2022 Most Impactful DI Strength & Conditioning Coaches
Adam Fletcher - Illinois Men’s Basketball
After joining the program in August 2015, Adam Fletcher is currently in his seventh season as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team's strength and conditioning coach. Fletcher previously worked as the strength and conditioning coach for the Tigers at Towson for the previous three years before moving on to Illinois. Fletcher spent two years as Michigan's assistant strength coach, mostly focusing on the men's basketball team, before moving on to Towson. Fletcher played for the RedHawks basketball team from 2007 to 2010, earning four letters along the way and starting two seasons. As a senior, he led the team as captain while also being recognized as its top defensive player.
Alan Bishop - Houston
In May 2017, Alan Bishop began serving as the director of athletic performance for the University of Houston Men's Basketball team. For the team and for individual student-athletes, Bishop develops and manages strength and conditioning programs to help them compete at their very best on the physical and mental levels. Bishop has played a significant role on teams at Houston that have won 143 games, five American Athletic Conference titles, and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in 2022, the Final Four in 2021, and the Sweet 16 in 2019. After working for Utah State for the previous four seasons, Bishop moved to Houston.
Andrea Hayden - Stanford
In her first year with Stanford University's Sports Performance, Andrea Hayden. She is in charge of every element of enhancing athlete performance for the women's basketball and women's golf programs.
Prior to Stanford, Hayden spent three seasons with the Minnesota Twins before becoming the first female Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach in MLB. She is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Missouri Baptist University. Later, as a graduate assistant at Lindenwood University, she obtained a master's degree in human performance. Andrea conducted internships at the University of Louisville and at EXOS in San Diego while working as an S&C coach for USA Hockey development camps.
Andrea Hudy - UCONN
In May 2021, Andrea Hudy re-joined the UConn women's basketball team as the team's Director of Sports Performance. Hudy, who received her master's degree from UConn in 1999, has worked with the Huskies before and assisted three teams in winning eight NCAA Championships between 1995 and 2004. She now returns to Storrs. For the 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004 women's basketball National Championships, as well as the 1999 and 2004 men's basketball National Championships and the 2000 men's soccer National Championship, she served as the primary sport performance coach. She has coached collegiate strength and conditioning for 27 seasons, and during that time, she has trained 21 WNBA players and 51 former student-athletes who have gone on to play in the NBA.
Andreu Swasey - Miami
Andreu Swasey, the head strength and conditioning coach for the Miami Hurricanes, is currently in his 15th season in the position. He has earned a reputation as one of the best in the business. Swasey, one of the most well-known and creative strength coaches in college football, has a wealth of experience in speed and agility conditioning. For the Hurricanes football team's more than 100 student-athletes, Swasey is in charge of their daily training regimen. Along with overseeing the 18 scholarship sports' conditioning requirements, he also manages Miami's full strength and conditioning staff of five coaches. Due to his prior roles as a defensive backs coach and player, Swasey brings a distinctive viewpoint to his position as a strength and conditioning coach.
Andy Kettler - Xavier
Andy Kettler is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball. Kettler, who spent the past four seasons in that role on the University of Louisville staff, served 10 years in a similar capacity for the West Virginia men's basketball team before his UL stint. West Virginia entered the NCAA Tournament eight times during Kettler's ten years with the Mountaineers, making it to five Sweet 16s and the 2010 Final Four. He served as Winthrop's head strength and conditioning coach for two years. He oversaw all facets of the Eagles' strength and conditioning department when he was there, as Winthrop participated in the NCAA Tournament both seasons. Kettler spent two seasons as the Kansas City Royals' head strength and conditioning coach before joining Winthrop.
Austin Sparks - Sac State
Sparks is entering his second season as Associate Director of Strength and Training at Sac State. Run Pre-Activity-Preparation programming, along with sprint, agility, and change of direction programming, are the main duties associated with football. He also serves as the head strength coach for the men's basketball, men's soccer, women's gymnastics, and track and field sprinters, jumpers, and throwers in addition to his responsibilities as a football assistant. Among his responsibilities for his other sports teams are lift programming, annual plan periodization, exercise mobility, sprint, agility, and change of direction training (excluding T&F), nutrition counseling, and pre-competition warm-up instruction. Along with those responsibilities, he oversees the internship program for his department and serves as the liaison for the facilities.
Bret Huth - Incarnate Word
In the spring of 2018, Bret Huth began serving as the director of strength and conditioning for the football team at the University of the Incarnate Word. Huth developed a workout routine in his second season with the Cardinals (2019) that enabled UIW to win five games and set numerous records. Terence Hickman II (offense), Brandon Floores (offense), Kelechi Anyalebechi (defense), and Jaylon Jimmerson (both of UIW) were all third team All-Southland Conference honors (defense). Prior to UIW, Huth spent time at Rice University as Assistant Strength And Conditioning Coach for Football. Huth also served at UC Berkeley, Memphis University, and UL Monroe.
Brianne Brown - Miami (FL)
In June 2022, Brianne Brown was appointed as the women's basketball team's strength and conditioning coach. Brown worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Pittsburgh women's basketball team for the 2021–22 season before joining the Hurricanes. Brown has over seven years of expertise in strength and conditioning, including four years spent working directly with Division I women's basketball programs. Brown brings this knowledge to Miami. Brown oversaw the Panthers' strength and conditioning initiatives during her most recent stint in Pittsburgh, leading strength, conditioning, mobility, and recovery exercises both in the weight room and on the basketball court.
Caleb Heim - Idaho
Heim formerly worked as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of South Dakota before moving to Idaho. Early in 2018, he started working for South Dakota, helping the women's basketball, softball, and football teams. The South Dakota football team qualified for the 2021 FCS playoffs, and the USD women's basketball team won the Summit League three times in a row, made it to the Sweet 16 in 2022, and qualified for four NCAA Tournament berths. He worked with the Nebraska football team as a graduate assistant while obtaining his M.S. in Physiology and Nutrition prior to his tenure at South Dakota. Prior to that, he worked as Southwest Minnesota State's head strength and conditioning coach.
Charles Stephenson - UCF
Stephenson has almost 35 years of collegiate strength coaching expertise. His most recent position prior to UCF was Director of Performance with the Utah men's basketball team from 2012 to 2021, where he served as the first strength coach to specialize in basketball in the history of the Runnin' Utes program. Prior to that, Stephenson served as the men's basketball strength coach at North Carolina State from 1996 to 2011 and Auburn from 1994 to 1996. He worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Virginia from 1987 to 1994 before joining Auburn.
Charlie Melton - Baylor
As director of athletic performance for the Baylor men's basketball team in 2021–2022, Charlie Melton will begin his 17th season of employment. Melton worked as a full-time strength coach at Florida State University for four seasons before joining the Bears in June 2005. Before being appointed as a full-time strength coach at FSU in 2001, he worked as a graduate assistant for the football team for one season. The Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association awarded Melton the title of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) in May 2014. Melton is the only current Baylor strength coach to hold the title, which is the greatest accolade a strength & conditioning coach can receive.
Chris Campbell - Austin Peay
Chris Campbell, who assumed leadership in 2019 and was elevated to associate director of athletics in February 2021, is back for a fourth season as director of sports performance. For four seasons, Campbell worked at Houston as the assistant director of football sport performance (2015-19). During each of his four seasons with the team, the Cougars participated in bowl games, and in 2015, they defeated Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Prior to moving to Houston, Campbell spent two seasons (2013–14) as an assistant strength coach at Louisiana–Lafayette, where he guided the Ragin' Cajuns football team to victory in two trips to the New Orleans Bowl. He served as the main source for sprinters in both track and field and men's tennis for strength and conditioning.
Chris Fee - Sacred Heart
Christopher Fee began working for the Sacred Heart Athletic Department on July 1, 2014, and in August 2016 he was elevated to Assistant Director of Athletics for Strength & Conditioning Coach.
The program's initial strength and conditioning coach. His six-person team develops and implements strength and conditioning plans for all 32 varsity sports with a focus on preventing injuries and enhancing athletic performance. Last year, eight Pioneer student-athletes who were coached by him were recognized as All-Americans by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Clete McCleod - South Dakota
Early in 2018, Clete McLeod was appointed head strength and conditioning coach at USD. With almost 20 years of expertise in the industry, he joins the group. He worked as Nebraska Cornhusker football's associate head strength and conditioning coach for the previous two years, and he spent the five years prior as Southern Illinois' head strength coach. Since 2001, he has been teaching elite athletes, totaling five more years from Oregon State, Southeast Missouri State, and Northern Illinois. He has had coaching positions in the Big Ten, MAC, Pac-12, Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley, and most recently, the Pac-12. For aspiring NFL, NBA, MLB, and Olympic athletes, he has created and implemented multi-year training programs.
Collin Crane - Georgia
On May 12, 2022, Collin Crane was named the men's basketball team's director of athletic performance. Crane has ten seasons of experience, including time spent in the SEC at Florida and Mississippi State. Teams having Crane on their strength and conditioning staff qualified for the postseason in seven out of the nine available years during that time period, and they averaged 22.8 victories each season. Crane has ten seasons of experience, including time spent in the SEC at Florida and Mississippi State. Teams having Crane on their strength and conditioning staff qualified for the postseason in seven out of the nine available years during that time period, and they averaged 22.8 victories each season.
Conor Hughes - West Point
After two years as an assistant, Conor Hughes was appointed the head football strength and conditioning coach at Army West Point in the spring of 2019. Hughes worked as the Director of Football and Men's Basketball Strength and Conditioning for the University of Albany for six seasons before moving on to Army West Point. He oversaw all physical preparation for the football teams who won the 2011 and 2012 NEC Championship as well as the America East Men's Basketball Champions in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Prior to moving to Albany, Hughes served as the head strength and conditioning coach for all 21 Division I sports at Iona College in 2010 while serving as the Gaels' head coach.
Daniel Roose - VCU
Daniel Roose, who previously served as the Men's Basketball team's Director of Sports Performance at Texas (2016–19) and VCU (2009–15), came back to VCU in August 2019 to assume the same position there under head coach Mike Rhoades. In addition to first-round lottery picks Mo Bamba, Jarrett Allen, and Jaxson Hayes at Texas, as well as Larry Sanders, Troy Daniels, Treveon Graham, and Briante Weber during his first stint at VCU, Roose has assisted in the development of a number of NBA players. Throughout Smart's six years at VCU, Roose directed sports performance for the men's basketball team. The Rams had a 163-56 overall record and five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four, to their credit.
Darby Rich - Texas Tech
In his first year at Texas Tech, Darby Rich is the head strength and conditioning coach for the men's basketball team. Prior to starting his coaching career, Rich played collegiate basketball for Alabama, where he helped guide nine teams to the NCAA Tournament and 14 players to the NBA. Rich left Texas A&M after eight seasons to serve with head coach Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis for the past two seasons. He then moved to Lubbock. Rich, who is widely considered as the best in his field, also worked at South Carolina and the University of Oklahoma (2004–2009). (2002-04). At the 1994 NJCAA national champion Hutchinson Community College, where he started his coaching career, he was an assistant basketball coach.
Dave Scholz - La Tech
Prior to joining La Tech, Dave Scholz spent three seasons as the head strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech. This role was crucial to head coach Matt Wells' effort to transform the Red Raiders into a full-fledged "developmental program." Scholz managed the Red Raiders' whole nutrition, strength, and conditioning program while also collaborating closely with the athletic training department. Scholz had an immediate influence while at Texas Tech, as evidenced by the physical improvements in future NFL Draft picks like Jordyn Brooks, Broderick Washington Jr., and Zech McPhearson. Scholz used a strength program that blends the use of analytics with nutrition to help all three draft picks develop.
David Ballou - Alabama
David Ballou, who is regarded as one of the top in his field, joined the Alabama program in March 2020 as the Director of Sports Performance after serving as the Director of Athletic Performance at Indiana University for two years. Ballou adds a scientific perspective to the heritage of sacrifice and commitment the Crimson Tide has made to being stronger and quicker. Ballou executes Coach Saban's offseason plan, which includes the well-known "Fourth-Quarter Program," while working with Dr. Matt Rhea, the Tide's director of sports science. To create the ideal atmosphere for training and development, Ballou and his complete strength and conditioning team collaborate with athletic training and performance nutrition.
Derek Owings - James Madison
On September 15, 2020, Derek Owings was appointed Director of Strength and Conditioning/APC at JMU. Owings will be in charge of the football team's strength training in this capacity. Owings spent almost two years at Texas Tech as the Red Raider football team's associate strength and conditioning coach before moving on to JMU. He served as the football program's assistant director of sports performance at the University of Central Florida for one year before joining TTU. Owings created and used position-specific training for both roles, starting with the demands of on-field performance. Additionally, he organized all GPS data for the Golden Knights and Red Raiders.
Derek Rosinski - Weber State
With a focus on football, Derek Rosinski is in his fifth year as Weber State's director of strength and conditioning. In addition to working with other sports, he joined the Wildcat program in 2017 and has experience with men's basketball. Weber State has won three consecutive Big Sky championships and participated in the FCS Playoffs in his first three seasons with the Wildcat football team. The Wildcats concluded the 2019 season ranked third in the country and made it to the Playoff semifinals. Prior to working at Weber State, Derek worked for three years as the director of the men's basketball and beach volleyball programs at Grand Canyon University's Sports Performance department. After a year of working largely with baseball, women's soccer, bowling, and football while on the strength and conditioning staff at Arkansas State, he was hired by GCU. He worked as a graduate assistant in the strength and conditioning division at Mercer University for the preceding two years before joining the Arkansas State faculty.
Erich Anthony - Tulsa
The University of Tulsa's assistant athletic director for athletic performance, Erich Anthony, is currently in his fourth season. His current post was announced to him in January 2018. Working closely with the football industry, Anthony is in charge of the athletic performance team. He had eight years of collegiate strength and conditioning experience before he arrived in Tulsa. Anthony worked with football as the associate director of applied performance at the University of Texas for the 2017 season before accepting his position at Tulsa. Prior to that, he worked for the University of Missouri football program for 11 and a half years as the director of applied performance.
Gary Boros- Denver
On March 9, 2018, Gary Boros received a promotion to Associate Director of Sports Performance after working for the University of Denver for nearly two years. In July 2016, Gary Boros was appointed as the assistant sport performance coach. He will create performance programs in Denver for women's lacrosse, women's soccer, and men's and women's basketball. Boros spent the previous three years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Bemidji State University before moving on to the University of Denver. Boros handled the strength and conditioning plans for a number of teams at Bemidji State University, including the men's and women's hockey, football, basketball, and women's soccer squads.
Jim Krumpos - Arizona
Jim Krumpos is presently the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance at Arizona and is in his third term with the university's strength and conditioning team. He assists the baseball, volleyball, soccer, diving, and Wildcats teams. In his position, Krumpos plans and executes year-round training with a focus on conditioning, strength, speed, agility, explosiveness, and balance. In collaboration with the sports medicine team, he creates sport-specific programs that incorporate technique training, testing, and evaluation in addition to reconditioning injured student-athletes. After serving on the Miami staff for two years, Krumpos returned to Arizona in February 2013. The projects he manages have seen unheard-of success since he returned to Tucson. In 2016, the baseball team made it all the way to the College World Series finals.
Joey Guarascio - FAU
Guarascio was hired in January 2020 and is now the head strength and conditioning coach at FAU. Prior to transferring to FAU, Guarascio was elevated to the position of head strength and conditioning coach for the Rams at CSU and was given the position after only one year at CSU. Prior to joining CSU, he worked as Ole Miss' associate head strength and conditioning coach, where he assisted in guiding the football team to two New Year's Six bowl victories, including the 2014 Peach Bowl and the 2016 Sugar Bowl. Guarascio was also in charge of the preparation plans for the Rebels' pro day and NFL combine. also Guarascio. Served as Northwestern State's director of strength and conditioning.
John Reilly - Texas
John Reilly enters his second season as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach at The University of Texas after serving as Chris Beard's assistant for the men's basketball team at Texas Tech for the previous five seasons. The 36-year-old Reilly joins the Texas coaching team with ten years of collegiate coaching experience. Texas Tech had five consecutive winning seasons under Reilly and Beard's leadership, with a record of 112-55 (.671) overall, and went 9-3 in NCAA Tournament games during their five years together. The program had five losing seasons in the preceding six years before Beard took over.
Jonas Sahratian - UNC
Jonas Sahratian, one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in collegiate basketball, will begin his 17th season with the Tar Heel men's basketball team. He spent five seasons in the same position at the University of Kansas as well. For the Tar Heels, Sahratian organizes and plans their strength and conditioning. He has participated in five Final Fours, three NCAA titles, two Final Fours at Kansas, and three Final Fours at Carolina. From January 1999 to April 2003, he shared Kansas with Roy Williams, the Carolina Panthers' head coach. From 1999 to 2001, he also worked with the Kansas football team and oversaw strength and conditioning for the volleyball, swimming, and diving teams.
Jordan Jackson - GCU
As an associate director of sports performance, Jordan Jackson started working for GCU in May 2020. He is in charge of running the men's basketball program's strength and conditioning. Jackson worked with the men's basketball team while living in Berkeley for the previous three seasons while attending Cal. Jackson worked with UCLA's men's and women's basketball teams for the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons prior to his stint at Cal. He created student-athlete training, conditioning and recuperation regimens, and specialized nutrition plans while he was a member of the Bruins. Jackson served in Bahrain and Nevada for five years as an assistant command fitness leader for the US Navy. He led daily physical training sessions for the entire command staff and taught CPR to more than 60 soldiers.
Josh Storms - FSU
On December 28, 2019, Josh Storms was appointed director of strength and conditioning at Florida State, where he will begin his third season in 2022. In 2018, Storms was awarded the Master Strength and Conditioning Coach title by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), the highest accolade in the field of strength and conditioning coaches. After working with football for 11 years on the sports performance staff at Arizona State, he was the strength coach for Memphis football from 2016 to 2019. He is certified via both the CSCCa and National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Liane Blyn - ASU
Strength coach, sports trainer, company owner, and international competitor Liane Blyn has over 20 years of expertise. She currently serves as Arizona State University's Director of Olympic Sports Sports Performance. She aids with women's tennis and track in addition to working directly with men's ice hockey and women's soccer. She was the director of Olympic Sports at Appalachian State University prior to her recent return to ASU. Liane has also worked as an assistant at Boston College, the University of Nevada-Reno, Arizona State University, and Franklin High School. She also served as director at the Parisi Speed School. In Holliston and Milford, Massachusetts, she also established and ran her own sports performance company called Athletic Based Training from 2008 until 2014. Liane has worked with athletes of all levels, including numerous former and present competitors in the MLB, NBA, NHL, & NFL.
Logan Ogden - Utah
As the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach, Logan Ogden, who joined Smith's staff in June 2018 at Utah State, is starting his second season with the Runnin' Utes men's basketball team. Ogden spent three years at Omaha as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for two seasons before joining USU. In January 2017, he was promoted to director of strength and conditioning. He oversaw all areas of the Mavericks' track & field, cross country, and men's and women's basketball preparation in that capacity. After working as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State, he also worked for two seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2011-13).
Mike Rehfeldt - Cincinnati
Beginning in May 2021, Mike Rehfeldt will be back at the University of Cincinnati's athletic department as the associate athletic director for sports performance. In his position at UC, Rehfeldt will oversee athletic performance for all sports, with the exception of football, and work closely with the men's basketball program. He will be in charge of helping UC athletes grow physically so they can play at their best while suffering fewer injuries. He will play a key role in ensuring that every player is well-rested, educated, and ready for practices and games. After serving as the men's basketball team's director of sports performance at UConn for a year, Rehfeldt has moved back to Cincinnati.
Nate Girma - UCLA
In 2021–2022, Nate Girma will serve as the men's basketball team's athletic performance coach for the first time. Girma rejoins UCLA after working with the Bruins' team from 2018 to 2020. Girma has previously worked in comparable positions at UC San Diego and the University of Washington. Girma helped the UCLA men's basketball team with a number of athletic performance tasks during the basketball seasons in 2018–19 and 2019–20. His previous duties included the creation of training programs for peak athletic performance, sports science, and nutrition. From 2015 to 2017, Girma served as the main strength and conditioning coach for a number of athletic teams at UC San Diego, including the water polo and baseball programs.
Nick Michael - Loyola Chicago
In May 2021, Nick Michael was appointed director of athletic performance for the men's basketball team at Loyola University Chicago. Michael, an Elmhurst University alumnus with nearly ten years of experience, most recently worked at the University of New Mexico as the strength and conditioning coach for the men's basketball and women's golf teams. Michael completed three seasons in the same position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) before his most recent assignment at New Mexico. He previously developed his skills at the University of Missouri, Rice University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his alma mater, Elmhurst. Michael, an Elmhurst graduate who played basketball in college, eventually pursued a professional playing career in Germany and Ireland.
Paul Jackson - Utah State
As the head strength and conditioning coach for Utah State football, Paul Jackson is currently in his second season. Jackson contributed to Utah State's best season in school history during his first year there. The Aggies tied the school record with 11 victories (11-3), won the Mountain West Championship with a 46-13 road victory at No. 19 San Diego State, defeated Oregon State 24-13 in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, and finished the season ranked 24th in the country in both polls. Jackson worked for South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp as the football team's head strength and conditioning coach during the 2020 season before moving on to Utah State. Prior to moving to South Carolina, Jackson worked for Matt Luke and Hugh Freeze for eight years as the football team's head strength and conditioning coach at Ole Miss. The Rebels made four bowl appearances under Jackson's leadership in Oxford, including consecutive New Year's Six bowls in 2014 and 2015.
Preston Greene - Florida
After being hired on August 23, 2011, Preston Greene is about to begin his eleventh season at Florida. Under two head coaches, Greene, one of the most renowned researchers and practitioners in his area, helped raise the caliber of Florida's basketball players. He has contributed to the Gators' 230-114 record, their victories in the 2013 and 2014 SEC regular seasons, and their victory in the 2014 SEC Tournament during his ten seasons at Florida. Seven NCAA Tournament berths, 16 NCAA Tournament victories, four Elite Eight visits, and a trip to the 2014 Final Four have all been achieved by UF under Greene's leadership. Future NBA players Bradley Beal, Erik Murphy, Michael Frazier, Dorian Finney-Smith, Devin Robinson, and Chris Chiozza have all received training from Greene.
Rob Glass - Oklahoma State
Rob Glass, one of the key players in the program's success, is in the 18th year of his second stint as assistant athletic director for speed, strength, and conditioning at his alma mater. Following a ten-year stay at Florida, Glass, one of the most renowned and esteemed strength and conditioning specialists in collegiate athletics, returned to OSU. From 1986 to 1995, he served as a graduate assistant coach for football and a strength coach for the Cowboys. He is now in his 28th year at Oklahoma State. In addition to 19 first-round NFL draft picks and three first-round NBA draft picks, Glass has worked with two Heisman Trophy winners (Barry Sanders and Danny Wuerffel), a Golden Spikes Award winner (Robin Ventura), a Thorpe Award winner (Lawrence Wright), three Biletnikoff Award winners (Justin Blackmon twice and James Washington), a Lou Groza Award winner (Dan Bailey), a Ray Guy Award winner (Matt Fodge).
Ryan Davis - Maryland
In January 2019, Ryan Davis became the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning for Head Coach Michael Locksley's staff. Following four seasons as Colorado State's head football strength and conditioning coach, Davis joined College Park. He transferred from Samford University, where he attended the 2012–2014 seasons, to CSU. Prior to being appointed director of strength and conditioning for all of Samford's athletic programs, Davis spent his first year at Samford in 2012 as the football team's strength and conditioning coach. The "Fourth Quarter" offseason program was introduced by Davis during his first season at Samford, and it significantly impacted the Bulldogs' football team. Along with numerous lecturers on motivation and character development, he also brought the curriculum to CSU.
Ryan Deatrick - Sac State
In January 2019, Ryan Deatrick was hired as the strength and conditioning coach for the football team. In January 2022, he was promoted to Assistant Athletics Director, Sports Performance. Deatrick relocated from the University of Houston, where he served as the director of baseball sports performance since March 2015 and the associate director for football sports performance. He was in charge of the daily, year-round program as well as the quarterback and linebacker position-specific training plans. Additionally, Deatrick developed and oversaw all pre-activity preparation protocols and helped with the oversight of sport science initiatives such Catapult GPS devices, hydration testing, tendon units, and high-speed treadmill training. Deatrick spent a year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at South Dakota before joining the UH staff.
Ryan Metzger - Tennessee
After working as the Senior Assistant of Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning at Clemson University since June 2019, Ryan Metzger, the 2022 NSCA Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, joins Rocky Top. While at Clemson, Metzger had direct control over all volunteer interns and was directly in charge of the women's soccer and softball teams' strength and conditioning programs. While at Clemson, Metzger was successful in softball and women's soccer. In the 2020 NCAA Tournament, women's soccer made it to the Elite Eight, its deepest run since 2006, and in the program's first full season, softball won the ACC regular season championship in 2021. Metzger worked as an assistant sports performance coach at VCU prior to her employment at Clemson.
Ryan Horn - Wichita State
In May 2022, Ryan Horn was hired by Wichita State as its new head strength and conditioning coach.
Horn has worked with men's basketball programs at VCU, Tulsa, and Wake Forest for more than a decade. He also has 15 years of professional expertise in sports performance. After working as a Special Operations Strength and Conditioning Specialist at KBR for two years, planning, implementing, and evaluating training programs, Horn has returned to college athletics. Horn collaborated with head coach Danny Manning at Tulsa (2012–2014) and Wake Forest for eight years (2014-20). Horn guided the Deacons to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2017 while producing Olivier Sarr, Jaylen Hoard, and John Collins, two NBA prospects.
Shaun Brown - West Virginia
In May 2018, Shaun Brown was hired as the Mountaineer men's basketball team's strength and conditioning coach. He left Minnesota, where he worked for five years as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach for the Golden Gophers, to move to West Virginia. Prior to Minnesota, Brown managed the strength and conditioning program for three years at Virginia from 2006–09 and three years at USC from 2010–13. In his eight years of professional experience, Brown spent six seasons as the head strength coach of the Boston Celtics from 1997 to 2003, and six seasons as the head strength coach of the NBA's Toronto Raptors from 2003 to 2006.
Steve Englehart - Colorado
The men's basketball team's strength and conditioning coach, Stephen Englehart, is in his sixth season with Colorado and 11th overall. In July 2018, his job title was changed to Director of Strength & Conditioning for Olympic Sports. He worked with the Buffaloes' football, women's soccer, women's golf, men's golf, and tennis programs before taking on his responsibilities with men's basketball. Englehart arrived at CU after spending one year (2010) serving as the Mustangs' assistant strength and conditioning coach at Southern Methodist University. That came after his first full-time year on the field, a 2009 campaign as the head football strength coach at Portland State University. He spent three years working as a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii before starting his career (2006-08).
Travis Knight - Gonzaga
In the weight room, Travis Knight is a master at fostering learning settings. He brings complex systems and motor learning theory with vision and mindset training to the field of basketball strength and conditioning.
Gonzaga has employed Knight since 2006. He has done an outstanding job collaborating with Mark Few to develop strong, internally motivated players while serving as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Guelph men's basketball team. Travis uses unconventional training techniques, yet they are based on the most cutting-edge research. He invests his energy in fostering learning environments in the weight room rather than concentrating on sets and reps.
Tyler Janota - ETSU
On June 16, 2020, Tyler Janota was appointed Director of Basketball Sport Performance. Janota spent the previous three seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Texas before moving on to ETSU. Janota will be in charge of all training, dietary demands, and recovery requirements for the men's and women's basketball programs. Janota assisted in the physical development of NBA Lottery selections Jaxson Hayes and Mohamed Bamba, who was selected by the Orlando Magic with the sixth overall choice in the 2018 Draft (No. 8 selection in the 2019 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks – later traded to the New Orleans Pelicans).
Victoria Saucedo - VCU
After most recently working as Wake Forest's Director of Sports Performance for women's basketball, Saucedo joined VCU in June 2022. Saucedo has previously held graduate assistantships at Northern Arizona and Saint Louis. At Wake Forest, Saucedo assisted in developing and carrying out both individual and team training objectives while assisting with the supervision of diet and supplements. She oversaw the programs for the Billikens' volleyball, softball, track & field, field hockey, and swimming & diving teams while serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Saint Louis. In addition, Saucedo provided support for SLU's men's and women's basketball programs.
