Winning a national title and then starting a new job is a nice way for Tyler Owens to begin his 2021. Less than 24 hours after helping Alabama secure another championship the assistant strength coach was announced as the new head of Arizona football's strength program.
Owens will get his first opportunity to lead a strength program with the Wildcats after several years as an assistant with the Crimson Tide. The Alabama native played linebacker for that program and was able to win a couple national titles, so his trek west will be a new experience.
"We are so excited to welcome five-time National Champion, Tyler Owens, to the University of Arizona as our Director of Strength and Conditioning," UA head coach Jedd Fisch said in a statement regarding his latest hire. "Tyler's pedigree speaks for itself. He has spent his entire playing and coaching career at the University of Alabama, won game after game, and been an integral part of every aspect of their program.
"We cannot wait for Coach Owens to join us here in the desert, and we welcome his championship attitude, championship work ethic, and championship culture. We are all looking forward to our team getting bigger, stronger, and faster. Welcome to the Wildcat Family Coach Owens!"
The championship pedigree is something that will certainly grab attention as Owens comes to UA from the most successful program in recent history. The task will be much more challenging in Tucson as he will be working with a different caliber of athlete, but the goals will certainly remain the same.
"It is an honor and a privilege to be named Director of Strength and Conditioning for the University of Arizona football program," Owens said. "I have devoted the last several years of my life to achieving such a goal, and it would not have been possible without the support of Coach Nick Saban, the staff and student-athletes at the University of Alabama. I can never fully repay them for everything they taught me as a person and a professional. I am a firm believer in Coach Fisch's concept of being Purposeful, Resilient, and Original.
"Only through embracing those concepts, and making them essential components of our culture, will we find the way to overcome the obstacles we encounter. Strength and conditioning is a constant test of our commitment, our culture, and our expectations of ourselves and our team. Our success on the field will be reflection of everything we do to prepare off the field. I am so excited to join Coach Fisch and the rest of the staff, and to begin contributing to his drive for success at the University of Arizona."
Owens will be taking over for one of the most beloved members of Kevin Sumlin's coaching staff, Brian Johnson, who left to take over the strength program at Arkansas State shortly after Sumlin was dismissed by the Wildcats.
Arizona's new strength coach leaves a program behind that he has been part as a player or strength coach since 2011. During that time the Crimson Tide held a record of 48-6 with Owens spending a majority of his time on the staff under longtime Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran.
Over that span as an assistant strength coach Owens has worked with 48 NFL Draft picks and two Heisman Trophy winners.
Fisch still has one more coaching staff hire to make to complete his 10-man staff with the Wildcats. Owens doesn't count against that number, but he is certainly going to be an integral piece of UA's success under its new head coach.
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