Meet NE Strength Coach James Dobson

I love the way this guy approaches his job and his attitude, article at Huskers.com (HT: Huskerpedia).

"The edge Dobson envisions has an icon, and it stares at him every day when he walks into his office and plots his next move. “It’s the Blackshirts’ skull-and-bones,” Dobson said. “It looks hard-nosed. It looks dominant. It looks tough. It looks unforgiving. When you see it, you think dominant, and you think physical. That’s what we have to think and what we have to strive for every day, all year long.”

Head coach Bo Pelini set a goal for Nebraska to become the most physical team possible, and that’s been Dobson’s almost singular focus since he set up shop inside Nebraska’s massive weight room. “If you’re not going to be the most physically dominant team in your conference or in the country, then why are you trying to go out and play? That’s the way I look at it,” Dobson said. “There’s nothing better than taking the will out of somebody. That’s what this game is all about. It’s about lining up across from a guy and beating him until he doesn’t want to do it anymore. When you’re sitting on that sideline and the other team quits, that’s the best feeling in the world.” "

A lot of the players have given credit to Dobson for improving their stength and increasing their quickness, and the results appear to be bearing this out. A number of them bill their new streamlined looks as "Body by Dobson". Dobson arrived from Iowa where he was an assistant to Chris Doyle on the recommendation of Barney Cotton, whose son Ben (now with NU) was being recruited by the Hawkeyes. Dobson grew up in a small Wisconsin community west of Madison where he attended the U of W. He achieved his masters and Central Michigan.

"While he has no direct ties to Nebraska, Dobson feels like he fits in. “A lot of people in Nebraska can relate to the way I grew up in Wisconsin,” he said. “In most places, it’s either ‘he’s a good guy” or ‘he’s a bad guy.’ Or ‘he has a lot of money’ or ‘he doesn’t have a lot of money.’ When you’re from a small town like I came from, there was only one comparison. It’s either ‘he’s a hard worker’ or ‘he’s not a hard worker.’ That’s how you’re evaluated growing up. Either you work hard or you don’t. They couldn’t care less if you’re a nice guy or have money. But if you worked hard, you have someplace to go.”......Dobson said the coaching staff and the players share another bond. “We have a no-nonsense head coach, and no one wants to let him down,” he said. “I respect him and think he’s one of the best coaches in college football. He gave me a chance here, and I feel a huge sense of loyalty to help him get done what he wants to get done.”

The passionate, sometimes animated Dobson checks the Blackshirt poster again on his wall. Instead of pulling his arms into his chest and then crossing them to emulate the skull-and-bones, he chooses to drive home his point with mere words. “We have to think dominant, and we have to think physical,” he said. “That’s where we all want to be, and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get there.”

Love it.