Director of Strength and Conditioning
Yancy McKnight, who as assistant athletics director for performance enhancement at Rice played a key role in the national emergence of Owl football over the last three seasons, has joined the Iowa State football staff as head strength and conditioning coach. Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads made the announcement Wednesday.“The strength and conditioning coach is a vitally important member of your staff for all 12 months of the year,” Rhoads said. “In Yancy we have a proven motivator whose personal mental toughness was a key factor in the comeback of Rice football. Rice won several games late in the fourth quarter during Yancy’s time there in part because of the training regimen. He won the loyalty and respect of the student-athletes under his care.”
McKnight has worked under some of football’s most successful and innovative coaches, including Les Miles of LSU, Todd Graham of Tulsa and David Bailiff of Rice. McKnight has worked with a number of current NFL players, including running back Tatum Bell of the Denver Broncos, defensive tackle Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings, defensive end Antonio Smith of the Arizona Cardinals, tight end Billy Bajema of the San Francisco 49ers and offensive lineman Charlie Johnson of the Indianapolis Colts.
“I have a Big 12 background and the opportunity to work for Paul Rhoads at Iowa State is a great opportunity,” McKnight said. “My wife Lynn is from Marshalltown so we are closer to home. We already have our Cyclones working out and spring football will be here soon.”
McKnight came to Rice in 2006 and was continuously credited by the players as a key component in the Owls’ magical run to a bowl game. In 2008, Rice posted one of its best seasons in school history, compiling a 10-3 mark, including a 38-14 win over Western Michigan in the Texas Bowl. McKnight served on the same Rice staff with new Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Herman.
The 2006 Owls showed a level of endurance that allowed them to battle back and win three times on the last offensive play of the game, due in large part to McKnight’s conditioning and strength retention programs. Again in 2007, the Owls proved to be a formidable opponent throughout each game, winning a pair of games on their last possession. In 2008, the conditioning of the Rice players was key in the Owls’ drive to being named West Division co-champions of Conference USA.
In addition to his work with the football team, McKnight supervised a staff of assistants who work with all the Owls’ student-athletes. He also oversaw the design and scope of the new conditioning facilities in the renovated Autry Court complex that will open this winter.
He originally came to Rice after two years as the head strength and conditioning coach at Louisiana Tech.
McKnight helped Louisiana Tech to a 7-4 record in 2005. The Bulldogs won five of their last six games, including a 43-28 win at Fresno State to close the season.
He began his college coaching career at Oklahoma State as an assistant in 2002 after building a reputation as a top strength and conditioning coach while directing the Adams Course in Dallas (1996-2001). McKnight has also served as a strength and conditioning program design consultant for Performance Course, Inc., in Allen.
A 2001 graduate of Missouri Southern State University, the Joplin, Mo., native started his college career at Missouri State but transferred to his hometown school, Missouri Southern, becoming a three-time all-Mid-America Athletic Association offensive lineman (1993-95) and earning NCAA Division II all-America acclaim as a senior. He played in the 1995 Snow Bowl, that division’s post-season all-star game. He was the Lions’ team captain in 1995.
McKnight is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association
(NSCA), and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), a certified strength and conditioning coach (SCCC), and a USA Weightlifting Level I certified coach.
He is married to the former Lynn Karns and they are the parents of sons, Brody and Brock.
