Mike Linn | Jon Fussell | Jacquelyn Harris | Wes Long | Jill Robinson | Craig Sowers | Ray Weisenbarger | Interns | Athletic Performance Home Page
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Mike Linn is in the first year of his second tenure as UCLA's athletic performance coach. Linn, who has both collegiate and corporate experience, previously served as the Bruin head strength and conditioning coach from 1999-2002. The 1993 UCLA graduate was a two-year starter along the offensive line on the Bruin football team and a member of two Bruin bowl teams.
In addition to working directly with football, he oversees all operations in UCLA's 15,000-square foot weight room. He is joined by a highly-accredited staff, including assistant coaches Craig Sowers, Karl Jordan, Jon Fussell, Jill Robinson, Wes Long, John Farr and Charlie Stocking.
Linn is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength Coaches Association, as well as a Level One weightlifting coach. A national speaker in his field, he is also a published author in the field of human performance.
Linn rejoins the Bruin program after serving as the Vice President of Performance for Velocity Sports Performance since 2006. While at Velocity Sports Performance, he worked to develop training programs for its 63 franchise locations and over 20,000 athletes nationwide. In addition, Linn supervised the training and professional development for a network of over 700 coaches. Linn was also instrumental in launching several key initiatives with Velocity's national partners Gatorade, Nike and the National Strength and Conditioning Association during his tenure.
From 2005-2006, Linn served as the Director of the Velocity Sports Performance franchise in St. Louis, MO. While at the St. Louis location, he collaborated on the training, injury prevention and rehabilitation of over 500 area athletes. He also directed professional athlete development programs for numerous NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS athletes.
Linn's collegiate experience includes a stint from 2002-2005 as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at St. Louis University. At SLU, he was responsible for all aspects of athletic performance for the over 350 student-athletes at the university that participated in 16 Division I sports.
Mike previously served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at UCLA from 1999-2002. While managing all areas of the strength and conditioning department for over 700 student-athletes, Linn designed and administered weight training, conditioning, agility, plyometric and speed development programs for football and basketball.
Prior to becoming the head of the UCLA program in 1999, he worked with the Olympic sports teams as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1992-99. Five of his Bruin teams captured national championships during his tenure as an assistant (men's volleyball, men's water polo (2), men's soccer and women's softball). In addition, the women's basketball team won its first Pac-10 Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight.
Linn came to UCLA as a freshman recruit in 1987 after starring as an offensive lineman and track and field performer at Esperanza High School in Orange County, CA. He was named the No. 17 prep lineman in the country by one publication and earned Tacoma News Tribune and Long Beach Press Telegram Best in the West team honors. Linn was also a school record-holder and All-CIF performer in the discus. The 1993 UCLA graduate was a member of two bowl teams and a starter in two seasons. The Bruins averaged 164 yards on the ground during Linn's starts at right guard, including one of UCLA's all-time best efforts of 358 yards versus Arizona in 1991.
He also was a starter for UCLA's stunning upset at No. 2-ranked Washington in the 1990 season. One of the top Bruins in the weight room as a player, Linn set a team-high in the three main lifts -- squat, bench, and clean -- of 1,366 pounds during his junior season. Following the conclusion of his playing days, Mike served as a undergraduate assistant coach during the 1992 season at UCLA.
PERSONAL -- Education: Bachelor`s of Arts, UCLA, 1993; At UCLA: First year of second tenure (joined staff in February, 2007) - 11th year overall; Born: November 7, 1969; Family: Linn is married to the former Karen Nelson, a UCLA gymnast who was a two-time All-American in the Vault and the 1994 Pac-10 Vault champion. They have two children, Kylie and Ryker.
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Jon Fussell
Jon Fussell is in his fifth year as an Assistant Athletic Performance coach for Bruin athletics. Fussell is responsible for the implementation of sport specific programs for gymnastics, track and field (jumpers, sprinters, pole vault and cross country) and men's soccer.
Prior to UCLA, Fussell served as an intern for Sports Performance at Arizona State and an intern for Strength and Conditioning at Oregon. He also was an assistant basketball coach for Linn Benton Community College from 2002-2003.
Fussell graduated from the University of Oregon in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science with a concentration on Exercise and Movement Science, and minored in Business. He received his Associate in Arts Degree from Clark College in 1999 where he was a member of the basketball team. Fussell is also NASE certified.
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Jacquelyn Harris
Jacquelyn Harris comes from the University of San Diego where she was an Assistant Athletic Performance Coach (2008). At USD she oversaw women's rowing, swimming and diving and was an assistant to football and women's volleyball.
Jacquelyn is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and has a Sports performance Coach Certification (USAW) through USA Weightlifting.
Prior to being hired at UCLA Jacquelyn served as an intern at the University of Washington, University of San Diego and UCLA. Jacquelyn graduated from USD in 2008 with a B.A. in business administration. While at USD Jacquelyn was on the varsity rowing team. She helped her team to two second place finishes in conference. She was a two time team MVP, four time all conference and two time CRCA All Region Second Team. She also served as captain for two years.
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Wes Long
Wes Long is in his second season as an assistant athletic performance coach at UCLA and will be working directly with the men's and women's basketball programs.
Prior to UCLA, Long worked for The University of Texas basketball program as an assistant video coordinator for two seasons (2005-07) and the graduate manager - strength and conditioning for three years (2004-07).
A certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Long earned his bachelor's degree in advertising from The University of Texas in Austin in 2003, and later earned his master's degree in Kinesiology from The University of Texas in 2005.
Coach Long is married to the former Kristin Stilwell.
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Jill Robinson
Jill Robinson is in her third year as an Assistant Athletic Performance Coach with UCLA athletics where her responsibilities include the design and implementation of athletic performance programs for men and women's water polo, women's rowing and swimming, diving, and women's golf (2006-2007). During Robinson is time at UCLA, Women's Water Polo won the 99th and 100th national championships for the school. Women's golf placed fourth ('06) and second ('07) in the NCAA national tournament. Robinson also assisted with implementing athletic performance programs for the men's 2006 basketball team that appeared in the final four and football in the 2006 and 2007 seasons that competed in the Emerald and Las Vegas bowl. Also, she has worked with a number of current NFL, NBA, MLB players and Olympic athletes.
Prior to UCLA, Robinson served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Louisiana at Monroe where she was in charge of eleven sports and the assisted with football who won the Sun Belt Conference title in 2006. She was also at Tulane University were men's and women's golf and tennis were nationally ranked. During her time at Mid-America Nazarene University (2003-2004), football won the Heart of America Conference Title. Men's and women's basketball went to the NAIA tournament.
While at Mid-America Robinson, was fortunate to work with Tom Cross who was the 13th strength and conditioning coach inducted into the Strength and Conditioning Hall of Fame. She also competed in the Collegiate Weightlifting Championships where she placed 2nd in the snatch, clean & jerk and total. In addition, Robinson has demonstrated proper Olympic weight lifting mechanics and techniques for collegiate and Olympic athletes. She has also taught Olympic weight lifting at various coaches' clinics such as the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches' Association National Conference and USAW sport performance courses.
Robinson received a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma in 1999 and a Master's Degree of Education in Wellness Management/Exercise Science in 2003 from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a certified Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach (SCCC), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), as well as a USA Weight lifting Level One Club Coach.
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Craig Sowers
Craig Sowers will rejoin the Bruins after a year stint as Director of Performance with Akron General Sports Medicine, in Ohio.
Sowers is returning to UCLA after previously serving under Coach Mike Linn as an assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach from 1996-2000. Coach Sowers worked with a number of the bruin athletes during his first tenure. As first assistant he was in charge of Men's and Women's Volleyball, Men's and Women's Water polo, Women's Track, Men's and Women's Soccer along with assisting with Football. Coach Sowers was fortunate to help aid with national championships in Men's Soccer and Women's Water Polo. Currently with the Bruins, Coach Sowers is working with Football and Men's Volleyball
Prior to Akron General Sports Performance, Coach Sowers served as Center Director in two facilities within the Velocity Sports Performance system. While at Velocity Sport Performance, Sowers was instrumental in helping assemble two locations, the first being in Irvine, CA and the second in Cleveland, OH. During this time Sowers oversaw all day-to-day operations of the facilities where he was able to gain valuable experience in business, administration and management skills. Sowers also over saw performance training for all performance coaches at each location. While at Velocity Spots Performance, Sowers worked with a number of NFL, MLB, and Track and Field athletes. During his time at Velocity Sowers was also fortunate to be selected to be on the Sports Performance Directors Advisory Council. From November 2006 to July 2007 Coach Sowers was selected as Chairman of this same board.
From February of 2000 to May of 2003 Sowers served as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at The University of Texas at El Paso for 3 years. Coach Sowers oversaw all aspects of Speed and Strength development for 17 varsity sports, with approximately 350 athletes. He also directed a staff of 7 Strength and Conditioning Coaches/interns.
Sowers was a Student Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Akron, his alma mater, from 1993-1996. During this time period, Coach Sowers developed and implemented programs for Men's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Men's and Women's Track and assisted with football. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Akron, where he played Defensive Back for the Zips under Head Football Coach Gerry Faust. Sowers recently finished his Master's degree in Kinesiology from The University of Texas at El Paso.
Over the course of his career, Coach Sowers' has been fortunate to work with over 40 NFL players, 10 MLB players, 8 MLS players, and multiple numbers of other athletes in the NBA, WNBA, AVP, and USA Track and Field (Including 3 Olympic Medalists).
Coach Sowers and his wife (Lori) are Ohio natives and have two boys Bo and Payton.
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Ray Weisenbarger comes from University of South Florida where he was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. At USF he oversaw men's basketball and assisted with all Olympic sports. He helped USF men's soccer team capture their first Big East championship. He worked with multiple All-Conference and All-American athletes in Men's Soccer and Volleyball.
Before USF Weisenbarger was a Sports Performance Coordinator in the Sports Medicine department at the Akron General Health and Wellness Center, where he helped develop the athletic performance of High school and Junior High School athletes.
Prior to Akron General, Weisenbarger spent a year at the University of Akron as a Strength and Conditioning graduate assistant where he worked with the Football team and was directly responsible for the Baseball and Swimming/Diving team. At the University of Akron he earned his Masters Degree in Sports Science/Coaching. He also has more than three years of personal training experience.
Weisenbarger is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and has a Sports Performance Coach Certification (USAW) through USA Weightlifting.
The Troy, Ohio native graduated from Malone (Ohio) College in August 2006 where he was a six time Track and Field All-American in the discus, shot put and weight throw, capturing the 2004 NAIA Outdoor shot put title and still holds the Malone school record in the weight throw. He was also a member of the Akron Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field team in 2007.
Weisenbarger is married to the former Charity Light and has one child, Brynn Vanoven.
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