Bio
Stryder Blackburn joined Kansas Athletics in October of 2020. Prior to Kansas, Blackburn worked as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Newman University in Wichita, KS from 2018-2020.
As a member of Kansas Team Health for Kansas Athletics, Blackburn serves as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Women’s Basketball and Softball. Blackburn oversees all aspects of strength training, speed and agility, and energy system development for both sports.
At Newman University Blackburn was solely responsible for the strength and conditioning development for all 14 of Newman’s NCAA DII athletic programs as well as overseeing the startup and implementation of the internship program. Upon his arrival to Newman, Blackburn designed immediate facility upgrades for an improved training space for all of Newman’s student-athletes.
Blackburn holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (SCCC). In addition, he is also certified as a Level 1 Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting and a Level 1 Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition.
Blackburn is a native of Mulvane, Kansas and earned two degrees from Wichita State University – a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science and a Master of Education in Exercise Science.
He and his wife, Autumn, reside in Lawrence and have one son, Fielder. Outside of work Stryder enjoys weightlifting, attending concerts, playing guitar, and spending time outdoors with his family.