Barbarino Named Director of Strength and Conditioning at Tulane
May 2, 2005 | General
May. 2, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - Russell Barbarino, the director of strength and conditioning at the University of Delaware for the past six seasons, has been named to the same position at Tulane University, Green Wave Senior Associate Athletic Director Maria Ochoa announced Monday.
At Tulane, Barbarino will have responsibility for overseeing the strength and conditioning programs for each of the Green Wave's 320 student-athletes in 16 sports programs. He will direct a staff of three full-time assistant strength coaches and supervise the Green Wave weight room located in the James Wilson Center. He will work closely with other members of the Tulane student services staff, as well as Green Wave coaches, to develop an overall wellness program, including nutrition and dietary education, which will allow each Tulane student-athlete to maximize his or her athletic potential.
"We're very excited to welcome Russell to the staff," said Maria Ochoa, Tulane Senior Associate Athletic Director. "He brings great enthusiasm and knowledge to this position. I'm confident that all of our student-athletes will benefit from his experience."
Barbarino comes to Tulane after six seasons at Delaware, where he supervised the strength and conditioning effort for 23 sports programs and 800 student-athletes, designing and implementing strength and conditioning plans for all of the Blue Hens' men's and women's teams. He is a five-time finalist, including in 2005, for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's (NSCA) College Strength & Conditioning Professional of the Year Award, given annually to the top collegiate strength & conditioning coach in the nation.
During his time at Delaware, he worked with several successful teams, including the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA National Champion football squad, a women's basketball team which posted five 20-plus win seasons and won three conference titles, and a men's basketball team that garnered a pair of 20-win seasons. The Blue Hens produced 15 collegiate All-Americans in all sports and several national award winners, while 12 football players went on to sign with NFL teams during his time there.
"I look forward to helping Tulane athletes reach unparalleled heights, not only in Conference USA, but on the national level as well," Barbarino said. "Tulane provides an opportunity to work with nationally-ranked athletic programs, and the coaching staff and administration made me feel very welcome and a part of the Green Wave family from the moment I set foot on campus. I knew immediately this was a place where I wanted to be."
Prior to going to Delaware, Barbarino spent four years as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Florida State University from 1995-99, where he worked closely with the Seminoles' nationally-prominent football program, as well as the men's swimming and diving, men's tennis and women's basketball teams. He worked with not only numerous national award winners and 45 football All-Americans at Florida State, but also with five swimming Olympians and three individual NCAA Swimming national champions.
A native of New York, Barbarino is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. He holds numerous other certifications and has made national and state presentations at clinics and conferences around the country. A graduate of Kean (N.J.) University, where he was a letterwinner in football, he received a master's degree from Florida State in 1997.
Barbarino will begin his duties at Tulane May 16.
-- Roll Wave --
