Marcus Named Director of Football Training and Player Development

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Charlottesville, VA – Virginia football coach Mike London announced today the hiring of Evan Marcus as the Cavaliers’ Director of Football Training and Player Development. Marcus returns to the UVa program after spending the last four years working in the National Football League. He served as UVa’s head strength coach for four football seasons from 2003-06. Marcus will begin his position Friday, Jan. 14.

“Evan Marcus is a welcome addition to the football program,” London said. “He has a proven record of training and preparing college and professional athletes. He will be another important part to the building of this program.”

For the past three years Marcus has been the Miami Dolphins’ head strength and conditioning coach. Prior to that he served in the same capacity with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2007 season. In those roles he managed the physical development of the team’s players, including strength and conditioning, flexibility, nutrition, agility and speed improvement.

“This is a really unique and special opportunity for me and my family,” Marcus said. “I don’t know too many people who have the chance to come back to a place that is very special to them. I am grateful to both Mike London and Jon Oliver for this opportunity. I told coach London that my job is to help him win championships. He wants a physical brand of football and that’s what I plan to deliver by helping our players get stronger, faster and more explosive. I want to see us bring a toughness and physicality to these guys so we can win.”

“This hire is further evidence that the stars are starting to align in Mike London’s favor as he builds his program,” said executive associate director of athletics Jon Oliver. “I firmly believe that the strength coach in football is as important as the coordinators given the amount of time this individual spends with the student-athletes. I’ve worked with Evan and I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the work he did during his previous time at the University of Virginia. I fully expect that he will deliver similar results moving forward.”

Marcus said the past four years at the NFL level allows him to bring some innovations and new approaches to the Cavalier program. He also looks forward to having a greater overall impact on student-athletes.

“At the college level, you can really help to develop the character of the individual in addition to his strength and conditioning,” Marcus said. “I missed that and it was a part of coming back to Virginia. I was fortunate to work with some very special kids at UVa and have remained in touch with many of them over the years. It is a special place and I’m looking forward to this opportunity.”

Marcus started in the NFL as the assistant strength coach with the New Orleans Saints from 2000-02. He held assistant strength and conditioning posts on the collegiate level at Arizona State (1991-92), Rutgers (1993), Maryland (1994), Texas (1995-97) and Louisville (1998-99).

Marcus is a 1990 graduate of Ithaca College, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science. He lettered three times as an offensive tackle on the school’s football team and was a starter on the 1988 NCAA Division III National Championship team. The native of Union, N.J., went on to earn his master’s degree in higher education from Arizona State in 1992. Marcus and his wife, Lori, have a son, Jake, and a daughter, Anna.