College Football Nation: strength coach June 2010
Strength and conditioning coaches in college football are around the players more than the head coaches and more than the position coaches.
No wonder the first piece of advice Florida’s Urban Meyer gives to a first-time head coach is to go out and get the best strength coach he can find.
Here’s a rundown of the head strength coaches in the SEC:
Alabama: Scott Cochran
No wonder the first piece of advice Florida’s Urban Meyer gives to a first-time head coach is to go out and get the best strength coach he can find.
Here’s a rundown of the head strength coaches in the SEC:
Alabama: Scott Cochran
One of the most energetic and vocal coaches on Alabama’s staff, Cochran came to Alabama in 2007 along with Nick Saban. Prior to taking on the Crimson Tide’s head strength and conditioning duties, he spent three years with the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets as assistant strength coach. Cochran’s ties to Saban go back to LSU when Cochran was an assistant strength coach on LSU’s 2003 national championship team. An LSU graduate, Cochran has been credited by many of the Alabama players for being a big part of the Tide’s turnaround under Saban. “He makes you want to show up and work every day and push yourself even harder than the day before,” said former Alabama All-America center Antoine Caldwell.
Veltkamp is beginning his third season as the Hogs’ head strength and conditioning coach after joining the Arkansas staff in January 2008. He was with Bobby Petrino at Louisville for three seasons and helped coordinate the development of 21 future NFL draft selections. Veltkamp was also the head strength and conditioning coach at Utah and was there with Florida coach Urban Meyer for a season in 2003. Veltkamp played for Bobby Petrino’s father, Bob Petrino, Sr., at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., and was a captain on the 1994 team. Among the professional athletes Veltkamp has worked with include Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith and NBA basketball player Andrew Bogut.
Yoxall has been at Auburn since 1999 when he came over from UCLA and supervises all strength and conditioning programs for men’s and women’s athletics. Yoxall was a power lifter in college at East Texas State and earned All-America honors in 1983. He came to Auburn with Tommy Tuberville and was retained when Gene Chizik took over last season. Yoxall also previously served as Minnesota’s strength coach and started his career at TCU. Named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2002, Yoxall was also selected as the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2005 by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.
Meyer has called Marotti the best strength coach in America on numerous occasions and was able to pry him away from Notre Dame in 2005 when he took the Gators’ head job. Marotti, who played fullback at West Liberty State, was Notre Dame’s director of strength and conditioning from 1998-2005. Meyer was instrumental in bringing Marotti to Notre Dame when Meyer was an assistant coach with the Irish. Marotti was in charge of Cincinnati’s strength program from 1990-98 prior to that. He and Meyer first met when they were graduate assistants at Ohio State. Marotti holds a Master of Strength and Conditioning certification.
Van Halanger has worked with 29 consecutive bowl teams spanning his tenures at Georgia, Florida State and West Virginia. He was with Bobby Bowden at both West Virginia and Florida State as head strength coach, but came with Mark Richt to Georgia in 2001 as director of strength and conditioning. Van Halanger was an offensive lineman under Bowden at West Virginia and co-captained the Mountaineers’ 1975 team. He’s credited with starting West Virginia’s first organized weight training program. In 2001, Van Halanger was awarded the title of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and was inducted into the Strength and Conditioning Hall of Fame in 2003.
A former strength coach at Kentucky under basketball coach Rick Pitino, Oliver returned to Kentucky this past January to head up the football team’s strength and conditioning program under first-year coach Joker Phillips. A renowned motivator, Oliver has worked with football and basketball teams on both the collegiate and professional level. Prior to returning to Kentucky, he spent the last six years as the associate strength and conditioning coach with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Jersey Nets. Oliver has also worked extensively in the past with Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari. A defensive back in college, Oliver started his career at Ohio State before transferring to Cincinnati.
Moffitt is entering his 11th season at LSU after coming over from Miami. He’s been part of two national championship football teams at LSU, one at Tennessee and one at Miami. Moffitt has incorporated yoga and karate into the Tigers’ offseason program to increase a player’s flexibility, while forcing the team to stay focused for a lengthy period of time. He was named the 2003 College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by America Football Monthly. While at Miami, Moffitt worked under Butch Davis and was instrumental in helping to rebuild the Hurricanes’ program. He’s a graduate of Tennessee Tech and was named the National High School Strength Coach of the Year in 1992 while coaching at John Curtis High School in River Ridge, La.
One of the first things Dan Mullen did upon landing the Mississippi State head job was hire Balis away from Virginia. They were together at both Florida and Utah, and Mullen has often referred to Balis as the most important part of his program. Balis was the head strength coach at Virginia from 2007-08 and was an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Florida from 2005-06. Balis was also the head strength coach at Utah in 2004 when the Utes went unbeaten and won the Fiesta Bowl. When Balis arrived on Mississippi State’s campus two Decembers ago, former running back Anthony Dixon said Balis was the driving force in helping to change the culture of the football team and called Balis’ offseason workouts “the kind of hell we needed.”
Decker is entering his 13th season with Houston Nutt after serving as Nutt’s strength coach for all 10 seasons at Arkansas. A small college All-America quarterback at Evangel University in the early 1980s, Decker was at Arkansas for 15 years. He was the Hogs’ assistant strength and conditioning coach before being promoted and oversaw strength and conditioning for all men’s sports. He was in charge of the basketball strength program for eight years, including the 1994 national championship season. In 2004, Decker earned the designation of Master Level Strength Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
Fitzgerald is beginning his second season as the Gamecocks’ strength and conditioning coach after serving as Director of Strength and Training at Harvard since April 2005. While at Harvard, Fitzgerald trained the football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s crew teams. The Harvard football team won back-to-back Ivy League championships over his final two years there. Fitzgerald played football at Maryland and later served as an assistant director of strength and conditioning for the Terrapins.
Wylie is in his first season as Tennessee’s head strength coach after overseeing Texas Tech’s strength and conditioning program for the last five years. Wylie was a big part of the Red Raiders’ success the last few seasons and had a strong rapport with all of the players. At times, he was known to have players running while holding cinder blocks over their heads. Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach used to call him the “executioner” for his grueling offseason workouts. The Red Raiders were 46-18 during Wylie’s five seasons in Lubbock, including the memorable 11-2 season in 2008. Wylie also worked with the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for four years before joining the Texas Tech staff.
An 18-year coaching veteran, Sisk enters his ninth year as Vanderbilt’s director of speed, strength and conditioning. Sisk and Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson go back to their Furman days together. Sisk was a Furman strength assistant in Johnson’s first year as coach. Sisk also worked on the strength staff at Clemson before coming to Vanderbilt and has worked with a handful of first-round picks in baseball. He also helped transform former Vanderbilt offensive lineman Chris Williams from an undersized 245-pound prospect into the 14th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler also credits Sisk for helping him take his game to another level physically when he was at Vanderbilt. Sisk played his college football at Western Carolina.
Who's who among Big East strength coaches
June, 23, 2010
6/23/10
10:02
AM ET
By
Brian Bennett | ESPN.com
Strength coaches have become some of the most valuable men in a college football program, often spending more time with the players than any other coach on staff.
So who are the guys who condition the players in the Big East and supervise them in the offseason? Let's take a look:
Cincinnati: Dave Lawson came aboard with Butch Jones' new staff in January after spending three years with Jones at Central Michigan. Before that, Lawson oversaw the strength and conditioning programs for all of Eastern Michigan's sports teams. He was an assistant strength coach at West Virginia.
Connecticut: Jerry Martin oversees workout activities for all of UConn's varsity teams and works closely with the football team. He has spent the past 20 years at the school. He played for Syracuse in the 1980s, where he was a teammate of Huskies coach Randy Edsall.
Louisville: Pat Moorer is in his first year with the Cardinals, joining Charlie Strong's new staff. Moorer spent the previous seven seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for South Carolina. Before that, he was the strength coach at Illinois and Florida. He crossed paths with Strong at both Florida and South Carolina. Moorer was also once the personal trainer for NFL rushing champion Emmitt Smith.
Pittsburgh: Buddy Morris is in his third different stint as the Panthers' strength coach. Dave Wannstedt hired him back in December 2006. Before that, Morris was the school's strength coach from 1980-89 and 1997-2001. He also graduated from the school and served as the Cleveland Browns' strength coach under Butch Davis.
Rutgers: Jay Butler holds the title of assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning. He is entering his 10th year of overseeing the Scarlet Knights' football team, spending all of Greg Schiano's tenure in that role. Butler designed the 15,000-square foot strength and conditioning facility in the team's Hale Center complex.
South Florida: Ron McKeefery stayed on board for the Bulls during the transition from Jim Leavitt to Skip Holtz. He's entering his 11th season at South Florida and has worked for the Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an NFL Europe team. He was an all-conference performer in both football and track at Ottawa (Kan.) University.
Syracuse: William Hicks' official title is assistant athletic director for athletic performance, and he's been at Syracuse since 2000. Before that, he coordinated the conditioning program for NC State, where he was named ACC strength coach of the year in 1999.
West Virginia: Mike Joseph is in his second year as the Mountaineers' strength coach, coming to Morgantown after five years as an assistant at Notre Dame. He earned his master's degree from West Virginia and served as a graduate assistant there. He was a three-year captain on the Fairmont State football team, earning conference player of the year honors in 1996.
So who are the guys who condition the players in the Big East and supervise them in the offseason? Let's take a look:
Cincinnati: Dave Lawson came aboard with Butch Jones' new staff in January after spending three years with Jones at Central Michigan. Before that, Lawson oversaw the strength and conditioning programs for all of Eastern Michigan's sports teams. He was an assistant strength coach at West Virginia.
Connecticut: Jerry Martin oversees workout activities for all of UConn's varsity teams and works closely with the football team. He has spent the past 20 years at the school. He played for Syracuse in the 1980s, where he was a teammate of Huskies coach Randy Edsall.
Louisville: Pat Moorer is in his first year with the Cardinals, joining Charlie Strong's new staff. Moorer spent the previous seven seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for South Carolina. Before that, he was the strength coach at Illinois and Florida. He crossed paths with Strong at both Florida and South Carolina. Moorer was also once the personal trainer for NFL rushing champion Emmitt Smith.
Pittsburgh: Buddy Morris is in his third different stint as the Panthers' strength coach. Dave Wannstedt hired him back in December 2006. Before that, Morris was the school's strength coach from 1980-89 and 1997-2001. He also graduated from the school and served as the Cleveland Browns' strength coach under Butch Davis.
Rutgers: Jay Butler holds the title of assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning. He is entering his 10th year of overseeing the Scarlet Knights' football team, spending all of Greg Schiano's tenure in that role. Butler designed the 15,000-square foot strength and conditioning facility in the team's Hale Center complex.
South Florida: Ron McKeefery stayed on board for the Bulls during the transition from Jim Leavitt to Skip Holtz. He's entering his 11th season at South Florida and has worked for the Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an NFL Europe team. He was an all-conference performer in both football and track at Ottawa (Kan.) University.
Syracuse: William Hicks' official title is assistant athletic director for athletic performance, and he's been at Syracuse since 2000. Before that, he coordinated the conditioning program for NC State, where he was named ACC strength coach of the year in 1999.
West Virginia: Mike Joseph is in his second year as the Mountaineers' strength coach, coming to Morgantown after five years as an assistant at Notre Dame. He earned his master's degree from West Virginia and served as a graduate assistant there. He was a three-year captain on the Fairmont State football team, earning conference player of the year honors in 1996.
A good strength and conditioning program can make a good team great. And a mediocre team good. Here's a look at Pac-10 strength coaches.
Arizona: Corey Edmond
Edmond, whose title is "director of performance enhancement," joined the Arizona staff in 2004, following coach Mike Stoops over from Oklahoma, where he had been an assistant strength and conditioning coach since 1999. Before his term at Oklahoma, he was the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga from 1995-99 and an assistant there from 1993-95. A North Carolina State graduate, Edmond played three years for the Wolfpack from 1987-90, then signed a 1991 free-agent contract with the then Houston Oilers, where he played for two years.
Arizona State: Ben Hilgart
Hilgart was named the Sun Devils Head Sports Performance Coach in January of 2008 after three seasons as an assistant with the program. Before coming to ASU in June of 2005, he spent the previous three seasons at Ohio State as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He spent two years at UTEP as the graduate assistant strength coach after coaching the defensive line as well as serving as the head strength coach at Western Illinois University, his alma mater. He was a two-year letterman at Western Illinois, earning his bachelor's degree in physical education in 2000. He earned is master's in kinesiology from UTEP in 2003.
California: John Krasinski
Krasinski has been at California since Jeff Tedford's arrival in 2002. The two first crossed paths at Oregon, where Tedford was the Ducks offensive coordinator. Krasinski was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) in May of 2007, the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. He's heavily involved in the design and development of the new Student-Athlete High Performance Center.
Oregon: Jim Radcliffe
Radcliffe, after 25 years at Oregon, is the Pac-10's longest tenured strength and conditioning coach. He was a high school teacher before he started at Oregon in 1985. A graduate of Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore., he played four seasons at defensive back and was captain of the special teams. He earned his master’s in biomechanics from Oregon in 1992. He is certified by the United States Weightlifting Federation. He also has written books, been published in numerous professional journals and produced videos on plyometrics.
Oregon State: Bryan Miller
Miller was promoted to head of the Sports Performance Center staff in July of 2008 and oversees all the operations of the 20,000 square foot Sports Performance Center. He arrived at Oregon State in the spring of 2006 after serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Wisconsin. He also spent four years in the same capacity at Northern Illinois University. He played football at North Park University in Chicago, where he was a two-year letterwinner and team captain. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a Specialist in Sports Conditioning and a Level I Club Coach (U.S. Weightlifting).
Stanford: Kevin Tolbert
Tolbert was promoted to the position of Head Strength and Conditioning Coach this spring after being the assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2009. Tolbert came to Stanford after one year with the Detroit Lions strength and conditioning staff, which was preceded by an eight-year stint at Michigan from 2001-07. He also coached at Miami. A native of Hempstead, NY, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 with a B.S. degree in physical science. He also was a three-year football letterman, helping the Midshipman to a pair of bowl appearances.
UCLA: Mike Linn
Linn, a former Bruins offensive lineman, is in the fourth year of his second tenure as UCLA’s head athletic performance coach. He's served at UCLA from 1999-2002 and from 2007 to the present. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength Coaches Association, as well as a Level One weightlifting coach. Linn also is active in community service as the organizing force behind Prime Time Games, which brings together economically disadvantaged students and children with developmental disabilities in an after-school program.
USC : Aaron Ausmus
Ausmus has been a head strength and conditioning coach at Idaho, Mississippi, North Texas and Tennessee. He was hired by new Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin in February, but the two are familiar with each other's work. Ausmus worked with Kiffin from 2001-03 when both were USC assistants, and Kiffin hired Ausmus to run the strength program at Tennessee in 2009. Kiffin is the second former USC assistant to hire Ausmus. When Idaho hired away then-Trojans assistant Nick Holt to be its head football coach, Holt brought Ausmus along. Ausmus was a two-time All-American track star -- shot put -- at Tennessee.
Washington: Ivan Lewis
Lewis followed second-year Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian from USC, and he brought along the Trojans philosophy of agility over bulk, see an offensive line that slimmed down by 20 or 30 pounds per man in many cases. During his three years at USC as a strength and conditioning assistant, Lewis worked directly with the QBs, the position then coached by Sarkisian. Lewis played football at Idaho before knee injuries ended his career.
Washington State: Darin Lovat
Lovat joined the Cougars staff before Paul Wulff's first season in 2008. Previously, he was an assistant strength coach at Boston College (2007-2008), but he worked with Wulff at Eastern Washington from 2002-2007. He also served as an assistant strength coach at UCLA from 1999-2002. The former UNLV offensive lineman has good bloodlines. His uncle, Tom Lovat, is a long-time NFL assistant coach, while his cousin, Mark Lovat, is an assistant strength coach with the Green Bay Packers.
Arizona: Corey Edmond
Edmond, whose title is "director of performance enhancement," joined the Arizona staff in 2004, following coach Mike Stoops over from Oklahoma, where he had been an assistant strength and conditioning coach since 1999. Before his term at Oklahoma, he was the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga from 1995-99 and an assistant there from 1993-95. A North Carolina State graduate, Edmond played three years for the Wolfpack from 1987-90, then signed a 1991 free-agent contract with the then Houston Oilers, where he played for two years.
Arizona State: Ben Hilgart
Hilgart was named the Sun Devils Head Sports Performance Coach in January of 2008 after three seasons as an assistant with the program. Before coming to ASU in June of 2005, he spent the previous three seasons at Ohio State as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He spent two years at UTEP as the graduate assistant strength coach after coaching the defensive line as well as serving as the head strength coach at Western Illinois University, his alma mater. He was a two-year letterman at Western Illinois, earning his bachelor's degree in physical education in 2000. He earned is master's in kinesiology from UTEP in 2003.
California: John Krasinski
Krasinski has been at California since Jeff Tedford's arrival in 2002. The two first crossed paths at Oregon, where Tedford was the Ducks offensive coordinator. Krasinski was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) in May of 2007, the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. He's heavily involved in the design and development of the new Student-Athlete High Performance Center.
Oregon: Jim Radcliffe
Radcliffe, after 25 years at Oregon, is the Pac-10's longest tenured strength and conditioning coach. He was a high school teacher before he started at Oregon in 1985. A graduate of Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore., he played four seasons at defensive back and was captain of the special teams. He earned his master’s in biomechanics from Oregon in 1992. He is certified by the United States Weightlifting Federation. He also has written books, been published in numerous professional journals and produced videos on plyometrics.
Oregon State: Bryan Miller
Miller was promoted to head of the Sports Performance Center staff in July of 2008 and oversees all the operations of the 20,000 square foot Sports Performance Center. He arrived at Oregon State in the spring of 2006 after serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Wisconsin. He also spent four years in the same capacity at Northern Illinois University. He played football at North Park University in Chicago, where he was a two-year letterwinner and team captain. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a Specialist in Sports Conditioning and a Level I Club Coach (U.S. Weightlifting).
Stanford: Kevin Tolbert
Tolbert was promoted to the position of Head Strength and Conditioning Coach this spring after being the assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2009. Tolbert came to Stanford after one year with the Detroit Lions strength and conditioning staff, which was preceded by an eight-year stint at Michigan from 2001-07. He also coached at Miami. A native of Hempstead, NY, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 with a B.S. degree in physical science. He also was a three-year football letterman, helping the Midshipman to a pair of bowl appearances.
UCLA: Mike Linn
Linn, a former Bruins offensive lineman, is in the fourth year of his second tenure as UCLA’s head athletic performance coach. He's served at UCLA from 1999-2002 and from 2007 to the present. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength Coaches Association, as well as a Level One weightlifting coach. Linn also is active in community service as the organizing force behind Prime Time Games, which brings together economically disadvantaged students and children with developmental disabilities in an after-school program.
USC : Aaron Ausmus
Ausmus has been a head strength and conditioning coach at Idaho, Mississippi, North Texas and Tennessee. He was hired by new Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin in February, but the two are familiar with each other's work. Ausmus worked with Kiffin from 2001-03 when both were USC assistants, and Kiffin hired Ausmus to run the strength program at Tennessee in 2009. Kiffin is the second former USC assistant to hire Ausmus. When Idaho hired away then-Trojans assistant Nick Holt to be its head football coach, Holt brought Ausmus along. Ausmus was a two-time All-American track star -- shot put -- at Tennessee.
Washington: Ivan Lewis
Lewis followed second-year Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian from USC, and he brought along the Trojans philosophy of agility over bulk, see an offensive line that slimmed down by 20 or 30 pounds per man in many cases. During his three years at USC as a strength and conditioning assistant, Lewis worked directly with the QBs, the position then coached by Sarkisian. Lewis played football at Idaho before knee injuries ended his career.
Washington State: Darin Lovat
Lovat joined the Cougars staff before Paul Wulff's first season in 2008. Previously, he was an assistant strength coach at Boston College (2007-2008), but he worked with Wulff at Eastern Washington from 2002-2007. He also served as an assistant strength coach at UCLA from 1999-2002. The former UNLV offensive lineman has good bloodlines. His uncle, Tom Lovat, is a long-time NFL assistant coach, while his cousin, Mark Lovat, is an assistant strength coach with the Green Bay Packers.
A look at the Big Ten strength coaches
June, 23, 2010
6/23/10
10:01
AM ET
By
Adam Rittenberg | ESPN.com
Football strength training is the flavor this week on ESPN.com, as we attempt to pump ... you up! Sorry, couldn't resist.
Head coaches get most of the credit -- and, to be fair, most of the blame -- but strength coaches spend more time with players than anyone else on campus. They play major roles in developing personnel for the season.
So who are these guys? Here's a quick look at the Big Ten strength coaches.
ILLINOIS
Name: Lou Hernandez
At Illinois since: 2005
The skinny: Hernandez made the transition from Florida to Illinois with Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, for whom he has worked since 2003. A native Texan, Hernandez received both his bachelor's and master's from the University of Houston, where he worked from 1992-2001 as both an assistant strength coach and the head man. Hernandez spent 2002 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. Despite being just 5-foot-8, Hernandez was a competitive power lifter who could bench 507 pounds and squat 720 in his heyday. He also consults Illinois players on nutrition and helped defensive end Will Davis add to his frame in 2008.
INDIANA
Name: Mark Wateska
At Indiana since: 2002
The skinny: Wateska has spent nearly a quarter century as a strength and conditioning coach, including the last eight seasons with the Hoosiers football program. He played football at Penn State and was part of the 1986 national championship team. Wateska received both his bachelor's degree and his master's degree in exercise and sports science from Penn State and started his career there. He eventually left for Boston College, where he served as an assistant strength coach for four years before he took his first head job at Maine. Before Indiana, Wateska spent seven years as Stanford's head strength and conditioning coach. After his first year at The Farm, Wateksa was named Pac-10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).
IOWA
Name: Chris Doyle
At Iowa since: 1999
The skinny: Doyle has been in Iowa City for every step of the program's resurgence under Kirk Ferentz. He made his mark right away, earning Big Ten Strength Coach of the Year honors from the NCSA in 1999. Doyle has helped 149 players who have reached the professional ranks in the NFL, NHL and NBA, including 24 Iowa players selected in the last six NFL drafts. A native of Quincy, Mass., who earned two degrees at Boston University, Doyle came to Iowa after a year at Utah but was no stranger to the Big Ten. He served as Wisconsin's assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1996-98. Doyle worked both the football and hockey teams in Madison.
MICHIGAN
Name: Mike Barwis
At Michigan since: 2008
The skinny: Barwis followed Rich Rodriguez to Michigan after spending 14 years at West Virginia, where he worked with the school's Olympic sports programs before taking over strength and conditioning for football in 2003. Rodriguez is extremely loyal to Barwis and gives Barwis a lot of credit for the Mountaineers' rise to national prominence from 2005-07. Barwis has coached 24 NCSA All-Americans since 1999 and received the Bronze Award from the NCSA certification commission in 2004. A former mixed-martial arts fighter, Barwis' workout regimes at West Virginia became legendary, and the Philadelphia native has developed quite a reputation among Michigan players and fans.
MICHIGAN STATE
Name: Ken Mannie
At Michigan State since: 1994
The skinny: Mannie made the transition with Nick Saban from Toledo to Michigan State in 1994, but while Saban moved on, Mannie remained a fixture in East Lansing. He has received numerous awards and honors during his Michigan State tenure, including being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA in 2002 and being inducted into the Varsity S Club as an honorary member in 2007. Mannie, who oversees the strength and conditioning programs for all of Michigan State's sports, is a regular contributor to the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director publication. He first met Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio at Ohio State, where they both served as graduate assistants in 1984.
MINNESOTA
Name: Mark Hill
At Minnesota since: 2007
The skinny: A 1999 graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Hill already has worked as a high-level strength coach in the Big 12, Pac-10 and Big Ten. He joined Minnesota's staff in head coach Tim Brewster's first season after spending three years as associate director of performance enhancement at Arizona. Hill worked closely with Antoine Cason at Arizona, helping the defensive back win the Thorpe Award. He has mentored six All-Big Ten players at Minnesota and helped coach 13 All-Americans and 28 NFL draft picks as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma from 2000-03. Hill was an All-Southern Conference wide receiver at Tennessee-Chattanooga.
NORTHWESTERN
Name: Larry Lilja
At Northwestern since: 1981
The skinny: Lilja is the dean of Big Ten strength coaches and counts current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald among the many Wildcats players he tutored during his lengthy run in Evanston. He was a three-year starter at Northwestern from 1973-75, serving as a captain in 1974, before returning in 1981 to run the school's strength and conditioning center. Lilja played a major role in helping Northwestern transform its football program by winning Big Ten championships in 1995 and 1996. He earned Big Ten Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year honors in 1996. The Lilja family has deep roots in the Big Ten, as Larry and his brothers George (Michigan) and Dave (Indiana) are the only siblings in league history to serve as captains for three different teams.
OHIO STATE
Name: Eric Lichter
At Ohio State since: 2006
The skinny: Lichter built his reputation in the private sector by opening the Speed Strength Athlete Training Center in Euclid, Ohio, where he trained athletes in many sports, including Ohio State NFL draft prospects like Donte Whitner and Bobby Carpenter. He served as a consultant to Ohio State's 2002 national championship team and brought Power Plate technology to the program. Head coach Jim Tressel hired him in 2006 to oversee the strength and conditioning program. Lichter has trained six Top 10 NFL draft picks and has worked with LeBron James, Ron Dayne and others. His mother, Linda Lichter Witter, is Ohio State’s synchronized swimming coach, and Eric served as a consultant for the synchronized swimming team before joining Tressel's staff.
PENN STATE
Name: John Thomas
At Penn State since: 1992
The skinny: Like pretty much every member of Joe Paterno's staff, Thomas has been in State College for quite some time, making his mark on the Penn State program. In 2002, Thomas was named a Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA, one of only 27 people to carry the title at the time. He also was named National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1997. Thomas is a staunch supporter of the High Intensity Strength Training System (HIT), which early last decade created some discontent that has since subsided. Thomas came to Penn State from Army, where he served as head strength and conditioning coach in 1990-91. He played both offensive and defensive line at Muskingum College.
PURDUE
Name: Jim Lathrop
At Purdue since: 1998 (sixth year as director of strength and conditioning)
The skinny: Lathrop made the trek with Joe Tiller and Danny Hope from Wyoming to Purdue after being named the WAC's strength and conditioning coordinator professional of the year in 1996. He spent seven years as strength and conditioning coordinator before being promoted to oversee strength and conditioning for Purdue's entire athletic program. Lathrop designs specific training programs for football, wrestling, and men's and women's track. A former offensive guard for Northwest Missouri State, Lathrop served as both an assistant and a director of strength and conditioning at Georgia Tech from 1988-92. Georgia Tech won the 1990 national championship during his first year as director.
WISCONSIN
Name: Ben Herbert
At Wisconsin since: 2002 (named head strength and conditioning coach in January 2009)
The skinny: Herbert cut his teeth under longtime Wisconsin strength coach John Dettman before working his way into the top football job last winter. A two-year starter on the defensive line for the Badgers, Herbert helped Wisconsin reach back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He joined Wisconsin's strength and conditioning staff as an intern in 2002 before being promoted to an assistant the next year. Herbert shook things up after becoming the head strength coach, introducing position group workouts, innovative competitions and some unique motivational props, including a WWE replica belt and two potted plants.
Head coaches get most of the credit -- and, to be fair, most of the blame -- but strength coaches spend more time with players than anyone else on campus. They play major roles in developing personnel for the season.
So who are these guys? Here's a quick look at the Big Ten strength coaches.
ILLINOIS
Name: Lou Hernandez
At Illinois since: 2005
The skinny: Hernandez made the transition from Florida to Illinois with Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, for whom he has worked since 2003. A native Texan, Hernandez received both his bachelor's and master's from the University of Houston, where he worked from 1992-2001 as both an assistant strength coach and the head man. Hernandez spent 2002 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. Despite being just 5-foot-8, Hernandez was a competitive power lifter who could bench 507 pounds and squat 720 in his heyday. He also consults Illinois players on nutrition and helped defensive end Will Davis add to his frame in 2008.
INDIANA
Name: Mark Wateska
At Indiana since: 2002
The skinny: Wateska has spent nearly a quarter century as a strength and conditioning coach, including the last eight seasons with the Hoosiers football program. He played football at Penn State and was part of the 1986 national championship team. Wateska received both his bachelor's degree and his master's degree in exercise and sports science from Penn State and started his career there. He eventually left for Boston College, where he served as an assistant strength coach for four years before he took his first head job at Maine. Before Indiana, Wateska spent seven years as Stanford's head strength and conditioning coach. After his first year at The Farm, Wateksa was named Pac-10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA).
IOWA
Name: Chris Doyle
At Iowa since: 1999
The skinny: Doyle has been in Iowa City for every step of the program's resurgence under Kirk Ferentz. He made his mark right away, earning Big Ten Strength Coach of the Year honors from the NCSA in 1999. Doyle has helped 149 players who have reached the professional ranks in the NFL, NHL and NBA, including 24 Iowa players selected in the last six NFL drafts. A native of Quincy, Mass., who earned two degrees at Boston University, Doyle came to Iowa after a year at Utah but was no stranger to the Big Ten. He served as Wisconsin's assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1996-98. Doyle worked both the football and hockey teams in Madison.
MICHIGAN
Name: Mike Barwis
At Michigan since: 2008
The skinny: Barwis followed Rich Rodriguez to Michigan after spending 14 years at West Virginia, where he worked with the school's Olympic sports programs before taking over strength and conditioning for football in 2003. Rodriguez is extremely loyal to Barwis and gives Barwis a lot of credit for the Mountaineers' rise to national prominence from 2005-07. Barwis has coached 24 NCSA All-Americans since 1999 and received the Bronze Award from the NCSA certification commission in 2004. A former mixed-martial arts fighter, Barwis' workout regimes at West Virginia became legendary, and the Philadelphia native has developed quite a reputation among Michigan players and fans.
MICHIGAN STATE
Name: Ken Mannie
At Michigan State since: 1994
The skinny: Mannie made the transition with Nick Saban from Toledo to Michigan State in 1994, but while Saban moved on, Mannie remained a fixture in East Lansing. He has received numerous awards and honors during his Michigan State tenure, including being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA in 2002 and being inducted into the Varsity S Club as an honorary member in 2007. Mannie, who oversees the strength and conditioning programs for all of Michigan State's sports, is a regular contributor to the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director publication. He first met Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio at Ohio State, where they both served as graduate assistants in 1984.
MINNESOTA
Name: Mark Hill
At Minnesota since: 2007
The skinny: A 1999 graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Hill already has worked as a high-level strength coach in the Big 12, Pac-10 and Big Ten. He joined Minnesota's staff in head coach Tim Brewster's first season after spending three years as associate director of performance enhancement at Arizona. Hill worked closely with Antoine Cason at Arizona, helping the defensive back win the Thorpe Award. He has mentored six All-Big Ten players at Minnesota and helped coach 13 All-Americans and 28 NFL draft picks as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma from 2000-03. Hill was an All-Southern Conference wide receiver at Tennessee-Chattanooga.
NORTHWESTERN
Name: Larry Lilja
At Northwestern since: 1981
The skinny: Lilja is the dean of Big Ten strength coaches and counts current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald among the many Wildcats players he tutored during his lengthy run in Evanston. He was a three-year starter at Northwestern from 1973-75, serving as a captain in 1974, before returning in 1981 to run the school's strength and conditioning center. Lilja played a major role in helping Northwestern transform its football program by winning Big Ten championships in 1995 and 1996. He earned Big Ten Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year honors in 1996. The Lilja family has deep roots in the Big Ten, as Larry and his brothers George (Michigan) and Dave (Indiana) are the only siblings in league history to serve as captains for three different teams.
OHIO STATE
Name: Eric Lichter
At Ohio State since: 2006
The skinny: Lichter built his reputation in the private sector by opening the Speed Strength Athlete Training Center in Euclid, Ohio, where he trained athletes in many sports, including Ohio State NFL draft prospects like Donte Whitner and Bobby Carpenter. He served as a consultant to Ohio State's 2002 national championship team and brought Power Plate technology to the program. Head coach Jim Tressel hired him in 2006 to oversee the strength and conditioning program. Lichter has trained six Top 10 NFL draft picks and has worked with LeBron James, Ron Dayne and others. His mother, Linda Lichter Witter, is Ohio State’s synchronized swimming coach, and Eric served as a consultant for the synchronized swimming team before joining Tressel's staff.
PENN STATE
Name: John Thomas
At Penn State since: 1992
The skinny: Like pretty much every member of Joe Paterno's staff, Thomas has been in State College for quite some time, making his mark on the Penn State program. In 2002, Thomas was named a Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach by the NSCA, one of only 27 people to carry the title at the time. He also was named National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1997. Thomas is a staunch supporter of the High Intensity Strength Training System (HIT), which early last decade created some discontent that has since subsided. Thomas came to Penn State from Army, where he served as head strength and conditioning coach in 1990-91. He played both offensive and defensive line at Muskingum College.
PURDUE
Name: Jim Lathrop
At Purdue since: 1998 (sixth year as director of strength and conditioning)
The skinny: Lathrop made the trek with Joe Tiller and Danny Hope from Wyoming to Purdue after being named the WAC's strength and conditioning coordinator professional of the year in 1996. He spent seven years as strength and conditioning coordinator before being promoted to oversee strength and conditioning for Purdue's entire athletic program. Lathrop designs specific training programs for football, wrestling, and men's and women's track. A former offensive guard for Northwest Missouri State, Lathrop served as both an assistant and a director of strength and conditioning at Georgia Tech from 1988-92. Georgia Tech won the 1990 national championship during his first year as director.
WISCONSIN
Name: Ben Herbert
At Wisconsin since: 2002 (named head strength and conditioning coach in January 2009)
The skinny: Herbert cut his teeth under longtime Wisconsin strength coach John Dettman before working his way into the top football job last winter. A two-year starter on the defensive line for the Badgers, Herbert helped Wisconsin reach back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He joined Wisconsin's strength and conditioning staff as an intern in 2002 before being promoted to an assistant the next year. Herbert shook things up after becoming the head strength coach, introducing position group workouts, innovative competitions and some unique motivational props, including a WWE replica belt and two potted plants.
If you missed historian John D. Lukac's story from yesterday about Nebraska and the birth of the strength and conditioning program, go check it out.
Still want more? Head over and read Pat Forde's piece on Notre Dame strength coach Paul Longo.
But here's a look at who's beefing up players across the Big 12. So the next time your favorite player flashes a flex after a touchdown, remember who had a lot to do with that.
Baylor -- Kaz Kazadi
Kazadi, a 1997 graduate of Tulsa, came to Baylor in January 2008 and also serves as the assistant athletic director. He was also the assistant strength coach for the Kansas City Chiefs after a short stop at the University of Missouri. He played professionally after being drafted by the St. Louis Rams and received his Master's degree from the University of Missouri.
Colorado -- Jeff Pitman
Pitman came to Colorado in May 2006 after seven years as the head strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Boise State. He helped the Broncos win six WAC titles during that span and played center from 1990-92. Before coming back to Boise, he worked as an assistant strength coach at Minnesota.
Iowa State -- Yancy McKnight
McKnight came to Ames in 2009 via Houston, where he was the coach at Rice. He's coached under Les Miles and Todd Graham and helped develop pros like Tatum Bell, Kevin Williams and Antonio Smith. He's a graduate of Missouri Southern State in Joplin, Mo.
Kansas -- John Williams
Williams coached at South Carolina State before joining new coach Turner Gill at Kansas. He graduated from North Carolina A&T in 1995 and has made career stops at North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Along the way, he's helped develop seven first-round NFL draft picks and 40 NFL players.
Kansas State -- Chris Dawson
Dawson was named the director of strength and conditioning in January after leaving Kansas and coach Mark Mangino. He's coached 29 NFL draft picks in his 15-plus years as a strength coach. He's previously coached at Minnesota and his alma mater, Oklahoma, where he played linebacker from 1992-94, as well as an internship with the Dallas Cowboys.
Missouri -- Josh Stoner
Stoner served under former director and current assistant athletic director Pat Ivey before becoming director of strength and conditioning in 2007. Stoner graduated from Centenary before receiving his Master's degree at Southern Miss. Before coming to Missouri, he made stops at Tulsa and coached at Southern Miss while earning his degree.
Nebraska -- James Dobson
Dobson came to Nebraska in 2008 after spending nine seasons at Iowa as assistant strength coach. Dobson graduated from Wisconsin and got his Master's degree at Central Michigan, and now finds himself preparing to be back in the Big Ten after helping the Hawkeyes win league titles in 2002 and 2004. Before Iowa, he'd also coached at SMU. During his career, he's coached pros like Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark, as well as linemen Robert Gallery and Ndamukong Suh.
Oklahoma -- Jerry Schmidt
Schmidt has been at Oklahoma since coach Bob Stoops' arrival in 1999 and followed the coach from Florida. He'd previously coached at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. During that time, he's earned national championship rings from all three schools and worked with five Heisman winners including Sam Bradford, Jason White, Danny Wuerffel, Barry Sanders and Tim Brown. He's also coached 28 first-round NFL draft picks. Since coming to Norman, Oklahoma's produced 48 picks, including 12 first-rounders.
Oklahoma State -- Rob Glass
Glass, an Oklahoma State alum, spent 10 seasons at Florida under Steve Spurrier before coming back home to Stillwater. He had previously been an assistant strength coach when head coach Mike Gundy played in Stillwater, but left for Gainesville in 1995 before earning to head position in 1998. He's worked with 17 first-round picks, including two Heisman winners, a Thorpe Award winner, a Ray Guy Award winner and a Golden Spikes award on the baseball field.
Texas -- Jeff Madden
Madden came to Austin via North Carolina and is in his 13th year as the assistant athletics director for strength and conditioning at Texas. Madden, a graduate of Vanderbilt, played briefly in the USFL and has made stops at Cincinnati, Rice and Colorado over the course of his 20-year career. He's helped develop over 100 NFL players, including 32 first-round draft picks and 16 Olympians. Among his pupils: Two Heisman winners and two Heisman runners-up, along with numerous college football award winners. Madden spoke to ESPN earlier this week, and we'll have a Q&A with the Cleveland native later this morning.
Texas A&M -- Dave Kennedy
Kennedy came to Texas A&M in 2008 under Mike Sherman and has coached at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and his alma mater, Nebraska, most recently. Sherman, a former NFL coach, also notes that he turned down numerous NFL jobs. Kennedy has helped develop future Pro Bowlers like Eddie George, Orlando Pace and Larry Fitzgerald throughout his career, which began at Nebraska in 1982, when he was a student assistant.
Texas Tech -- Joe Walker
Walker was at Auburn for two years before joining former Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville for each's first season in Lubbock. He's also coached at TCU, Kansas State and Pittsburgh since earning his Master's degree from Auburn in 2004 after earning a bachelor's degree from Lock Haven University in 2002.
Still want more? Head over and read Pat Forde's piece on Notre Dame strength coach Paul Longo.
But here's a look at who's beefing up players across the Big 12. So the next time your favorite player flashes a flex after a touchdown, remember who had a lot to do with that.
Baylor -- Kaz Kazadi
Kazadi, a 1997 graduate of Tulsa, came to Baylor in January 2008 and also serves as the assistant athletic director. He was also the assistant strength coach for the Kansas City Chiefs after a short stop at the University of Missouri. He played professionally after being drafted by the St. Louis Rams and received his Master's degree from the University of Missouri.
Colorado -- Jeff Pitman
Pitman came to Colorado in May 2006 after seven years as the head strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Boise State. He helped the Broncos win six WAC titles during that span and played center from 1990-92. Before coming back to Boise, he worked as an assistant strength coach at Minnesota.
Iowa State -- Yancy McKnight
McKnight came to Ames in 2009 via Houston, where he was the coach at Rice. He's coached under Les Miles and Todd Graham and helped develop pros like Tatum Bell, Kevin Williams and Antonio Smith. He's a graduate of Missouri Southern State in Joplin, Mo.
Kansas -- John Williams
Williams coached at South Carolina State before joining new coach Turner Gill at Kansas. He graduated from North Carolina A&T in 1995 and has made career stops at North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Along the way, he's helped develop seven first-round NFL draft picks and 40 NFL players.
Kansas State -- Chris Dawson
Dawson was named the director of strength and conditioning in January after leaving Kansas and coach Mark Mangino. He's coached 29 NFL draft picks in his 15-plus years as a strength coach. He's previously coached at Minnesota and his alma mater, Oklahoma, where he played linebacker from 1992-94, as well as an internship with the Dallas Cowboys.
Missouri -- Josh Stoner
Stoner served under former director and current assistant athletic director Pat Ivey before becoming director of strength and conditioning in 2007. Stoner graduated from Centenary before receiving his Master's degree at Southern Miss. Before coming to Missouri, he made stops at Tulsa and coached at Southern Miss while earning his degree.
Nebraska -- James Dobson
Dobson came to Nebraska in 2008 after spending nine seasons at Iowa as assistant strength coach. Dobson graduated from Wisconsin and got his Master's degree at Central Michigan, and now finds himself preparing to be back in the Big Ten after helping the Hawkeyes win league titles in 2002 and 2004. Before Iowa, he'd also coached at SMU. During his career, he's coached pros like Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark, as well as linemen Robert Gallery and Ndamukong Suh.
Oklahoma -- Jerry Schmidt
Schmidt has been at Oklahoma since coach Bob Stoops' arrival in 1999 and followed the coach from Florida. He'd previously coached at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State. During that time, he's earned national championship rings from all three schools and worked with five Heisman winners including Sam Bradford, Jason White, Danny Wuerffel, Barry Sanders and Tim Brown. He's also coached 28 first-round NFL draft picks. Since coming to Norman, Oklahoma's produced 48 picks, including 12 first-rounders.
Oklahoma State -- Rob Glass
Glass, an Oklahoma State alum, spent 10 seasons at Florida under Steve Spurrier before coming back home to Stillwater. He had previously been an assistant strength coach when head coach Mike Gundy played in Stillwater, but left for Gainesville in 1995 before earning to head position in 1998. He's worked with 17 first-round picks, including two Heisman winners, a Thorpe Award winner, a Ray Guy Award winner and a Golden Spikes award on the baseball field.
Texas -- Jeff Madden
Madden came to Austin via North Carolina and is in his 13th year as the assistant athletics director for strength and conditioning at Texas. Madden, a graduate of Vanderbilt, played briefly in the USFL and has made stops at Cincinnati, Rice and Colorado over the course of his 20-year career. He's helped develop over 100 NFL players, including 32 first-round draft picks and 16 Olympians. Among his pupils: Two Heisman winners and two Heisman runners-up, along with numerous college football award winners. Madden spoke to ESPN earlier this week, and we'll have a Q&A with the Cleveland native later this morning.
Texas A&M -- Dave Kennedy
Kennedy came to Texas A&M in 2008 under Mike Sherman and has coached at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and his alma mater, Nebraska, most recently. Sherman, a former NFL coach, also notes that he turned down numerous NFL jobs. Kennedy has helped develop future Pro Bowlers like Eddie George, Orlando Pace and Larry Fitzgerald throughout his career, which began at Nebraska in 1982, when he was a student assistant.
Texas Tech -- Joe Walker
Walker was at Auburn for two years before joining former Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville for each's first season in Lubbock. He's also coached at TCU, Kansas State and Pittsburgh since earning his Master's degree from Auburn in 2004 after earning a bachelor's degree from Lock Haven University in 2002.
ESPN.com is focusing this week on college football's most powerful athletes and the strength coaches who helped shape them. These are the guys who, behind the scenes, get the players prepared for the fourth quarter. Some of them -- like NC State's Todd Rice and Virginia Tech's Mike Gentry -- shy away from interviews with the media. Others, like Florida State's Vic Viloria, are off-limits to the media. The point? They're not usually in the spotlight for one reason or another. Today, though, they can't escape it.
ACC fans, meet your gym rats:
BOSTON COLLEGE
Name: Jason Loscalzo
Years at school: Two
Certification: CSCS, SCCC, SPN, USAW Level I
Playing experience: Loscalzo played fullback at Humboldt State from 1996-97 and at Sierra Junior College from 1993-95.
Profile: Loscalzo joined BC from Auburn University, where he worked as assistant strength and conditioning coach and director of sports nutrition for football since 2003. He also worked with the softball and baseball teams there. He was head strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports at Marshall University from 2001-03, and has also served on staffs at the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Arkansas and Humboldt State University, his alma mater.
CLEMSON
Name: Joey Batson
Years at school: 13
Certification: Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, and has completed the Club Coach Certification program by the United States Weightlifting Federation.
Playing experience: Tight end at The Citadel in 1979 before transferring to Newberry College, where he was a two-year letterman and team co-captain during his senior season.
Profile: Batson was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) in May of 2009 – the highest honor given in the profession. He was a graduate assistant in Clemson’s Strength & Conditioning Department from 1985-88. Batson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Newberry College and his master's degree in education from Clemson in 1988.
DUKE
Name: Noel Durfey
Years at school: Entering third
Playing experience: Durfey lettered two seasons in baseball at Lincoln Memorial University, where he graduated from in 1988 with a degree in physical education.
Profile: Durfey joined David Cutcliffe at Duke after working the previous seven years at Mississippi, including the final three as the Rebels’ coordinator of strength and conditioning. He worked primarily with the football and baseball teams there. He also worked at Tennessee (1996-98), BYU (1998-99) and James Madison (2000).
FLORIDA STATE
Name: Vic Viloria
Years at school: First
Certification: USA Weightlifting
Playing experience: Four-year letter winner at linebacker for SMU and a three-time member of the All-Western Athletic Conference team. He led the Mustangs in tackles each of his final three seasons and recorded at least 10 tackles in 21 games over the course of his career.
Profile: Viloria joined Jimbo Fisher's staff in January from SMU -- his alma mater -- where he spent the previous three seasons as the head strength & conditioning coach. Prior to that, Viloria was an assistant strength coach at LSU, working with the Tigers' football and baseball programs, as well as the swimming and golf teams. According to his bio, Viloria endorses the "Hatch System" which develops functional and explosive strength in players through the use of free weights, plyometrics and jumping drills.
GEORGIA TECH
Name: Neal Peduzzi
Years at school: Seventh season at Tech, first as director of player development
Profile: Peduzzi came to Tech after serving as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for two years at the University of Tennessee while working on his master's degree. Prior to his stint with the Vols, Peduzzi served as an interim strength and conditioning coach at Arizona State. Peduzzi earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Lander University in 2002 and completed his master's degree in biomechanics and sports medicine at Tennessee in 2004.
MARYLAND
Name: Dwight Galt
Years at school: 22 (16 as director of strength and conditioning)
Certification: Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) certified with the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches' Association.
Profile: Galt is one of the most tenured among this group. He began his career at Maryland in 1984 as an intern strength coach. He assisted with the training of the 1984 and 1985 ACC champion football teams. In 1989, he became a full-time assistant strength coach, and for the next three years worked with all of Maryland's sports programs. In 1992, Galt became the assistant strength coach for football. Last season, both of his sons, who were members of the football team, graduated.
MIAMI
Name: Andreu Swasey
Years at school: Nine
Playing experience: Starting cornerback for Baylor, where he was a two-year letterman. He was the starting strong safety for the Bears as a senior in 1993 after playing extensively as a reserve in 1992 on a team that defeated Arizona in the Sun Bowl. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Baylor in 1995.
Profile: Swasey returned to Miami in 2000 from the University of Houston. He spent the 2000 season as Miami’s co-head strength and conditioning coach in charge of speed and agility and was promoted to head of the department in 2001. Swasey was with the Hurricanes in 1997 and 1998 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach before leaving to coach defensive backs at Houston in 1999. Swasey began his coaching career at Copperas Cove (Texas) High School, where he coached defensive backs from 1995 to 1997.
NC STATE
Name: Todd Rice
Years at school: Four
Profile: Rice followed coach Tom O’Brien from Boston College, where he spent five seasons in the same capacity. Rice joined the Eagles in August, 2002, after five years Cal, where he and his four assistants directed the strength and conditioning program for all 27 sports. He also spent three seasons (1994-97) at Yale, and has made stops at Illinois, Wisconsin, Ball State and the San Francisco 49ers.
UNC
Name: Jeff Connors
Years at school: Nine
Certification: Level I certification in Olympic Weight Lifting by the U.S. Weight Lifting Federation
Playing experience: A 1980 graduate of Salem (W. Va.) College, Connors was a four-year starter at cornerback and was team captain as a senior. He led Salem in interceptions as a sophomore and junior. He was a competitive powerlifter and has won four state titles in powerlifting and has been ranked as high as fourth nationally.
Profile: Connors has been honored as a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa). The former South Florida police officer has helped develop some of the top players in Carolina's program, including Julius Peppers, Ronald Curry, David Thornton, Kentwan Balmer, Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Garrett Reynolds. Connors came to Carolina after spending 10 seasons as East Carolina's Director of Strength & Conditioning.
VIRGINIA TECH
Name: Mike Gentry
Years at school: Entering 24th
Profile: Gentry is the most tenured strength director in the ACC. He oversees the training of all 21 varsity sports, but is directly involved with football, women’s basketball, and manages the nutrition programs. Gentry is also a Master Strength and Conditioning coach. His roots are on Tobacco Road, as the Durham, N.C. native received his master’s from UNC in 1981. He also received his doctorate in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in motor behavior, from Virginia Tech in 1999. Gentry was an assistant strength coach at UNC and the head strength coach at East Carolina prior to being hired at Virginia Tech in 1987.
VIRGINIA
Name: Brandon Hourigan
Years at school: First
Certification: Certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the United States Weight Lifting Association, and has both First Aid and CPR certification.
Playing experience: Plymouth State College where he was an offensive guard and four-year letterwinner.
Profile: Hourigan had been the head strength and conditioning coach for football at Richmond from 2005-2008, where he worked with coach Mike London. He oversaw all fitness duties for the Spiders who won the 2008 NCAA FCS title. Prior to his hiring at Richmond, Hourigan was the assistant coordinator of speed, strength and conditioning at Northeastern University. Hourigan has also worked as an assistant strength & conditioning coach on the collegiate level at Arizona (2001) and Clemson (1998-1999). He also served as a strength & conditioning intern for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in 1999.
WAKE FOREST
Name: Ethan Reeve
Years at school: 10th season
Certification: USA Weightlifting, Russian Kettlebell Challenge, Master Strength Coach
Playing experience: Two-time NCAA All-American and four-time SEC champion wrestler at Tennessee.
Profile: Reeve joined the Demon Deacons in 2001 from Ohio University, where he spent six seasons. Because of his wrestling background, he began his coaching career at Tennessee, where he was assistant wrestling coach/strength coach for wrestling for two years. He also assisted with wrestling at Oklahoma State, Ohio and Clemson before being named head wrestling coach at UT-Chattanooga from 1984-90, where his teams won five Southern Conference championships. He was also the strength coach for the women’s US rowing team that won four gold medals and one silver in the 1995 World Championships. He returned to Ohio in 1995 to become the program’s first director of strength and conditioning.
ACC fans, meet your gym rats:
BOSTON COLLEGE
Name: Jason Loscalzo
Years at school: Two
Certification: CSCS, SCCC, SPN, USAW Level I
Playing experience: Loscalzo played fullback at Humboldt State from 1996-97 and at Sierra Junior College from 1993-95.
Profile: Loscalzo joined BC from Auburn University, where he worked as assistant strength and conditioning coach and director of sports nutrition for football since 2003. He also worked with the softball and baseball teams there. He was head strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports at Marshall University from 2001-03, and has also served on staffs at the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Arkansas and Humboldt State University, his alma mater.
CLEMSON
Name: Joey Batson
Years at school: 13
Certification: Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, and has completed the Club Coach Certification program by the United States Weightlifting Federation.
Playing experience: Tight end at The Citadel in 1979 before transferring to Newberry College, where he was a two-year letterman and team co-captain during his senior season.
Profile: Batson was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) in May of 2009 – the highest honor given in the profession. He was a graduate assistant in Clemson’s Strength & Conditioning Department from 1985-88. Batson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Newberry College and his master's degree in education from Clemson in 1988.
DUKE
Name: Noel Durfey
Years at school: Entering third
Playing experience: Durfey lettered two seasons in baseball at Lincoln Memorial University, where he graduated from in 1988 with a degree in physical education.
Profile: Durfey joined David Cutcliffe at Duke after working the previous seven years at Mississippi, including the final three as the Rebels’ coordinator of strength and conditioning. He worked primarily with the football and baseball teams there. He also worked at Tennessee (1996-98), BYU (1998-99) and James Madison (2000).
FLORIDA STATE
Name: Vic Viloria
Years at school: First
Certification: USA Weightlifting
Playing experience: Four-year letter winner at linebacker for SMU and a three-time member of the All-Western Athletic Conference team. He led the Mustangs in tackles each of his final three seasons and recorded at least 10 tackles in 21 games over the course of his career.
Profile: Viloria joined Jimbo Fisher's staff in January from SMU -- his alma mater -- where he spent the previous three seasons as the head strength & conditioning coach. Prior to that, Viloria was an assistant strength coach at LSU, working with the Tigers' football and baseball programs, as well as the swimming and golf teams. According to his bio, Viloria endorses the "Hatch System" which develops functional and explosive strength in players through the use of free weights, plyometrics and jumping drills.
GEORGIA TECH
Name: Neal Peduzzi
Years at school: Seventh season at Tech, first as director of player development
Profile: Peduzzi came to Tech after serving as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for two years at the University of Tennessee while working on his master's degree. Prior to his stint with the Vols, Peduzzi served as an interim strength and conditioning coach at Arizona State. Peduzzi earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Lander University in 2002 and completed his master's degree in biomechanics and sports medicine at Tennessee in 2004.
MARYLAND
Name: Dwight Galt
Years at school: 22 (16 as director of strength and conditioning)
Certification: Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) certified with the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches' Association.
Profile: Galt is one of the most tenured among this group. He began his career at Maryland in 1984 as an intern strength coach. He assisted with the training of the 1984 and 1985 ACC champion football teams. In 1989, he became a full-time assistant strength coach, and for the next three years worked with all of Maryland's sports programs. In 1992, Galt became the assistant strength coach for football. Last season, both of his sons, who were members of the football team, graduated.
MIAMI
Name: Andreu Swasey
Years at school: Nine
Playing experience: Starting cornerback for Baylor, where he was a two-year letterman. He was the starting strong safety for the Bears as a senior in 1993 after playing extensively as a reserve in 1992 on a team that defeated Arizona in the Sun Bowl. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Baylor in 1995.
Profile: Swasey returned to Miami in 2000 from the University of Houston. He spent the 2000 season as Miami’s co-head strength and conditioning coach in charge of speed and agility and was promoted to head of the department in 2001. Swasey was with the Hurricanes in 1997 and 1998 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach before leaving to coach defensive backs at Houston in 1999. Swasey began his coaching career at Copperas Cove (Texas) High School, where he coached defensive backs from 1995 to 1997.
NC STATE
Name: Todd Rice
Years at school: Four
Profile: Rice followed coach Tom O’Brien from Boston College, where he spent five seasons in the same capacity. Rice joined the Eagles in August, 2002, after five years Cal, where he and his four assistants directed the strength and conditioning program for all 27 sports. He also spent three seasons (1994-97) at Yale, and has made stops at Illinois, Wisconsin, Ball State and the San Francisco 49ers.
UNC
Name: Jeff Connors
Years at school: Nine
Certification: Level I certification in Olympic Weight Lifting by the U.S. Weight Lifting Federation
Playing experience: A 1980 graduate of Salem (W. Va.) College, Connors was a four-year starter at cornerback and was team captain as a senior. He led Salem in interceptions as a sophomore and junior. He was a competitive powerlifter and has won four state titles in powerlifting and has been ranked as high as fourth nationally.
Profile: Connors has been honored as a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa). The former South Florida police officer has helped develop some of the top players in Carolina's program, including Julius Peppers, Ronald Curry, David Thornton, Kentwan Balmer, Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Garrett Reynolds. Connors came to Carolina after spending 10 seasons as East Carolina's Director of Strength & Conditioning.
VIRGINIA TECH
Name: Mike Gentry
Years at school: Entering 24th
Profile: Gentry is the most tenured strength director in the ACC. He oversees the training of all 21 varsity sports, but is directly involved with football, women’s basketball, and manages the nutrition programs. Gentry is also a Master Strength and Conditioning coach. His roots are on Tobacco Road, as the Durham, N.C. native received his master’s from UNC in 1981. He also received his doctorate in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in motor behavior, from Virginia Tech in 1999. Gentry was an assistant strength coach at UNC and the head strength coach at East Carolina prior to being hired at Virginia Tech in 1987.
VIRGINIA
Name: Brandon Hourigan
Years at school: First
Certification: Certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the United States Weight Lifting Association, and has both First Aid and CPR certification.
Playing experience: Plymouth State College where he was an offensive guard and four-year letterwinner.
Profile: Hourigan had been the head strength and conditioning coach for football at Richmond from 2005-2008, where he worked with coach Mike London. He oversaw all fitness duties for the Spiders who won the 2008 NCAA FCS title. Prior to his hiring at Richmond, Hourigan was the assistant coordinator of speed, strength and conditioning at Northeastern University. Hourigan has also worked as an assistant strength & conditioning coach on the collegiate level at Arizona (2001) and Clemson (1998-1999). He also served as a strength & conditioning intern for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in 1999.
WAKE FOREST
Name: Ethan Reeve
Years at school: 10th season
Certification: USA Weightlifting, Russian Kettlebell Challenge, Master Strength Coach
Playing experience: Two-time NCAA All-American and four-time SEC champion wrestler at Tennessee.
Profile: Reeve joined the Demon Deacons in 2001 from Ohio University, where he spent six seasons. Because of his wrestling background, he began his coaching career at Tennessee, where he was assistant wrestling coach/strength coach for wrestling for two years. He also assisted with wrestling at Oklahoma State, Ohio and Clemson before being named head wrestling coach at UT-Chattanooga from 1984-90, where his teams won five Southern Conference championships. He was also the strength coach for the women’s US rowing team that won four gold medals and one silver in the 1995 World Championships. He returned to Ohio in 1995 to become the program’s first director of strength and conditioning.
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