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One of many new additions to this season’s Texas Longhorns football staff is head strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight.
McKnight was one of several coaches to follow head coach Tom Herman from the Houston Cougars to Austin.
Here is what Herman said about McKnight upon making the hire:
“Your strength coach is one of the most important members of your staff because he's with the kids year around, and Yancy has everything you'd ever want in that position. He will work these kids extremely hard, really get to know them as young men and do a terrific job getting this team ready both physically and mentally to win a lot of games.”
As the extension of Herman’s voice during the offseason, McKnight is a critical piece of Herman’s staff who also has extensive experience working with the new Texas head coach — McKnight first worked with Herman at Rice under David Bailiff, then joined him at Iowa State.
Learn more about McKnight in this TexasSports.com video:
“You always talk about wanting to be powerful, but No. 1 you’ve got to be strong before you can be powerful,” he says. “How you bridge what you do in your training program, your strength and conditioning program to the field, is how you incorporate your mobility, your speed and your power.”
Power, strength, mobility and speed are the key facets of McKnight’s program.
“Every position is different,” he says. “Their practice demands and what they require, the running volume on the field and really what they do as a position group is different. You have to adjust your philosophy and what you do with each position group.”
McKnight originally thought he’d become an offensive line coach during his career, but decided he liked the constant contact with players and seeing them grow as men, which drew him to strength and conditioning instead.
He describes Herman as one of the best head coaches he’s ever worked for, someone who both allows you to do your job and backs your efforts.
“I don’t think I could ask for a better boss.”