coaching staff John Thomas
Sr. Associate Director Strength and Conditioning John Thomas, head football strength and conditioning coach at Penn State for 20 years, was named Sr. Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Georgia in March, 2012. In his first year, the Bulldogs won 12 games, the SEC Eastern Division Title, and defeated Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. In his two years at UGA he has worked with 12 AllSEC players (five first team) and 10 players selected in the NFL draft. At Penn State, his strenuous program was known for producing fourth quarter success. Penn State won seven games decided by 10 points or less in 2011 and has won 22 such games between 2005-11. His efforts were recognized with his 2002 selection as Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach, a title held by fewer than 30 people worldwide. He also was chosen the 1997 National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach-of-the-Year. During his tenure at Penn State in the weight room, he coached 124 All-Big Ten players, 81 NFL draft picks including 17 first rounders. The Nittany Lions earned 16 post-season bowl invitations during that time. Twenty-five of his former graduate assistants have become college or professional level strength coaches or personal trainers. Thomas spent two seasons at the U.S. Military Academy, the second as the head of the strength and conditioning program in 1990-91. A Muskingum College graduate, he started at defensive tackle for two years and at offensive guard for two seasons and was an All-Ohio Valley Athletic Conference first-team pick and a second-team Division II All-American. He was inducted into the Muskingum Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2008. Thomas spent two years as a graduate assistant football and strength coach at Toledo. At the University of the South (1986-89), he coached football and served as a strength coach in football and baseball. He is married to the former Kelly Sims of Huntland, Tenn. and they have three children: Jacob (1/5/94), Logan (3/16/96) and Grace (5/1/2000).
Sherman Armstrong Associate Director Strength and Conditioning
Sherman Armstrong, founder and head performance specialist at VAST (Velocity, Agility, Speed, Technique) Sports Performance, was named Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia in March, 2012. Armstrong’s program at VAST included training competitors in speed, agility, and quickness on the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. He helped develop pre-season, in-season, and postseason strength training programs for all sports. Included in the program were exploring innovative training methods, developing daily training programs, teaching participants sport-specific and position-specific skills, and managing pre-competition and competition schedules. During his tenure at VAST, Armstrong also served as NFL Combine Prep head speed coach, NFL Veterans Off-season training head speed coach, and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Performance Gaines (2008-10). He also serverd as sports performance specialist at Elite Athletics (2008). A graduate of the University of Illinois, Armstrong is a four-time AllAmerican and two-time Olympic Trials finalist in the 400 meter hurdles. He is also a Big Ten and school record-holder in the 400 meter hurdles, nine-time Big Ten champion, and 2000 Big Ten Athlete of the Year. He is married to the former Adia McKinnon. They have three children: Nehemiah (3-17-2005), Jabari (8-26-2006), and Nia (2-15-2010).
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Gus Felder
Assistant Director Strength and Conditioning Gus Felder, Director of Strength and Conditioning at Clark Atlanta in 2013, was named Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Georgia on Feb. 20, 2014. According to UGA Director of Strength and Conditioning Joe Tereshinski, Felder, who was actually involved in boxing before playing football, will continue and further develop the team’s mixed martial arts program in additional to strength and conditioning duties. A former standout at Penn State University (1998-2002), Felder was named to the All Big Ten team in 2001 at the left tackle and guard positions. After a short stint in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns, he began his coaching career at the high school ranks where he gained four years of coaching experience including one year as head coach at Simon Gratz High School (Philadelphia, PA) in 2004. Felder also served two years as the strength and conditioning and assistant football coach at Cheyney University. Felder recently obtained his Master of Education Degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Health Education from Penn State while serving as a graduate assistant football coach for two seasons (2010-2012). He earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. He is a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and prepped at Berwick Area High School where he was a prominent lineman. Felder and his wife Kelly have five children Destiny, 16; Jazmine, 12; Alexa, 10, EJ, 5; and Faith, 3.
John Meshad
Director of Athletic Equipment John Meshad began working for the Athletic Association in 2002 as an intern in the Athletic Directors office. In 2004 he was named Assistant Equipment Manager for the football team. He was a part of the 2005 SEC Championship team. Following the 2006 season he was promoted to the position of Head Equipment Manager for the Bulldogs. John and his staff have played an integral role in the various uniform changes in the past and have been instrumental in equipping the team with the most advanced football equipment on the market. John has served on several advisory boards with Nike and is currently an active member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association. John was recently named the Director of Athletic Equipment for The University of Georgia in 2011. Meshad attended The University of Georgia in 1995-96 where he first started working in the equipment room as a student manager under longtime Bulldog equipment manager Dave Allen. He finished his degree at The University of Montana where he majored in communications and received a minor in history. While in Montana he also developed an interest in fly-fishing. He is now an avid fly fisherman who also enjoys playing golf in his free time. A native of Mobile, Ala., John attended McGill-Toolen High School where he lettered in football for three years. He is married to the former Nichole Lee Kendrick of Macon, GA. and have a son, Michael Clayton Meshad, born November, 2013.