Blake Bender is in his third year with the Golden Bears in 2022-23 after joining California as an assistant athletic performance coach in June 2020. He is the primary athletic performance coach for the Cal men’s basketball and women’s tennis programs.
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Bender arrived in Berkeley following two years spent as the director of sports performance for the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball program. Previous stops also include Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida and Texas.
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In Charlotte, Bender oversaw all aspects of the team’s athletic development including strength and conditioning, recovery and nutrition. He helped guide 49er guard Cooper Robb to Strength and Conditioning All-America honors by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
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Bender spent one season as the assistant coordinator of strength and conditioning at FGCU, working with both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Before that, he was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach working with Florida’s men’s basketball program, who reached the Elite Eight during his tenure. Bender was also the head strength coach for Florida men’s golf while assisting with women’s basketball and tennis.
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Prior to his time in Gainesville, Bender served as a graduate intern and volunteer strength and conditioning coach with Texas men’s basketball, aiding in the day-to-day operations for the strength squad and recording and analyzing physiological date from workouts and practice.
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Bender received his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and Health Education from Texas in 2015, followed by a Master’s in Sport Management from Florida on 2017. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
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He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the NSCA, with a certification in applied functional science from the Gray Institute (CAFS). Bender is also qualified as an Advanced Weightlifting and Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.
LAST UPDATED: October 10, 2022
