New S&C Coach Aaron Wellman
- Thread starter IUCX9
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I wonder how long it’s going to take for a negative spin to be created on this hire.
Wow, this seems like a home run hire! Major credentials: MSU, U of M, and coming straight from head of an NFL team! That will have appeal for players.
if you looked at straight resume on paper, his resume may look better than Ballou before his Alabama job (maybe even after it’s as good).
When Coach Allen says “Trust me” I would say he’s earned it now.
(Trough I’m still watching for Womack’s results in year 2)
if you looked at straight resume on paper, his resume may look better than Ballou before his Alabama job (maybe even after it’s as good).
When Coach Allen says “Trust me” I would say he’s earned it now.
(Trough I’m still watching for Womack’s results in year 2)
The only negative thing I've come across is this:
But the Giants would have never retained him if they ever believed it.
Guy has an impressive resume. This observation, from his Giants' bio, is music to my ears: "When he arrived in 2016, Wellman significantly changed the Giants' off season and in-season training regimens, and the result has been a substantial decrease in the number of season-ending injuries suffered by Giants players."
I love his very legit credentials and that he is an Indiana grad and native. Likely interested in getting out of NY rat race and back home near family and to help IU move to the next level.
If I'm an IU player, I sure would be feeling a lot better that my new coach comes from directly from the NFL! Proud of what Tom Allen pulled off.
If I'm an IU player, I sure would be feeling a lot better that my new coach comes from directly from the NFL! Proud of what Tom Allen pulled off.
He is a great hire and I hope he stays at IU now that he is here [job wise] and doesn't leave in the future like I hope our last grad S&C coach did. I hope he loves IU so much he stays.
I'm of the Tom Allen mind-set of "when you hire excellent people, you may not always keep them forever." This hire seems to be of same caliber of Ballou (both even were at ND) but he is leaving NFL to come back home to his Alma Mater IU. Ballou did that too, but seems to have his eye on the Bama type job or NFL.
I'm optimistic Wellman might see this as his long-term job now and excited to be home at Indiana. Very exciting.
I was living in Manhattan 40 years ago when I decided to go to grad school in Indiana. I packed up all my apartment belongings in a rented car and headed due west towards Bloomington. I remember it like it was yesterday. It reminded me of Dorothy leaving a black and white Kansas and ending up in a Technicolor land of Oz. You couldn’t ask for a better contrast. Plus he was here before when he was much younger. This is going to be a homerun hire. With his background I guarantee he’s not gonna have any interest in moving to Alabama.
He was the guy I first thought of when we got the news that Ballou had bailed on us. I didn't bother to post his name because I thought we had Zero shot at getting him.
I don't just think this is a Home Run hire, I think it's a Grand Slam!!!!
Welcome home Aaron Wellman!
I don't just think this is a Home Run hire, I think it's a Grand Slam!!!!
Welcome home Aaron Wellman!
I agree that he looks like a home run hire and I hope it works out that way. Coach Allen brought in a coach with instant credibility with the players and hopefully the recruits IU is after.
Tremendous hire! CTA has made us better with all of the hires, except maybe Sheridan - and we will see how that turns out.
Wellman has years of success, which our previous staff didn’t.
Coach TA has learned that S&C coaches are great recruiting tools. No way he was settling for a B player. Wonder who reached out first. Big grin!
My guess: meet the players, build their trust in him!!!
I think Sheridan could be a stud. (It’s Womack my jury is still out on.). But with more experienced talent on the team, it can make all coaches look better!
Overall I am really happy with Allen. He isn't perfect, but seems to be willing to learn and adapt. It looks like he had a knack for finding and hiring/recruiting good support staff.
To defend Wommack a bit, the defense did improve from the 2018 team even with very young players on the field. This coming season should tell us more about his ability to run the defense as players are more mature and have experience.
One thing I like about Tom Allen over Archie. I don’t ever hear Allen complain or make excuses. He just goes back to work. I’m ok with Archie, I’m just pointing out that I love the character of CTA.
You are implying that CAM has complained or made excuses. I have not heard him do either and I have heard everyone of his post game interviews.
Anyone in the know have any details concerning the S&C Wellman hire? Did Wellman reach out to CTA when the position became open? I like the idea that he has IU and NFL ties.
Coach Ballou contacted Coach Wellman and talked to him about the job. Must have done a good job because he took the job. Aaron is a great hire. The IU strength program is in great hands ,and will continue to be one of the best in the Big 10.Coach Wellman will turn our young boys into men , both on the field and off. He is a leader who will make IU better. I was really disappointed when Ballou left , but I'm really excited in the direction the program is going.
I don't think the program misses much of a beat. From one top flight S/C leader to another. If Ballou helped on recruiting, have to believe an IU alum who has been at Michigan and comes directly from NFL's NY Giants has equal street cred, and maybe even a tad more given he's been to the promised land of NFL. But the idea of getting back home to IU was more appealing to him now is a testament to the state of IU program and I think he'll be a tremendous asset. I also bet he will attract some good, hungry young coaches on his S/C team too. James stayed, got a great new S/C replacement and spring ball has started. The world is good again!
I do not begrudge Dr. Rhea and Coach Ballou for taking the Alabama job that is top of the mountain in college football or as close to it as you can be. Also the place where I Hope IU can get to . But was getting a little angry about taking the whole staff also can’t blame them for leaving. What I love is that Ballou thought enough of IU football and CTAto teach out to coach Wellman assuming that this is true and I have no reason to doubt it.
No idea if that is true or not (Ballou making the connection) but if so, that would be his IU alma mater coming out and if it didn't go that way, I don't really care because Coach Allen did connect with a seemingly proud IU alum who was willing to leave the NFL NY Giants to come back and rejoin his IU roots.
I do STILL feel like things continue to improve and though Allen at times may not seem like PhD of X's & O's, I think he knows exactly what he wants in his program and is shaping it up that way via excellent recruiting of more athletes and a solid staff of great coaches that have come (and some gone) but the bar has now been set higher. Think Wellman will be great. Bullish about the three new coaches hired this off-season new to the program. Pretty excited about Sheridan, think he's a young stud in the making. And I want to believe Womack is going to have a good year two with an older, stronger, more experienced team coming back. Looking up!!!
I do STILL feel like things continue to improve and though Allen at times may not seem like PhD of X's & O's, I think he knows exactly what he wants in his program and is shaping it up that way via excellent recruiting of more athletes and a solid staff of great coaches that have come (and some gone) but the bar has now been set higher. Think Wellman will be great. Bullish about the three new coaches hired this off-season new to the program. Pretty excited about Sheridan, think he's a young stud in the making. And I want to believe Womack is going to have a good year two with an older, stronger, more experienced team coming back. Looking up!!!
So we just traded 2 college coaches for the NY giants coach? I'll be dammed if that's a loss. Sounds like a huge upgrade on its face.
I agree with most of what you but totally disagree about CTA and X’s and O’s. People did not want him to give up his defensive play calling because he was so good at it. In order to do that you have to know and understand what offenses are trying to do to exploit your defense. Then obviously you have to know defense to call defenses. He may have some weaknesses as a a head coach but I would not say that was one of them. I think he needs to take emotion out of decision making... maybe.
Do analysts ever help head coaches with TO's/clock management? I heard we were picking up a new analyst this offseason, but I guess that hasn't happened yet.
Agree and we'll see...In the next two years he will be handed a group full of upperclassman and they are in the same defense that Allen ran. I fully expect to be in the top 25 in scoring defense the next couple years. I could care less about "total" defense numbers that some come on here and spew. The only number I want to see is scoring defense because its the only one that matters. jmho
Purdue just lost their strength coach to the Rams.
Probably could no longer afford his $200k salary, because Brohm now makes $6.5 million.Too bad for the Rams...
They'll hire on the cheap again as Brohm milks the program dry.
How did that guy fly so under the radar anonymously when Body By Ballou was so hyped up? Kind of proving what I thought all along, that there are a LOT of talented people working in S/C across the country at all the top D1 schools, NFL, and performance niche training facilities all over the US. Not a knock on Ballou, who I do think is very good at what he does. But I'm thrilled with Wellman hire and don't think IU is taking some dramatic step backwards by hiring someone who's been doing it in the NFL the last for years!
I knew that Aaron was the new coach Friday. His parents are family friends of my wife , and I. His mom texted my wife and told her Aaron had excepted the job and to tell me because she knows I'm a big Hoosier fan . (Season football tickets). She said that Aaron had talked to coach Ballou . That's how I knew. I also had Aaron as a student and have followed his career , which started at IU. That's how I know he was a great hire.
Brockettman, thnx. for the follow-up on Aaron Wellman.
