I will clarify and defend the many coaches that are being attacked here. Any coach who does not have a minimum qualification of fitness is probably not successful at any level. Not saying there aren't the flukes but come on. I'm 56 years old and way overweight. I decided to try it. I was within 7 seconds of passing it the first time. I don't think I would have gotten #2 or #3 of the fitness test without a little more rest in between but I'm 56 and overweight. In the three years son has been there only 1 guy has not gotten it and as I stated he did not do anything to get better. If you want to attack this mindset, do you think the guy who won't lose some weight and do extra workouts and run to get his qualifier in will help you on the mound at any point. He is not a competitor. Each year the number who do not make it on the first try has gone down. This year it was only 1 pitcher who was a late transfer and was not there in the fall. You do it in January because guys should have had all fall to prepare. UT is one of the fittest teams because of the preparation, that is probably why the Cubs stole our baseball strength and conditioning coach.
I don't buy the mindgames stuff but I reckon it is to some extent. If you won't prepare to do something that you know is coming for 4 months you won't prepare to compete. The only run 80 feet thing is not realistic because to pitch you have to use your legs for 7-9 innings. If you want to be the best you have to push your players to be the best.
Normally those guys who say spend more time on the bottom guys are connected to the bottom guys. I know for a fact that almost all top D1 coaches would not turn down a guy who wanted extra help in bullpens or bp sessions. The guys who won't compete off the field don't really want to compete on the field. It is not that they have not been given a chance, they have not take the chances they were given. When son was trying to be a 2-way guy he was at the field every night for normally 3 hours, many times by himself, getting his reps in to compete. Now he uses the same time trying to be the best reliever he can be. He wants to be the first LHP out of the bullpen each game and that desire takes drive. He was at the field every day this week for 8 hours.