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We're hearing from Phil Parker, Ken O’Keefe, and Raimond Braithwaite today.
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These are rough quotes and notes from the press conference. Not a full transcript.
Raimond Braithwaite
Opening Statement
First I'd like to thank you guys for giving us the opportunity to meet and talk about our program. I'd also like to recognize the rest of our strength staff. They have done an excellent job of helping our team. Prior to spring football, we were in an eight week training phase focused on developing strength and speed and did a good job with that. That training phase was our first uninterrupted block of training we've had in the last 11 months, so very important for our team development. The guys have done an excellent job in those areas. In the weight room, our guys have raised the standard. Guys like Tyler Linderbaum, Seth Benson, Jack Campbell, Kaevon Merriweather. They've led our team and shown the type of work it takes to get things done. Now transitioning that onto the field for spring practice.
Q: Logan Jones' numbers were off the charts. How much strength did he add versus where he came in and what kind of impact could he have this year?
RB: Logan came in pretty strong and he's gotten stronger. His numbers were pretty impressive for a freshman. He has a great skill set and has the potential to be impactful going forward.
Q: Not a lot of information out there about you. How did you become a strength coach.
RB: I did my undergrad at West Florida. Took a class in strength training and that pointed me in this direction. Originally was going to be a sports trainer. Then went to Florida State. Interviewed here and was here from 2002-04. Then got an opportunity at Delaware State, which was great to mold a program and start from scratch. Had three great years there and then had the opportunity to come back to Iowa and I jumped at it because had a great experience here, great people in the program and have been here since 2008.
Q: Mentioned some leaders in your opening. How do you go about finding guys like that? Is Hawkeye Championship still a thing?
RB: Leaders rise to their top on their own and team chooses them really. We help mold them. Hawkeye Championship is still a thing. It's a player driven competition and leaders make it what it is. Benefits come through development in leadership, horizontal leadership from freshmen up through seniors. That's how we improve and take the next step.
Q: When you take over the program, you probably had your own ideas. What sort of things did you change that were different?
RB: Good question. The changes I made were more logistical. COVID made us see things a little differently out of necessity. The way we group things were differently of course. The main principles of how we develop guys aren't going to change because our track record is good there. Just minor things to change.
Q: As far as Iowa way, did you decide to keep it a similar path because of success?
RB: The things that have led to success for current and former players, those things are universal across sports. Showing up on time, having discipline and accountability. We value those things. Guys want to be held accountable and want to be pushed, so that's what we're going to continue to do.
Q: Generally we see guys that take a leap in the weight room over the winter and then it translates to the field the next year. Any guys stand out like that to you?
RB: Yeah. One thing about the spring is it's our first spring practice in two years. I kind of lose perspective. I was talking to Tyler Goodson and he said it was his first spring ball and he's going to be a three year starter. So even someone like that has a ton of room for improvement. So I think it's across the board. Having this time to grow this year is a big opportunity. I think it's 60% of the team this is their first spring ball.
Q: Going back to the investigation, one of the top things was over monitoring players and creating anxiety. How have you changed that?
RB: Well, as far as over monitoring, one of the things we changed was sleep monitoring. We educate our guys on the value of sleep and how it's most prominent things. We used to monitor sleep for everyone. Now we just use it as a tool. We give freshmen the sleep monitor to wear it and we meet on it as a resource as they figure things out with practices and classes for the first time. We just meet about it with the freshmen and try to help them adjust to college.
Q: There are all kinds of ways to communicate individually. What is your way? Some strength coaches yell and bring the smoke more. How do you communicate?
RB: Obviously if you're a strength coach in a room with 50 guys, you're going to have to yell. I don't think that's a huge deal myself. I would say I ask a lot of questions. I don't ever assume that I know everything. If I see someone struggling, I don't automatically assume the player wasn't ready to train. I try to ask questions and see what else might be going on there.
Q: Any learning curves you encountered your first year and more comfortable this year?
RB: It definitely helps having the experience I had at Delaware State because it wasn't my first time running the program. There was definitely a learning curve in the summer time because more people need access to you when you're the head guy. You need your phone next to you at all times. That was probably the biggest adjustment was accessibility just being the main cog of communication.
Q: Ivory Kelly-Martin, where he is at in the rehab process? On track for the fall?
RB: I'm not going to go into any type of injury reports. I'll leave that to the head coach.
Q: In the past, every time a new athlete comes in they go through a battery of tests for symmetry and things. Do you still do those things?
RB: Yes, absolutely. It's imperative to do those things to evaluate athletes coming in. We take them through a functional movement screening because everyone comes in with different levels of training and obviously different genetics.
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