http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/tc/tc0903/getposit.htm
Put in this thread since he was mentioned here.
Now that Michigan has played a game, does anyone have any thoughts on the S&C program (outcomes rather than processes)?
They didn’t look any faster than Utah and they certainly have higher rated athletes.
too early to judge.
I’d like to actually see the program before I judge anything…It’s not correct for me to say anything if I don’t have a solid grasp on what they’re doing…
Anyone have a copy of the program 
I was wondering more at this point if it did work, not if it should have worked.
With regard to James statement on collegiate programs, the problem is that there are many intelligent and “enlightened” coaches within our higher academia, but they are in programs where they can focus on athlete development rather than talent management. I,( along with others that I know), am very content on staying at a smaller mid-major where I can focus on training smaller groups with sound protocols. To use a cliche, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. In this case, the big schools get all the attention, which sometimes brings a negative light to all those in the profession.
I didn’t see a bench press or a squat rack at the 50 yard line during the game. It is impossible to judge James on the success of his program based off of wins and losses. There is so much more that goes into wins and losses in college football than simply the physical preparation program… ie recruiting, fb coaching, facilities, etc. Like he said, go visit Pitt and then make your assumptions.
With all due respect, who (and what) is this comment directed? Just in case, I am not negatively implicating James & his comments. I am only bringing attention to the coaches who do execute plans that we on this forum would appreciate, but they are not getting attention due to their employment at smaller schools.
I personally agree that there are more variables that can be accounted for when it comes to a collegian’s success in athletics. They are in control of 70% of their life. We as coaches only get them 20 hours a week, so on top of that you must hope that you are recruiting outstanding and mature individuals that can see the big picture.
all good points.
Football has a lot of parts that become very complex. For one players and off. coordinators and def. coordinators who can put teams into bad positions.
Physical preparation is small part of the program. I have a lot of respect for Buddy and James. I have talked to Buddy quite a bit when he was in U. of Buff. There doing things right, give them time.
time is running out. maybe you guys expectations are too high for pitt.
Just win baby.
Athletic directors and fans and 99% of people dont care how physically prepared someone is, they care about the W
… Until it is too late
Many of you have made good points and others…
The simple fact, speaking for myself, is that I am involved in the training of athletes for a sport that, in order to attain high results, has multidimensional preparation requirements:
- intellectual
- psychological
- physical
- tactical
- technical
As a physical preparation coach I am only directly influential in the capacity of physical preparation (to an extent the special physical preparation because I have selected to develop an expertise in this regard), and a degree of psychological preparation.
When I coached other athletes with more one dimensional requirements the demand was much more linear as physical preparation has the most significant impact on such sports results because one cannot in any way attain high results in, for example: the short sprints, weightlifting, or powerlifting without being highly physically prepared.
For those of us who work with collegiate and NFL athletes, we know something all together different.
Athletes are able to attain high mastery, or more accurately termed what is perceived as high mastery (ergo NFL) without, surprising to the lay person, high levels of physical preparation even at the level of general fitness.
Tactical and technical preparation, while dependent upon physical preparation to varying degrees, can quite measurably compensate for a lack of physical preparation to the ends of alactic capacity, aerobic capacity, speed, explosive strength, limit strength etcetera.
So the true measure of the physical preparation coach, with respect to what those of us are doing with American footballers, is to analyze the more readily quantifiable measurables such as those that I mentioned at the end of the last paragraph.
Problematically for those of us in the same position, however and with respect to what has already been mentioned, is that if we don’t win- what we do has no meaning to anyone other than those of us who understand our profession at the deepest level- and we sure as hell are not the ones hiring each other so this point is moot.
So as tamfb stated, our time is finite and we had damn well better win.
Another point and Dlive knows this one all too well that no matter if you have the best possible(to your knowledge at a given time) constructed plan and program for athtletes can be almost completely undermined by less than supportive sports coaches. Especially those who don’t demand accountability of their athletes and emphasize the importance of s & c to their development in their respective sports.
Then those same sports coaches will claim that the s & c did not really do much for their athletes and their injury rates were high etc. while their athletes barely trained of sufficient quality or frequency.
I hope you didn’t take my comments as a cheap shot, I’m saying at your level, you only have so much time and alumni etc want you to produce wins no matter what the excuses may be. My comment wasn’t directed towards your coaching ability etc.
Not at all.
You and I are in complete agreement.
Glad to hear, Thanks.
Thoughtful question, I hope for a thoughtful response.
So why do you choose to spend a large portion of your time coaching such a sport where your efforts are only seen indirectly during the competition rather than the other sports you have mentioned?
Also to what extent do you feel the need to center more of your training around the tactical and technical aspects that are obviously being trained elsewhere and not necessarily the focus of what you do?
Finally with the win now attitude that is the norm, how much give and take is there with developing an athlete for the now vs say what they may need to be in order to have a chance at the next level?