Feb. 4, 2010

Aaron Ausmus, a one-time Trojan assistant who then headed up strength and conditioning programs at four universities, has returned to USC as its head strength and conditioning coach, USC athletic director Mike Garrett announced today (Feb. 4).

Ausmus, 35, was Tennessee's director of strength and conditioning in 2009, where he oversaw all of the Volunteers' teams.

He began his strength and conditioning coaching career at Tennessee, his alma mater, first as a graduate assistant for 2 seasons (1998-1999) and then as a part-time assistant the next season (2000).

He then became an assistant at USC for 3 seasons (2001-03), where he worked with the Trojans' 2003 national championship football team, as well as with the men's and women's track, women's soccer and men's golf teams. He assisted Chris Carlisle, who recently left USC to become the Seattle Seahawk's head strength and conditioning coach.

He then was the head strength and conditioning coach at Idaho in 2004, where he supervised the strength, speed and conditioning programs for 16 men's and women's teams.

He spent the next 3 years (2005-07) as the head football strength and conditioning coach at Mississippi, then held a similar position at North Texas in 2008.

Ausmus was a member of Tennessee's track team (1994-98), where he was a 2-time All-American and won the 1997 NCAA indoor shot put title.

He has a bachelor's (1998) and master's (1999) degree in education from Tennessee.

He prepped at Campbell County High in Jacksboro, Tenn., where he competed on the track team.

He was born Nov. 6, 1974. He and his wife, Andrea, a former thrower on Tennessee's track squad who previously worked in the USC football office, have 2 sons, Max Aden, 3, and Bo David, 2.