The Crowton Years vs Mendenhall Years- Volume I (yes, there are volumes)
Crowton’s head coaching years have been talked about and analyzed by everyone under the sun. Everyone has their own opinion about his coaching abilities, both good and bad. My experiences during these years varied, but I noticed significant differences in the way the program operated during the Crowton years as opposed to the Mendenhall era. In this first installment, I want to discuss the developmental aspects of the program also known as the weight-training.
The first aspect of the program that needed to be changed after Crowton left was the off-season/winter training regiment. Under Crowton, the summer/winter work-outs were ineffective (to put it delicately.) It wasn’t that the training program wasn’t in place, there just wasn’t enough attention paid to the players’ development and progression. Players would lift if they wanted to, but if they didn’t have the internal desire to improve, there wasn’t anyone there to put on the pressure and make sure each player not only showed up, but showed improvement. During my first 2 years under the Crowton regime, I was never asked to set goals or obtain a certain level of conditioning. I worked out because that is what I was scheduled to do. I didn’t have a specific purpose to my workouts. Also, during the summertime, when physical development is the most important, attendance was extremely low and there wasn’t any accountability for missed workouts. All in all, there was a lack of responsibility to your teammates and coaches. Coach Mendenhall fixed this with player leadership after he was appointed HC.
During Bronco’s early years he was dedicated to pushing the safeties to a level of conditioning that was previously unknown by BYU players. Players would hope and wish that the coaching staff would have meetings or other engagements during the team work-out sessions. I remember the worst work-out of my life was provided me by Bronco just prior to spring football beginning (NCAA approved period). Dustin Gabriel and I were lifting partners, and on this special day, Bronco decided to run us through our work-out. We went from lift to lift with no rest, super setting every lift until we couldn’t even lift a 15 pound weight over our heads. I can assure you that Coach Mendenhall was very sore from spotting us throughout our work-out.
We finished the work-out about 20 minutes early and thought we had survived. Oh no, we were not even close to done. Bronco took us over to the stationary bikes and fired those bad boys up. He would require that we keep the RPM’s above a certain level during intervals of time. If we fell under the required speed, we would have to repeat the interval. Completion of all of the intervals meant we were done. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Coach Mendenhall shook his head and asked us to “go again” for 20 minutes. It was HELL, that is the only way I could describe it. HELL.
The weight training program is the life blood of a college program. If young players aren’t pushed and developed with these programs, as the years go on, teams will underachieve. The lifting program was the first aspect of the program that Bronco cleaned up. He mixed up lifting groups so that offensive players lifted with defensive players. He brought the assistant coaches into every fall/winter work-out (the designated NCAA approved time) and they would chase their players around the weight-room. He also instituted better record keeping that measured a players development by using benchmarks and keeping track of max effort lifts. At the end of spring football, when each player meets with his position coach, the players max efforts are examined and new goals are set. Records are kept to ensure that players develop in a way that will maximizes their on field potential.
There is still a huge amount of attention allocated to the weight training program and it has continued to develop as Coach Mendenhall and Coach Omer have worked together. Another change that occurred after Crowton left is a weight room dress code. Every player dresses alike. There are no individuals no matter who you are. There has also been more attention put towards the Olympic lifts such as cleans and snatches. For instance, the benchmark for the clean lift is 300 lbs. In 2007, I think something like 50 players or more lifted at 300 lbs. For the record, I never made it to 300 lbs. The most I ever did was 296 lbs. (I know… boo-hoo) I came so close so many times, but I could never finish the lift with 300 lbs. on the bar. As a side note – a clean is when you start with the bar on the ground. Then you have to throw the weight up and catch it on the front part of your shoulders. Finally, you stand up, finishing the lift. It is a measure of explosive power- (Speed and strength in combination).
I will venture to say that Coach Omer’s lifting program is one of the best in the country. With the attention that is now being paid to the development of the future Cougars, our program will put stong and explosive players on the field every year.
Interesting stuff, Gooch. Do you think the weight program deteriorated under Crowton from what it used to be? As far as you could tell, what was the training regiment like pre-Crowton years? How about the ’80s?
Aren’t all of those off-season workouts ‘voluntary’?
I guess a coach can ask you to set goals at the end of the season, but doesn’t too much involvement with the non-mandatory workouts risk NCAA sanction?
Maybe a better title would be Pre-Bronco era vs. Present…I’m not sure the weight lifting programs were much better before Crowton, and I believe most schools were more casual in their programs. Though, I know Stanford, and others have had excellent systems (for all sports).
In all honesty I would have to get back to you about how the weight program was in the 80’s and 90’s when BYU was winning everything. That would be interesting to know. I would also have to look at how the game/players have developed since that time, because a comparison would be difficult.
Good stuff. What was the bench press goal. My cousin, who played for the yewetes under Oscar Meyer, said you had to bench 300 to to be able to play. Does BYU have a goal like that?
Yeah there are specific goals, but playing time isn’t granted to players for obtaining those benchmarks. It is more about player development.
The coaching staff has never done anything that would warrant a NCAA sanction. The coahes chase the players during the winter semester workouts, during the season, but they are never involved during the summer. During the summer the Seniors and Coach Omer take the reins of leading the workouts. Don’t misunderstand my words, Our staff has never violated any NCAA rule.
Maybe that explains why BYU games go so long; for all the injury time-outs for the other teams.
That is awesome material, it’s good to know they’re working so hard.
I work really hard to make sure I tivo every game and schedule my time to make sure the wings and chips and dip are ready for kick-off.
I know, I know, how do I do it?
The pre-directv package was difficult, it was hell not being able to watch games in Idaho, but now after the work-out of dropping dish network and having weird guys come in the house and change things around, I can see the fruits of my labor.
I’ve set goals to bench my 4 kids during commercials and time-outs.
Gooch, you’ve got some great stuff here; I really enjoy your insight on the program.
I seem to remember a few years back that we had a number of defensive backs go down in fall camp with hamstring and other leg injuries. Was that due to overconditioning/exertion from Bronco’s workout routine? What did Bronco do (if anything) to correct that and reduce injuries?
“I’ve set goals to bench my 4 kids during commercials and time-outs.”
Fine. But I want to know what goals you have set for them? We don’t want no slacker kids…
I remember when Crowton brought in Coach Omer – he was supposed to be a conditioning guru who was going to step up the team’s conditioning. Was his program not fully implemented, or is Bronco just pushing him to an even higher level?
I think the Crowton administration limited him in what he wanted to accomplish. Coach Omer really is one of the best out there, and I think Coach Mendenhall has allowed him to dig into his bag of tricks to unleash players full pontential.
That makes perfect sense. I don’t mean to minimize the talents of BYU athletes, but to a certain extent, the honor code, the locale, etc. prevents the Y from recruiting the most naturally gifted athletes. I’m glad Coach Mendenhall has decided to narrow the gap by emphasizing strength and conditioning.
Crowton was the one that hired Omer right.
Just to keep things in perspective, Gary Crowton is a great coach, an incredible offensive coordinator. LSU is doing things today that LSU players could have never pulled off in the past. Just watch them sometime or listen to the players talk. (For the record, I’d rank LSU #1 above the Sooners.)
Crowton is the guy who brought Bronco to Provo. He is still very close to Bronco and they speak often. Cleveland and Rose have the same kind of relationship.
Mendenhall’s programs are not to be contrasted with Crowton, but with every one of his predecessors. What he is doing is NOT a return to BYU tradition, it is a NEW program that HONORS the past and his predecessors, but is taking the program to a completely new level of discipline, performance and consistency.
What BYU Football is doing today has never been done before at BYU during any era; not by LaVell Edwards or Stan Watts, or anyone else. Bronco just has the good insight to position his program in a way that honors those who came before him, both players and coaches. But make no mistake about it, this is NOT the BYU football of the 80s.
BTW, Bronco is fooling us about his plan to ride into the sunset, buy a ranch and raise horses after five or ten more years at BYU. If politics or business doesn’t get him, the Church will in one capacity or another. And maybe that’s what he wants since he has said many times that he looks forward to serving a mission. But the Coach is now a marked man and retiring from football before he turns 50 isn’t going to mean 40 years of surfing, horses and Harleys.
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