April 24, 2011
Since coming to campus in December, Coach James Franklin and his staff have set out to change the culture surrounding Vanderbilt football. But that doesn’t mean ignoring the team’s past or shunning those who have come before.
Quite the opposite, actually. The group has put an emphasis on getting successful former Commodores back on campus. Check out the sidelines at a spring practice and you’re likely to see Chicago Bears D.J. Moore and Chris Williams, among others.
So when the Commodores had an opportunity to bring a successful VU alumnus onto their staff, Strength and Conditioning Director Dwight Galt jumped at the chance.
During his senior year at Peabody, Chuck Losey sought out a Human and Organizational Development internship. As a defensive end for the Commodore football team, he had been known as a gym rat — a true devotee to weight training.
Losey found Steve Watterson, the strength and conditioning coach for the Tennessee Titans, and though he would be unable to work with the Titans that year due to his draft-eligible status, he developed a relationship with Watterson and began to sculpt a career path for himself in the weight room.
Just three months after graduating from Vanderbilt, Losey was hired to be the head strength and conditioning coach and defensive line coach at NAIA Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn.–30 miles east of Nashville. He held that position for less than a year before Tennessee State University called upon his talents.
For six years, Losey was in charge of the design and implementation of all strength and conditioning programs for more than 300 student-athletes at Tennessee State. He oversaw the training of two Tiger football players selected in the NFL Draft, including first-round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
So when the Commodore football staff heard about a successful alumnus in their own backyard, they moved into action.
“I had three pro scouts and three other strength coaches call me and tell me about him and what a good job he was doing,” Galt said. “I approached him. But he was the head guy, really successful, and I really didn’t know if he wanted to leave.”
Losey came in to meet with Galt about the position, and the two quickly found that their philosophies matched.
“We hit it off right away,” Galt said. “He shares the same vision that I do. He’s obviously a really class act with a great work ethic.”
That’s when Coach Franklin got involved in the sales pitch.
“That sealed the deal,” Galt said. “Coach Franklin believes very strongly in what we’re doing here, and he was just being honest with Chuck. After that meeting he was ready to go.”
For Losey, the opportunity to return to his alma mater coaching Southeastern Conference football was heightened by the attitudes of the men he would be working with.
“It’s such a high-energy group of guys, first and foremost,” Losey said. “One of the first things Coach Franklin really sold to me is that we want to change the culture of Vanderbilt. I know he’s said that through out his interviews, but it’s not just words. Everything we do throughout the day is devoted to changing things and turning it around here, from the time we get in the office at 7 a.m. until the time we leave at 9 p.m. Everything…. With this staff it’s nothing but up-beat, high-tempo. It’s work; and I love it.”
Losey’s insight into the day-to-day world of the Vanderbilt student-athlete also is a big perk for the Commodores.
“I might know what classes they’re taking–it’s kind of weird because they’ll talk about some professors that I had in the past. Outside of that, I’m here to do the job in the weight room.”
