University of Tennessee Athletics
Football
Fitzgerald, Craig
Craig Fitzgerald
- Title:
- Director of Strength and Conditioning
Craig Fitzgerald, who holds one of the top résumés of any football strength and conditioning coach in the country, enters his second season at Tennessee.
In year one, his strength program helped the Vols to two upset victories over ranked opponents Auburn and Kentucky.
Fitzgerald serves as head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s Director of Strength and Conditioning following four seasons as the head strength and conditioning coach with the Houston Texans. He also spent two seasons leading the football strength and conditioning program at Penn State (2012-13) and three seasons leading South Carolina’s strength and conditioning efforts (2009-11).
Fitzgerald holds the highest honor awarded in his profession, the certification of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), a distinction he received in 2010. He is also a certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Fitzgerald helped Houston win back-to-back AFC South division championships in 2015 and 2016, while putting together three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history (2014-15-16). In 2016, the Texans advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
In Fitzgerald’s first year in Houston, the Texans led the NFL with a seven-win improvement and became the sixth team in the NFL since 1978 to post a winning record following a season in which it won two games or less.
Fitzgerald helped head coach Bill O’Brien steady the ship at Penn State after NCAA sanctions limited scholarships. The Nittany Lions finished 8-4 in 2012 and 7-5 in 2013 during a rebuilding effort that was more impressive than the records showed and caught the attention of NFL teams.
Fitzgerald revamped Penn State’s training facility and workout facility and developed the popular “Iron Lion” t-shirt, which directed proceeds from sales of the shirt to PSU’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit organization that raises money and awareness for rare diseases.
His tenure at Penn State followed three successful seasons working with Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. The Gamecocks won a school-record 11 games and finished in the Associated Press Top 10 for the first time in school history in his final season – 2011.Â
Fitzgerald was the director of strength and conditioning at Harvard from 2005 to 2009, overseeing 41 varsity sports, including the football team that won Ivy League championships in 2007 and 2008.
 From 2000 to 2005, he served as an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Maryland, his alma mater. From 1997 to 1999, Fitzgerald was the first director of strength and conditioning at Catholic University, where he also was the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator.
He was a three-year letterwinner and starting tight end for the Terps from 1994 to 1996 after beginning his career as a walk-on.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Mary, have three sons: Mac, Joe and Luke.
In year one, his strength program helped the Vols to two upset victories over ranked opponents Auburn and Kentucky.
Fitzgerald serves as head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s Director of Strength and Conditioning following four seasons as the head strength and conditioning coach with the Houston Texans. He also spent two seasons leading the football strength and conditioning program at Penn State (2012-13) and three seasons leading South Carolina’s strength and conditioning efforts (2009-11).
Fitzgerald holds the highest honor awarded in his profession, the certification of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), a distinction he received in 2010. He is also a certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).Fitzgerald helped Houston win back-to-back AFC South division championships in 2015 and 2016, while putting together three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history (2014-15-16). In 2016, the Texans advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
In Fitzgerald’s first year in Houston, the Texans led the NFL with a seven-win improvement and became the sixth team in the NFL since 1978 to post a winning record following a season in which it won two games or less.
Fitzgerald helped head coach Bill O’Brien steady the ship at Penn State after NCAA sanctions limited scholarships. The Nittany Lions finished 8-4 in 2012 and 7-5 in 2013 during a rebuilding effort that was more impressive than the records showed and caught the attention of NFL teams.
Fitzgerald revamped Penn State’s training facility and workout facility and developed the popular “Iron Lion” t-shirt, which directed proceeds from sales of the shirt to PSU’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit organization that raises money and awareness for rare diseases.
His tenure at Penn State followed three successful seasons working with Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. The Gamecocks won a school-record 11 games and finished in the Associated Press Top 10 for the first time in school history in his final season – 2011.Â
Fitzgerald was the director of strength and conditioning at Harvard from 2005 to 2009, overseeing 41 varsity sports, including the football team that won Ivy League championships in 2007 and 2008.
 From 2000 to 2005, he served as an assistant director of strength and conditioning at Maryland, his alma mater. From 1997 to 1999, Fitzgerald was the first director of strength and conditioning at Catholic University, where he also was the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator.
He was a three-year letterwinner and starting tight end for the Terps from 1994 to 1996 after beginning his career as a walk-on.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Mary, have three sons: Mac, Joe and Luke.
FB | Cinematic Recap vs. UAB (9.20.25)
Wednesday, September 24
FB | Braylon Staley Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB | Chris Brazzell II Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB | Rodney Garner Press Conference (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
