Mike Joseph has overseen the strength and conditioning unit at West Virginia since 2008, serving as the director until being named assistant athletics director in 2018 and assistant athletics director/head coach for football strength and conditioning in 2019.
Joseph has made it a priority to evolve the program in all areas, not only with strength and speed but also combining sport science and technology to develop a total elite athlete. He uses data analysis for measuring heart rate, movement, effort and sleep patterns as well as placing a high importance on recovery and nutrition. This has paid huge dividends in not only the physical makeup, but the mental side as well. The sports science allows the staff to monitor load management, external and internal stressors, and develop a routine to maximize performance and preparation. The goal is to develop a well-prepared athlete/team utilizing all resources.
He administers, coordinates, develops, implements and teaches strength and conditioning programs for all WVU student-athletes with an emphasis on the football program.
Joseph has coached 27 football players who earned All-America honors and more than 100 athletes who were either drafted or signed free-agent contracts in the NFL.
Joseph, who was presented with his Master Strength and Conditioning Coaching distinction in 2014, served for five years as the assistant strength coach at Notre Dame (2003-08), working with football and was responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for baseball, volleyball and softball prior to coming back to West Virginia.
Joseph worked with the head strength coach with football, assisted with workouts, testing, conditioning, speed and agility training and in-season and offseason training schedules on a daily basis. He also was responsible for developing and training the quarterbacks, tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks and injured players.
He also had the same responsibilities with baseball, volleyball and softball. He supervised and maintained facility and equipment and scheduling all student-athletes for the school’s 27 sports.
He spent two years as an assistant strength coach at Eastern Michigan (2001-03) and as a graduate assistant at WVU (1999-2001). He also worked at Healthworks Fitness and Rehabilitation in Morgantown in the summer of 2001.
Prior to that, he was the strength and conditioning coach at Fairmont State (Aug. 1998 – May 1999), camp instructor at the Mountain State Speed and Strength Camp hosted by WVU from May 2000 until April 2001, a guest speaker and instructor at many camps and clinic and a classroom instructor and state director for the National Association of Speed and Explosion.
While at Fairmont State, Joseph was a four-year letterman and three-year captain on the football team from 1994-97. He was a three time first-team all-WVIAC selection and was named the WVIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1996.
A 1997 regional All-American, a Burger King Scholar Athlete and a WVIAC Scholar Athlete, Joseph was selected the vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and to the Fairmont State Student Council.
Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State in 1999 and received his master’s degree in from West Virginia in physical education with an emphasis in sport movement and development. He is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).
He and his wife, Andre, have two sons, Quincy and Brolin.
