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2011 Furman Paladins Football Support Staff JOHN SISK Director of Strength Training & Conditioning Furman's new director of strength & conditioning is John Sisk, a dedicated professional sporting over two decades of experience in helping student-athletes reach their athletic potential through solid communication, trust, motivation and commitment, built by a hands-on work ethic. "We conducted a nationwide search and had five very strong candidates, but it was obvious that John brought the most experience to the table," said Elaine Baker, head of Furman sports medicine. "I think he will be a tremendous asset to our department and to all of our student-athletes. We're glad to have John back at Furman." This summer Sisk was among a group of eight individuals recognized as a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach (MSCC) by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association at its annual convention in Kansas City, Mo. He and assistant strength coach Matt Hickmann use a wide variety of training tools in assist- ing Furman's 300-plus student-athletes in reaching their athletic potential, including functional and outside-the-box training techniques such as kettlebells, sandbag training, sled training, hill sprints, macebells, and sledgehammer training to mixed martial arts conditioning. All techniques are executed while focusing on the goal of developing a healthy, mentally tough, explosive athlete/ team through a disciplined, structured strength, speed, and conditioning system in an exciting and safe atmosphere. Sisk, who from 2001-10 served as Vanderbilt's director of speed, strength, and conditioning, is a 19-year coaching veteran, having begun his collegiate career as an assistant at Furman in 1993. In 1995 he accepted the head strength coach position at Western Carolina before moving on to Clemson two years later as an assistant. He remained with the Tigers through 2001 before being named director of speed, strength, and conditioning at Vanderbilt in 2002. While with the Commodores he and his strength training staff contributed significantly to the football program's turnaround, which culminated in Vanderbilt's 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl victory over Boston College. He coached four strength and conditioning All-Americans, one of whom was current Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler and current Bears offensive linemen Chris Williams were two National Football League first round draft picks to progress through Sisk's strength training program at Vanderbilt. All told he directed the strength training regimen for 12 Commodores who signed NFL con- tracts, as well as four first round draft picks by Major League Baseball, including No. 1 selection David Price (Tampa Bay/2007), No. 2 selection Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh/2008), No. 8 pick Casey Weathers (Colorado/2007), and No. 7 pick Mike Minor (Atlanta/2009). A Waynesville, N.C., native, Sisk played football at Western Carolina, graduating with a degree in sports administration. He spent three years as a football/strength coach at Tuscola (N.C.) High School before coming to Furman in 1993. MATT HICKMANN Assistant/Strength Training & Conditioning Matt Hickmann was named assistant strength training and conditioning coach for Furman University's athletic pro- gram in early July. Hickmann, a 2008 graduate of Cumberland (Tenn.) University with a B.S. degree in fitness and wellness, played collegiate football, starting 30 games at defensive backs and earning all-conference honors and playing in the NAIA Senior Bowl. Following graduation he interned with Sisk in Vanderbilt's strength and conditioning operation, working specificallly with the Commodore football and baseball programs, and also at his alma mater. In 2009 he was named head strength and conditioning coach at Cumberland, where he worked with all university sports, including the Bulldogs' 2010 conference championship and Top 25 football team, 2010 national championship baseball squad, and two All-American wrestlers, including a 157-pound national champion. He is a member of the National Strength Coaches Association and is CSCS certified. CRAIG CLARK Head Athletic Trainer, A.T.C. Craig Clark is now in his third year as head athletic trainer. Clark's arrival at Furman in 2009 followed a nine-year tenure at The Citadel, where he served as assistant director of sports medicine and worked primarily with the school's baseball program. In addition, he administered travel budgets and coordinated travel arrangements for various sports. A 1999 graduate of East Tennessee State University, he earned a master's degree in education from The Citadel in 2003. Clark began his sports medicine career as a summer intern with the Tennessee Titans during the 1998 & '99 seasons. After holding a similar position with the Atlanta Braves in the spring of 2000, he accepted a resident athletic trainer's post at The Citadel in the fall of 2000 and two years later was named assistant director of sports medicine. He is a member of the College Athletic Trainers Society, Mid-Atlanta Athletic Trainers' Association, National Athletic Trainers' Association, and South Carolina Athletic Trainers' Association, for which he currently serves as secretary/treasurer. He is married to the April Foley, formerly of Muncie, Ind. TIM MITCHELL Football Equipment Manager Tim Mitchell is entering his third year as football equipment manager, having succeeded the late Spear Sedgley, who served in the same capacity for 21 years. Prior to coming to Furman, Mitchell spent the 2007 and '08 seasons as equipment manager at Southern Conference member The Citadel. He is a 2004 graduate of the University of Tennessee and holds a master's degree in sports management from West Virginia University, where he served as a graduate assistant football equipment manager for the Mountaineers from 2005-07. Duane Vaughn Offense/Quality Control NCAA FCS Playoffs — 1982, '83, 85, '86, '88, '89, '90, '96, '99, '00, '01, '02, '04, '05, '06 Ricky Spradling Video Coordinator Tracey Hendricks Administrative Assistant 43