Nick Saban has found has man. Less than a week after Scott Cochran left the Crimson Tide to become the Special Teams coach at Georgia, Alabama has a new Strength & Conditioning Coach. David Ballou, who has held the same position at Indiana for the past two years, has accepted the position.
Ballou was the Co-Director of Football Strength & Conditioning at Notre Dame in 2017. Prior to that he was Head Strength Coach at IMG Academy in Florida. Can you say recruiting?
Indiana Athletic Performance Coach Matt Rhea will also be joining the Crimson Tide. Rhea was also at IMG, as the its head of sports science.
The addition of Rhea coincides with the addition of Alabama’s new Sports Science Center.
“As we do with every position that opens here, we will go out and hire the best person to lead our strength and conditioning program,” Saban said last week, “and help our players maximize the resources available in our new sports science facility.”
Many have considered the loss of Cochran to be a blow to the Alabama program. One thing is always a certainty, however. Nick Saban always has a contingency plan. These two hires look to be the right people at the right time.
We’ll be following up with detailed stories on Ballou and Rhea in the days to come.
UPDATE: Get To Know David Ballou & Matt Rhea
Alabama Leads All Schools With Four NFL All-Pro Selections
Four former University of Alabama players have been selected to the NFL All-Pro Team, the most of any school. The players are Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, Minka Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens, and Julio Jones...
Nick Saban Reacts To Tua’s Announcement to Enter NFL Draft
Tua Tagovailoa Will Enter 2020 NFL Draft
Tua Tagovailoa announced Monday his intent to forego his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa made it clear that his decision was one of faith and that he relied heavily on the council of his family, Coach Nick Saban, and members of the clergy during...
DeVonta Smith Will Return To Alabama For Senior Season
Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith has announced that he will return to Alabama for his senior season. Smith's had 68 receptions in 2019 for a team-leading 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns. With the return of Smith at least half of Alabama's fabulous foursome of...
Tua Tagovailoa Announcement Scheduled For Today (1/6) at 11:00 AM Central
Today, Alabama fans will get the answer they've been eagerly awaiting. Will he stay or will he go? Tua Tagovailo is scheduled to make his future football plans known at an 11:00 am CT press conference to be held at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility. Nick Saban is...
Jerry Jeudy Makes It Official, He Will Enter the 2020 NFL Draft
Jerry Jeudy has officially announced his intent to enter the 2020 NFL Draft. The 2018 Biletnifkoff Award winner is expected to be a Top 10 pick and has a good chance to be the first wide receicer selected. Jeudy finished both his Sophomore and Junior seasons with over...
Bryce Young Named All American Bowl MVP
Alabama signee Bryce Young was named the All-American Bowl MVP after leading the West team to 33-20 victory over the East team Saturday. Young was 6 of 9 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He will report to Tuscaloosa tomorrow (January 5). Young was named the...
Alabama OT Jedrick Wills Announces NFL Draft Decision
Alabama junior right tackle Jedrick Wills has announced his plans regarding his football future. On Saturday, Wills announced via Twitter that he will forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft. Seven4 Out✌🏽 1Łuv BamaNation🖤#RollTide 4eva...
Alabama Defeats Michigan in Vrbo Citrus Bowl
After a somewhat sluggish first half in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl, Alabama dominated both sides of the ball in the second half to easily defeat the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 35-16. The win gave the Crimson Tide an 11-win season for a record-setting ninth...