. You need to know a bit about all available sports supplements in the market, what is in them, if they are NCAA approved and what you are allowed to serve players (most S&C coaches are the source for these decisions and also help kids order supplements to make sure they are NCAA approved). For example the NCAA actually has a max amount of protein a supplement shake can have that you give players after a workout. This ridiculous rule required schools to change from heavy protein shakes to things like over the counter Muscle Milk so that they did not break NCAA rules.

This is certainly not my profession or a hobby, but you dumbed down what a S&C coach for a 1A school does to a level that is ridiculous or at least what they did circa 35 years ago.

 

[MattMang23]

As long as we're cleaning house, can we please can the PA announcer? He is the worst.

DJ Dogpound can go with him.

 

[WestHartHusk]

DJ Dogpound can go with him.

I don't know. I thought he did a good job during the Michigan game, and at the end of the season without him (well, an the big egg for wins) there was not much energy in the building.

 

[sdhusky]

This is certainly not my profession or a hobby, but you dumbed down what a S&C coach for a 1A school does to a level that is ridiculous or at least what they did circa 35 years ago.

Come on. the quote I responded to was that it was too late to have the seniors workout differently.

I reject that. I think he can teach his methods in less than a year.

 

[HobokenHusky]

DJ Dogpound can go with him.

If Diaco has a say in it, I would be extremely surprised if DJ Dog pound ever does another football game. He gets it, and we all know the in-game DJ is mickey-mouse/minor league baseball crap.

It's the cringe-worthy, overcompensating equivalent of a 45 year old guy asking his son if he can "chilllax with his bro-skies" or Des saying "What's good?"

 

[HobokenHusky]

We didn't get Dan Mullen but...

MSU strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis leaving Bulldogs program for UConn
Read more: http://cdispatch.com/msusports/article.asp?aid=30232#ixzz2pvWBepNM

>>Balis, who had been the strength and conditioning coach under Mullen since he was hired as the head coach at MSU, has often been referred by Mullen as "the most important part of his program" and has called him ""the best strength coach in the country".

Balis came to Starkville from Virginia, where he served two years as the strength and conditioning coach for the Cavaliers' football program. Prior to his stint in Charlottesville, Balis previously served as the assistant director of strength and conditioning at Florida in 2005 and 2006 when Mullen was the offensive coordinator with the Gators.<<

Sounds like a Urban Meyer/Dan Mullen guy, and an integral part of their success. I'll take that 7 days a week.

 

[sportsart]

I think it's a pretty strong statement to get a guy like this from an SEC team and coach he has followed. I doubt we gave him such a raise that made it impossible to say no.

It tells me the respect he has for HCBD and his belief that UConn athletics is a quality position.

Without going back through the thread, is this guy just a football S&C guy or for all athletes?

 

[huskymedic]

I think it's a pretty strong statement to get a guy like this from an SEC team and coach he has followed. I doubt we gave him such a raise that made it impossible to say no.

It tells me the respect he has for HCBD and his belief that UConn athletics is a quality position.

Without going back through the thread, is this guy just a football S&C guy or for all athletes?

Think that still needs some official clarification from UConn...

 

[BHusky]

Come on. the quote I responded to was that it was too late to have the seniors workout differently.

I reject that. I think he can teach his methods in less than a year.

I don't disagree that the new coach can come in and run his own program from day 1. But it is not just telling the guys what to do and them doing it as you suggested it is as easy as.

 

[Waquoit]

The guy had a good run, time for some new blood. It's clear BD has a plan, this is just another piece.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Des made a good point about the Martin and the coaches who weren't retained.

"Sometimes change really means change, folks."

http://courantblogs.com/uconn-football/uconn-football-updates-pendergast-martin/

Everyone agreed PGDLP had to go (and if you didn't don't respond).

And we all know that the new regime has full authority to retain or release anyone on the existing staff.

 

[YearoftheHusky]

This is why I love the Boneyard. Little did I expect to find a two-page thread about the strength and conditioning coach, but alas. You guys are good.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Does anyone know why Martin was FIRED.

Just seemed like he was AWESOME at his job and an ASSET to UCONN. I only heard GREAT about him and his performance / results were top notch.

Also is this new guy for Football only or for all sports?

 

[tayjlaw]

Here's 6+ pages of reaction from the Miss State fans re: Balis' departure. Generally positive reviews:

http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?11325-Matt-Balis-leaving&s=7d47d3a0fc7a180510cd09e7b6e5f70e

 

[Goat]

In August 2013 the Men's hoop team switched to Travis Illian for strength and conditioning. He has a PhD and was at Alabama. They play football there, but Illian was the S&C coach for women's gymnastics and women's soccer. He replaced Chris West who is still listed as #2 in S&C at UConn. Amore wrote in the Courant that West was moving to soccer.

FYI, I think Phil Nolan is visibly bigger and more muscular since preseason. Gaining strength and size in season is no easy task.

There is a true science to eat this, lift that and there is another at play in off-season motivation and discipline. I am biased toward cutting edge theory here and encouraged that our AD and/or HCs see that S&C, including nutrition, it is another way to help win.

This is about Illian's impact at Alabama - http://cw.ua.edu/2013/02/21/patterson-credits-strength-coach-for-teams-power/

 

[huskymedic]

Formal announcement on Balis by UConn via Silver:

JohnFSilver7:17pm via WordPress.com
UConn names Balis strength coach on.sny.tv/1eL7SeC

Impressive resume.

 

[jackl]

Here's 6+ pages of reaction from the Miss State fans re: Balis' departure. Generally positive reviews:

http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?11325-Matt-Balis-leaving&s=7d47d3a0fc7a180510cd09e7b6e5f70e

Wow UCONN is nothing but northern pukes. SEC football schools really do look at the rest of the world in a different light. Nice to see that this hire, their loss pissed off a number of their fans. Sounds as if Matt Balis is quite the catch. Sorry to see Martin go but time marches on.

 

[tiger8mush]

Wow UCONN is nothing but northern pukes. SEC football schools really do look at the rest of the world in a different light. Nice to see that this hire, their loss pissed off a number of their fans. Sounds as if Matt Balis is quite the catch. Sorry to see Martin go but time marches on.

haha, my favorite quote "duck*. Just....duck*. There's no excuse for this bulls*. NO SEC school should lose an assistant coach to UCONN. Period."

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I liked the complaint that he left after they built a Taj Mahal of a workout room.

I'd be surprised if ours still isn't better than theirs.

 

[Hoophound]

I liked the complaint that he left after they built a Taj Mahal of a workout room. I'd be surprised if ours still isn't better than theirs.

I think it's funny that despite all our championships and academic accolades, they can't understand why we'd pay a good coach. I guess nobody believes that we intend to win in football. The SEC pays them serious cash, otherwise everything about MSU is small time.

 

[MattMang23]

I think it's funny that despite all our championships and academic accolades, they can't understand why we'd pay a good coach. I guess nobody believes that we intend to win in football. The SEC pays them serious cash, otherwise everything about MSU is small time.

We don't have any championships. Basketball doesn't count. Field hockey doesn't count. Soccer doesn't count. If it's not a football championship, it isn't a championship to them.

As for MSU, they're one of the schools that wins the CR lottery due to playing 100 years in a league with a Florida, an Alabama, and even an Auburn to ride the coattails of. Hell, just to p!ss them off, you can throw Ole Miss on that list too.

MSU is one of the schools that we are a better athletic department than that we deserve to be in a better conference than just due to sheer athletic success. They're one of the poster children. They're right at the top of that list along with Wazzou, Wake, Baylor, and at least a half dozen other schools.

 

[Waquoit]

Why would anyone want to live in Mississippi if you had a choice? The griping on that board over his leaving is music to my ears.

 

[MattMang23]

Why would anyone want to live in Mississippi if you had a choice? The griping on that board over his leaving is music to my ears.

Well at least one guy did make the point that they have to overpay assistants to come just to have to live in Mississippi in the first place lol.

 

[ruskin]

Since Martin was responsible for all sports, not just football, this seems like a Warde Manuel decision. Diaco might have had a say since strength & conditioning is football-centric, but it seems like if Auriemma, etc. had wanted Martin to stay that badly they would have created a separate S&C just for football for the incoming guy and kept Martin. Sure there's a good back story here somewhere. Martin has a national rep and, like TJ, seems as if he should definitely land on his feet somewhere.