Asst Athletic Director
Kaz Kazadi joined Southern Methodist University as the Assistant A.D. for Human Performance in January of 2018. Kazadi oversees the Mustang strength and conditioning department, while serving as the head strength and conditioning coach for the football program.
Kazadi comes to the Hilltop after one season as the Assistant Athletics Director for Athletics Performance at Arkansas State where he managed A-State's athletics performance staff and program for all sports.
Prior to joining the staff at A-State, Kazadi spent time with the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant in the strength department working with 6 time Super Bowl champ, Mike Woicik.
Kazadi was a member of the strength and conditioning staff at Baylor from 2008-16, serving as the Associate Athletics Director for Athletic Performance during his last five seasons with the Bears. In 2013, he was named the American Football Coaches Association Strength Coach of the Year and the FBS Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly. FootballScoop.com named him its National Strength Coach of the Year in 2012.
Prior to joining the Baylor Bears, Kazadi spent brief time with the San Francisco 49er's as an assistant within the strength and conditioning department.
In 2007, Kazadi was an assistant strength coach at USF where he helped the Bulls reach as high as No. 2 in the National polls and an appearance in the Brut Sun Bowl.
From 2005-07, Kazadi was a member of the Kansas City Chief's staff.
A standout linebacker at Tulsa, Kazadi earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors for the Hurricane and was a Butkus Award semifinalist. He received his bachelor's degree from Tulsa in sociology with a psychology minor. He went on to earn his master's degree at Missouri in counseling psychology with an emphasis in health promotion and sport psychology while serving as a graduate assistant.
Drafted by the NFL's St. Louis Rams in 1997 after an All-American senior season which saw him earn a Fitness All-American Award, he played five years of pro ball, including stints in the Canadian Football League and the World Football League.
A native of Zaire, Africa, Kazadi immigrated to the United States at age eight. His given name is Muadianvita Machkaz Kazadi (pronounced MA-jon-vee-tah ka-ZA-dee). He and his wife Monique have three children: Ra-sun, Isis and Rohon.
