Rafael Horton is in his second year on the football coaching staff as the assistant head coach for football strength and conditioning.
Horton, who holds numerous certifications, including NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists), came to West Virginia from Troy University, where he served as the football strength and conditioning coach for head coach Neal Brown from 2015-18.
The Trojan program enjoyed a successful four-year period with Horton on Brown’s staff, compiling a 35-16 record, winning the 2017 Sun Belt Conference championship, tying for the 2018 Sun Belt Eastern Division Championship and winning three straight bowl games.
Horton’s other certifications are with the United States Association of Weightlifting in sports performance, the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a performance enhancement specialist and the National Association of Speed and Explosion.
Horton assists head coach for football strength and conditioning Mike Joseph in the administration, management and supervision of strength training and conditioning for the football program.
Prior to Troy, he spent two years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Kentucky (2013-15), also on the same staff with Brown. While at Kentucky, he worked with current NFL players Bud Dupree, Za’Daius Smith and Avery Williamson.
Before Kentucky, Horton spent five years at Fort Valley State as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and linebacker coach for one year before being promoted to the strength and conditioning coordinator. As head of the department, he was responsible for supervising the strength and conditioning staff for all 11 varsity sports and cheerleading. He was also the university’s fitness instructor, developing fitness programs to help promote a healthier lifestyle for students, faculty and staff members.
In 2011, he created his own company, Grindtime Fitness and Performance, in which he provided personal training services. He has trained numerous professional athletes, including NFL players Jason Thompson, Marquette King, Dionte Dinkins, Ricardo Lockette, Narada Williams and Darnell Burks.
The Barnesville, Georgia, native received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Fort Valley State in 2010 and his master’s degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
