Florida Gators Strength and Conditioning

Paul Chandler

Baseball and Softball Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Fourth Season at Florida

Paul Chandler is in his fourth season as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the baseball program and in his second season working with the Gator softball program at the University of Florida. His responsibilities include designing and implementing year-round strength, speed and conditioning workouts for the Gators in the Griffin/Oakley Strength and Conditioning Center. Chandler guides each student-athlete through an individual training program designed to enhance strength as well as explosive power, speed, agility, endurance, coordination, balance, flexibility and mental toughness.

In addition to working with UF’s baseball program, which has made three-consecutive NCAA College World Series appearances for the first time in school history under his direction and claimed consecutive Southeastern Conference titles in 2010 and 2011, Chandler picked up strength and conditioning duties working with UF’s softball squad prior to last season following the team’s fourth-consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City in 2011, when UF played for the national championship for the second time in three years.

His efforts have helped the Gators total 26 Major League Draft picks during his tenure, including a school-record 11 selections in 2011 and a pair of first-round picks in 2012: Mike Zunino, third overall to the Seattle Mariners, and Brian Johnson, 31st overall to the Boston Red Sox. Zunino was Florida’s first Dick Howser Trophy recipient, Golden Spikes Award winner and Johnny Bench Award winner in 2012 after being named the 2011 SEC Player of the Year, while Johnson was the Gators’ first-ever John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year recipient. Five players garnered a total of 12 All-American honors last season: Johnson, right-hander Austin Maddox, left-hander Steven Rodriguez, outfielder Preston Tucker and Zunino, while second baseman Casey Turgeon was a Freshman All-American from Baseball America and Perfect Game.

Chandler previously assisted in the design, organization and execution of strength and conditioning program for the Gator football team. He was part of the staff for the 2006 squad that brought home the school’s national championship and seventh SEC title and has worked with a total of eight Gators who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Over the course of his career at Florida and West Virginia University, Chandler has overseen the development of 42 NFL Draft picks and 28 MLB Draft selections.

He is officially certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Chandler is a member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) and has passed the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) certification examination.

The SCCC is the most comprehensive certification of its kind and tests the candidates' scientific knowledge, as well as their ability to apply this knowledge in a live working, practical environment. Those candidates preparing to take this certification examination must undergo an eight-to-nine month internship under the supervision of a CSCCa approved mentor. This mentor's responsibility is to guide the candidate and help him develop the skills necessary to become a successful strength and conditioning coach. In addition, Chandler has completed American Red Cross CPR training and earned his Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification.

At Florida, Chandler manages and organizes student-athletes’ data, organizes and administers weight room scheduling, purchasing and maintenance and assists in the planning of the strength and conditioning all-sports clinics and camps. He also helps with the mentoring of the strength and conditioning interns.

Prior to his return to Gainesville in January 2010, Chandler was a strength and conditioning coordinator at West Virginia for two years, working primarily with the Mountaineer football and baseball teams. Chandler went to Morgantown after a three-year stint at Florida as a strength and conditioning assistant coach for two years and as an intern for one. In that capacity, he worked with Gator football, throwers for the women’s track team and oversaw the strength and conditioning program for members of UF’s men’s and women’s swimming programs.

In addition, he served as a graduate assistant football and strength coach at Harding University between January and July 2005. During this time frame, Chandler assisted with the development of the Bison defensive line and led strength and conditioning workouts and pool workouts.

A 2003 graduate of Harding with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, he earned a master's degree in education with emphasis on kinesiology from Harding in 2005.Chandler and his wife, Veronica, live in the Gainesville area with their son, Jack.