The following is an excerpt from The Wolverine's annual football preview magazine, which can be ordered here.
If ever there were a guy born to work for someone like Jim Harbaugh, Ben Herbert is that man. Rugged, no-nonsense, high expectations of his players — all are traits common to both Michigan’s head coach and his first-year strength coach. Their “do the work, no excuses” approach has worked for both guys in their various coaching stops.
Perhaps the best evidence of the duo’s similarities is summed up in one anecdote from Herbert’s time at Arkansas, where he worked under Bret Bielema from 2013-17.
He had followed the coach from Wisconsin, where ‘Herb’ was a Rose Bowl champion, four-year letterman and two-year starter on the defensive line from 1998-2001.
When he became the team’s full-time strength coach in 2009, much was made of a unique incentive he brought with him. The players who performed best actually got to work out harder and more strenuously, and sometimes more often.
If that sounds familiar, it should. When Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor in 2015, he did something similar — he made the guys who fared best in sprints and in practice do more.
“He explained it well, and I felt guys had a good attitude about it,” former receiver Amara Darboh recalled. “Only the guys that win get a chance to get better.”
Herbert’s top four weight room performers at Wisconsin used to earn invitations into a special “Black Room” workout. Only those four were allowed into a small room that had once been a closet, where a picture of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson welcomed them with his quote: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
There, they got the super wash of workouts, far more rigorous and detailed, designed to help them reach an elite level. It also served as an incentive for the rest of the team to join them.
When Herbert and Harbaugh met for the first time during the interview process and they bounced ideas off each other, they found out quickly they were kindred spirits.
“I was excited, to say the least,” Herbert recalled. “When Coach Harbaugh and I first spoke, it was as natural and easy a conversation as I’ve ever had with anyone. I think philosophically how Coach Harbaugh views things — and ultimately, things he takes pride in and things he believes in — are very in line with the things that I’ve been taught and learned to view as important over the years.
“It was a very smooth undertaking. The conversation was effortless. Once we had a chance to get in front of each other and spend some time face-to-face, it seemed like it was going to be a very good fit, and fortunately, it’s been just that.”
Herbert’s unique style doesn’t end with his ‘winners do more’ approach.
At each of his stops he’s also introduced his team to “The Governor” and “The Deacon,” a pair of plants he brought in that both started off healthy and flourishing.
He first did it prior to Wisconsin’s 2009 season, with a sign underneath one that read: “I’m The Governor. I take pride in how I care about myself. I focus on nutrition, hydration and meal frequency.”
The other’s tag read: “I’m The Deacon. What’s going on? I’ve heard all these things about feeding the body well and hydrating, but I’ve got this far doing it my own way.”
He fed The Governor fertilizer and water. The Deacon received booze, beer and other junk food. Not surprisingly, The Governor shot up and looked beautiful, while The Deacon “looked and smelled so bad that guys were begging me to get it out of the weight room.”
It’s part of Herbert's approach to take a comprehensive look at strength training, he said.
With over 170 full-color, glossy, action-packed pages of Michigan football information, this magazine is a must-have for the upcoming season! A hard copy (while supplies last) or digital version (for just $6.99) can be ordered by clicking here or the banner below.
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