JayhawkSlant.com - Holsopple getting most from players

July 24, 2012

Jon Kirby

Some of the Kansas football players are going through their third strength and conditioning coach in four years. That is one of the areas that needed a quick overhaul when a new staff was hired.

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis said finding a good strength and conditioning coach was one of his biggest tasks. Weis mentioned assistants are on the road recruiting in December and January when a new staff comes in. In the summer time the S&C coach oversees all of the development so it is an important position that doesn't make headlines.

Weis meets with Holsopple three times a week to go over the summer development. Weis can't attend summer workouts so he has to rely on Holsopple's information.

"Holsopple is really happy with how they are working," Weis said. "He likes the progress being made."

Senior offensive lineman and captain Tanner Hawkinson believes the strenuous workouts under Holsopple will pay off down the road.

"He's been great," Hawkinson said of Holsopple. "Workouts have been tough with the heat and what he's been running us through. In the winter they started us off full speed and with what he's doing there's really no question about what he's putting you through. You know it's going to carry over and help you on the field. Whatever he wants you to do you're going to do it. He knows what he's doing in the weight room. He's very easy to work with."

Every new strength coach will bring their own ideas to the program. Many have their own way of doing things and Holsopple has incorporated his style of doing things. Before Holsopple got into the strength and conditioning profession he was a boxer. He has used some of his past with the Kansas program.

"It's just a different feel," said Toben Opurum, a team captain on defense. "Every strength coach is going to bring something different to the table and he brings a different level of intensity that most people can't handle. With him being a former boxer, we're doing different workouts that we've never done before and everything we're doing gets measured so you can see your numbers increase week by week. Throughout the summer, guys' bench and squats have increased. It's nice to be able to see that stuff."

Every summer at every school questions come up about the progress in the strength and conditioning program. When asked to compare the past staff to the current one, Hawkinson wanted to focus on the positive things the current coaches are doing.

"I don't want to dwell too much on what's happened in the past," Hawkinson said. "What we've got going so far with coach Weis, coach Holsopple and the rest of the strength staff, it's just gone really good and we're really excited for this upcoming year."

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