COLUMBIA, MO. — Marcus Edwards has been named the Director of Athletic Performance for Mizzou Men’s Basketball, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Monday. Edwards is a Mizzou graduate who returns to Columbia after spending the last two seasons as the strength coach at Southern Illinois.
“I’m beyond thankful to Coach Martin for the opportunity to come back to Mizzou and help him guide this program,” Edwards said. “Once you’re a part of his family, it’s a bond that lasts for a lifetime. I’m looking forward to jumping right in this summer with our guys, going to work and preparing them to compete at a championship level next season.”
Edwards spent the 2017-18 campaign with Mizzou on staff as the Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach during Martin’s first year in Columbia, aiding in the Tigers’ run to a 20-13 season and NCAA Tournament appearance. After learning under former Mizzou strength coach Nicodemus Christopher for a year, Edwards took the reins of Wyoming’s strength & conditioning program in 2018-19 before transitioning to Southern Illinois for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.
“Marcus is a hardworking, passionate guy who is familiar with our program and our culture,” Martin said. “He’ll be able to hit the ground running. Our progress in the weight room is key this summer as we build for next year and Marcus will be instrumental in getting us where we need to be as a group.”
After earning his Bachelor’s degree from Mizzou in 2015, Edwards spent two seasons at the University of Texas at Austin where he was a Graduate Strength & Conditioning Intern and teaching assistant. He received his Master’s from Texas in 2017 before joining Martin’s staff in 2017-18.
He is Strength & Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association.
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