Craig Fitzgerald, the University of South Carolina’s strength-and-conditioning coach, will replace long-time Nittany Lions coach John Thomas in the Penn State football program, outlets including FightOnState and GamecockAnthem.com are reporting.
Fitzgerald was entering his third season with the Gamecocks after serving the University of Maryland from January 2000 to March 2005.
While at Maryland, Fitzgerald directed the training for men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, women’s volleyball and wrestling and assisted with the training for football.
Fitzgerald is a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist through both the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).
Thomas was entering his 20th season at Penn State.
Thomas was most well known for the implementation of the high-intensity-training system at Penn State. HIT had been under fire in recent years from fans who felt that it did not give the Nittany Lions a physical advantage against top competition. HIT’s implantation helped Thomas earn the title of the Master of Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2002, a title held by fewer than 30 people worldwide.
Fitzgerald’s apparent hiring marks what should the final new-coach arrival under new Penn State head football coach Bill O’Brien.
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