Futch-Condon Award 2005 Trainer of the Year DAN BIRMINGHAM photo: Tom Casino/Showtime	Futch-Condon Award 1989 -- George Benton 1990 -- George Benton 1991 -- Eddie Futch 1992 -- Eddie Futch 1993 -- Emanuel Steward 1994 -- Teddy Atlas 1995 -- Felix Trinidad Sr. 1996 -- Don Turner 1997 -- Emanuel Steward 1998 -- Jack Mosley 1999 -- Miguel Diaz 2000 -- Felix Trinidad Sr. 2001 -- Bouie Fisher 2002 -- Buddy McGirt 2003 -- Freddie Roach 2004 -- Dan Birmingham 2005 -- Dan Birmingham
by John C. Cotey St. Petersburg Times The attention is great. The money ain't bad either. But the best thing about winning the Futch-Condon Award as the Boxing Writers Association of America's Trainer of the Year for the second straight year might just be the freedom. Now, Dan Birmingham doesn't have to run his construction business during down time, hustling to make a buck until that next fight rolls along. He's become what he always dreamed he would -- a full-time trainer with a stable of fighters. "It certainly validates what you are trying to do," said Birmingham, the first back-to-back Futch-Condon winner since one of the award's namesakes, the legendary Eddie Futch, did so in 1991 and 1992. "It validates what you do in the ring, it validates our boxing club … It makes a big difference.'' Three years ago, Birmingham had one of the best and most underappreciated boxers in the business in Winky Wright. He worked on the fringes, more well-known and regarded by boxing insiders than the casual fan. The gum-chomping teacher went from unknown to signing autographs in the airport in 2004, when he helped Wright unify the 154-pound division and prepared Jeff Lacy for his first world title. Boxers called to gauge his interest in adding another to the St. Pete Boxing Club. And Birmingham went back to work. He was just warming up. Turns out, that year paled in comparison to 2005. With Wright set to fight the legendary Felix Trinidad in May, Birmingham designed a master plan that would produce one of the sport's biggest upsets of the year. Wright winning wasn't so much the surprise, but the way in which he did was stunning. "I studied Trinidad constantly, over and over again, picking up strengths and weaknesses," Birmingham said. "We had a plan, and Wink executed everything." The result was a lopsided unanimous decision and one of the most impressive performances of the year. A self-described "defensive nut," Birmingham continued to prime Lacy for his biggest fights. Lacy had been a model student, showing a little something new every fight. The defense improved, the footwork was snappier and Lacy was perfect in 2005. Birmingham turned "The Contender" star Joey Gilbert into a more complete fighter, taming some of his aggressiveness and turning it towards defense. Birmingham continued directing Chad Dawson toward super middleweight fame. Birmingham took on young fighters like Akinyemi Laleye and began developing future stars. His business license has been inactive for two years now, his truck still loaded with tools but his attention focused on the sport he has loved since childhood. "When I met Joey Fariello (who trained Floyd Patterson and Mark Breland among others), I remember he told me "Dan, if you can ever get to this level of trainerhood where you can do it fulltime, there's no better way to make a living,'" Birmingham said. "He was right."
©2004 - 2008 Boxing Writers Association of America. All rights reserved.