Honored nationally for his work with student-athletes, Kyle Speer is in his first season as the director of strength and conditioning for the Spartans in 2022. In his current capacity, Speer oversees the entire athletic department’s strength and conditioning program.
Last season, Speer’s strength and conditioning program played a pivotal role in helping Tulane to its third straight bowl appearance. In 2018 and 2019, Speer’s helped guide them to back-to-back bowl wins in program history. The 2018 Green Wave earned a share of the American Athletic Conference West Division Championship.
Prior to the 2019 season, Speer played an active role in the complete redesign of the Green Wave’s Slatten Family Strength Center. The $1.2 million dollar project features all new equipment that is customized specifically for Tulane student-athletes.
A certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, Speer brings 25 years of experience to his position.
Speer came to Tulane following two seasons at Georgia Southern where he played a key role in guiding the Eagles to 17 wins from 2014-15.
During his final season at Georgia Southern, Speer helped guide the Eagles to their first-ever bowl victory following a 58-27 win over Bowling Green.
In his first season with Georgia Southern, Speer helped the Eagles win the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship with an 8-0 league record.
In addition, Speer was instrumental in designing the new weight room in the Ted Smith Family Football Operations Center.
Prior to his time at Georgia Southern, Speer spent 12 years at Sam Houston State where he began his tenure as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
After one season at Sam Houston State, Speer was elevated to head strength and conditioning coach and helped guide the athletics department to four Southland Conference Commissioner’s Cup All-Sports titles, 17 SLC championships and seven NCAA Division I national playoff berths.
In 2006, American Football Monthly Magazine recognized him as the NCAA Division I FCS “Strength Coach of the Year” as his strength and conditioning program played an integral role in the success of Sam Houston State football.
Speer worked as assistant coach at Northern Iowa before returning to his home state.
Speer worked with Baylor’s Bayano Kamani, who won a men’s outdoor individual national championship in the 400m hurdles in 2001.
That same year, the Bears’ men’s 4x400m Relay team won the NCAA Outdoor title in a finish that put them on the top podium by one hundredth of a second. Those top finishes helped the Bears capture third place overall in the 2001 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
In addition, Speer worked with the Arizona State strength and conditioning department before accepting a graduate assistant position at Baylor, where he would earn his Masters in Education.
A native Texan, Speer was a four-year letterman for Abilene Christian at defensive tackle.
Speer and his wife Brook have three children and reside in Mountain Brook.
