Report: LSU to Hire Jacob Flint as Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
The first domino to LSU football's staff under Brian Kelly has fallen. Kelly has hired Jacob Flint to be the new LSU strength and conditioning coordinator, according to Brody Miller of The Athletic.
Flint has spent the last eight years as the co-director of the strength and conditioning department at Notre Dame so Kelly is bringing in at least one familiar face. Before joining the Irish as a strength coach, Flint played for Kelly at Central Michigan and then coached for Kelly while at Cincinnati.
According to Irish Breakdown publisher Bryan Driskell, Flint was a well respected piece to the Notre Dame program, essentially serving as No. 2 to Matt Balis' staff.
"Jake had a great reputation at Notre Dame. Players loved him and respected him and he was valued member of Matt Balis’ staff," Driskell said. "It was only a matter of time before a big time program was able to convince him to leave ND to run his own S&C program. Matt Balis is considered one of the best strength coaches in the country, so he [Flint] was groomed very well."
Having the opportunity to learn behind one of the most respected strength and conditioning coaches in Balis for the last eight years is an experience that should only benefit Flint in his transition to LSU. Driskell also pointed out that Notre Dame has won 16 straight games in November, pointing to the level of conditioning the players have been in the last handful of seasons.
The program will also be bringing in Zaviar Gooden as a strength coach according to reports from Miller and Chris Gordy of SportsTalk 790 in Houston. Gooden, a former linebacker, spent time as an intern at Notre Dame in 2018 and was most recently named an assistant strength and conditioning coach at USC in 2021.
It's the first hire of Kelly's tenure at LSU and though Flint will be replacing a legend in Moffitt, there's reason to be very excited about the future of the strength and conditioning program.
Photo credit goes to Notre Dame athletics.
