Ralph Friedgen Slims Down as Challenges Bulk Up at Maryland

Ralph Friedgen looks, sounds and feels great.

He's also enthusiastic about his Maryland Terrapins, too, and their chances in the ACC.

"There's something about this team that says winner," Friedgen said. "Their goals are high and I think they (players) are hungry. I am hungry, too. It has been awhile since we've won this thing and I want to win it again."

Friedgen's hunger is two-fold.

He certainly hasn't lost his competitiveness as he has been shedding pounds over the past year. Following a rigorous diet that may not win him more games but could extend his life, Friedgen has lost roughly 95 pounds since last season when his weight ballooned to a high of 401 pounds.

Friedgen's ultimate goal is to drop 150 pounds.

Friedgen attempted to diet a few years ago, with Maryland alumni pledging donations for every pound he dropped. That didn't last long, however, and Friedgen's weight returned with vengeance. Finally last fall, he listened to the advice of his doctors and the pleas of his family.

"They wanted to see me healthy, so I decided to give it a try," said Friedgen, who comes from a diabetic family.

Friedgen had contemplated surgery but decided dieting was the better approach. With the help of a diet company called Medifast, Friedgen drastically altered his eating habits, grudgingly giving up his favorite dish - pasta. Friedgen's daily regimen now includes 4 ounces of oatmeal for breakfast, soup at lunch and occasional protein bars during the day.

Friedgen dropped 16 pounds (mostly water weight) in the first week of his diet, but the quick start altered his blood sugar and left him dizzy on the practice field on hot days. Not to be deterred, Friedgen remained disciplined at the dinner table despite the long hours and constant travel associated with coaching, eating small portions of food instead of large ones to trigger his metabolism.

Friedgen started to see results.

He lost 60 pounds by Humanitarian Bowl last December in Boise, Idaho, where the mother of former receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey told Friedgen, "Coach, that blue field makes you look skinny." Friedgen, who had lost pounds but not his sense of humor, answered, "We've got to get one of them in Maryland."

Naturally, Friedgen can't stomach losing when he talks about his Terps. But his ninth season at his alma mater just might be his most challenging.

Friedgen said goodbye to 30 seniors last season -- the largest senior class he had ever coached. Friedgen also bid adieu to Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 overall pick in the NFL draft -- and welcomes back only eight returning starters.

While there are significant questions across the board, the good news is Maryland features nice talent at the skill positions, including two-year starting quarterback Chris Turner.

Turner ranks seventh on Maryland's career passing list (4,474 yards) and fourth on its career completion percentage list (59.7 percent). He also has earned a reputation as a big-game performer -- Maryland has won six of the seven games against ranked opponents in which Turner has played.

Still, Turner and the Terps must play with more consistency. Last year, the same Terp team that beat Cal, Clemson, and North Carolina also lost to Middle Tennessee State and was shut out by Virginia


While Friedgen said in an interview earlier this month with The Baltimore Sun that he might want to stay beyond the three years for which he is under contract -- the school has already designated offensive coordinator James Franklin as Friedgen's successor -- he has his sights focused squarely on this season.

Although Friedgen spent much of Tuesday's media interviews at the ACC Football Kickoff conference in Greensboro, N.C., answering questions about his diet -- he plans to keep the weight off for good this time -- he couldn't mask his enthusiasm surrounding the Terps.

"I think are kids are really anxious to get back here for (the start of practice)," Friedgen said.

"They want to achieve, that's the thing I like about this team. I have some leaders. I've got some guys who are not just yes-men. They are able to speak their mind, not only speak their mind to me, but to their other teammates. I've seen the preparation. I like the character. I don't see guys trying to get out of things. I don't see guys trying to short-cut things. I see guys coming every day to work and get better. I see the enthusiasm and the positive attitude."