Rusty Whitt
 Coach Whitt following Texas Tech's victory over TCU in 2016 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach[1] |
| Team | Army Black Knights Football |
| Conference | Independent |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | July 6, 1971 Azle, Texas |
| Alma mater | |
| Playing career | |
| 1990–1994 | Abilene Christian |
| Position(s) | Safety |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1995–1996 | Midwestern State Mustangs football (grad. asst.) |
| 1996–1997 | Texas Longhorns football (grad. asst.) |
| 1997 | U.S. Olympic Training Center (speed & agility coord.) |
| 1997–1998 | William & Mary Tribe football (asst. strength and conditioning) |
| 1998 | Louisville (asst. strength and conditioning) |
| 1998–2003 | Sam Houston State (strength and conditioning) |
| 2009–2010 | Rice (asst. coordinator, strength and conditioning) |
| 2010–2016 | Louisiana–Lafayette (strength and conditioning) |
| 2016–2018 | Texas Tech (strength and conditioning) |
| 2019–present | United States Military Academy (strength and conditioning) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
Russell T. Whitt (born July 6, 1971) is the Associate strength and conditioning coach for the Army Black Knights Football football team in West Point, New York. He’s the former strength and conditioning coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football football team in Lubbock, Texas.[2] He previously served in the same capacity at University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 2010 to 2016.
Playing career
Whitt played safety and linebacker for Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, where he earned a bachelors of science degree in police science and administration.
Military career
From 2003 to 2009, Whitt was a communication sergeant in the 10th Special Forces Group of the United States Army. He was awarded the combat infantryman's badge (2007), two Iraqi campaign medals, and the Army commendation medal with valor.
Whitt left his job at Sam Houston State to join the Army, but continued his work in strength and conditioning to enhance training tactics.[3]
In 2016, Whitt was named as a finalist for the Armed Forces Merit Bowl Award.[4]
Coaching career
Texas Tech Red Raiders
In January 2016, Whitt became the head strength and conditioning coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, under head football coach Kliff Kingsbury [5] At Tech, Whitt introduced a program called "4th Quarter Combatives," which applies mixed martial arts themed conditioning to football training. Whitt has introduced "velocity based training" using technology to measure bar speed.[6]
University of Louisiana, Lafayette
In October 2010, Coach Whitt was hired as the strength and conditioning coach to oversee 12 NCAA sports at University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Whitt developed a plan for a $750,000 equipment and infrastructure overhaul for ULL athletics and provided the design for a 12,250 square-foot performance center which was completed in September 2015.[7]
Rice
Three months after completing a six-year stint in the Army, Whitt returned to coaching as the assistant coordinator of strength and conditioning at Rice University.
Sam Houston State Bearkats
In the five years Whitt spent with the Sam Houston State Bearkats, he was the head strength and conditioning coach for eleven Division I varsity sports (Football IAA).
The University of Louisville Cardinals
Whitt was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for Conference USA Football teams, and the speed and agility coordinator for freshmen football athletes.
The College of William and Mary Griffin
Whitt was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for football, and was designated as the head strength coach for Olympic Sports.
The US Olympic Training Center
Whitt coordinated speed and agility development for the 1997 Team USA men’s and women’s volleyball, and assisted in program development for all sports, including USA basketball, and wrestling.
Texas Longhorns
Whitt was a graduate assistant in the Department of Strength and Conditioning for varsity football, baseball and men’s basketball from June 1997 – May 1997, where the Longhorns were inaugural Big XXII Champions (Football 1996), and played in the Fiesta Bowl in 1997.
Whitt earned his Masters of Education in Kinesiology in 1997.
Midwestern State Mustangs
From August 1995–96, Whitt began his career as a graduate assistant football coach and strength and conditioning coach at Midwestern State University, where he developed strength programs for football, men’s soccer, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball. He introduced a comprehensive speed, flexibility, and agility development program for football and soccer, and tested his skills as a linebackers, and defensive ends coach.
References
- ^ Whitt, Rusty. "Rusty Whitt". Texas Tech Athletics. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ "Texas Tech Athletics". texastech.com.
- ^ Ragin' Cajuns Athletics (15 November 2012). "ESPN College Gameday Rusty Whitt Veterans Day Salute" – via YouTube.
- ^ "Whitt Named Finalist for Armed Forces Merit Award - Texas Tech University". Texas Tech University.
- ^ "Kingsbury credits new strength coach for making Red Raiders mentally tougher - Strength and Conditioning Coach News, Videos, Photos, Jobs, Events". Strength and Conditioning Coach News, Videos, Photos, Jobs, Events.
- ^ "Meet Head of Strength & Conditioning Rusty Whitt". texastech.com.
- ^ "The Official Athletics Site of the Ragin' Cajuns – Student Athlete Performance Center". ragincajuns.com.