Virginia Tech Football: Former Hokie hired as new member of strength and conditioning staff

Blacksburg, Vir. -- It's hire central in the ACC right now. Georgia Tech just found a new defensive coordinator, Tom Allen was hired as Clemson's defensive coordinator, and the Hokies made a move to add Sam Siefkes to their defensive staff.

The Hokies announced on Wednesday that they had added to their strength and conditioning staff, hiring a new associate director of strength and conditioning. The newest coach to fill that role will be former Hokie lineman Mason Baggett, who spent four years under Coach Beamer's tutelage as a head coach.

Per a press release, courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics:

"Virginia Tech head football coach Brent Pry announced Wednesday, Mason Baggett will be joining the program as associate director of strength and conditioning with nearly 20 years of experience in the field.

Baggett is a Richmond native who played football under Coach Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech from 2002-06 and earned his master’s in health promotion and sport performance while serving as a graduate assistant strength coach for the Hokies in 2008.

“I am thrilled to welcome Mason back to Blacksburg,” said Pry. “I am excited to see him train our athletes and help them maximize their performance. He is an elite teacher, mentor, and motivator who will help build on our culture of toughness and discipline.”

Baggett arrives in Blacksburg from the University of Maryland. He served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Nevada in 2022 and 2023, following one year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Oregon. He previously spent six years at Maryland (2016-2021), including the last four as associate director of football strength and conditioning with the Terrapin football team. Prior to his time in College Park, Baggett served just over a year as the associate strength and conditioning coach with the University of Illinois’ football program.

In 2024, Baggett earned the title of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. This prestigious honor marks the highest recognition in the strength and conditioning profession.

“Mason will certainly be an asset to us here at Virginia Tech,” said assistant athletic director of strength and conditioning, Jarrett Ferguson. “He brings a wealth of experience at the Power Four level and he has served as a head strength coach before. His leadership will have an instant impact on the toughness and development of our team.”

Baggett was a Strength and Conditioning Specialist at EXOS in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for almost four years, working with Marine Special Operations Command for the Human Performance and Resiliency Program (MPOTFF). He was directly responsible for the design and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for operators and support personnel with the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion.

From 2008-11, Baggett was an assistant strength coach at East Carolina University, assisting with the training of the 2008 and 2009 Conference USA championship football program. He also served as the strength coach for baseball, which won the 2009 Conference USA championship. Responsibilities also included working with women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis programs and assisting with the basketball programs.

Baggett interned with the United States Olympic Committee in 2007, working with women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s freestyle wrestling, men’s Greco Roman wrestling, and various other sports.

He and his wife, Katie, a former All-American volleyball player at Ohio State, have four children, Grace, Nora, Lucy, and Colin."

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