Strong rapport benefits Tigers

Bryan Mann takes grief from the Missouri women’s basketball team at just about every practice. The strength and conditioning coach will sometimes shoot around with the players before practice begins.

“I wouldn’t call it shoot around,” Mann said. “But I’ll throw the ball up and hope it hits the basket.”

When the Tigers were on the road in California in November, one of Mann’s memorable moments was hitting his first 3 while the players warmed up.

“When I did it, everyone knew about it,” he said. “But they’ll give me crap about shooting, and I’ll be like, ‘At least I was the best in the world at something.’”

Throughout high school and college, Mann was a four-time national and two-time world champion in powerlifting for the Natural Athlete Strength Association.

He said it wasn’t until his shoulder finally gave out that he realized how well he had done in his powerlifting career.

“I competed against myself mostly,” he said. “I went for personal records, not to get the titles — except for maybe my last meet when I knew I was done with my shoulder.”

Mann went on to earn a degree in health promotion in 2003 and a graduate certificate in sports management in 2004 from Missouri State University. He served there as a student assistant and a graduate assistant from 1999 to 2004, working in player development in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball.

He is in his first year as the assistant director of strength and conditioning at MU after working as a graduate assistant in the program for the past two years. He works with the football and soccer teams, and this is his first year working with the basketball team.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn, and you could ask some other people, but coach (Pat) Ivey (MU’s director of strength and conditioning) brought me here because of my knowledge,” he said. “I’m pretty much a sponge. I remember what I read and talk to everyone. Knowledge is like my hobby.”

Freshman forward Marissa Scott said that since she started working with Mann, relearning weightlifting techniques has been the most beneficial for her. But what has also been important for Scott is how personable Mann is.

“When our heads are down like we don’t have a care in the world, he brings us back up,” she said. “He’s just a positive influence. He’s a caring person. Any time I’m in here and I’m struggling in practice, he’ll come talk to me. He isn’t just focused on his weight room things. And then if somebody hurt something in practice, he knows 10 other things to ease up that pain.”

Mann’s goal is to make the atmosphere in the weight room enjoyable. Scott said that even after a long practice, when Mann turns on the rap music and gives them a motivating speech, they all enjoy lifting weights.

And Mann also tailors a routine to each individual athlete. For starting players, he works on mobility. For others, he focuses on strength so they’re ready off the bench.

“To get the most out of the athlete, you have to understand the athlete,” he said. “Yelling — that’ll just drive them away. You give them a little when they need a little. They’ll come in here and work hard because they enjoy it. And that works with my personality because I’m a pretty goofy guy.”

Scott remembered Mann showing his comical side while on a road game. He hid a farting machine under the air conditioner in his and athletic trainer Eric McDonnell’s room before the players came in to have their ankles taped.

“Any time someone slid on the table, he’d make it go off,” she said. “I was searching everywhere to find some button.

I knew it was somewhere, and I couldn’t see it. That’s one of the funniest stories of him. He actually got me with that one.”

While the players get a kick out of teaching Mann shooting technique and how to make hook shots, for Mann, it’s about being available for his players. He doesn’t mind when they take advantage of having his cell phone number and e-mail address.

“A coach is all things when it comes down to it,” he said. “That’s above and beyond the science and the numbers, but on the other hand, it’s about being a good person and a good friend. You have to be approachable.”