Thursday, July 26, 2012

Well Represented





It may not be The Sporting News, but I'm grateful that the College Sports Madness website is continuing to cover the Ivies and posting another preseason All Ivy list.

Big time preseason favorite Harvard dominates the list with 16 players, eight of them on the 1st team. What's puzzling is that they also pick Harvard Coach Tim Murphy as the choice for coach of the year. I mean with all those top players, why is Murphy expected to do the best job this year?

Eight Lions made the list, including two on the first team. The big surprise was INCOMING FROSH linebacker Alec Davison making the 3rd team. Yes, we all think Davison is a super recruit, but it's a stretch to predict he'll be as good as an honorable mention All Ivy when it's really not even clear he'll crack the starting lineup. 

On the other hand, giving Davison this kind of recognition is really a great vote of confidence to Head Coach Pete Mangurian and his staff for keeping this recruit roped in even after last season imploded and the previous coaching staff, (that initially recruited Davison of course), was wiped out. 
Sean Brackett made the 2nd team at QB, not too shabby since returning Bushnell Cup winner Jeff Mathews was a shoo-in for 1st team at that position. 

On the 1st team, we have OL Scott Ward and Josh Martin who was listed as a LB even though he's going back to the D-line this season. 

I was especially happy to see punter Paul Delaney on the 2nd team and Alec Fisher, who went through a real trial by fire as a freshman last season, make the 3rd team.


New Strength Coach


Yesterday, Columbia named Ryan Cidzik as the new strength conditioning coach for football and all outdoor sports.


It may come as a surprise for many of you to learn that the search process for Cidzik was actually MUCH more extensive than the search for Mangurian back in December.


One of Mangurian's first priorities when he first arrived was to overhaul this strength program and a true national search was undertaken.


Cidzik spent two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in the NFL. He was with the Jets in 2009 and the Browns before that. Last year he was the director of strength and conditioning for the University of Memphis football program.


Cidzik is considered by many to be one of the nation's most sought-after coaches on the topic of concussion prevention for football players. 


It can't be overstated how important this position is for the Lions, who must overcome multiple areas where they were simply not prepared to win in recent years. That preparation starts in the weight room.


And here's a look at what he can do in the weight room himself!




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