Strength and Conditioning Coach Derek Owings Wants to Make 'Fastest, Most Violent Team in America'

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

When Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti arrived in Bloomington in December, he basically cleaned house with the football staff, which included the strength program. Cignetti brought in Derek Owings, who Cignetti calls the best strength coach in America, from James Madison.

Owings was the latest guest on Under the Hood with IU Football with Rhett Lewis. He set the tone for what he wants to build in the weight room.

“We're trying to make the fastest most violent team in America period.” Owings told Lewis. To do this Owings and his staff are “going to train to a full full range of motion, time under tension, build size, strength, robustness, and we're going to train speed twice a week.”

Much like David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea, Owings uses GPS data and a lot of technology in his program.

“From a weight room standpoint, we utilize Perch, which tracks all of our bar speed. We use a force plate which tracks our player readiness, but also our player power.” Owings explained. “We use a system called Nord board that tracks our hamstring strength but also asymmetry knowing that if one is stronger than the other, the chance of injury is gonna be higher. So how do we get that guy in a safer spot? We utilize lasers twice a week, like I said on our top end and our acceleration days we can track how fast our guys are.”

Owings is under the supervision of Cignetti, but that is a trusting relationship.

“The biggest thing that I love about (Cignetti) is he lets me do my job. You know there's a lot of coaches that want to micromanage. They want to have this, they want to have that, inside the strength conditioning department. He always tells me I hired you for a reason, ‘go out there and do the best job in America and for me’. Our our vision is right in line with fast physical, relentless, that's how we train.” Owings said.

The Hoosiers are right in the middle of winter conditioning and working on Owings vision. IU opens spring practice on March 21st and will hold their spring game on Thursday, April 18th.