Strength Coaches

It's no coincidence that a large number of Olympic weightlifters who have competed for the Gayle Hatch Weightlifting Team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana have gone on to become coaches at universities and weightlifting clubs throughout the United States.   In addition to a strong schooling in strength training and top level competition, Gayle Hatch has instilled in these athletes a sense of right and wrong and 'a can do' and I'll help attitude that any one would be proud to have.

Gayle Hatch athletes have been members of three out of the last four U.S.A. Olympic Teams in weightlifting and Coach Hatch served as men's Head Coach for the 2004 US Olympic Team.  Many of his athlete's  have won U.S.A. Junior and Senior National Championships.  Like Coach Hatch, these athletes aren't showy. They just train hard and keep making improvements.
                                                                                    Denis Reno, Weightlifter's Newsletter   

                  Outstanding Gayle Hatch Strength Coaches  

Brad Roll - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the NFL Cleveland Browns. He had previous NFL Head Strength and Conditioning Coaching jobs at Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Okland.  While serving as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach  at the University of Miami (FL), the Hurricanes won two NCAA Football National Championships (1989,1991).  Roll was Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Kansas Jayhawks working closely with the National Championship Basketball Team (1988).  In 1981-1986, he served as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Southwestern LA now called Louisiana Lafayette from 1981-1986. It was during these 5 years that he studied Olympic Weightlifting under hall of fame coach, Gayle Hatch.                                        

Tom Moffitt - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Louisiana State University (LSU).  In 2011 LSU won the SEC Football Championship with a 13-0 record.. In 2007 LSU won the BCS  National Championship and  were SEC Football Champions.  2003 BCS Football National Champions and SEC Football Champions; 2004 Sugar Bowl Champions; 2001 S.E.C. Football Champions. Moffitt came from the University of Miami where his contributions were instrumental in Miami winning the 2001 BCS Football National Championship;  Before coaching at Miami, Moffitt spent four seasons as associate strength and conditioning coach at the University of Tennessee. His contributions were a vital part of Tennessee's football team winning the BCS National Championship in 1998. Moffit was named the 1999 Collegiate Football Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. In 2003, Moffitt was named College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the American Football Monthly.

Scott Cochran - Head Stength and Conditioning Coach at University of Alabama. Alabama has won 3 out of the last 4 BCS National Championships. Alabama won the 2013 BCS National Championship defeating Notre Dame 42-14.  Alabama won the 2012 BCS National Championship defeating LSU 21-0.  In 2010 Alabama defeated  University of Texas 37-21 in the BCS National Championship Game. In 2009 Mark Ingram was named the Heisman Trophy Winner.  In 2008 Alabama had a record of 12-2 and won the SEC Western Division Title. Before becoming Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Alabama in 2006, Cocharan severed three years as Strength and Conditioning Coach for the New Orleans Hornets.  2003 Cocharan was a graduate assistant strength coach for LSU's BCS National Championship Football Team.

Johnny Long Jr. - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for football at the University of Tennessee.  Long has played a key roll in Tennessee's consistent improvement on the football field during the Phillip Fulmer era, including two SEC titles and the 1998 BCS National Championship.

Jeff Dillman - In 2012 Jeff was named the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Florida. Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Appalachian State.  In 2007 Appalachian State's Football Team defeated number 5 Michigan by a score of 34-32.  No division 1-AA team had ever beaten a team ranked in the Associated Press Poll. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history. The game was played at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor, Mich.  Appalachian State won the 2006 and 2007 1-AA Football National Championship.   Before becoming Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Appalachian State Dillman served as Head Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach for LSU's men’s and women’s 2006 final four basketball teams.    

Vic Viloria –Named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Florida State University in 2010. In2014 Florida State won the BCS Championship game over Auburn University by a score or 34-31. Jamie Winston a member of the Florida State Football Team was named
Heisman Trophy Winner.   In  2012 Florida State won the ACC Championship .  While Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at SMU in  2009, SMU's football team finished with a 8-5 record  and where invited to play in the Hawaii Bowl.  This was the first bowl game for SMU in 25years.  SMU defeated Nevada by a score of  45 to 10.   Viloria served as assistant strength and conditioning coach for three years at LSU before becoming SMU.   

Joe Danos - In 2013 Joe Danos was named assistant strength coach for the NFL's New York Giants. Gayle Hatch weightlifter, Joe Danos served as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Florida State and SMU. He was a graduate assistant at LSU from 2003 - 2006.

Ethan Reeve - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wake Forest University. Wake Forest University won the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship. This was their first ACC Championship in thirty-six years resulting in the Demon Deacons going to the biggest bowl game (Orange Bowl) in school history. 2008 Wake Forest University defeated Navy 29-19 in the EagleBackBowl. That established the winnningest senior class in Wake Forest Football history.  The Demon Deacon's' sixteen seniors finished with a 32-19 record, three bowl appearances and the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. Reeve also was the strength coach for the 1995 U. S. Women's Rowing Team which won four gold medals and one silver medal. Wake Forest has also won three Men's National Championships in field hockey and one Men's National Championship in soccer since Ethan Reeve became head strength and conditioning coach.

Paul Jackson - In 2012 Paul Jackson was named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Ole Miss.  In 2011 Jackson was Head Strength Coach at Southern Miss where they won the Conference USA Championship With a record of 12-2. 

Kurt Hester - In 2013 Kurt Hester was named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for football at Louisiana Tech.  Hester was Strength and Conditioning Specialist for L. S. U.'s 1996 and 1997 N. C. A. A. National Championship Baseball Teams. The 1997 team set an NCAA record by hitting 188 home runs for the season.

Eric Ciano - In 2010 Eric Ciano was named the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia Tech.   Ciano previously served as head strength and conditioning coach at Louisiana Tech from 1999-2001.  Louisiana Tech won the WAC Football Conference Championship in 2001.   Before that Ciano served as graduate assistant at Tennessee from 1997-1999.   Tennessee won the 1998 BCS National Championship.  In 2009 Georgia Tech won the ACC Championship with a regular season record of 11-2.

Brett Bech - In 2011 Brett Bech was named First Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

Melissa Moore - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach LSU for Women's Basketball and Softball(College World Series in softball 2012,Final Four 2007 and 2008, SEC Champions 2008), Softball (SEC Tournament Champions 2007, Super Regional 2007), Women's Tennis (SEC West Champions 2007), Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for 2007 LSU Football BCS National Champions, member of Gayle Hatch Weightlifting Team

Joey Guarascio-2012 Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Northwestern State University at Natchitoches, LA.

Brandon Howard-2012 Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Southeastern State University at Hammond, LA. In 2013 Southeastern State University claimed its first conference title in more than 50 years and won it’s first playoff game in the FCS.  They made it to the quarter finals and ranked in the nations top 10.

Jeff Earls - In 2013 Jeff Earls, a member of the Gayle Hatch Weightlifting Team, was named assistant strength and conditioning coach at Tulane University. Tulane has now joined the Big East Conference.  Jeff Earls previously served as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Purdue University.

Chad Englehart - In 2010 Chad Englehart was named assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Redskins of the NFL. In 2009 Englehart was named head strength coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.  The Tuskers finished with a 6-1 record and the regular season championship.

Frank Bourgeois - In 2009 Frank Bourgeois was named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. 2011 Midwestern State went 10 and 0 and won the Lone Star Conference Championship. Bourgeois served as strength and conditioning intern under Vic Viloria at Southern Methodist University 2007-2008.   Served as strength and conditioning intern under Tommy Moffitt at LSU in 2009. Member of the Gayle Hatch Weightlifting Team.Randall Dorvin - In 2011 Rardall Dorvin was named assistant strength and conditioning coach at Ole Miss University.

Mike Chapman - In 20013 Mike Chapman was named assistant strength and conditioning coach at Penn State University.

Zack Womack - Head Strength and Conditioning at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. He served 5 years as assistant strength coach for football at the University of Illinois.  Also served as assistant at the University of Florida and University of Memphis.

Milton Williams - Formerly Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for L. S. U.  While Williams was at L. S. U. the football and basketball teams won S. E. C. Championships.

Jesse Barksdale - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of New Orleans Basketball Team.  U. N. O. won back to back Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.

Mike Robinson - Head strength coach at McNeese State University; 2003 Football Southland Conference Champions; 2002 played for the NCAA Division II National Championship and lost to Western Kentucky in the championship game; 2001 Football Southland Conference Champions.

 

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