With the first day of spring practice in two weeks, Nick Saban is trying to hire a new face for Alabama at strength and conditioning coach.
Fans became very excited with the idea of having Alabama native, Aaron Feld, yet it appears that he may remain with the Oregon Ducks.
Two candidates were interviewed this week – including David Ballou of Indiana.
Once a fullback for the Hoosiers from 1997-99, Ballou spent 13 seasons as a strength and conditioning coach at Avon High School from 2002-14. He helped the program to six state championships in multiple sports and produced 80 Division I athletes. He would then arrive at IMG Academy in 2015 with Dr. Matt Rhea and greatly improved its speed training and injury prevention in two years. Some of Ballu’s best work came in 2017 with Notre Dame as its Co-Director of Strength and Conditioning.
He assisted the Fighting Irish to a 10-3 season and conditioned a 1,000-yard running back in Josh Adams (1,430). Ballou placed two offensive linemen – Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey – in the top-10 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Also, the 2017 Fighting Irish won the Joe Moore Award.
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In two years at Indiana, Ballou helped the team go from five wins (2018) to eight wins last season – the most it has had since 1993. According to Matt Weaver, an insider for the Indiana Hoosiers via 247Sports, Ballou has been offered the job at Alabama.
Should he take it, there is a strong possibility that Dr. Rhea comes with him.
Rhea joined Indiana in 2018 as an athletics performance coach. He was the head of sports science at IMG from 2016 to 2017 and he launched a company in 2001 that provides direction in all areas of athletic development, speed training, injury performance and performance optimization to clients in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, International Olympic programs and top collegiate athletic departments.
Rhea has worked as a football strength and conditioning coach for 13 years and has published nearly 100 studies in performance enhancement.
If Alabama cannot land Feld, the duo of Ballou and Rhea is the next best option.
In Friday’s airing of In My Own Words, yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine breaks down Ballou and what makes him a strong candidate for the Tide.
Check out the video below.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
