Strength and Conditioning Program

[SUDadx2]

Coach Fran has said he hired two coaches for the strength and conditioning program: Chad Smith and Jordan Barber.

Although both are experienced and could lead the program, I don't actually know how the responsibilities will be divided among these two professionals.


It was pretty clear this season that the strength and conditioning program was in need of an upgrade. How many times did our big guys win the battle at the LOS, on offense or defense? How many times towards the end of the play did we see our opponents "moving the pile" while SU players were either ineffectively trying to move the pile or simply watching? The answer to both questions is too many times.

Not only do we need to upgrade the talent level by bringing in better players/athletes, but we need to find a way to get more out of the players on the roster. Last March, we brought in a full-time nutritionist dedicated to the football program (Tori Brown, Director of Performance Nutrition - football) and we upgraded the food in the dining hall for the players. Now with a new Head Coach we have new strength and conditioning coaches coming on board.

Chad Smith has been part of some good programs, and I was able to find a couple of articles about his work at FIU.

• 2022 - 2023; Georgia Tech
• 2021; Southern California
• 2020; South Alabama
• 2013 - 2019; Florida International

DO YOU LIFT BRO?: FIU football does and the results show it - FIU Athletics

Before the first year under FIU Coach Butch Davis, FIU football strength and conditioning coach Chad Smith altered the Panthers training program to help produce

fiusports.com

FIU Football Offseason Strength & Conditioning: Offense - FIU Athletics

When it came to offseason strength and conditioning this past summer FIU lost several leaders in the weight room with the graduation of such stalwarts as Anthony

fiusports.com

FIU Football Offseason Strength & Conditioning: Defense & Special Teams - FIU Athletics

It wasn't just the offense that made gains in the FIU football offseason strength and conditioning program. There were several defensive and special teams standouts

fiusports.com

Jordan Barber

• 2022 - 2023; Georgia
• 2019 - 2021; Miami
• 2017 - 2018; Temple
• 2016; Maryland
• 2015 - 2016; Towson

Jordan Barber - Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - Football Support Staff - University of Georgia Athletics

Jordan Barber, a native of Baltimore, Md., arrived in Athens in January 2022 after a brief stint as the head strength and conditioning coach at Grambling Sta...

georgiadogs.com

I'm looking forward to seeing a bigger, leaner, faster and stronger team in 2024. Then we can see if these guys who can recruit (skilled guys) can coach technique and manage games.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm curious what "upgrading the food in the dining hall for the players" looks like, both as a fat guy, and a curious fan.

 

[SUskibum]

I thought Marurice Sims from CO (previously GA) was coming also?

 

[cusefan88]

If the new staff can get Kalan Ellis down under 340 they will be miracle workers.

 

[007]

If the new staff can get Kalan Ellis down under 340 they will be miracle workers.

The new staff might not want Ellis under 340 if he can recover and then build on his strength from pre injury. Size and strength on the IOL will be a key attribute with the new offense.

 

[CanadianSU]

He really mentioned it a lot to. He must have been surprised at how far behind this team was in this regard compared to UGA. Maybe reading to much into it but seemed to be a priority.

 

[GoSU96]

The new staff might not want Ellis under 340 if he can recover and then build on his strength from pre injury. Size and strength on the IOL will be a key attribute with the new offense.

He’s 375 right now with chronic lower leg issues. He needs to lighten up

 

[007]

Coach Fran has said he hired two coaches for the strength and conditioning program: Chad Smith and Jordan Barber.

Although both are experienced and could lead the program, I don't actually know how the responsibilities will be divided among these two professionals.


It was pretty clear this season that the strength and conditioning program was in need of an upgrade. How many times did our big guys win the battle at the LOS, on offense or defense? How many times towards the end of the play did we see our opponents "moving the pile" while SU players were either ineffectively trying to move the pile or simply watching? The answer to both questions is too many times.

Not only do we need to upgrade the talent level by bringing in better players/athletes, but we need to find a way to get more out of the players on the roster. Last March, we brought in a full-time nutritionist dedicated to the football program (Tori Brown, Director of Performance Nutrition - football) and we upgraded the food in the dining hall for the players. Now with a new Head Coach we have new strength and conditioning coaches coming on board.

Chad Smith has been part of some good programs, and I was able to find a couple of articles about his work at FIU.

• 2022 - 2023; Georgia Tech
• 2021; Southern California
• 2020; South Alabama
• 2013 - 2019; Florida International

DO YOU LIFT BRO?: FIU football does and the results show it - FIU Athletics

Before the first year under FIU Coach Butch Davis, FIU football strength and conditioning coach Chad Smith altered the Panthers training program to help produce

fiusports.com

FIU Football Offseason Strength & Conditioning: Offense - FIU Athletics

When it came to offseason strength and conditioning this past summer FIU lost several leaders in the weight room with the graduation of such stalwarts as Anthony

fiusports.com

FIU Football Offseason Strength & Conditioning: Defense & Special Teams - FIU Athletics

It wasn't just the offense that made gains in the FIU football offseason strength and conditioning program. There were several defensive and special teams standouts

fiusports.com

Jordan Barber

• 2022 - 2023; Georgia
• 2019 - 2021; Miami
• 2017 - 2018; Temple
• 2016; Maryland
• 2015 - 2016; Towson

Jordan Barber - Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - Football Support Staff - University of Georgia Athletics

Jordan Barber, a native of Baltimore, Md., arrived in Athens in January 2022 after a brief stint as the head strength and conditioning coach at Grambling Sta...

georgiadogs.com

I'm looking forward to seeing a bigger, leaner, faster and stronger team in 2024. Then we can see if these guys who can recruit (skilled guys) can coach technique and manage games.

^ This. I fully agree with you. Fran has publicly stated that S&C was one of the very first things that needed to be addressed. It's more than just a shift in culture and philosophy. The lines and most if not all of the other positions have been physically dominated way too often throughout the entire Babers era.

 

[007]

He’s 375 right now with chronic lower leg issues. He needs to lighten up

Yup. The reference point listed by the OP was "below 340" and that's what I was responding to.

 

[AngryOtto]

He’s 375 right now with chronic lower leg issues. He needs to lighten up

Actually thought he is bigger than that

 

[alphaorange]

I'm curious what "upgrading the food in the dining hall for the players" looks like, both as a fat guy, and a curious fan.

Fat? I thought you were just "big boned"

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Fat? I thought you were just "big boned"

I used to be able to get away with that.

 

[shu 49]

If the new staff can get Kalan Ellis down under 340 they will be miracle workers.

I agree. He is Samoan and they do gain size easily, so for him to cut down to that he will have to eat low glycemix carbs and high protein plus some vegges. He can do it but it wot be easy to do. lots of cardio in am before food. Hope he sticks it out.

 

[RandomGuy]

Some of you forget the #'s guys were putting up on the SnC tweets. Maybe cuz they stopped. Decent #'s. Form, technique, scheme also matter. Its not just strength.

We have a lot of big guys that didn't lift enough in HS. Remember 200lbs, Jarveon Howard coming in, benching WAY more than incoming linemen? Why? Because he actually lifted in HS, where a bunch of our big guys didn't do any where near that level of work. Not even close.

Strength takes time. If you are benching 115 today, you can get to 225 in a year. Likely take 2 more years to get to 325. Then three or FOUR more years to get to 405. The big guys with longer arms? Takes even longer.

There is no magic pill, here. You can add a day, but then you are far more prone to injury. If HS weight room wasn't serious? Pretty easy to be 2,3 and 4 years behind the kids that did take it seriously.

Fortunately, football is not a weight lifting contest. It can certainly help(and is required) but there is more to it.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Some of you forget the #'s guys were putting up on the SnC tweets. Maybe cuz they stopped. Decent #'s. Form, technique, scheme also matter. Its not just strength.

We have a lot of big guys that didn't lift enough in HS. Remember 200lbs, Jarveon Howard coming in, benching WAY more than incoming linemen? Why? Because he actually lifted in HS, where a bunch of our big guys didn't do any where near that level of work. Not even close.

Strength takes time. If you are benching 115 today, you can get to 225 in a year. Likely take 2 more years to get to 325. Then three or FOUR more years to get to 405. The big guys with longer arms? Takes even longer.

There is no magic pill, here. You can add a day, but then you are far more prone to injury. If HS weight room wasn't serious? Pretty easy to be 2,3 and 4 years behind the kids that did take it seriously.

Fortunately, football is not a weight lifting contest. It can certainly help(and is required) but there is more to it.

Yeah, uhm, that's right, my bench, uh, isn't great because, like, my arms are really long for my height. Like, really long. It's true! So, yeah, that's accurate, it's, uh, a lot harder for those, uhm, long-armed guys.

 

[corpjet]

Just glad Sean E is gone and the stupid
Sayings he put on his nuckles as he roamed the sidelines like a wanna be bada$$

 

[hungrychuck]

I'm curious what "upgrading the food in the dining hall for the players" looks like, both as a fat guy, and a curious fan.

It means more hibachi.

 

[RandomGuy]

Yeah, uhm, that's right, my bench, uh, isn't great because, like, my arms are really long for my height. Like, really long. It's true! So, yeah, that's accurate, it's, uh, a lot harder for those, uhm, long-armed guys.

Long arms can cause more shoulder flexion. Not to mention, that short armed guys need to move it less distance.

My point was, if you bring in weak guys, it takes a LONG time to get real strength. Fran will likely focus on THAT. Bring in guys that didn't skip the weight room for 3 or 4 years.

 

[orangemass]

Fat? I thought you were just "big boned"

Big boned and know how to use it

 

[FrancoPizza]

Long arms can cause more shoulder flexion. Not to mention, that short armed guys need to move it less distance.

Thanks Mrs Pugh

 

[RandomGuy]

When fatigued, longer arm length is directly associated with less power in lifts. (And by extension, less gains)

It doesn't take a study to realize that not lifting much in HS makes you much weaker than those that did.

Relationship of Arm Span to the Effects of Prefatigue on Performance in the Bench Press

David M. Bellar, Department of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Lafayette LA; Lawrence W. Judge, School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN; Tiffany J. Patrick, Department of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Lafayette...

thesportjournal.org

 

[Atlcuse44]

 

[JKinPhilly]

Just glad Sean E is gone and the stupid
Sayings he put on his nuckles as he roamed the sidelines like a wanna be bada$$

He actually is a badass, just not a very good strength coach.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm curious what "upgrading the food in the dining hall for the players" looks like, both as a fat guy, and a curious fan.

But seriously, anybody have any insight on this?

Asking on behalf of the genuinely curious and/or "big boned" fans.

 

[OburgOrange]

But seriously, anybody have any insight on this?

Asking on behalf of the genuinely curious and/or "big boned" fans.