Ben Cook (born October 26, 1963) is an American collegiate and professional strength coach and author. He has published a number of books and articles. He is currently a member of the training staff at PIT Instruction and Training in
Mooresville, North Carolina.
He was a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (1989–2012) and Certified Personal Trainer (1999–2012) offered by th
National Strength and Conditioning Association He has since formally resigned both credentials.
Educational background
Cook was born in
Denton, North Carolina. He obtained a
Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports science from
Pfeiffer University in 1987, and in 1995 received his
Master of Arts in Exercise and Sports Science from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Coaching career
Cook began his career in 1987 at Appalachian State University as an assistant under head strength coach Chip Sigmon.
In the fall of 1989, he began work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an assistant for head football strength and conditioning coaches Rich Tuten and
Jeff Madden
Jeff "Mad Dog" Madden was the strength and conditioning coach for the college football team of the University of Texas, the Texas Longhorns. He coached the team during the 2005 National Championships.
Among his students are two Heisman Trop ...
. In 1993 Cook began as the head strength coach for the
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, spending eight years with the Tar Heels. He was a coaching staff member of four
Final Four teams while serving three Carolina head basketball coaches;
Dean Smith,
Bill Guthridge
William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 – May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing ...
, and
Matt Doherty. In 2001 Cook became the Director of Sports Performance for Carolinas Sports Performance in Charlotte North Carolina. In 2003 Cook became one of the first full time strength coaches for the sport of
NASCAR when he began working for NASCAR Hall of Fame Crew Chief and Team Owner
Ray Evernham
Raymond Donald Evernham Jr. (born August 26, 1957) is an American consultant for Hendrick Companies, formerly an auto racing crew chief for Bill Davis Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, owner of his own team Evernham Motorsports from 2001 to 2 ...
. Cook served as strength coach for an assortment of NASCAR teams;
Evernham Motorsports from 2003–2006,
Red Bull Racing Team
Red Bull Racing Team, also known as Team Red Bull, was a NASCAR team owned by Red Bull founders Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya. The team was based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Mooresville, North Carolina in the United States and was ...
from 2006–2009,
Michael Waltrip Racing
Michael Waltrip Racing Holdings LLC, doing business as Michael Waltrip Racing ("MWR"), was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The company was as a 50–50 partnership betwe ...
from 2009–2011 and
Richard Petty Motorsports
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded as a result of the merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) and Petty Enterprises, with ...
in 2015.
Authored works
Cook has authored several books, instructional videos and articles concerning strength and conditioning training.
Books
* ''52-Week Football Training''
* ''Total Basketball Fitness: A 52-Week, Year-Round Training Program''
* ''Jumpmetrics''
Videos
* ''Strength Training for Basketball''
* ''Developmental Conditioning Drills for Basketball''
* ''Speed & Agility Training for Baseball''
References
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball coaches
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Ben
1963 births
Living people
People from Denton, North Carolina
Pfeiffer University alumni
American strength and conditioning coaches