U-M's Barwis one of the best football S&C guys in country
NCAA rules have left May, June and July in the hands of strength and conditioning coaches around the country. They are the surrogate head men, doing all the work for a tenth of the salary (if they're lucky), and handling most of their duties before most folks get out of bed. Still, a top-notch strength coach is vital for a top-notch program -- some head coaches refer to that position as their most critical hire. Here's a look at a few of the best, and most compelling, S&C guys:
• Tommy Moffitt, LSU: He's had success at Miami and with the Tigers, and has been part of both LSU's championship teams. Known to work a weekly karate program into his team's offseason conditioning.
• Jeff Madden, Texas: Trained two Heisman Trophy winners (Rashaan Salaam at Colorado, Ricky Williams at UT) and won a national championship. Can bench 602 pounds, according to his biography on the Texas football Web site.
• Dave Van Halanger, Georgia: After 18 seasons in Tallahassee with Bobby Bowden, he left for Georgia with Mark Richt and has stayed since. Might have most talented group in his eight years with the Bulldogs.
• Chris Carlisle, Southern California: Pete Carroll's right-hand man overcame Hodgkin's disease at the start of his tenure with the Trojans in 2001. He's won national championships with Tennessee and USC and mentored three Heisman winners.
• Mike Barwis, Michigan: The gravel-voiced Barwis' arrival has gained almost as much attention as that of his boss, ex-West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez. He's reworked UM's weight room and predicts a faster, stronger group of Wolverines in 2008.
