Connecting the Performance Team: Leaning into Relationships, Expertise, and Collaboration for Athlet
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Bennie Wylie, one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the country, joined the USC staff as the director of football sports performance in December of 2021. Wylie, 46, spent the previous 4 years (2018-21) as Oklahoma’s director of sports performance for football. The Sooners won the Big 12 title in 2018, 2019 and 2020, made a pair of College Football Playoff semifinal appearances in 2018 and 2019 (in the Orange and Peach Bowls, respectively) and also played in the Cotton Bowl in the 2020 season and the Alamo Bowl in 2021. Along with coaching Heisman award winner Kyler Murray and runner-up Jalen Hurts and the 2018 Joe Moore Outstanding Offensive Line Unit award. Prior to arriving at OU, he served as director of performance at The Performance Lab, a private group-training strength and fitness center in Abilene, Tex. He also provided training and obstacle fitness to United States military personnel as a staff member of Alpha Warrior. He spent 3 years (2011-13) as strength and conditioning head coach for football at Texas. The Longhorns appeared in the 2011 Holiday Bowl and 2012 and 2013 Alamo Bowl. He spent the 2010 season at Tennessee as strength and conditioning head coach for football. The Volunteers participated in the Music City Bowl. He served 7 seasons (2003-09) as head strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders competed in bowl games in each season: 2003 Houston Bowl, 2004 Holiday Bowl, 2006 Cotton Bowl, 2006 Insight Bowl, 2008 Gator Bowl, 2009 Cotton Bowl and 2010 Alamo Bowl. Along with coaching back to back Biletnikoff winner Michael Crabtree. He was an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2002, helping rehabilitate injured players. He also spent the spring seasons heading the strength and conditioning program for the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He got his start in strength and conditioning as a graduate assistant at Sam Houston State in 1998 and was named the Bearkats’ interim head strength and conditioning coach that same year. He is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute and USA Weightlifting and was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association in 2012. He was a 4-year (1994-97) letterwinning running back at Sam Houston State, serving as the team captain in 1997 while earning All-Southland Conference second team honors. He also was on the Bearkats’ track and field team. He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1999. He prepped at Mexia (Tex.) High. He was born on July 11, 1976. He and his wife, Jennifer, have twin sons, Braden and Caden, and a daughter, Hope.
