Buddy Morris Hometown: South Park, Pa. Position: Strength & Conditioning Birthdate: 09/29/1957 Alma Mater: University of Pittsburgh '80

Looking to infuse the Pitt weight room with a new sense of purpose and dedication, Dave Wannstedt last year lured home Buddy Morris as the Panthers' strength and conditioning coach.

The appointment paid immediate dividends as the Panthers played at their most physical level in recent seasons. Pitt produced its first 1,000-yard rusher in seven years and also boasted a defensive unit that ranked in the nation's top five.

Morris owns an accomplished history of training elite players at both the collegiate and NFL levels. The 1980 Pitt graduate previously served as the football team's strength and conditioning coach from 1980-89 and 1997-2001.

His workout regimens are highly regarded and include a focus on strength training, speed development, conditioning, agility training and flexibility. "Buddy Morris has trained some of the greatest names in college and professional football," Wannstedt said. "He knows what it takes to make a football player -- and a football team -- reach his highest potential in strength training and physical conditioning."

Morris rejoined Pitt after serving at the University of Buffalo in 2006 as its director of sports performance and was directly responsible for training the Bulls' football team. Prior to Buffalo, he was the head strength and conditioning coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2002-05, serving under head coach Butch Davis.

In his prior Pitt training stints, Morris' pupils included such legendary figures as Jim Covert, Bill Fralic, Russ Grimm, Dan Marino and Mark Stepnoski among others. He additionally trained latter-day Pitt stars Ruben Brown and Curtis Martin, two of the NFL's most accomplished players over the past decade.

A former Pitt student-athlete himself, Morris was a four-year letterman in track and field for the Panthers from 1977-80. In addition, he helped create the familiar moniker of the Panthers' weight room, "The Pitt Iron Works."

Personal Information

Born: 9/29/57

Hometown: South Park, Pa.

Alma Mater: Pittsburgh, '80

Family: Morris has two daughters, Kara (21) and Claire (16). He is engaged to Monica Rose Duncan.

Coaching Experience

College:

Pittsburgh, 1980-89, 1997-2001, 2007-present, strength and conditioning coach.

Buffalo, 2006-07, director of sports performance.

Professional

Cleveland, 2002-05, strength and conditioning coach.