Justin McClelland

Justin McClelland was hired as director of men’s basketball strength and conditioning at Clemson University on August 18, 2020. He enters his second season on staff in 2021-22.

McClelland arrived in Clemson with a vast array of experience in the field, immediately after spending the previous two seasons working with the Florida Gators women’s basketball, women’s tennis and women’s golf programs.

In his first season with the program, the Tigers finished 16-8, including a 10-6 mark in league play to advance to the program’s 13th NCAA Tournament. The Tigers’ 10 league victories ties for the second-most in program history and their 11-1 mark at home is a top five winning percentage in Clemson history.

In McClelland’s first season in Tigertown, Clemson finished a COVID-19 shortened season with 16 wins, including 10 in the ACC and 11 at home. The Tigers advanced to its 13th NCAA Tournament after finishing tied for fifth in ACC play.

The Tigers finished 11-1 at home, the fifth-best winning percentage during  a season at home in Clemson history.

While at Florida, he designed and implanted year-round strength, speed and conditioning workouts, while also guiding each student-athlete through individual training programs to enhance strength as well as explosive power, speed, agility, endurance, coordination, balance and flexibility.

“Our strength and conditioning program will provide quality training and detailed coaching. What we do will be significant, but how we do it will be essential,” said McClelland. “Our goal will be to produce a mentality of resilience and a physical advantage that transfers onto the court.”

During the 2015-16 season, McClelland served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the men’s basketball program. He assisted in the development and implementation of year-long periodization sport specific training/conditioning programs for men’s basketball, tennis and golf programs.

Prior to his time in Gainesville, McClelland served as an assistant for one season with the East Carolina men’s basketball program (2016-17), one season with the Villanova men’s basketball program (2014-15) and also served as an intern during the spring of 2011, director of strength and conditioning at Germantown Academy (2013-15), Eastern University (Spring of 2013, 2014).

McClelland graduated with his B.S. in exercise science in 2011 from Eastern University, while earning his M.S. in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention from California University of Pennsylvania in 2015.

McClelland is originally from Naugatuck, Conn. He is married to his wife Joanna and they reside in nearby Pendleton.