In this Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014 photo, Oklahoma assistant coach Jerry Schmidt, top, helps a player stretch during a team practice in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
In this Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014 photo, Oklahoma assistant coach Jerry Schmidt, top, helps a player stretch during a team practice in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
In this Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014 photo, Oklahoma assistant coach Jerry Schmidt answers a question during media day in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
In this Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014 photo, Oklahoma assistant coach Jerry Schmidt answers a question during media day in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M has turned to a Harvard guy to run its football strength and conditioning program. A&M has hired longtime Oklahoma strength coach Jerry Schmidt, who grew up in Harvard, Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska.
Schmidt, 55, has served as OU’s “director of sport enhancement” – a fancy title for strength coach – since 1999. He had prior stops at Florida, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State.
New A&M coach Jimbo Fisher hired defensive coordinator Mike Elko from Notre Dame last week, and is down to hiring assistants for the secondary, linebackers and special teams.
Former OU player Dusty Dvoracek, an ESPN personality and sports radio host in Oklahoma, broke the news on Wednesday morning of Schmidt’s departure for A&M. Schmidt replaces Mark Hocke, who only spent a season at A&M following his hire from Florida State – Fisher’s previous stop – a year ago.
Hocke had been the top assistant strength coach at FSU for a short span under Fisher. Most of former coach Kevin Sumlin’s staff has not been retained by Fisher – save for offensive line coach Jim Turner and defensive line coach Terry Price – and Hocke is now at Louisiana-Lafayette.
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One thing fans can be certain of: They’ll hear how the team is bigger, faster and stronger come September, a mantra that comes with every new strength coach hire across the nation.