Ballou Expected to take Bama Job

[IndyIUFan66]

Seems pretty evident they are gone (but I’d welcome them back if they have a “Burton change of heart!”)

Assuming they’re leaving, first question is how good we’re Ballou & Rhea of training/teaching/Mentoring the current IU staff? A sign of a great leader is to prepare people to replace you if something happens. I hope they have developed the staff!

I have only respect for this duo and hoped they’d be at IU for years (and that Ballou seeing IU become a winner was personal), but I don’t think any 1 or 2 people are irreplaceable ever. Sports fitness and development is becoming more and more sophisticated every year. Seminars, new degrees, new training academies are all over the US. There are talented other professionals out there just like Saban isn’t the only coach capable of winning the national championship.

If you trust the system, your values and culture, you stay the course and likely will attract a strong new replacement (or be able to promote from within) for the role.

It hurts but think wise to remember it’s a huge compliment to the program IU and Coach Allen is building. He hit 8-5/Jan bowl game in year three. There is great talent at the program and the players seem motivated from within to keep focusing on getting better. I bet the players will keep working hard!

 

[IUCX9]

Update from a fellow Peegs poster who is close to Ballou:

Posted on 13 mins, V I P, User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 600

• 13 minsVIP
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My take...of course I am disappointed in this. But I am incredibly proud of my friend. To go from a HS coach to the pinnacle of the profession in a few years is nothing short of remarkable. He also has left IU in far better shape than he found it, which frankly was a joke (I can say that now because there are no repercussions). He has laid down the path and the framework for whoever follows, and as I just said made it a very attractive job. IU will still be on the right path.

This is not known, but Ballou and Rhea were bombarded with official and unofficial requests to leave "lowly IU" and go to greener pastures continually. The CFB industry couldn't understand how they stayed. Everyone in the industry knew who they were. From 3 NFL teams last year, to any "blue blood" that had an opening, potential opening, or a HC looking to improve. They stayed every time.

So what is the difference now? It's not just that it is Bama. Of course that is a huge draw...but their new Sport Science center is the diamond nobody else can match. Ballou and Rhea will literally be able to write the book on the next steps in the industry, and pave the way for the next generation of sport performance. THAT is a once in a lifetime deal.

My hope was that IU, Ballou, and Rhea would be like Chris Doyle at Iowa from 20 years ago. Everyone and anyone came after Doyle but he stayed put. However, and of course this is just speculation, if Chris Doyle was in the same place and this opportunity came up, then I think he would have done the same thing.

So I don't know if Memorial Stadium is on ancient burial grounds, hidden talisman, or what...but every staff departure this year has been a uniquely unique situation. Coach Hagen wanted to be close to his family. Coach DeBoer got a job as a HC. As other has stated, when others are coming after your coaches, that is a HUGE stamp of approval that CTA is hiring the right guys.

He will do so again this time. LEO.

Paraphrase: He's gone, but leaves IU better than ever.

 

[DANC]

If Ballou does bolt, it'll be hard to keep McGraw.

Hagan and Ballou were a big reason why he chose us.

Well, let him go to Alabama then.

 

[DANC]

-National championship ring
-Entire new building devoted to strength and conditioning
Attached to football facility
- recognition that comes from being part of NC staff
- bonuses tied to winning National Championship and Conference Championship.

Have you seen our weight room? Have you seen the SEZ, which is almost entirely devoted to player health, testing, and rehabilitation?

Just because IU's facilities are part of the stadium doesn't make them inferior.

I'm asking an honest question - have you seen either IU's facilities lately? Or Alabama's?

 

[IUCX9]

Per, Footballscoop, Ballou has accepted.

https://footballscoop.com/news/sources-alabama-has-their-new-strength-coach/

 

[RBB89]

Have you seen our weight room? Have you seen the SEZ, which is almost entirely devoted to player health, testing, and rehabilitation?

Just because IU's facilities are part of the stadium doesn't make them inferior.

I'm asking an honest question - have you seen either IU's facilities lately? Or Alabama's?

True...we do have a nice sports science facility in the SEZ. With that said, Bama probably has the best facilities in the country. And that’s not a shot at IU’s, as we have excellent facilities. But Bama can throw around money that most can’t.

 

[DANC]

True...we do have a nice sports science facility in the SEZ. With that said, Bama probably has the best facilities in the country. And that’s not a shot at IU’s, as we have excellent facilities. But Bama can throw around money that most can’t.

I don't know - have never seen Alabama's. But I find it hard to believe it's any better than O$U's or even Northwestern's new facility.

Alabama isn't the only school that can throw around money.

I'd like to know, specifically, what they have that we don't. If it's shinier objects, I don't get it.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

I don't know - have never seen Alabama's. But I find it hard to believe it's any better than O$U's or even Northwestern's new facility.

Alabama isn't the only school that can throw around money.

I'd like to know, specifically, what they have that we don't. If it's shinier objects, I don't get it.

They give him a chance to be on a national championship staff for one....

 

[red hornet]

Assuming that both Ballou & Rhea are going to Alabama, I can see CTA promoting Matt Clapp & Paul Constantine from within as both have served 5 yrs. at Indiana as athletic performance coaches for the IU football program. They both would be naturals to carry on the Ballou/Rhea technique of performance strength & conditioning which has served the Hoosier Football program well.

 

[destewart]

Have you seen our weight room? Have you seen the SEZ, which is almost entirely devoted to player health, testing, and rehabilitation?

Just because IU's facilities are part of the stadium doesn't make them inferior.

I'm asking an honest question - have you seen either IU's facilities lately? Or Alabama's?

I think you missed the point. They are talking about building an entire new building to house a strength and conditioning center. Have you heard of Dr. James Andrew? Alabama in your eyes seems to be some backwoods state with zero redeeming points of innovation and education. The number of star athletes, college and professional who have gone to Alabama to diagnosed and treated is like a “who’s who” in sports.
https://www.andrewssportsmedicine.com/physicians/james-r-andrews-md

I would suspect that Ballou and Rhea see the potential of linkage with their efforts in sports strength and conditioning with sports medicine. Ballou spent two years in Florida at IMG and he knows the southeast is the center of the sports universe in almost every sport from football and basketball to baseball, tennis golf, etc. It would seem that if the IU loyal Ballou is in fact leaving he has a much broader vision of where his career can go than what he can accomplish in Bloomington. Saban, who is a masterful salesman, apparently painted a picture of how being at Alabama enables he and Dr Rhea to realize their goals and fulfill their vision. No, I have not been to Bloomington to see your facilities and I suspect you have not been to any other Big Ten facilities. I do think Ballou and Rhea have seen many other facilities outside of IU’s.

 

[DANC]

They give him a chance to be on a national championship staff for one....

They weren't a national champion this year. Or last.

There's no guarantee of that.

 

[DANC]

I think you missed the point. They are talking about building an entire new building to house a strength and conditioning center. Have you heard of Dr. James Andrew? Alabama in your eyes seems to be some backwoods state with zero redeeming points of innovation and education. The number of star athletes, college and professional who have gone to Alabama to diagnosed and treated is like a “who’s who” in sports.
https://www.andrewssportsmedicine.com/physicians/james-r-andrews-md

I would suspect that Ballou and Rhea see the potential of linkage with their efforts in sports strength and conditioning with sports medicine. Ballou spent two years in Florida at IMG and he knows the southeast is the center of the sports universe in almost every sport from football and basketball to baseball, tennis golf, etc. It would seem that if the IU loyal Ballou is in fact leaving he has a much broader vision of where his career can go than what he can accomplish in Bloomington. Saban, who is a masterful salesman, apparently painted a picture of how being at Alabama enables he and Dr Rhea to realize their goals and fulfill their vision. No, I have not been to Bloomington to see your facilities and I suspect you have not been to any other Big Ten facilities. I do think Ballou and Rhea have seen many other facilities outside of IU’s.

Oh, I get the point. The point is, you have no idea what Alabama has and what IU has, so you make assumptions.

 

[Bligedy]

Well, what are ya gonna do? If people continue to use other job offerings as leverage, they're only staying for the money. Eventually those people quit anyway - and they're usually unhappy employees. That's a corporate truism, unfortunately.

I would have hoped very good pay and the chance to really build something at his alma mater would be enough to keep him, but if he wants to go, it's his decision. I'm not in favor of paying outrageously unless it's for a proven HC.

Unlike a lot of folks, I don't think Ballou was the difference between 5-7 and 8-5. I think our schedule had much more to do with it, and that's not a knock on the team. But that's just my opinion, so don't shoot the piano player.

Look at his resume. He was a temp from the start. IU will get somebody good and be fine.

 

[Bligedy]

Well, what are ya gonna do? If people continue to use other job offerings as leverage, they're only staying for the money. Eventually those people quit anyway - and they're usually unhappy employees. That's a corporate truism, unfortunately.

I would have hoped very good pay and the chance to really build something at his alma mater would be enough to keep him, but if he wants to go, it's his decision. I'm not in favor of paying outrageously unless it's for a proven HC.

Unlike a lot of folks, I don't think Ballou was the difference between 5-7 and 8-5. I think our schedule had much more to do with it, and that's not a knock on the team. But that's just my opinion, so don't shoot the piano player.

Look at his resume. He was a temp from the start. IU will get somebody good and be fine.

 

[grammy2]

I'm from indiana and went to iu, like ballau. I didn't play football at iu, like ballau. If I had that elevated bond with iu, I would've told Bama to shove it, I'm at the school I want to be.

 

[IndyIUFan66]

Assuming that both Ballou & Rhea are going to Alabama, I can see CTA promoting Matt Clapp & Paul Constantine from within as both have served 5 yrs. at Indiana as athletic performance coaches for the IU football program. They both would be naturals to carry on the Ballou/Rhea technique of performance strength & conditioning which has served the Hoosier Football program well.

Anyone have more insights on them? I’m focused now on what’s AHEAD at IU, not Alabama’s future!

 

[IUCX9]

Amen, brother.

Imagine if we won a B1G championship at INDIANA and went to The Rose Bowl for the first time in his lifetime. He'd be a minor god at IU.

 

[Hoosiers Rising]

Let the name of Ballou be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and obelisks, stricken from every monument of IU. Let the name of Ballou be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of men for all time.

 

[DANC]

Let the name of Ballou be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and obelisks, stricken from every monument of IU. Let the name of Ballou be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of men for all time.

LOL Salt the location of his house in Bloomington after he leaves.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

They weren't a national champion this year. Or last.

There's no guarantee of that.

I said chance.

They were in the playoffs, correct?

 

[IndyIUFan66]

I said chance.

They were in the playoffs, correct?

Not last season. But clearly Bama is a major power. Saying anything less is silly.

 

[DANC]

I said chance.

They were in the playoffs, correct?

Not last season, no.

 

[uagolffan]

Alabama’s student athletes health and fitness facilities are among the best in the country. Football at Alabama is like Basketball at IU...it’s everything. Our football program earns a profit of close to $50,000,000.00 dollars. We will do everything we can to make certain our football players have every advantage possible...it’s very hard for IU to compete with us in Football.

 

[DANC]

Alabama’s student athletes health and fitness facilities are among the best in the country. Football at Alabama is like Basketball at IU...it’s everything. Our football program earns close to $50,000,000.00 dollars. We will do everything we can to make certain our football players have every advantage possible...it’s very hard for IU to compete with us in Football.

I don't think anyone questions that Alabama is far superior, in almost every aspect, of football. The results speak for themselves.

But, unless you know our facilities, you would think we live in the stone ages when it comes to competing in the S&C arena, and it's just not true. Our facilities are on par with the best programs in the nation. Do we have the bells and whistles? I don't know - I haven't compared. But I know the investment we've made in the last 10 years, and it's been substantial.

By the way, we get $50,000,000+ annually just from the BTN. Our Athletic Dept budget is $110+ million. And that's dwarfed by Ohio State and Michigan.

We're not exactly the Little Sisters of the Poor. Used to be, but not now that we have BTN GFU money

Ballou and Rhea were great for us in terms of selling the program and an advantage it (might have) given us. But check out our injuries last year. And check out our schedule and the teams we beat. You may not be quite as impressed. At the end of games, where S&C should really pay off, we wilted against teams like Michigan and Tennessee. And we were never - NEVER - in the game physically against Ohio State.

But good luck. You're getting a solid person in Ballou and Rhea has some interesting theories. Who knows - they may turn out to be as pioneering as Doc Councilman was.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Not last season, no.

Apologies.

Last year was the first year that they didn't make the playoffs since they started doing it.

I would say, that's something that they definitely have over us.

 

[DANC]

Apologies.

Last year was the first year that they didn't make the playoffs since they started doing it.

I would say, that's something that they definitely have over us.

Well, yes, of course they have that over us.

But you said a 'chance'. Every D1 program has a 'chance'.

But I get your point - it's more likey at Alabama.

 

[Indianaftw]

Alabama’s student athletes health and fitness facilities are among the best in the country. Football at Alabama is like Basketball at IU...it’s everything. Our football program earns a profit of close to $50,000,000.00 dollars. We will do everything we can to make certain our football players have every advantage possible...it’s very hard for IU to compete with us in Football.

gfy

 

[uagolffan]

gfy

Back at you

 

[snowling]

SIAP.

https://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/2020/03/reports-ius-ballou-headed-to-alabama/

Go Hoosiers!

 

[i'vegotwinners]

I think IU football is in a very good place, but if you can’t see why someone would leave for Bama, you’re just being a homer.

just as a S&C coach, i don't see how UA is any better situation than IU.

thus i'll assume he's leaving in hopes of getting out of the S&C room, and sees UA as the better springboard to that.

that said, for 41 straight yrs i've heard Don Fisher rave every summer how much bigger and stronger we look than we looked the yr before. bwg

never played organized football, (but a legend at the park), or a big strength work out guy, (more a cardio guy), but i would think S&C would be the most generic of coaching positions, and least dependent on who's coaching it.

not that i don't think it's important, no doubt it is.

just that a S&C coach isn't dealing with the many variables other coaches are, and the one you could most easily replace with a Peloton and web based type situation if the NCAA said you had to move 1 coaching position away from a live hands on person.

not that S&C wouldn't no doubt greatly suffer from the NCAA doing that.. just that all other position coaches would be far more impossible to move away from a live hands on person, thus are more affected by the individual person coaching them.

 

[DANC]

just as a S&C coach, i don't see how UA is any better situation than IU.

thus i'll assume he's leaving in hopes of getting out of the S&C room, and sees UA as the better springboard to that.

that said, for 41 straight yrs i've heard Don Fisher rave every summer how much bigger and stronger we look than we looked the yr before. bwg

never played organized football, (but a legend at the park), or a big strength work out guy, (more a cardio guy), but i would think S&C would be the most generic of coaching positions, and least dependent on who's coaching it.

not that i don't think it's important, no doubt it is.

just that a S&C coach isn't dealing with the many variables other coaches are, and the one you could most easily replace with a Peloton and web based type situation if the NCAA said you had to move 1 coaching position away from a live hands on person.

not that S&C wouldn't no doubt greatly suffer from the NCAA doing that.. just that all other position coaches would be far more impossible to move away from a live hands on person, thus are more affected by the individual person coaching them.

"for 41 straight yrs i've heard Don Fisher rave every summer how much bigger and stronger we look than we looked the yr before."

Not just Don, but every article ever written does the same thing. I just laugh at it now.

We go out every year, thinking we're going to physically dominate the opponent because of how great we look, and then struggle out of the gate to overcome a Ball State, who presumably doesn't have the latest guru running their S&C program.

How anyone who saw the Ohio State game this year could say our S&C made any kind of big improvement is just mind boggling to me.

 

[Bligedy]

just as a S&C coach, i don't see how UA is any better situation than IU.

thus i'll assume he's leaving in hopes of getting out of the S&C room, and sees UA as the better springboard to that.

that said, for 41 straight yrs i've heard Don Fisher rave every summer how much bigger and stronger we look than we looked the yr before. bwg

never played organized football, (but a legend at the park), or a big strength work out guy, (more a cardio guy), but i would think S&C would be the most generic of coaching positions, and least dependent on who's coaching it.

not that i don't think it's important, no doubt it is.

just that a S&C coach isn't dealing with the many variables other coaches are, and the one you could most easily replace with a Peloton and web based type situation if the NCAA said you had to move 1 coaching position away from a live hands on person.

not that S&C wouldn't no doubt greatly suffer from the NCAA doing that.. just that all other position coaches would be far more impossible to move away from a live hands on person, thus are more affected by the individual person coaching them.

Everyone's S&C guy is the best. Until they leave and the new staff shows up and all of a sudden needs to "change the culture".

"for 41 straight yrs i've heard Don Fisher rave every summer how much bigger and stronger we look than we looked the yr before."

Not just Don, but every article ever written does the same thing. I just laugh at it now.

We go out every year, thinking we're going to physically dominate the opponent because of how great we look, and then struggle out of the gate to overcome a Ball State, who presumably doesn't have the latest guru running their S&C program.

How anyone who saw the Ohio State game this year could say our S&C made any kind of big improvement is just mind boggling to me.

That's my one beef with this outgoing regime. They want to talk/tweet/whatever about how strong and fast everyone is.

Just get strong and fast and quit talking about it.