South Carolina strength and conditioning trainer Luke Day has a former co-worker in mind for a vacancy on the assistant strength team. Chip Morton, with whom Day worked with Cincinnati Bengals, was mentioned at Day’s introductory press conferences on Tuesday afternoon.
Morton has 34 years of experience as a strength coach, 27 of whom in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Football Team and Cincinnati Bengals. In college, he worked at Ohio State (1985-86) and Penn State (1987-91) as a strength and fitness training assistant before he became a professional. He served as chief of strength and conditioning coach in the NFL for 17 seasons, notably in Cincinnati for 12.
“I don’t know what we can call it yet, but Chip, a 27-year-old NFL strength coach, is going to join us on this team,” said Day. “(I’ll quote you in saying) ‘The man’s heart is deep waters.’ A shrewd man and a real coach takes that away from him. There is deep water in the well and we need to dig it. This is what I have to do (as the main strength trainer). Physically, this game is still about getting your hands on people and getting them to where they don’t want to go. We have to train people that way. “
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Hiring former defensive striker Gamecocks Byron Jerideau as an assistant to the strength trainer, he was made official by the school. Jerideau has been the assistant director of sports performance for Tennessee football since 2018. He played for the 2010-12 Gamecocks, worked in the strength and tolerance department of the 2016-17 program. He made stops in Houston and Appalachian State, before Will Muschamp and Jeff Dillman hired him in South Carolina. Day says Jerideau’s addition to the team sets an example for current players.
“We just want people around here to consider that this job offer is the best thing that ever happened to them,” said Day. “Byron, after playing here, it’s a dream come true to be in this role and to be back with coach Beamer and a few other former players. It is a daily monument to how to be here. He’s a guy who got in their place and won in their place. If you are not going to hear me, believe him because he was here and did it and it is important to get this feedback in real time for these kids. More importantly, he is a phenomenal human being. “
There are reports that a former Gamecocks linebacker and assistant strength trainer from Tennessee Shaq Wilson he is also joining his alma mater’s strength team, but the school has yet to announce the hiring. Wilson was portrayed in a tweet sent by the head coach Shane Beamer during a team barbecue on Monday night.