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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a roster full of players and coaches, and we want to talk about them all. One Foot Down’s player profile series will take a look at every single one of them, and hopefully we all learn a little bit more about these guys, and Notre Dame’s chances for the upcoming 2020 season
Matt Balis: Strength and Conditioning
Up next is Head Strength Coach, Matt Balis. In most colleges, strength coaches are a bit more behind the scenes, but not at Notre Dame. Balis has been credited with a lot of the turnaround following the disastrous 2016 campaign. Players rave about him, and shared results with the #builtbybalis hashtag a few years back. He has a wealth of experiences coming from places like Mississippi State, Virginia, Utah, and UConn among others. His work has shown on a national stage more recently with guys dominating the combine, with incredibly memorable showings from Miles Boykin in 2019 and Chase Claypool in 2020. It is a big testament to the Strength staff when when players put up such great speed/power numbers. Also, shoutout this terrifying transformation of Te’von Coney....
Trust in the process #BodyBuiltByBalis pic.twitter.com/8fdQGJRZA0
— Tough Choices (@TevonConey) April 8, 2017
Spirit Animal
Pitbull
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No explanation really needed here. He is intense, loyal, and a DOG. Also he sounds like what I imagine a Pitbull would sound like....
2020 Outlook
Balis has arguably one of the most important jobs for Notre Dame Football right now. He is in charge of ensuring guys are getting in shape the right way. He lost the Spring and the early parts of the summer, which are critical in preparing guys for the season an ensuring their bodies and minds are prepared. Additionally, guys had varying access to equipment so the shape they come in will definitely vary. The hope is that he takes an incredibly strategic, individualized approach to ensure all the guys can prevent injury early in the 2020 Season. A tough reality of Covid is that 2020 will be filled with a lot more injuries because of the unique training/preparations that will take place. I believe ND will suffer some, but Balis will take the lead and give the Irish the best shot to keep the guys healthy, strong, and ready for 2020.