March 19, 2008
DAVIS, Calif. - Matt Brand has been named the head strength and conditioning coach for UC Davis while Andy Dendas has been appointed as assistant strength and conditioning coach, it has been announced.
Brand moves up to the head position after serving as assistant coach under Andy Bloom who left the position in December. Brand, who earned his undegraduate degree exercise science from Ithaca College (N.Y.) in 2002 and his master's in applied exercise science from Springfield College (Mass.) with a concentration in strength and conditioning in 2004, was the head strength and conditioning coach at Lafayette College prior to coming to UC Davis.
He's also gained experienced on staffs at Rutgers, Springfield, College of the Holy Cross and Cornell.
Brand is a two-time national powerlifting champion and twice captured powerlifting gold medals at the A.A.U. Junior Olympics. He is a Certifified Strength and Conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and possesses his United States Weightlifting certification as well. He continues his competitive career in both powerlifting and amateur strongman.
Dendas joins the Aggies' athletics program after serving as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Stanford since last year where he worked primarily with the football program. He's also worked on the strength staff at Oregon State serving as the strength coach for the Beavers' national championship baseball program in 2006. Additionally, his six-year tenure included responsibilities with the football program and Olympic sports.
Dendas holds national certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the National Athletics Trainers Association. He graduated from Humboldt State University in 1997 with his bachelor's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training, and earned a master's in exercise science - also from Humbold State - with an emphasis in strength and conditioning in 1999.
He and his wife, Jeanne, have two daughters, Katelyn and Ashleigh.
UC Davis sponsors 26 varsity sports and has approximately 800 student-athletes. The Aggies are in their first official year of NCAA Division I status.
