Before he coached NFL stars… Before he trained top draft picks… Before he led Big Ten rushing attacks… In 2013, EJ Barthel was training high school football players in a New Jersey warehouse. This is his story. 🧵 THREAD

Barthel grew up in East Rutherford, NJ—a Golden Gloves boxing champ and a football dream. Toughness wasn’t a trait. It was survival. He didn’t come from a powerhouse program or a 5-star camp circuit. He fought for everything.

He walked on at Rutgers, battling behind NFL backs like Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. Then he transferred to UMass, carved out a special teams role, and helped lead them to a national title game. No headlines. Just grit.

His pro hopes flickered in 2009. No combine invite. No draft buzz. But a Giants tryout led to the UFL, where Barthel won a championship with the Las Vegas Locomotives. And when that door closed, he built his own.

Back in Jersey, Barthel launched a training gym out of a warehouse: Explosive Training Systems. What started as one kid showing up—turned into a factory for elite talent. Minkah Fitzpatrick. Rashan Gary. Jabrill Peppers. They all came through that door.

He didn’t just build bodies. He built belief. Those kids saw how he worked, how he studied movement, mindset, recovery. He trained them like pros before they had stars by their name.

But Barthel didn’t want to just train players. He wanted to coach them. He gave up his business and started from scratch at Rutgers in football operations and recruiting. No whistle. No sideline. Just vision and service.

His relationships and eye for talent made him a rising star. Temple brought him on under Matt Rhule. Then Penn State tapped him to coordinate recruiting. In 2018, he helped land the No. 6 class in the nation—including Micah Parsons and Odafe Oweh.

Still, Barthel wasn’t satisfied. He left the comfort of big-brand programs for a chance to coach backs at Howard in 2018. That year, Howard led the MEAC in rushing. His freshman RB was named Rookie of the Year.

Next stop: William & Mary. In one season, he took a run game ranked 123rd in the FCS and turned it into a top-30 unit. Yards per carry jumped from 1.8 to 4.2. That’s not improvement. That’s transformation.

His success caught Rhule’s eye again. Barthel joined the Carolina Panthers staff in 2020, working on the run game and helping All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. Two years in the league sharpened his coaching craft.

Then came UConn in 2022. In one season, the Huskies ranked 33rd nationally in rushing—after years near the bottom. Players bought in. Culture changed. They earned their first bowl appearance since 2015.

In 2023, Rhule hired Barthel again—this time at Nebraska. His two best backs got injured three games in. Didn’t matter. The Huskers still finished 2nd in the Big Ten in rushing. That’s Barthel football: no excuses, just results.

2024 proved it wasn’t a fluke. Dante Dowdell scored 12 TDs. Emmett Johnson led the team in all-purpose yards. Rahmir Johnson earned MVP honors in the Pinstripe Bowl.

What makes him different? He’s done it all. Walk-on. Transfer. Pro long shot. Private trainer. Recruiting director. NFL assistant. Position coach. He’s seen every level. And he never skips the details.

His philosophy is simple: “Be where your feet are.” Master the moment. Maximize your current role. Don’t chase what's next—earn it. Coaches, leaders, players: this applies to anyone.

EJ Barthel’s journey is a blueprint for anyone who feels overlooked. No shortcuts. No handouts. He took a path no one handed him—and made it into a ladder. One step. One player. One rep at a time.

He’s not flashy. He’s foundational. And he’s only getting started. If you care about player development, real leadership, and what football is supposed to be… Follow @CoachEJbarthel Watch what he builds next.

Follow for more inspiring stories of today’s best coaches. Comment or DM if you know a story that needs to be shared! — Thad Wells (@ThadWells)

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