Nicknames can mean a lot in sports. And the nickname “Strong” for a Strength and Conditioning Coach seems pretty perfect.
Well that’s what Syracuse Men’s Basketball is getting. Rob “Strong” Harris has officially been named the director of strength and conditioning for ‘Cuse, and he brings a plethora of experience to the Orange.
Harris comes over from Austin Peay where he was the men’s basketball director of sports performance. But his most notable resume point may be his nine years spent as the strength and conditioning coach for Kentucky Men’s Basketball. Yes, that Kentucky.
In the role, Harris coached stars like Devin Booker, SGA, KAT, and Bam Adebayo, among a plethora of other NBA stars. In total, Harris has coached 26 different NBA draft picks.
And if Kentucky basketball isn’t enough of a sell for you, Harris also worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL for two years.
Long story short, Harris comes to the 315 with a ton of experience, and now can help turn SU into an even more physical team this year.
The key for 2025-26? Less fouls, but staying consistent on the rebounds. SU was fourth in the ACC in rebounding margin this past season, a mark that the Orange would gladly take again in this season.
The only problem? Well there were plenty of times where the Orange had fouls and over aggression. Learning how to be strong and controlled will be a major task for players under Harris. And improving the coaching staff will only be a further selling point to recruits.
This year’s team may very well ride on the front court duo of Donnie Freeman and Sadiq White. Bulking those two stars up and getting them ready to play in the nitty gritty ACC is a huge task for Harris. But if done right, it could give SU the huge boost that it’s been needing.
