After listening to several interviews(Duval, Bohl, Wick)

[Cowboy Junky]

I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about our chances this year. I always felt like DC did a pretty good job of recruiting. He seemed to get athletes on paper that could win MWC titles. I always wondered why, even though those guys were in the program for a few years, they were still small and getting pushed around.

After having listened to interviews with Bohl and Duval that both stated that the players were "fat" or had "high body fat/ lean muscle" ratios, I think we might not be in as bad of shape as I originally thought. Now I'm starting to feel like the old S and C staff didn't have a handle on the players nutrition or the proper technique to develop big, strong, and fast athletes.

So, my question, what the fuck was going on in Laramie the last few seasons? Were our players not buying in? Were the coaches not concerned about nutrition or unable to get the players to skip out on the McDonalds meal at 3 in the morning? Was Greener not pushing the guys hard enough in the weight room? Did DC direct Greener to develop his athletes in a certain manner to fit his spread scheme?

Every time you hire a new staff and S and C coach you always hear the same thing. It's always sunshine pumping from the new staff. That's what I expected and so far I haven't been disappointed. Still, after seeing the results on the field for the last few seasons and watching our linemen get blown off the ball for four straight seasons, I'm inclined to believe that the new staff isn't just pumping sunshine, but addressing a very real issue inherited from DC and the boys.

What do you think Cowboys fans? Is this just a good sunshine job by the new staff or did we really have fat players on the field for the last couple of years?

 

[Slow Hand]

Before you get too crazy and think that the previous coaching staff was just shooting in the dark when it came to the weight room, understand that this is more of a philosophy than anything. Many coaches out there want the body fat percentages to be high. Some, like Bohl do not. Case in point.... Coach VanDiest at Carroll college likes his players plump! He aims to fatten them up when they get there. And he has won a few national titles himself.

 

[JimmyDimes]

I'm not sure you'd ever want fat players....more like players with a lot of muscle mass.

 

[Bryoming]

I'm not sure you'd ever want fat players....more like players with a lot of muscle mass.

Especially when you're running a spread. I'm with Junky, what the hell was the old staff doing?

 

[Wicks]

It seems to me that the old staff and DC in particular thought so highly of his system and scheme that he focused more on that than getting the players into football shape and developing them as players. It is pretty sad when a strength coach from the University of Buffalo comes in and has to scrap his initial off-season plan because the players were nowhere near where they needed to be from a strength and speed standpoint. I'm betting we will see just how poor the old staff was at a number of things come this fall.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

It seems to me that the old staff and DC in particular thought so highly of his system and scheme that he focused more on that than getting the players into football shape and developing them as players. It is pretty sad when a strength coach from the University of Buffalo comes in and has to scrap his initial off-season plan because the players were nowhere near where they needed to be from a strength and speed standpoint. I'm betting we will see just how poor the old staff was at a number of things come this fall.

Exactly.

DC landed some pretty solid d line recruits. They didn't develop into the players we thought they would be and they consistently wore out and got pushed all over the field. I would bet that lower body fat and higher muscle mass is going to turn some of those guys we might have already written off into potential contributors and a couple of guys like Yarborough and Olive into all-conference players.

 

[J-Rod]

I like what I've heard, but I'll wait for the process to develop.....its still March. I bet I could find a thread from the past in which we claim that DC's staff was "night and day" compared to Glenn's staff too. I still see major issues at QB, and until I see with my own eyes Wyoming's O-Line and D-Line dramatically improve, I'll be skeptical. Everyone's a champion in spring ball. Just based on the roster as I know it now, I'd be shocked if the team were bowl eligible in 2014. I could be completely wrong of course, I've just read this book before if you know what I mean. I really like Bohl, but I think this thing will take time and patience.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I like what I've heard, but I'll wait for the process to develop.....its still March. I bet I could find a thread from the past in which we claim that DC's staff was "night and day" compared to Glenn's staff too. I still see major issues at QB, and until I see with my own eyes Wyoming's O-Line and D-Line dramatically improve, I'll be skeptical. Everyone's a champion in spring ball. Just based on the roster as I know it now, I'd be shocked if the team were bowl eligible in 2014. I could be completely wrong of course, I've just read this book before if you know what I mean. I really like Bohl, but I think this thing will take time and patience.

That's kind of how I feel. I want to take the wait and see approach. New staff's always hype up the program like they're doing something that's never been done before.

Still, results on the field and the numbers coming out of the winter work-outs give me reason to believe that this might not just be new staff sunshine.

 

[joshvanklomp]

New staff's always hype up the program like they're doing something that's never been done before.

Its not only the staff members we're hearing it from though, its the players too.

 

[jarhead]

Ok, I have to chime in a little here. My son has been a part of the program for the last two years and he has experienced both Strength coaches. The old guy (Greener???) was trying to develop speed and stamina where as Coach Duval wants athletes that are strong. I think the piece that the old coaching staff was missing was the nutritional aspect. Coach Bohl came in and tweeked the strength program a little however one of their biggest emphasis was on the nutrition. So when you see this change in a player's body composition some of it is due to the weights but more so it is due to the refined diet. I know my son has lost 2.5 % of his body fat but put on somewhere around 15 lbs of muscle mass. So even though he only weighs a little more than he did last year at 195 lbs he is much more muscle than in the past.

 

[Cornpoke]

I like what I've heard, but I'll wait for the process to develop.....its still March. I bet I could find a thread from the past in which we claim that DC's staff was "night and day" compared to Glenn's staff too. I still see major issues at QB, and until I see with my own eyes Wyoming's O-Line and D-Line dramatically improve, I'll be skeptical. Everyone's a champion in spring ball. Just based on the roster as I know it now, I'd be shocked if the team were bowl eligible in 2014. I could be completely wrong of course, I've just read this book before if you know what I mean. I really like Bohl, but I think this thing will take time and patience.

I'm with ya. I'm still in a wait and see mode. I refuse to get my hopes up until I see real progress ON THE FIELD. That's all that matters to me is the 60 minutes for 13 games this coming season. I will reserve judgement and excitement until then.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Ok, I have to chime in a little here. My son has been a part of the program for the last two years and he has experienced both Strength coaches. The old guy (Greener???) was trying to develop speed and stamina where as Coach Duval wants athletes that are strong. I think the piece that the old coaching staff was missing was the nutritional aspect. Coach Bohl came in and tweeked the strength program a little however one of their biggest emphasis was on the nutrition. So when you see this change in a player's body composition some of it is due to the weights but more so it is due to the refined diet. I know my son has lost 2.5 % of his body fat but put on somewhere around 15 lbs of muscle mass. So even though he only weighs a little more than he did last year at 195 lbs he is much more muscle than in the past.

Interesting. If the previous staff emphasized speed, is the new program adding strength but reducing speed?

 

[Cowboy Junky]

Ok, I have to chime in a little here. My son has been a part of the program for the last two years and he has experienced both Strength coaches. The old guy (Greener???) was trying to develop speed and stamina where as Coach Duval wants athletes that are strong. I think the piece that the old coaching staff was missing was the nutritional aspect. Coach Bohl came in and tweeked the strength program a little however one of their biggest emphasis was on the nutrition. So when you see this change in a player's body composition some of it is due to the weights but more so it is due to the refined diet. I know my son has lost 2.5 % of his body fat but put on somewhere around 15 lbs of muscle mass. So even though he only weighs a little more than he did last year at 195 lbs he is much more muscle than in the past.

Nutrition seems to be one thing the new staff is improving on.

Still, if Greener wanted speed/stamina, you wouldn't want to be fat for that either. You would still want the lean muscle mass.

Like Duval said in his Zone interview, you lose the fat and add muscle mass and the strength/speed are bi-products of that work.

Either way, it's exciting news. I can't think of anything negative about our guys having less body fat and more muscle mass and there are a lot of our players that are saying that's exactly what's going on.

 

[jarhead]

Ok, I have to chime in a little here. My son has been a part of the program for the last two years and he has experienced both Strength coaches. The old guy (Greener???) was trying to develop speed and stamina where as Coach Duval wants athletes that are strong. I think the piece that the old coaching staff was missing was the nutritional aspect. Coach Bohl came in and tweeked the strength program a little however one of their biggest emphasis was on the nutrition. So when you see this change in a player's body composition some of it is due to the weights but more so it is due to the refined diet. I know my son has lost 2.5 % of his body fat but put on somewhere around 15 lbs of muscle mass. So even though he only weighs a little more than he did last year at 195 lbs he is much more muscle than in the past.

Interesting. If the previous staff emphasized speed, is the new program adding strength but reducing speed?

No, not at all. I think by virtue of adding strength and reducing body fat you are going to enhance speed. One thing is for sure Coach D is making warriors out of these men. More than anything with my son I can see the mindset changing. Like all of the signs around the facility say now....."if you stay you will be a champion" Not only literally but metaphorically as well!

 

[mwc fan]

I think by gaining muscle and losing fat you become more explosive. Explosive speed is more suited for football then say track speed. I thought it was interesting after listening to Wick on the local sports show, that they were teaching the players about nutrition and how to eat properly. These are D1 athletes and our previous staff never said shit? No wonder we were getting our asses kicked on the lines by other teams. When Bohl said we were fat and soft he wasnt kidding. I remember when we hired DC everyone was excited, but I never heard the players talking they way they talk under Bohl.

 

[BeaverPoke]

I talked to Wick the other day and he told me that after their first practice him, May, and Stover all puked lol.

It's not just the conditioning they were doing that was tough, but the actual practices are brutal as well.

To hear Wick say he threw up after practice is a crazy good thing. We all know he was a beast last season. Even with the bad O-Line, and never getting more than 18 carries in a game, he still had a very good year.
Wick was in great shape last season, tough as hell.
This year? Already tougher. Awesome.

 

[joshvanklomp]

I think by gaining muscle and losing fat you become more explosive. Explosive speed is more suited for football then say track speed. I thought it was interesting after listening to Wick on the local sports show, that they were teaching the players about nutrition and how to eat properly. These are D1 athletes and our previous staff never said shit? No wonder we were getting our asses kicked on the lines by other teams. When Bohl said we were fat and soft he wasnt kidding. I remember when we hired DC everyone was excited, but I never heard the players talking they way they talk under Bohl.

I've seen this first hand in Minnesota in the basketball program. One offseason of work, heres a before/after shot of one player.

50 pounds lost, mostly due to an improved diet.

Well, increased conditioning workouts and weightlifting sessions have helped, but the biggest change that Walker made was to his diet. No more pasta. No more junk food. No more ice cream and vanilla milkshakes.

“If I were to go to [a Mexican restaurant], I’d just have to order salad instead of a burrito,” he told Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com.

You're right, its amazing how some programs just assume players are eating what they should, or don't think its that important as long as they're at a certain weight.

 

[mwc fan]

Wow! That doesn't even look like the same guy. Im telling you Bohl brings in a group of coaches who knows what their doing. I think we're all excited to see how well it translates on Saturdays.

 

[fromolwyoming]

Wow! That doesn't even look like the same guy. Im telling you Bohl brings in a group of coaches who knows what their doing. I think we're all excited to see how well it translates on Saturdays.

I'm eager to see it, but I still have plenty of reservation on the Tampa 2 defense. Bohl made it work very well at the FCS level, and even against the occassional FBS opponent. But 11-12 games against FBS schools a season? Well, the best example would be Nebraska, who also uses the Tampa 2. They get some pretty highly rated players, even on defense, and we put up 600+ yards and 30+ points on them with a predictable offense. Granted we had Brett Smith, but still. Nebraska tends to let opponents put up yards and points on them quite a bit. They still win about 8 games a season, but I don't think much of it is due to a dominate defense.

Record wise, I would be surprised if we hit 6-6, with switching to new offensive and defensive schemes and facing 2 top 10 teams early on. If we can show improvement otherwise, like always showing up, improved line play (not saying much, considering the last few years), and what not, I'll be satisfied and know we're headed in the right direction.

 

[J-Rod]

Wow! That doesn't even look like the same guy. Im telling you Bohl brings in a group of coaches who knows what their doing. I think we're all excited to see how well it translates on Saturdays.

I'm eager to see it, but I still have plenty of reservation on the Tampa 2 defense. Bohl made it work very well at the FCS level, and even against the occassional FBS opponent. But 11-12 games against FBS schools a season? Well, the best example would be Nebraska, who also uses the Tampa 2. They get some pretty highly rated players, even on defense, and we put up 600+ yards and 30+ points on them with a predictable offense. Granted we had Brett Smith, but still. Nebraska tends to let opponents put up yards and points on them quite a bit. They still win about 8 games a season, but I don't think much of it is due to a dominate defense.

Record wise, I would be surprised if we hit 6-6, with switching to new offensive and defensive schemes and facing 2 top 10 teams early on. If we can show improvement otherwise, like always showing up, improved line play (not saying much, considering the last few years), and what not, I'll be satisfied and know we're headed in the right direction.

Good post. There does seem to be a lot of friction between some of Bohl's approach and the way things are done at this level. Tampa 2 is typically suicide in the MWC. Hell, even Boise's old DC and secondary coach tried to utilize it in 2013 and it rendered the worst Boise D in 15+ years.

I'm torn to be honest. My gut says 2014 could be a really ugly season. Bohl could turn out to be a hall of fame caliber coach, but I think a lot of people are ignoring Smith's departure. Utah, TCU, Boise....you name it....as dominant as those schools were at their height, none of them were so dominant that they could have average-to-terrible QB play and still have their way. I'm sorry, but to think Wyoming's decade-long poor O-Line and D-Line will now suddenly become so good that it won't matter if the QB play has dropped off with Smith's departure just seems like a giant jug of kool-aid.

I can't help but remember how excited Hawaii fans were when Norm Chow was hired. Everything was better....even the media bought into it. It was "Chow Time!". He dominated the PR and honeymoon phase. Needless to say, things haven't panned out well.

Don't get me wrong...I am NOT saying Bohl is Chow by any means. Only that winning the PR battle during the honeymoon phase quite frankly doesn't mean shit. Bohl could be the next Paul Roach...I don't know. But based purely on the current roster and the 2014 schedule, I would be shocked to see better than 6-6. 6-6 in itself would be an awesome first season. I frankly think it will be closer to 3-9 or 4-8. I wouldn't condemn for Bohl having that type of first season in the least.