Football Govs hire Brendan Gregory as defensive line, strength and conditioning coach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SP-06 BK/BK 3/29/189
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Brendan Gregory, a former defensive lineman on two Ohio Valley Conference
championship teams at Eastern Kentucky, has been named defensive line coach and strength and
conditioning coordinator for Austin Peay State University's football team.
Gregory comes to Austin Peay from Taylor County High School in Perry, Fla., where he has served the
past year as defensive line coach, head strength and conditioning coach and physical education instructor.
"We are certainly excited about having a full-time position to our staff," APSU coach Carroll McCray said.
"We had a good candidate pool and we were looking for something very specific. We were looking for
someone who could handle our defensive front plus also could work with our football team in the weight room.
We were fortunate to bring in a person of the caliber of Coach Gregory.
"Character-wise he is a very good fit for our program. I think his background of playing in the OVC,
playing for two championship teams for Coach (Roy) Kidd at Eastern Kentucky, serve as a big benefit for us.
He is very enthusiastic and very technical-oriented person. I think he will be that way with the players both on
the field and in the weight room. He is a really good fit for us as we are making our transition back to the OVC
in football."
The Barbourville, Ky., native received both his bachelor's and master's degree from Eastern Kentucky. He
played four seasons, from 1989-93, as a Colonels defensive lineman. In addition to being part of two OVC title
teams, he also was a member of two EKU football teams that played in the I-AA playoffs.
Initially after graduating from EKU,. Gregory worked as a fitness specialist and personal trainer. He also
coached high school in his native Barbourville. In August 1999, he served as a volunteer in the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers strength and conditioning program. A year later he spent a month as football operations intern
with the Cleveland Browns.
Gregory returned to Eastern Kentucky from August 1999 to January 2001, completing his master's while
serving as the program's assistant strength and conditioning coach. From there he served a seven-month
internship with the University of Louisville before being hired by the University of Richmond as its assistant
strength and conditioning coach from 2001-02.
He moved to the high school level at Christian County High School in August 2002 as its strength and
conditioning coach while also coaching running backs. From there, Gregory spent more than a year working
with Velocity Sports Performance before returning to high school at Taylor County last August.
Gregory is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and has certification as a USAW
Weightlifting Club Coach.
"We are blending him into practice right now," McCray said. "He is hitting the ground running. He already
has worked techniques with the defensive line.
"From the weight room perspective, we are going to finish the program we are in. His first assignment is to
draw up and implement the summer program and help us with the testing of our current players."
Gregory's hiring will allow McCray to move away from position coaching. Last year, he served as the
defensive line coach.
"This gives me a chance to move around in practice," McCray said. "When you are on one side of the ball,
you don't have a chance to be around the other players as much. I will get to visit with the kids more and see
them live instead of on tape.
"It also will allow me to spend more with our kicking game."