Ben Hilgart to Lead Virginia Tech's Strength and Conditioning Program

Hilgart has trained 32 NFL players.

[New Mexico Athletics Department]

Virginia Tech announced Ben Hilgart is the Hokies' new associate athletics director for strength and conditioning. Hilgart will work directly with head coach Justin Fuente and the football program, as well as oversee all aspects of performance training for varsity sports at Tech.

"Ben will be a key member of our team at Virginia Tech," Fuente said in a release. "Mike Gentry and his staff established a great standard for strength and conditioning at Virginia Tech and Ben will help set our expectations as he pushes our student-athletes to reach their full potential."


Ben Hilgart | University of New Mexico Athletics Department

Hilgart was named New Mexico's director of athletic performance in 2013, prior to that he served as the Lobos' football strength and conditioning coordinator. He oversaw all phases of strength, conditioning, rehabilitation and injury prevention. He's trained a total of 32 NFL players during his time at New Mexico, Arizona State, Ohio State and UTEP. He produced 10 first-team All-Pac 10/Pac-12 players at Arizona State. He was also responsible for a redesign of UNM's athletic performance center.

This 2012 profile on Hilgart from the Albuquerque Journal after he was hired at New Mexico provides some insight into Hilgart's approach.

"We have 164 days (actually, 162 as of this morning) until we play our first game, and I plan on using every single one that the NCAA allows me to use."

Does Hilgart favor mass over explosiveness, strength over agility, heavy weight over high repetitions? No.

He wants it all.

"I think it's a little oversimplifying," he says, "to say I'm a high-rep guy or I'm a low-rep guy. I'm all those things, and I'm none of those things.

"We do all that stuff. We're gonna do all that stuff, and at certain times of the year we're gonna stress one area more than another."

"What's gonna help me," he says, "is when we get into spring ball ... I'll be able to identify weaknesses guys have and strengths they have.

"If a guy's a great (lifter) but he's not a great football player, there are certain things we can be doing in the weight room that are gonna help make him a better football player."

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"I liked you guys a lot better when everybody told you you were terrible." -Justin Fuente

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