Do we finally have the right strength and conditioning staff?

#1
Freak

Freak

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#1
I don't think it's a secret to anyone that Tennessee hasn't been a very physical football team in recent years. In watching championship football, I'm convinced that there's no substitute for strength and physicality, especially on defense.

I think Fulmer recognizes it too. And he knows what a championship strength and conditioning program looks like.

“The person besides the coaches that has the most contact with our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis is the strength and conditioning coach and the staff," Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer said in an interview with USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. "That’s huge in what we’re doing in any program.”
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“It’s been so inconsistent here for the last several years," Fulmer said. "Our kids had a lot of catch-up to do. I think if you spend any time with them — and I have — the changes that are going on right now physically, and not just physically but from an emotional standpoint of toughness and pushing themselves and those kind of things, it’s been very good."
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We have thought it before, but I think Fitzgerald and this group are a good fit, and they're well compensated. These are guys Pruitt wanted and we paid top dollar for them.

I don't know where our staff ranks in salary as a unit (it has to be at or near the top), but Fitzerald is the second-highest paid strength coach in college football according to the link below.

Our strength staff is the foundation, on top of which our program can be built brick by brick (too soon?). It's imperative to our success. We've seen how NOT to do it in recent years, but if these new guys are as good as Pruitt and Fulmer believe they are, buckle up, we're on our way.

UT Vols: Tennessee football strength staff of Jeremy Pruitt paid well
 
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#3
#3
You have to feel confident in our new staff. The budget is as high (almost) as any school in america with A+ facilities. At the end of the day however, didn't we all have high expectations for the NFL fella from the Rams we got last year?

Strength and conditioning at Tennessee hasn't been where it should have been, but at a certain point I'd consider some of our horrendous injury issues in previous seasons bad luck as well.

Hopefully Poppa Fulmer and Pruitt turns out to be right with this new direction for S&C...boy how I crave a fullback on the field on the goal line and smash it in like the good ole days!:hi:
 
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#4
#4
CTVolsfan14 said:
You have to feel confident in our new staff. The budget is as high (almost) as any school in america with A+ facilities. At the end of the day however, didn't we all have high expectations for the NFL fella from the Rams we got last year?

Strength and conditioning at Tennessee hasn't been where it should have been, but at a certain point I'd consider some of our horrendous injury luck in previous seasons bad luck as well.

Hopefully Poppa Fulmer and Pruitt turns out to be right with this new direction for S&C!
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Rock Gullickson. There was TONS of hype around his hire.

In recent years our strength and conditioning seemed poor regardless of who was leading it.
 
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#5
#5
Amen to all the above. It has been obvious to all under butch. The injuries, the fourth quarter performance and the stamina of the players. It showed every where that players were not physically ready to play football in the SEC.
 
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#6
#6
well, if not, then I heard Coach Barnes has a good S&C coach...maybe Medenwald can help us out a little...BasketVols definitely look healthy...:)

GO VOLS!
 
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#7
#7
If going by the weight room pictures during the CBJ years the team will have a ton of noob gains this spring.
 
#8
#8
It all starts with recruiting huge guys and make them huge and strong putting weight on small guys really doesn’t equal success and strength big guys that are really strong equals smash mouth
 
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#9
#9
Is it a wait and see how many injuries you have or don’t have, or is there another method the strength and conditioning staff quantifies success in players progress?
 
#11
#11
Freak said:
Rock Gullickson. There was TONS of hype around his hire.

In recent years our strength and conditioning seemed poor regardless of who was leading it.
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IMO I thought it was good under Dave Lawson. We played a much tougher brand of football when he was our S&C coach. Firing him is ultimately what I think led to CBJ's undoing.
 
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#12
#12
Freak said:
Rock Gullickson. There was TONS of hype around his hire.

In recent years our strength and conditioning seemed poor regardless of who was leading it.
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Well he did only have 1 year on the job. Actually not even a year was it?
 
#14
#14
I found this quote in a BR Article interesting "Per sources on the UT campus, as well as multiple other strength and conditioning professionals, first-year Vols strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald “has completely gutted the weight room. All the machines are gone. Just racks and dumbbells. That’s his style – all free weights.”

They're changing vendors for the free weights as well...

Tennessee making changes with its new strength and conditioning coach

Not a bad read.
 
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#15
#15
I've always said from day one with Butch that our players just don't look "physically ascetic" as the top SEC programs. I know being huge and ripped isn't everything but our guys looked like JV teams compared to AL, GA, LSU in just physical looks. I remember when i would watch Little, Wilson, Lewis, etc. from the 90's and those guys looked like grown men. I would always make the joke to my friends that AL gave their guys HGH because they are so much bigger and stronger than UT. Hopefully that changes the next few years and we get back to being the biggest dogs in the yard.
 
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#16
#16
butchna said:
NB4 “We hear this EVERY YEAR!” :thud:
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Boca must be on vacation. I haven't seen him lately.

Ain't gonna lie, I was excited about Rock, and now I'm excited about Fitzgerald and staff.
 
#17
#17
butchna said:
NB4 “We hear this EVERY YEAR!” :thud:
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No need to even say it at this point, is there? The S&C guy is the epitome of this phenomenon. Remember the special forces guy we all got excited about?

Another believe it when we see it situation, for sure.
 
#18
#18
I agree on the losing Lawson cost Butch his job. I remember the Dooley players talking about just checking boxes and that they had to be in the weight room for Butch. Now maybe it wasn't enough, but Lawson had guys playing at a better level than before.
 
#19
#19
Read in another article that we moved away from hammer strength. That was a little surprising, didn't realize they were using machine reps. Like that Fitz has gone back to free weights, makes for more explosive lifts. The dynamic nature works multiple muscle groups at once. In addition, they promote speed and dexterity. Hopefully that leads to fewer injuries next year.
 
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#21
#21
LouderVol said:
I agree on the losing Lawson cost Butch his job. I remember the Dooley players talking about just checking boxes and that they had to be in the weight room for Butch. Now maybe it wasn't enough, but Lawson had guys playing at a better level than before.
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I know a S&C coach in Georgia who knows our new guy and he says he is the real deal. I hope so!
 
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#24
#24
ScottyG210 said:
I found this quote in a BR Article interesting "Per sources on the UT campus, as well as multiple other strength and conditioning professionals, first-year Vols strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald “has completely gutted the weight room. All the machines are gone. Just racks and dumbbells. That’s his style – all free weights.”

They're changing vendors for the free weights as well...

Tennessee making changes with its new strength and conditioning coach

Not a bad read.
Click to expand...

All you need for strength
 
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