According to Gator Country, Tyler Miles is set to be promoted to Head Strength Coach for the Florida Gators, replacing Craig Fitzgerald, who recently departed for a position at Boston College. This information was initially reported by Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.
Miles joined the Florida staff in 2023 as the ‘Director of Player Athletic Development’, following previous roles at Duke and the University of Miami. At Duke, he served as an assistant director of sports performance, focusing mainly on football. Before that, he worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Miami in 2021.
Prior to his collegiate coaching roles, Miles spent time at Boost Performance from 2019 to 2020, specializing in combine training for athletes, particularly in the NFL and college offseason workouts.
His tenure at Boost Performance saw him aiding 25-30 athletes in NFL Combine and Pro Day preparation, resulting in 10 athletes being drafted into the NFL and over 30 signing free agent contracts.
Additionally, Miles served as the head strength coach at Tennessee State during his time with Boost Performance, overseeing football, volleyball, and track throwers.
Miles brings valuable SEC experience, having served as a strength and conditioning intern at both the University of Tennessee in 2018 and the University of South Carolina in 2017.
Additionally, he gained professional experience with the Salt Lake City Stallions in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) as an assistant strength coach, and had brief internships with the New York Jets in 2019 and 2018.
Although the University of Florida has yet to officially announce Miles’ promotion, it comes as little surprise following Craig Fitzgerald’s short tenure leading the strength and conditioning department.
Commenting on Fitzgerald’s departure, Florida head coach Billy Napier expressed gratitude for his contributions, acknowledging Fitzgerald’s professionalism and the positive impact he had on the team. Napier also highlighted the strength assistants and sports science staff, expressing confidence in their abilities.
Fitzgerald’s hiring in the offseason followed Florida’s decision to part ways with Mark Hoc, who served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning in 2023.
During Florida’s signing day press conference, Coach Napier outlined Mark’s transition into the player development realm. He mentioned Mark’s involvement in leadership development, character education, and utilizing data and assessments to assist coaches.
Mark’s role will also include providing support in messaging, motivation, and themes throughout the offseason and during the season.
Moreover, Mark will participate in offensive and defensive meetings and contribute to the evaluation and recruitment processes. This multifaceted role is expected to evolve as Mark’s career progresses, and he is anticipated to hold the title of ‘Director of Player Development’ in 2024.
