MONDAY, AUGUST 19,2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 15B
Will the Wayne State football program have to cut corners?
Financial troubles create job vacancies at Detroit university
By Mike Madias
The South end Via W U Wrege
Wayne State University
DETROIT — Although sports have predetermined time to be "in season," any coach will say offseason training is just as important as in season training and practice schedules. A large part of training comes from weightlifting regimens and suggested running drills.
With only three weeks left before the first game of the season, the Wayne State football program does not have a formal, full-time strength and conditioning coach.
Former defensiveline coach Doug Elisaia included the direction of the strength and conditioning program into his duties when employed by the WSU football team.
Before his departure early this summer, Elisaia had set up a regimen with the services of an intern, J.L. Holdsworth, for the athletes to utilize over the summer
Despite the fact that Holdsworth completed his internship, he remains very involved with the football team.
"We are trying to move the football team to another (higher) level and we could use a strength and conditioning coach (to achieve that)," said head coach Steve Kazor. "We were told that one would start by the first of August."
All the way around the athletic department throughout the summer, there has been a number of vacancies on the staff list.
"The athletic director has been working hard to get the position filled. But, I guess in a time when finances are tight, it is difficult to add a new position to the program," Kazor said. "But, I am sure it will all work out."
WSU has its plans and objectives as outlined in the university's Strategic Action Plan that extends from 2000 up through 2006. Quoting from the plan: "We are responsible for the wise use of public resources and for contributions to society's well-being
... to accomplish our goals, we must be innovative in generating more of our own revenues while identifying
new opportunities for external support. This includes reviewing resources and program offerings to align resources more closely with goals.
"Moreover, we must work aggressively for strong state support while operating in the most cost-effective manner."
The state of Michigan has projected a $1 billion deficit over fiscal years 2002-2003. The state legislature is considering budget proposal that would cut funding to state universities.
These threatened cuts may be reflected in the university's budgetary restraint and "operating in the most cost-effective manner."
This may mean that working "aggressively for strong state support" may not be as easy as it was when the strategic plan was first written and the state was running surpluses.
The university that seeks to be "responsible for the wise use of public resources" may not be willing nor able to spend as much as it would like on the athletic department in general and on football in particular. Kazor said that his team has gotten increased support from the uiver-
"NCAA regulations prohibit team coaches from working their squads in the offseason. So we cannot directly supervise the training that our athletes do. We can give them suggested weight training programs and aerobic exercise, running sprints and dis-
tance"
sity this year. The football team posted three wins and eight losses last year.
Steve Kazor Wayne State football coach
Athletic departments at other universities have strength and conditioning coaches to keep athletes in top condition.
"NCAA regulations prohibit team coaches from working their squads in the offseason," Kazor said. "So we cannot directly supervise the training that our athletes do. We can give them suggested weight training programs and aerobic exercise, running sprints and distance."
Kazor said that from time to time his staff look in on their players as they work out in the weight room. Intern, Holdsworth has also been of assistance.
A more ideal scene was outlined by Rose Snyder. Snyder is both a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a certified athletic trainer. She is also a certified orthopedic physician assistant in the Henry Ford Health System.
Snyder and other professionals do strength and conditioning coaching for the Detroit Red Wings, Lions and Tigers at the Henry Ford Hospital William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine, at 6525 Second Avenue.
Typically, all (collection football) programs go through a winter conditioning program in January, February. March and then have some spring ball. There is a staff member designated as the strength coach. This person is in charge of all aspects of the conditioning process. Even the smaller (college athletic) programs have a designated strength and conditioning coach now."
Snyder said, "All athletes will benefit from and are entitled to equal access to the sports medicine team which can include certified athletic trainers, strength & conditioning specialists, physicians, nutritionists, sports psychologists, physical therapists, exercises physiologists, etc., etc."
The university's strategic plan commits it to working out the means "to move the university's athletic programs to Division 1," in the period between 2000 and 2006.
An equipped health facility stands on Gullen Mall, by the Student Center Building.
Nation's universities vie for recognition, victories
And a strength and conditioning program exists in the New Center area, about a mile north of campus.
The Associated Press
Larry Coker calls No.1 Miami's schedule daunting. yet absolutely believes his defending national champions are poised
for another perfect season.
"No doubt it can be done, and we feel like we can win every game," Coker says of a lineup that includes games against powerhouses Florida, Florida State and Tennessee.
"Is that realistic? Maybe not. But if we win every game it's a no-brainer — we're going to Tempe."
In the crazy world of the Bowl Championship Series, winning 'em all seems to be the
A new way to gain entry to the national title game. This season, the BCS championship game will be in the Fiesta Bowl at Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 3.
Perfection will be tougher to come by in 2002. Teams are playing
12 games instead of the usual 11 because the NCAA allows it when there's an extra Saturday between the Labor Day weekend and Nov. 30.
More than a dozen teams are playing 13 games courtesy of "presseason classics," and a few, like Nebraska, could end up playing 15 games.
"It make makes it tougher for teams to go undefeated." Coker says.
Despite the return of only 10 starters, Miami rests its repeat hopes on the accurate arm of quarterback Ken Dorsey and a defense led by hard-hitting linebacker Jonathan
Vilma.
"I'm looking for a repeat," "Canes center Brett Romberg says. "You're only as good as your last game and I hope to get a ring to prove it."
Nebraska is simply thinking about winning any game. The Huskers are trying to forget humiliating losses at the end of last season — 62-36 to Colorado and 37-14 to Miami in the Rose Bowl.
With Jammal Lord replacing departed Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch at quarterback, Nebraska opens Aug. 24 against Arizona State.
John Blake. "I think we're a football team that will be coming back with a purpose," Huskers coach Frank Solich says.
Nebraska isn't the only team trying to restore the glory days.
Notre Dame tops the list. Tyrone Willingham arrived from Stanford to take over a once-grand football team that has fallen mightily.
A 5-6 season led to the firing of Bob Davie, which led to the embarrassing resignation of his replacement. George O'Leary, five days into the job.
Six players left the team, including three who were expelled after a woman said she was raped. Quarterback Matt LoVecchio transferred, and leading rusher Julius Jones is academically ineligible.
A year to remember, says quarterback Carlie Holiday: "So many things happened in that one year that don't even happen to a team
for a whole generation."
Also looking to rise up for another national title run are Florida State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
The Seminoles lost four games for the first time since 1986, ending a 14-year run of Top 5 pinch wins and 10-win seasons. But with most of his players back, including quarterback Chris Rix, coach Bobby Bowden is counting on returning to the title game for the fourth time in five years.
"We're going to be very disappointed if we don't get right back into the middle of that fight." Bowden says.
Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas all blew
chances to play for the national crown in an incredible late-season sequence. First the 2000 champion Sooners were
knocked out of the chase with a loss to Oklahoma State; then came the Longhorns' loss to Colorado in the Big 12 title game and the Volunteers' loss to LSU in the
Oklahoma is ready to go again, with perhaps the most fearsome defense in the country anchored by tackle Tommie Harris and end Jimmy Wilkerson.
With Heisman hopeful Chris Simms back at quarterback, along with running back Cedric Benson and wide receivers Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson, Texas won't have problems scoring. All the 'Horns need to do is
"We've got a chance, but we're not much on this preseason stuff," coach Bob Stoops says of his team's No. 2 preseason ranking.
oan Oklahoma on Oct. 12, and they'll be in the title hunt.
"The program is walking with a swagger again," coach Mack Brown says. "We feel like we should be a Top 5 team and now we're at the point that if we do our jobs, there may come a time when the ball bounces right and we could win a national championship."
At Tennessee, the pass-catch combo of Casey Clausen to Kelley Washington has the
VolNation thinking SEC title, especially with nine games in state. Two big games are home — against Florida and Miami.
The Vols' motto this season: "Unfinished business." The reason? A 31-20
oss to LSU in the SEC title game. "We've got something to do," Clausen says. "To get to that point and not get it done, just talking to it sets a spark in me."
At The Swamp, Florida hopes to maintain the glory days under Steve Spurrier, who abruptly left for the Washington Redskins. Former Gators assistant Ron Zook takes over. And no matter how much he talks, travels and tries to outwork Spurrier, the 'Zooker knows the score.
"It obviously comes down to wins or losses," he says. "It makes no difference what people say now."
At least he has Heisman runner-up Rex Grossman back. The junior led the nation in passing — 3,896 yards and 34 TDs. Grossman towed with transferring after Spurrier left.
"It was a difficult decision," Grossman says. "But as soon as I got all the facts, it was pretty easy. I still want to be a Gator."
Looking for surprise teams? Try Georgia Tech in the ACC, Boston College in the Big
East, Michigan State in the Big Ten, Texas A&M in the Big 12. Arizona in the Pac-10 and Georgia in the SEC.
This could be a strong year for quarterbacks. In addition to Dorsey, Simms, Rix, Clausen and Grossman, there's no less than a dozen other big
guns out there, including Washington State's Jason Gesser, Marshall's Byron Leftwich, Louisville's Dave Ragone, Mississippi's Eli Manning, Louisiana Tech's Luke McCown and Boise State's Ryan Dinniew.
Look West for the best running back in the country — Oregon's Otterrio Smith, who topped 1,000 yards last season in the Ducks' 11-1 season. Other top runners include Texas' Benson, Wisconsin's Anthony Davis, LSU's LaBrandon Toefield, Virginia Tech's duo of Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones and Colorado's trio of Chris Brown, Bobby Purify and Marcus Houston.
As for games, there's a few you don't want to miss: Miami at Florida on Sept. 7; Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas and Florida State at Miami on Oct. 12; and Miami at Tennessee on Nov. 9.
Pac-10 rivals Cal and Stanford both have new coaches - Jeff Tedford at Cal, Buddy Teevens at Stanford.
Other schools with new coaches include Indiana (Gerry DiNardo), Kansas (Mark Mangino), Navy (Paul Johnson) and Vanderbilt (Bobby Johnson).
Miami opens the season with I-A's longest winning streak at 22 games; Duke has the longest losing streak at 23 games.
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