Indiana University Athletics
Caton Transitioning Quickly Into New Role
1/21/2016 2:11:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Newly-hired strength and conditioning coach Keith Caton hasn't yet spent a week with Indiana football, but he's already outlined the framework for the team's success moving forward.
And it's hardly complex.
"We're going to eat breakfast, we're going to run fast and we're going to squat heavy," Caton said. "All the other stuff? We can deal with it when it comes."
The former Baylor strength and conditioning coach jumped into leading Indiana's offseason workouts Tuesday with those three pillars in mind. It's the framework of a formula he's developed over 17 years of strength coaching between stints at Western Kentucky, Missouri, Elon, Auburn, Southern Mississippi and Baylor.
Once the eating, running and squatting foundation is set into place, Caton will be able to move forward toward his ultimate goal of molding his athletes into better men, not just football players.
"(I'll be) working habits and discipline," Caton said, "and just trying to make sure each athlete comes in as an 18-year-old and they leave 22, 23 and a grown up man and good for society."
Still freshly arrival to IU after being hired last week, Caton said he's excited to relocate his family to Bloomington and get to work coaching in the Big Ten.
The next couple of weeks will give Caton the opportunity to analyze the athletes he's inherited and determine what their individual strengths and weaknesses are. He has virtually no time to waste, as his arrival coincides with Indiana's initial offseason lifting period.
"We're trying to piece everything together, see what we've got and what everybody does," Caton said. "Now, it's just trying to communicate with (the existing staff), trying to figure out the best way to help our student-athletes out."
The transition between Baylor and Indiana's football cultures shouldn't be much of a stretch because of how similar the teams were last season. The Hoosiers and Bears have both built their teams around up-tempo, fast-paced offenses in recent years and are used to running up and down the field.
Both teams finished atop their respective conferences in scoring offense and total offense. Even more coincidentally, each top-ranked offense included a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, with rising junior Devine Redding pairing with NFL Draft-bound Jordan Howard just as Baylor's Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson did – the only Power 5 Conference teams to accomplish the feat.
The teams' similarities are partially what attracted Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson and Caton to one another during their respective search processes.
"He really liked what we did down at the place I was just at, so that was one of the reasons why he called me up," Caton said. "(Indiana's) offense is very similar to what we've been used to—high powered. (Wilson) wants me to bring a bunch of new ideas and those types of things that I've had over the last couple of years."
One of Caton's most pressing challenges will be on the opposite side of the ball. Before his hiring was made public, Wilson said one of the new strength coach's top priorities will be reshaping and igniting a stronger defensive attitude in the weight room.
Wilson hopes an attitude adjustment during the winter weight sessions will carry over onto the field come spring camp and lead to defensive improvement.
"We've going to start with habits," Caton said, referring to the defensive players. "Making sure they start behind the line and finishing through the line, making drills full speed all the time.
That's going to be the focus these first few weeks. If we can do that and those first three things I mentioned earlier, we will improve a ton."
More than anything else, Caton emphasized increasing Indiana's win total from the six victories it claimed last season. Though new to the program, he's already well aware of the Hoosiers' five losses decided by a score or less, including a 3-point loss to Duke in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
With a few subtle tweaks, Caton said he hopes to help make a difference and turn the near losses into wins.
"We have a great opportunity," Caton said. "An inch here, an inch there. A detail here, a detail there. We'll be able to win a bunch more ball games."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Newly-hired strength and conditioning coach Keith Caton hasn't yet spent a week with Indiana football, but he's already outlined the framework for the team's success moving forward.
And it's hardly complex.
"We're going to eat breakfast, we're going to run fast and we're going to squat heavy," Caton said. "All the other stuff? We can deal with it when it comes."
The former Baylor strength and conditioning coach jumped into leading Indiana's offseason workouts Tuesday with those three pillars in mind. It's the framework of a formula he's developed over 17 years of strength coaching between stints at Western Kentucky, Missouri, Elon, Auburn, Southern Mississippi and Baylor.
Once the eating, running and squatting foundation is set into place, Caton will be able to move forward toward his ultimate goal of molding his athletes into better men, not just football players.
"(I'll be) working habits and discipline," Caton said, "and just trying to make sure each athlete comes in as an 18-year-old and they leave 22, 23 and a grown up man and good for society."
Still freshly arrival to IU after being hired last week, Caton said he's excited to relocate his family to Bloomington and get to work coaching in the Big Ten.
The next couple of weeks will give Caton the opportunity to analyze the athletes he's inherited and determine what their individual strengths and weaknesses are. He has virtually no time to waste, as his arrival coincides with Indiana's initial offseason lifting period.
"We're trying to piece everything together, see what we've got and what everybody does," Caton said. "Now, it's just trying to communicate with (the existing staff), trying to figure out the best way to help our student-athletes out."
The transition between Baylor and Indiana's football cultures shouldn't be much of a stretch because of how similar the teams were last season. The Hoosiers and Bears have both built their teams around up-tempo, fast-paced offenses in recent years and are used to running up and down the field.
Both teams finished atop their respective conferences in scoring offense and total offense. Even more coincidentally, each top-ranked offense included a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, with rising junior Devine Redding pairing with NFL Draft-bound Jordan Howard just as Baylor's Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson did – the only Power 5 Conference teams to accomplish the feat.
The teams' similarities are partially what attracted Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson and Caton to one another during their respective search processes.
"He really liked what we did down at the place I was just at, so that was one of the reasons why he called me up," Caton said. "(Indiana's) offense is very similar to what we've been used to—high powered. (Wilson) wants me to bring a bunch of new ideas and those types of things that I've had over the last couple of years."
One of Caton's most pressing challenges will be on the opposite side of the ball. Before his hiring was made public, Wilson said one of the new strength coach's top priorities will be reshaping and igniting a stronger defensive attitude in the weight room.
Wilson hopes an attitude adjustment during the winter weight sessions will carry over onto the field come spring camp and lead to defensive improvement.
"We've going to start with habits," Caton said, referring to the defensive players. "Making sure they start behind the line and finishing through the line, making drills full speed all the time.
That's going to be the focus these first few weeks. If we can do that and those first three things I mentioned earlier, we will improve a ton."
More than anything else, Caton emphasized increasing Indiana's win total from the six victories it claimed last season. Though new to the program, he's already well aware of the Hoosiers' five losses decided by a score or less, including a 3-point loss to Duke in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
With a few subtle tweaks, Caton said he hopes to help make a difference and turn the near losses into wins.
"We have a great opportunity," Caton said. "An inch here, an inch there. A detail here, a detail there. We'll be able to win a bunch more ball games."
FB: Spring Game - Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, April 23
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21