By Harry Minium
When Old Dominion football coach Bobby Wilder began his search to replace his strength training staff last November, he had one primary goal.
“I was looking for a culture change,” he said. “I was looking for someone who would change the culture so that our players would want to be in the weight room, and that they would want to be there even when they weren’t required to be.”
He got all that he was looking for when he hired Dwight Galt IV away from Penn State.
Galt added Aaron Rittgers from Penn State to become his assistant, and they share the same upbeat and positive philosophy.
Galt and Rittgers lead players to work hard not by getting down on them, but lifting them up. Galt has developed individual relationships with all 112 players and seems to have endless energy, whether it’s in the weight room or on the field.
Aaron Rittgers and Dwight Galt IV encourage players on the sidelines during at game at U.Va.
That energy, says assistant coach Bryan Stinespring, “has permeated the entire program. The players feel his energy and they feed off of it.”
Together, Galt and Rittgers have reshaped ODU’s football team.
“We’re in much better physical condition,” Wilder said. “And we’re stronger than we were last year.”
Yes, ODU is 1-3, but unlike much of last season, when they often wore out late in games, this year the Monarchs still have energy in the fourth quarter.
That’s why they came back to beat Norfolk State, and why then dominated play in the fourth quarter of losses to Virginia Tech and East Carolina.
ODU hosts Western Kentucky Saturday at 6 p.m. in its first Conference USA game.
Galt says the team is stronger than when he look over as strength and conditioning coach in January.
“We’ve added great muscle mass,” he said. “The guys just look different when you look at them walking on the field, in shorts and t-shirts, but especially in pads.
“But the numbers that are most important aren’t quantifiable, and by that I mean the culture, the work ethic, the drive, the love for each other, the passion, all of those things you can’t put numbers on.
“The work ethic has been unbelievable.”
Dwight Galt IV has made ODU's football team stronger and faster.
Galt comes from a football family. He and his twin brother, Tommy, played at Maryland when their father, Dwight Galt III, was the strength and conditioning coach for the Terps. James Franklin, now the Penn State head coach, was offensive coordinator at Maryland when they were both there.
Dwight Galt began working at Penn State as a strength and conditioning coach eight years ago. His father arrived in State College three years later.
“When I was younger, I was big-headed and thought I had all the answers,” Galt said.
“As soon as I started working for my Dad, I realized I had no idea what the heck I was doing. Those years under him were amazing. He’s an amazing father, but is also an amazing strength coach.”
He came to ODU in part because of Wilder’s close relationship Franklin, who often attends ODU summer camps. Last summer, ODU’s coaches went to Penn State for a camp.
“I got a chance to meet Coach Wilder and we built a relationship pretty quickly,” Galt said. “When the position became open, I was certainly interested and it went on from there.”
Wilder said Franklin gave Galt a glowing recommendation, and said that he would impact the ODU football team immediately.
Linebacker Lawrence Garner says Dwight Galt IV has developed relationships with all 112 ODU football players.
Linebacker Lawrence Garner, who leads ODU in tackling, said Galt’s caring attitude has brought the team closer together.
“He takes the time to build a unique relationship with everyone,” he said. “It doesn't matter if you’re a starter, a walk-on, someone who’s injured. He takes the time to be with all of us.”
Garner said the attitude towards lifting weights “has taken a 180 degree turn” since Galt arrived at ODU.
“Last year guys would come in the weight room and they wouldn’t come back. Now, before practice, after practice, guys are in there getting more pumps.
“They are so friendly, so welcoming and encouraging, that it makes you want to go do the work, not because someone told you to, but because we all feel a responsibility to do more than is asked of us.
"Even during the day, when you don't have anything to do, we go down there to talk with them. You can be having the worst day possible and you see him and it makes you lock back in."
Not only are Galt and Rittgers active in the weight room, they’re also active on the sidelines during games. They talk to the offense and defense when they come off the field, encouraging to keep their heads up when things aren’t going well, and praising them after a good series.
“They never let the players put their heads down under any situation,” Wilder said. “They are constantly challenging and encouraging them, which allows the coaches to coach.”
New athletic trainer Justin Walker has added another wrinkle: players are eating and drinking during the game. So far, that appears to be working, as ODU has had sustained energy in the second half.
Galt says he’s determined to not only make ODU’s football players stronger and faster, he also wants to prepare them to be good men.
Galt’s father trained 51 players now in the NFL. “But in spite of putting all of those guys in the NFL, the most important thing is the guys he’s coached, all of them.
“They still talk to him, have relationships with them, some after 30 years. The guys are still important to him.
“That’s what I aspire to be as a strength coach, to build a relationship with all of the players and really dive in not only with their development as players, but their lives.”
Galt said much of his drive also comes from his Christian faith.
“That’s the backbone of whom I am as a person,” he said. “I think I was put in a lot of lives to do good.
“Yeah, we’re benching and squatting, we’re doing all of those things, but we’re also building the foundations of life, about how we work, why we work, why we do things in detail.
“All of those things that set up not only their lives as players, but their lives as men and as fathers.
“Faith guides me to certain places and I believe it guided me here to have these relationships with these young men.”
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu