STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Emphasizing Player DEVELOPMENT The Tennessee Tech strength and conditioning program is a blend of science, technology, nutrition and one-on-one attention to each athlete. Golden Eagle student-athletes make a year-round commitment to physically preparing to play their sport at the highest level. At TTU, a program is tailored to match each student-athlete’s individual needs with the sport-specific physical demands. This includes strength, speed, power, agility, flexibility, metabolic conditioning and motivation. This combination allows Tennessee Tech’s student-athletes to better reach their specific goals. Another major focus of the strength staff is the development of sport-specific speed, agility and conditioning.
CHIP PUGH Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Chip Pugh is in his fifth year as Tennessee Tech’s strength and conditioning head coach. He oversees the physical development of student-athletes in all 14 sports, providing support in building toward championships. Pugh served three years in the same position at Winthrop University where he created and developed a highly successful strength and conditioning program that helped win 12 conference championships. An alumnus of Ohio University, he was an offensive lineman on the football team while earning a bachelor’s degree in sport industry and a master’s degree in physical education. Pugh believes that the qualities that athletes can develop in strength and conditioning will not only aid in their athletic development, but will also help them build quality character components necessary for life. A native of Parkersburg, W. Va., he began his coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant strength and conditioning coach where he primarily worked with men’s and women’s track, men’s and women’s swimming, and women’s soccer. He also assisted coach Ethan Reeve, currently the head strength and conditioning coach at Wake Forest, with football while at Ohio. After leaving Ohio University he became the head strength and conditioning coach for football at Marietta Golden Eagle (Ohio) College, where he also worked as an assistant Strength All-Americans football coach. Additionally, during his two years at under Chip Pugh Marietta College he also served as a campus minister to Awarded by the National Strength the college. and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Pugh is a certified member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength 2007 Katie Sutherland, Softball and Conditioning Coaches’ Association. He also holds the Amadi McKenzie, Men’s Basketball Club Coach certification through USA Weightlifting. Allison Price, Women’s Basketball 2008 He is a Level-I certified CrossFit trainer and conducts John Jackson, Football personal training classes open to the public using the 2009 Blair Bowens, Women’s Basketball CrossFit methods. Kelechi Odu, Football Chip and his wife, the former Nicole Carey, were 2010 Kaleigh Gates, Softball married July 29, 2000 and welcomed their first child Rory Elijah Muhammad, Basketball Love on October 16. They live in Cookeville, where they are active in sprint triathlons and CrossFit.
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Tennessee Tech Softball