Saban's got his new guy:
Indiana’s David Ballou has accepted the Crimson Tide’s offer and, barring an unforeseen occurrence, is expected to be its next strength coach. Ballou served as the Hoosier football team’s director of athletic performance the last two years.
A former fullback at Indiana, Ballou interviewed at Alabama over the weekend, which went well, per sources. Ballou is regarded as one of the top strength coaches in college football.
Prior to Indiana, Ballou spent the 2017 season as Notre Dame’s co-director of football strength and conditioning. In the two years before that, he was the head football strength and conditioning coach at IMG Academy. From 2002-14, Ballow was the head strength and conditioning coach at Avon (Ind.) High School where he developed 80 Division I athletes.
A three-year letterwinner (1997-99) at Indiana, Ballou has long been connected to strength and conditioning. During his time in Bloomington, Ind., he was recognized as the Hoosier Strength Challenge Champion. He graduated from IU in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and earned his master’s degree in 2009 in human movement from A.T. Still University.
Along with Ballou, UA is also expected to hire Dr. Matt Rhea, an athletic performance coach at Indiana. Prior to his stint in Bloomington, Rhea was the head of sport science at IMG Academy (2016-17) and launched a consulting company in 2001, “providing direction in areas of athlete development, speed training, injury prevention and performance optimization” to clients.
The combination of Ballou and Rhea will get to work in Alabama’s new Sports Science Center, which will help to speed recovery and prevent injury. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban was sure to mention the new asset after he announced his search for a new strength coach.
From the Bama mod on their 247 board:
Have been told by someone close to Ballou that he turned down three NFL jobs last year and two this year. Very much in demand.
- Same source said it would take the perfect place and situation for him to leave. He’s an IU guy for a long time so Alabama is fortunate to land him. The ability to work with UA-type recruits was the biggest selling point.
- Also was told that UA is already in motion to upgrade the weight room for what Ballou/Rhea need for their system.
- As we told you when Cochran left, Saban saw this as a chance to change some things and upgrade to a newer, more up-to-date system. He was all in and did his due diligence here and wasn’t in a rush until he found his guy.
