Barwis Effect on Recruiting?
Do you think that Mike Barwis has an effect on recruiting? Specifically, I'm wondering if he attracts a harder-working, ambitious athlete to commit to Michigan. I feel like having an insane (m)animal like him running the program might weed out some of the lazier recruits, and attract the ones who are willing to work their hardest to improve. I feel like we might not get a Carson Butler or a Gabe Watson, but might get a Pat White-type, which wouldn't be reflected in the recruiting rankings. Am I just viewing the world through Barwis-shaded glasses, or is there something to this?
January 7th, 2009 at 12:19 AM ^
But kids look at the S&C program pretty hard. It is almost always mentioned as a contributing factor for deciding where to go. So, kids are obviously aware of Barwis and how he will destroy them...this will attract a certain type of kid, yes. But only at the margins. A lazy super Mich type will still come and a Barwis lover that isn't high on Mich otherwise will stay away.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:54 AM ^
I agree. I think the Barwis Effect is a little overrated by people - he might sway one or two borderline kids to pick UM and another one to opt out, but UM has so much to sell to kids that the S&C coach may be less important than at, say, WVU.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:26 AM ^
I def think that it attracts recruits b/c they see strength and conditioning coaches as keys to getting them to the highest level of play and possibly to the next level, which to many is more important than winning.
as for weeding out the lazy kids, im not so sure it does that to a large degree. i dont think any kid wood admit, even to himself, that he wood turn away from an offer, and an opportunity with one of the best s&c coaches in the country, bc they dont wanna work that hard. and from everything that iv read, will campbell is not a huge fan of overexertion, at least not at the hs level.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:29 AM ^
This topic was actually mentioned during John Bacon's interview of RRod on wtka Monday. RR said that Barwis had a positive effect on recruiting with some of the commits mentioning Barwis as a major reason for the commitment. I think there is a link to the interview in the 3-3-5 topic on this forum.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:29 AM ^
Someone posted an interview of RR by (Professor) John Bacon on one of these threads earlier. In it RR talked about how he's pretty sure that at least 3 or 4 guys between this year's and last year's class committed in large part because of Barwis. There is little doubt that Barwis has a major impact on recruiting.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:42 AM ^
i think that barwis and playing time are the most attractive things we have right now. you can say legacy but thats just wut people are saying now that we blow.
just look at wut barwis has done to graham and minor. in an interview earlier in the yr we herd bout how graham got insanely stronger in a short period of time after working with barwis. and thats not coming from a kid fresh out of hs. thats coming from a kid who had already been at UM for two years.
minor added some much needed speed and agility, and got stronger as well. he went from a backup rb to a definite nfl prospect. look out for minor to be Big10 rb of the yr.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:52 AM ^
wut he sed
January 7th, 2009 at 1:04 AM ^
your not gonna be a good football player if ur lazy.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:00 AM ^
applies to the English language as well.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^
haha +1
January 7th, 2009 at 7:41 AM ^
git run off if u refus 2 proprle tipe and spel. Come on, let's not emulate our little brothers and them fellers that come from that skool down south! Can you say "proofread".
January 7th, 2009 at 7:59 AM ^
IMO Barwis is a double edged sword with recruits. Some will love his "enthusiastic" approach and dedication and some will be turned off. Some kids want to play football but might not want to be in such a "dedicated" program. If anyone saw the clip of Tubberville at the UA game telling the players that their time in college playing football would be the toughest time for them and no easy picnic is true. These kids lives will be structured and every minute accounted for. They will not have the life you had in college of getting drunk, puking all over the place, ordering that late night pizza, screwing off studying, getting bj's in the Grad library stacks, etc. So, while Barwis can be a HUGE factor in getting a recruit, I also think he can be a big negative for some kids.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:56 AM ^
I don't see how this is a double-edged sword. It seems to be a single edge - get rid of the guys who don't want to work hard to be great.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:12 PM ^
Plus, a bet football players can get blow jobs in the stacks.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:17 AM ^
if u dl firefox u can use teh spell checker built in2 i so ur posts make moar cents
January 7th, 2009 at 8:36 AM ^
so every year during the final few weekend visits of the recruiting cycle kids will come in and see a bunch of big name former players working out with Barwis. This has to have an effect on kids who still haven't decided on a school just a few weeks before the deadline.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:53 AM ^
After all, I comitted to UM after I met him.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:44 AM ^
Good God, people. It's a Strength and Conditioning program. There is no "Barwis effect", there is no "a year with Barwis and he'll be an animal" take on recruits, and chocolate milk is not a miracle beverage. I thought this whole Barwis fantasy was a joke the first fifty posts or so, but I'm starting to think you all take it seriously. This guy is not Jesus Christ on roller skates.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:51 AM ^
Says the guy from the fanbase that lines up to slob the knob of the sourest man on earth.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:03 AM ^
You, sir, are a blasphemer and an unholy apostate.
In the course of the construction at Michigan Stadium, workers have just unearthed an urn containing a parchment with a previously unknown 24th Psalm. It appears to be a variation of the 23rd Psalm, one of the most popular passages in the Bible.
Coach Barwis is my shepherd,
I shall not slack;
He maketh me lie down and bench-press my weight 50 times.
He leadeth me away from Ho-Hos and French fries;
He restoreth my lean body mass.
He leadeth me to squats and Olympic lifts and sprints
for quickness and speed's sake.
Yea, even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of Ohio Stadium,
I fear no Buckeye,
for Barwis is screaming epithets in my ear;
Coach Rod and his staff, they work us like dogs.
Surely toughness and chocolate milk shall follow me
all the days of my career;
and I shall kick ass in the Big House
of Michigan for four years, or five if I redshirt.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:43 AM ^
for not understanding the importance of abortion in keeping our society clean
January 7th, 2009 at 11:54 AM ^
Nobody's saying he's Jesus Christ on roller skates. But if you read articles about our recruits (which you probably don't, which is understandable because you're an MSU fan), then you would see that a lot - perhaps even a majority - of our recruits mention Barwis.
Also, in 2007 Brandon Graham would not have come close to catching Javon Ringer from behind. In 2008, your beloved Ringer almost got embarrassed by a 270 pound defensive end. If you don't think Barwis has had an effect, then you weren't paying close enough attention to Michigan football.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:35 PM ^
Brandon Graham caught up to Javon Ringer by taking a good angle. That was not a "Barwis" effect making a DE as fast as a RB, that was a good read and angle of pursuit after Javon Ringer reversed the entire freakin' field.
The Barwis effect is all hype for now. It sells recruits but IMO it hasn't manifested on the field yet.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:41 PM ^
Even with a good angle, Brandon Graham (and most DE's) would not catch up to a lot of running backs.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:00 PM ^
I do think Barwis helped guys like Graham get quicker and stronger, so he helped that particular play (which didn't matter because Ringer scored anyways).
Also, I think Ringer is much slower than MSU fans would like to believe.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:10 AM ^
you are of course correct that he is not a miracle maker, but he is a good s and c coach, and even more importantly, he has a lot of PT Barnum in him. Part of recruiting is salesmanship, and for that alone he is a huge asset regardless of his results (which I think are also there).
January 7th, 2009 at 11:58 AM ^
One of the common themes among all the kids I talk to is Barwis. They always end up saying something to the effect of, "man, that guy is crazy," or "that guy is awesome." He's very real and blunt, and I think they like that. He's also proven that what he does works, so they like that. It's obviously a positive to have him on our team.
Sorry if anyone has asked me anything this week, I've got family in town, and I've been pretty busy playing golf....I mean working. I'll be clear this weekend.
January 7th, 2009 at 8:32 PM ^
Who wouldn't want to do workouts with someone who sounds like the cookie monster i personally think his voice is just a reason to work harder. Also we should promote him also to let him make motivational speeches before the game and let him prowl the sidelines so that whenever Stevie Brown misses a tackle he has to run the stadium steps from the time he gets off the field until the time the defense has to go back on that would teach him not to give up 80 yard gains on slants.