Barwis

Submitted by rdlwolverine on

So, what is the verdict on Barwis?  When RR first arrived, one of the most promising developments was supposedly the replacement of the obsolete Gittleson strength and conditioning regime with the modern and superenergized Barwis regime.  Is there any empirical evidence of improved performance on the field with Barwis?  Would we have been even worse with a Gittleson approach?

I have not crunched any numbers, but it seems to me that we have consistently performed worse in the second half of games; 4th quarter even worse than 3rd quarter.  Clearly, we have performed better earlier in the season than late in the season. These observations do not seem consistent with the concept that Barwis will make the team the team physically stronger and with better endurance.

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Barwis

Maize and Blue…

January 4th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^

How many times did we come back in the second half this year?  Not many of the kids have been in the program long enough but take a look at Omameh and Lewan.  Ask BG or any of the NFL players who come back to train with him.  I can't believe I'm answering this dumb question.  Yes, it's good to have big fat lineman who can't keep pace when you are running a spread offense.

Joined: 03/15/2009

MGoPoints: 6750

artds

January 4th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^

The Barwis effect was vastly overstated from the begining. He's a great coach but every big program in the country employs a superb S&C staff. People just like to invent things to get excited about.

Joined: 09/04/2009

MGoPoints: 2919

michgoblue

January 4th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^

Couldn't agree more.  The amount of "Barwis EEEEE" on this blog was ridiculous.  He is definitely a good S&C guy.  And perhaps some of our S&C methods needed updating.  But, our guys - even the older guys - don't look any bigger, stronger, faster or more cut than before.  And, he certainly hasn't cut down on injuries.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 32166

Bronco648

January 4th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^

I would have to think that a body that's been in the Barwis program, for more than a year or two would be more highly developed than someone a year out of high school.  UM played an awful lot of very young guys this past season.

Joined: 08/20/2008

MGoPoints: 2644

Old School Wolverine

January 4th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^

finally...some words of wisdom....     i would get negged to oblivion because i found myself trying to defend gittleson when these clowns here would diss him while trying to praise barwis.. you know,  the "death roh" types.    rodriguez has broken numerous records here, and all but one are bad. 

not knocking barwis, but you all shouldnt have knocked gittleson.

Joined: 11/04/2010

MGoPoints: -73

Blue Mind and Heart

January 4th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^

The thought that Barwis was a difference maker has always been laughable.  Worse, it was actually believed by those  within the RR admin and often parroted by those AD department.  It took focus off where the college game is really won...Xs and Os and recruiting better players.

Every coach calls on his players to be in better shape and conditioned than those they are playing.  To think that Barwis had some system that was measurably better than other major college programs simply did not pass the smell test.  I doubt most posters on this site could name another S & C coach at another program despite being knowledgeable enough to name a dozen D and O coordinators.  The reason is simply that S & C coaches are not in the limelight because they are role players within the organization, not difference makers.  Barwis is more like an exercise infomercial that runs at 2am.  Boy that sounds great, look at the results they show, how can it not do wonders with me?  With that I will win.  Just like Barwis, it ends up discarded and I wonder how I am still fat.  There is no magic solution that everyone else doesn't also have.
I would agree that Mich's S & C program needed an update but 3 years of Barwis hype with zero results on the field shows that PT Barnum was right.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 413

aaamichfan

January 4th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^

Considering that the vast majority of our players were only in the second year of his system, we probably won't find out if his system is an upgrade.

Joined: 10/23/2009

MGoPoints: 14362

oakapple

January 4th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^

Barwis seems to be a great S&C coach. But you expect to find great coaching at top programs. He is, in other words, giving Michigan what it never had, but always should have had, in the Carr era.

I don’t see any evidence that he gives Michigan an advantage its opponents don’t have. Michigan’s longest game this year was the triple overtime thriller, and Illinois basically stood toe-to-toe with the Wolverines the whole time. Unless you give Barwis credit for the blitz that ended the game, you’d have to say Michigan and Illinois were about equally well conditioned.

Michigan did have second-half comebacks in a few games, but lost them anyway. “Without Barwis, they would have kicked our butts even worse” isn’t much of an endorsement.

Joined: 02/06/2009

MGoPoints: 2130

TheMadGrasser

January 4th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^

Is MB a good S/C coach? Sounds like it. But come on people, I think way too many have overstated what a S/C program can do for wins and losses. The fact of the matter is that S/C won't make a vast difference in whether or not someone is a better football player.

Joined: 11/11/2009

MGoPoints: 1256

Abe Froman

January 4th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^

i admire what he did with mealer.

i also admire how well our defense played (caveat coming) considering how long they spent on the field each game.  they did tire, but stuck with it.  lets be sure to delineate GERGs responsibilities with those of barwis.

keep in mind, im proCC, i just think barwis did a good job.

Joined: 09/20/2010

MGoPoints: 2386

markusr2007

January 4th, 2011 at 2:27 PM ^

The only area of surprise for me was injuries and recovery from injuries.

I thought Barwis would give UM players Jedi-like healing powers, especially at running back, which has been a triage unit since 2004.

I was wrong about that.

But otherwise Michigan's S&C program has been outstanding.  Ask Brandon Graham. It's hard to judge Barwis completely because Michigan's team has been very young the last 3 years.

Joined: 10/21/2008

MGoPoints: 19372

jabberwock

January 5th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^

RR used Barwis EXTENSIVELY during recruiting weekends/on campus visits.

Every player that visited either loved him, or was intimidated as hell by him.

His loss will be felt in more ways than one.

Joined: 07/04/2008

MGoPoints: 51146

Coldwater

January 6th, 2011 at 10:09 AM ^

Barwis is not a super-power, mystical strength training guru wizard we all made him out to be.    He's a gravel-voiced, manic energy guy that brought an updated strength and conditioning system to Michigan.       He didn't turn cornerbacks that run a 4.6 forty into cornerbacks that run a 4.4 forty.

 

Yes, he is an asset to the athletic department but he's not irreplaceable.  There are many S & C coaches that can come in a continue and/or tweek his system and bring positive results to the football program. 

Joined: 12/14/2008

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