UCSD names new athletic performance director

Rudy Thomas, a former assistant strength and conditioning coach at Marquette University, has been named UCSD’s new director of athletic performance, Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards announced Tuesday.

“We are extremely pleased with the addition of Rudy Thomas as our director of athletic performance,” Edwards said. “His experience working with elite student-athletes in the Big East, Big 10, and Pac 10 will certainly help us to improve the performance of our athletes here at UCSD. Rudy’s proven managerial skills will also be a major asset in helping us to continue with our overall success as an athletic program.”

After working with the basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, and track and field programs while at Marquette, Thomas replaces Rob Mamula, who accepted the position of assistant director of athletic performance training at the University of San Diego in February.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the outstanding athletics department at UC San Diego,” Thomas said. “With all the success the programs have had, the bar has already been set so high. I’m really looking forward to getting to work and embracing the challenge that lies ahead.”

Thomas comes to La Jolla after three seasons at Marquette, where he designed, implemented, and supervised year-round periodized strength, speed and conditioning programs for many of the Golden Eagle athletic teams. In addition to implementing several speed and power enhancement programs, Thomas also served as coordinator of the Marquette Strength and Conditioning Internship Program and the Student Athlete Training Table.

Prior to his time in Milwaukee, Thomas served as a strength coach at the University of Iowa from 2006-07, working with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as with the Olympic sports. He was also an assistant strength coach at Stanford University from 2001-02, where he again worked with the men’s and women’s basketball and track and field teams. While at Stanford, Thomas was mentored by John Murray, the current strength and conditioning coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Thomas has also worked as a guest strength and conditioning coach at Ohio State University and the University of South Florida.

In addition to his experience working in intercollegiate athletics, Thomas served as the director of strength and conditioning at the Columbus Academy from 2005-06, where he designed, implemented and oversaw strength, speed, and conditioning programs for all 18 Academy varsity sports. He also worked as the director for athletic development at the High Intensity Training Center in Worthington, Ohio in 2006.

Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science with a concentration in strength and conditioning from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2001. He went on to earn a masters’ of science degree from Boise State in exercise physiology in 2004. While at BSU, he served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Kinesiology, as well as a volunteer strength and conditioning coach.