University of Connecticut Athletics
Football Makes Great Strides in Weight Room Under Matt King's Guidance
3/5/2021 2:57:00 PM | Football
In his first meeting with his players after being hired as UConn's new strength and conditioning coach in January of 2019, Matt King was very clear.
"I'm gonna treat you like grown men," he said. "I'm gonna treat you like a grown man until you prove me otherwise. When you act like a child, I'm gonna treat you like a child."
From there, he started to earn the trust and respect of his players. At first, it was all about learning the program and the players and getting everyone on the same page. But now the players know what King's expectations are.
"It's still a work in progress, but from the time I got here to now, … they know exactly how I want [their workouts] to look," King said. "They've become students of the weight room."
King, along with his staff of Anthony Grasso, Andrew Smith and Quan Thompkins have established a culture, where now the players hold themselves accountable in the weight room, and the coaches don't have to say as much.
"They coach each other up at the racks," King said. "And that's part of the culture. It's one of the things that the culture has improved, and they've taken it and run with it."
The players on the team have really bought into what King has brought to the football program. Specifically, Ian Swenson and Omar Fortt, two leaders of the Huskies' defense, really appreciate what King has done, and it's not just about strength and conditioning.
"Mentally, he gets us so much better," Swenson said. "We can go to him for anything, and that itself helps you in the weight room because you know you have this guy and he's got my back and I got his."
"What we have grown over these past two years is a bond that you can't put into words," Fortt added. "Everyone looks up to Coach King, and he knows what it takes for us to reach our potential."
King said the key to connecting with his players on a personal level is just showing that he cares about them as people. It's not just about lifting weights and running laps, it's about preparing these players for success in life.
"People don't care how much you know about anything until they know how much you care," King said. "If you show kids that you care and that you're there for them, they'll run through walls for you."
King is very impressed with the gains his players have made since the last time they played a game in 2019. He said the key now is to keep progressing and make sure the players aren't peaking now in the spring, but rather peak in the fall when the game starts. With the new player-driven culture in full effect, King is really excited to see what the team can do this upcoming season.
"Once you get to that point where the game slows down for you, then you don't have to think as much," King said. "That's when you can take all the tools that you've built in the weight room, put it all together, and that's when the magic happens."
