One of many off-season considerations…

I’m sick of it. What used to be a strength has now become a weakness. It used to be the guys on the other side of the ball who were sucking wind in the South Florida sunshine and unable to last four quarters.

My how times have changed.

If you talk to Canes from the earlier part of this decade, it’s all about Swasey, as in Strength & Conditioning coach Andreu Swasey. These NFLers head back to The U in the off-season, train alongside current Miami guys and employ the practices of the Miami-bred, Carol City Cane. Swasey has run the show since 2001 but was an assistant at The U 1997, 1998 and 2000.

Whatever was in the water back then, sure ain’t the same in 2007. I’m not knocking Swasey but I’m also not buying into his hype simply based on past Canes who sing his praises. I look at the product on the field and I see a Miami team getting its ass handed to them weekly. I see other teams better conditioned than the Canes and it’s time to at least entertain a new option regarding making Miami into “Miami” again.

Actually, I want to see a new old option.

Lloyd Carr is stepping down at Michigan on Monday and rumors are swirling that LSU’s head honcho Les Miles is the top candidate on the Wolverines’ radar. Miles has deep Michigan roots and if he can get the job done for the Tigers this year, it’d make all the sense in the world to head north. Hell, even if LSU loses the rest of their games, it’d be a no-brainer move for Miles. The money, the new challenge and a chance to return home?

If and when this happens, Randy Shannon needs to get on the horn with Tommy Moffitt immediately. For those not in the know, Moffitt has been the strength and conditioning coach at LSU since 2000. Before that, he did his time at The U between 1998-1999, whooping a Butch Davis led bunch to the promised land.

Moffitt was named Big East Strength & Conditioning coach of the year (1998) and was as big a part of Miami’s return to prominence as any other coach or player on roster back then.

Some tidbits from Moffitt’s bio:

Since taking over his current position at LSU, Moffitt’s offseason program has helped the Tigers post a 70-20 mark.

Moffitt was appointed as LSU’s Strength & Conditioning Coordinator on Jan. 10, 2000. In February of 2000, Moffitt was named the 1999 Collegiate Football Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.

In seven years with the Tigers, Moffitt has developed LSU into one of the most durable teams around by combining a program that focuses on both strength and speed. Moffitt has also incorporated a weekly karate routine in the Tigers’ offseason program. The karate program increases the player’s flexibility, while forcing the team to stay focused for a lengthy period of time.

Durability? Certainly an issue with the amount of Hurricanes injuries we’ve seen these past few years.

Flexibility? More flexibility couldn’t hurt. Especially on defense where we’ve seen a lot of stiffness and tightness at the linebacker position.

Focus? I dare someone to tell me these Canes couldn’t use a little more focus come game time.

I realize Swasey has the support of the past and current Canes, and why not? 36-year old local guy who gets down and dirty with the kids, training and working with them during the off-season and in fall. That said, where’s the innovation? The science of strength & conditioning is ever-changing. New practices need to be employed when old ones aren’t working.

Moffitt was an instant success with the Canes in the late 90s and since leaving Miami seven years ago, he’s still one of the best in the game. LSU is No. 1 in the nation, is chock full of conditioned, stud athletes and they’re in the hunt every year. Lest not forget it was Moffett’s Tigers who out-conditioned and out-hustled the Canes en route to a 40-3 beating a few Decembers ago.

You remember that one. It was the kind of beating Miami used to give other less conditioned programs.

I don’t even know if Moffitt would be interested, but with Miles heading north there would definitely be a shake up with the coaching staff in Baton Rouge. Who heads to LSU? Does Moffitt want to work for the next coach? He stuck around for the Nick Saban to Miles transition and his seven years with the Tigers is much longer than his two year stint at The U or four year run under Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee (1994-1997).

As fate would have it, Shannon and Moffitt have no history at Miami. The two years Moffitt was running strength & conditioning, Shannon was a defensive assistant with the Dolphins. That said, if I’m Shannon this is one of the first calls I make in the off-season.

Many things need to change for the Canes to be a contender again, but first and foremost is conditioning. Coach Swasey either needs to reach into his bag of tricks and come up with some new tactics regarding turning our kids into machines again or it’s time to look elsewhere and find someone ready for the challenge of rebuilding Miami.

Worst case, head over to the strength & conditioning offices and look for any of Moffitt’s old notes and files regarding the blueprint used to whoop this program back into shape a decade ago.

.:Canes305:.

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