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New Texas Longhorns head coach Chris Beard has another key piece in place with the Tuesday announcement from the school that former Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach John Reillly is headed to the Forty Acres in the same capacity.
“I’m excited and proud to have John Reilly and his family join us at Texas,” Beard said. “Simply stated, John is the best. He is deservingly recognized at the top of his profession but is also so much more than our strength coach. John executes and defends our culture daily. He impacts winning. Our players will benefit most, because John teaches and produces through relationships. His individualized strength training and injury prevention methods are advanced thinking.”
“John is a special person. Players come to Texas to be the best,” Beard added. “John embraces and thrives on these expectations. Players love and respect him.”
Reilly spent the previous five seasons working under Beard in Lubbock, including developing guards Zhaire Smith, Jarrett Culver, and Jahmi’us Ramsey into NBA Draft picks.
“We’re going to win in Austin, and I’m not afraid to say it,” Reilly said. “Toughness will be the key. I’ve always been a believer that toughness comes down to discipline. Can you do the same things when you’re exhausted, bored, or even sick? Toughness is consistency. The elite always find a way to get the job done.”
“As the strength and conditioning coach for Texas Basketball, I’m going to defend our culture to the fullest,” Reilly continued. “Anything less is a threat to our success. I love my job and know that I have the best job in the country! I work for the best coach in the entire country in Chris Beard. He believes in me, and I believe in him. I love that man. I’m so blessed to be here. Every day, I get to serve others, inspire and ultimately compete for championships. Hook ‘em!”
The hire represents something of a homecoming for Reilly, too, as he spent a year on the football strength and conditioning staff at Texas under Jeff Madden and Bennie Wylie in 2011-12 before moving on to North Carolina Central, where he was the head strength and conditioning coach for three of his four seasons in Durham.
A Killeen native, Reilly was a multi-event track and field athlete at BYU during his college days.