On Michigan's success from his perspective
Incredibly rewarding. The thing to me is you work daily, weekly, and monthly throughout the year to go out and to play at a high level. To see it come to fruition, it's just incredibly rewarding to see the coaching staff, to see our players reap the reward of the work that we all put in. The things, the sacrifices, we all make, the commitment we make to this program. To see that come to fruition, there's no better feeling.
On how he's seen the culture develop
I think one of the coolest parts for me is you see the guys like Hutch and Josh Ross, Andrew Vastardis, these types of guys, that group, the 21 group, bite, claw, scratched to start, what took place in 21. The group they passed the torch to. It's one thing to build it, it's another thing—you have success. To sustain it, it's a unique challenge in and of itself. To be part of that, to see these guys embrace that in 22 and this group, to embrace that, to want that, it's powerful. It is a powerful thing to see. Dailly, for me to be part of making sure that with a lot of other people in leadership roles in this program, we're not doing it any other way. This is how we're gonna do it. We're always looking for ways to improve but the things we know are corrosive. We're treating them like the plague and we're not going to fall victim to these things that have the potential to impact everything that people have done to get it to where it is. That's an incredibly rewarding thing to be part of.
On how he keeps things fresh but to the same standard
I think the thing that I love is there's a level of consistency we do and, in training, I believe there has to be a level of consistency. We want them physically and mentally to be able to adapt to what they're doing. I never want this sense of comfort, especially mental comfort. They never know what they're doing when they come into the room. I shouldn't say never, rarely do they know. It's something as simple as, our guys, people in general, they want to know what is in store in their life, just in general. What's to come, what's going to happen so I can plan for it. This game, that's not a luxury that we have because what's going to take place, even though you may have a good feeling or understanding of what our opponent is going to do, things change. Circumstances change. We know this now better than ever. It's that mental task of, regardless of what I put in front of you, we're going to conduct our business, you're going to attack this work a certain way. I'm here to make sure that takes place. I don't want them to get stale. We don't change just to change and do things because maybe you lose interest. Coach often references mind-numbing repetition. I believe in that wholeheartedly. There's different ways to package things so that the guys remain fresh. Also, their body, when I want it to have to adapt to new stimuli, we expose them to those things, I never want them to get stale. We walk in a room, ugh, here we go again. There's always a level of variety and I am creative in how I administer certain things. Even though it may seem completely different. In reality, the body is getting exposed to things that are very similar.
On how he's seen the 2023 team adapting
You know what's funny, there's circumstances we'll create in the offseason to simulate and you always want the simulation to carry over to real life. There's times, I tell our guys, you may not be blessed with this adversity. However, and remember, I say we may not be blessed, it's a blessing, this adversity is a blessing to us all. I want them to see it like that. I'll never forget, you find out on the plane at Penn State. I'm coming down the stairs and there's some people standing at the bottom. I was talking to a few people and see some guys coming down the stairs and I'm just looking, I look right in their eyes, and they just give me this smirk. This little smile. I'm just smiling back, just a subtle smile. We just know. Sitting with some guys at dinner that night and we've just got this grin on our face because we've been blessed with this opportunity, what people call adversity. This uncomfortable, potentially detrimental, circumstance that we get to overcome. It's an incredible opportunity. Then, to go do what we've done, there's no better lesson learned that will pay dividends for us with the young men in this program into the future. It's incredible.
On having the Associate Head Coach title added
For coach to view me that way, first, for coach to hire me into the role he did in 2018 to become the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Michigan, there's a plaque outside my office. You know Mike Gittleson, it's dedicated to him to represent that title. Incredibly rewarding. Then for coach to work daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and to earn enough trust and respect to be given the title of Associate Head Coach, it's the single greatest honor for someone I look up to and I respect like coach. For him to see me and view me in that light. To put me in a position, a leadership position, both positions, it is incredibly humbling but a tremendous, tremendous honor for me to receive that title.
On whether he can tell the potential of a team at the beginning of the offseason
You could see it instantly. The first workout of 2023, the look that this group had in their eyes. The hunger that they had, the drive that they had to do what it is they're currently doing was apparent. This was not random, this was not by chance. It was by design. Myself and my staff, day one, you could look in their eyes and you could see it clearly. Their purpose, their vision, it was clear. The best part is how they conducted their business in a training environment was obvious. You can see it in that way, that's one end. You could also see it when the group doesn't have that. When they don't have it, the key is are they willing to develop it. All groups aren't this group but you have groups, over the course of time, I've seen groups that don't have it and then they develop it. Then you see groups that unfortunately don't have it and they aren't as interested or aren't interested in developing it. The groups that we've had, and especially this group, they had it right away. Day one. We knew, I knew, as soon as I looked in their eyes and they're looking at me like, give it to us, come on, let's go.
On integrating transfer portal players
It's been incredible. Now, especially the guys that have come here, they made the decision to come to Michigan. I was able to play a role in that process. Giving them clarity on what we do, how we do it from a training standpoint. Now, others can see the success that when you come to Michigan the opportunities, you conduct your business a certain way, the opportunities that await you. It's clear, I'll never forget, I sat with Olu when he went through the process. His older brother said to me, Coach Herb, Olu has been doing this. I kind of sat back in my chair and I said, doing this? He goes, you know, doing this collegiate strength and conditioning. I smile, and I said, I don't know what he's been doing but he hasn't been doing this. Then his brother said, sounds good. And I had a big smile on my face and I said, I agree, talk is cheap. You'd like me to show you. Then, I was able to put my hands on Olu and teach, show, do some things and then his brother, oh, this is different. Then you go into, and that's the best part, what's going to happen. We're not hoping, we're not going to try and tap into your full potential. This is what's going to happen if you come here. We know what happened with Olu and these other guys who come into our program. You're gonna come here and the expectation, how we work and how we do things, you're going to do what we do. I want you to bring your personality and all those things but what you've done, we do things a certain way, Guys, I mean, these guys that have come into the program have embraced it. They've been incredible additions and they've impacted Michigan football tremendously.
On what he's seen from the offensive and defensive lines
I think a great example of it, LaDarius Henderson, just the mentality. He did not start the season. I can't off the top of my mind, as I think about it, when he became our starting left tackle but multiple games into the season I'm just watching his demeanor because he was so incredible in the offseason. How he trained, the mentality that he brought. I'm just waiting for the pouty, mopey guy that's disgruntled. Never saw it. His work and the other guys, they all take that mentality. Josaiah Stewart on the other side of the ball. When they get their opportunity, LaDarius got his opportunity, he was ready for the opportunity and took full advantage of it. Stew, Cam Goode, some of these guys, when their opportunities have come, they mentally and physically have been prepared to take advantage of those opportunities. Their willingness to play their role and do whatever they can do for the betterment of the team. That's been the most incredible part. Trente Jones waiting, he doesn't know he's going to be put in a role that he was in (on Saturday), comes in and played how he played and how he's going to play this upcoming week and into the future. The selflessness and the patience, I always tell guys having patience and urgency simultaneously, it's a challenge but it will be beneficial to you. They listen and then their opportunity comes, they impact our team in a positive way.
On how he's seen the captains and team leaders grow
It's incredibly important. I think the key is they have to have examples. When you're in a program, it's no different than myself, when you're in a program where you're a leader, our head football coach, Coach Harbaugh, is the toughest man in the building. No one—there's no disputing that. He's proved it. How he still trains with pain or without pain, the type of player he was, the type of collegiate player he was, the type of pro that he was. That toughness and that mentality starts at the top. Everybody else, it's the rest of our jobs to keep up and to represent ourselves in a way that's reflective of our head football coach. For the young men that we have leading our team, they see that. It makes it easier and it's something—the cool part is with this group and the groups that we've had is that it's something that they aspire to be like. They want to be that way. Then, when they are, they become that, which they are, they're war daddies, all of a sudden you have what we have. They see it, this is what it looks like, coach communicates and says the things he needs to say. He represents what you do speaks so loudly I can't hear what you say. I do my best to represent that. Our guys, that's what they do and then they set the tone for the whole football team. That trickle-down effect is incredibly valuable.
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