Tennessee loses Fitzgerald to the NFL

Tennessee strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald is leaving the program to take a position with the New York Giants, according to reports.

Tennessee football encountered a minor sped bump on Thursday during a time in which the unexpected has become the expected.

According to reports, UT strength And conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald is leaving the program to join the New York Giants’ staff in a similar role.

The news was first reported by 247Sports’ Patrick Brown. Fitzgerald later confirmed the reports via his personal Twitter account:

Fitzgerald has become a fan-favorite in Knoxville over the past two seasons, working closely with the football program since his arrival.

Prior to Tennessee, Fitzgerald had served as the primary strength and conditioning coordinator for four consecutive seasons following five years at the helm of programs such as Penn State and South Carolina.

The Texans won back-to-back division championships in 2015 and 2016 while logging a winning record for three consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.

Houston experienced a seven-win improvement during Fitzgerald’s debut season, just the sixth team in the NFL since 1978 to post a winning record following a 2-14 season.

This was all after Fitzgerald had helped Bill O’Brien keep Penn State afloat following a levy of NCAA sanctions. He also helped develop the infamous “Iron Lion” shirt, which directed proceeds from sales of the shirt to the Nittany Lions’ Uplifting Athletes chapter, a nonprofit organization that raises money and awareness for rare diseases.

In his final season under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, the Gamecocks won a school-record 11 games and finished within the top 10 of the AP poll for the first time in school history.

Before his days at the forefront of several strength and conditioning programs, Fitzgerald’s resume included stints at Harvard, Maryland and Catholic University following his time as a letterman tight end for the Terps.