Rusty Whitt enters his third season in 2018 as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Texas Tech football program.
 
Whitt, a veteran of the United States Army, oversees a staff of three full-time assistants as well as a graduate assistant in leading all strength workouts and Tech’s conditioning drills. Whitt’s staff also works closely with the Tech athletic training and nutrition programs as part of Tech’s commitment to student-athlete development.
 
Prior to his arrival in Lubbock, Whitt spent six seasons as the head strength and conditioning coach for a Louisiana-Lafayette program that was 43-33 overall and won four-straight New Orleans Bowls during his tenure. The Rajin’ Cajuns also claimed the Sun Belt Conference title in 2013.
 
Whitt was hired at Louisiana-Lafayette following a year-long stint as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Rice where he designed and implemented year-round strength, speed, mobility, cardiovascular conditioning and injury rehabilitation programs for football, baseball, swimming as well as track and field.
 
Before to joining the staff at Rice, Whitt served in the United States Army as a Senior Special Forces Communication Sergeant in the 10th Special Forces Group. Whitt was a member of the U.S. Army from Aug. 2003-Jan. 2009 where during that time he deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) V and VI.
 
Whitt developed and initiated a comprehensive pre-deployment conditioning program for his Special Forces Team prior to and during OIF V and VI. He received a combat infantry badge, two Iraqi campaign medals and an Army commendation medal with valor.
 
Prior to joining the military, Whitt was the head strength and conditioning coach at Sam Houston State where he served as an instructor in the kinesiology department and assisted in the design of a new weight facility. He began his tenure at Sam Houston State in December 1998.
 
Whitt began his strength and conditioning career with graduate assistantships at Midwestern State University (Aug. 1995-June 1996) and the University of Texas (June 1996-May 1997). He performed an internship in the strength and conditioning department at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (May-Sept. 1997).
 
Whitt earned his bachelor’s degree in police science and administration from Abilene Christian University in 1994 and his master’s degree in kinesiology from Texas in 1997. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.