Ray Oliver
Encyclopedia
Ray "Rock" Oliver, a 25-year veteran in pro and college sports, is the University of Kentucky
strength and conditioning coach, since January 2010.
Oliver has returned to Kentucky as the strength and conditioning coach for the football team, where he previously served in the same position for the Wildcats
basketball team under former coach Rick Pitino
Oliver came to the Bengals after three years as Director of Performance Enhancement for the University of Memphis
basketball program. His resume includes prior experience as a strength and conditioning coach in the NFL (Tampa Bay
1992) and in the NBA (New Jersey Nets
, ’96-97).
He attended Withrow and Taft high schools in Cincinnati, and went on to play football at Ohio State
(defensive back in 1980-81). He transferred to the University of Cincinnati
in 1982, and while sitting out the ’82 season under transfer rules, he became interested in strength training under UC head football coach Mike Gottfried
.
When Gottfried moved to Kansas University in 1983, Oliver decided to end his football playing career. He followed Gottfried to KU as a transfer student and volunteer coach, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas in 1986.
Oliver worked in strength and conditioning at the University of Pittsburgh in the mid-1980s, and during that time he also worked a Bengals training camp and several Bengals minicamps as a volunteer strength and conditioning assistant.
Oliver has a long association with University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, having worked with Calipari previously at the University of Kansas, the University of Pittsburgh and with the New Jersey Nets. Oliver also worked under coach Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky from 1989-92. During that period, he was also the strength and conditioning coach for the United States Ski Jump team.
Oliver spent his 1992 NFL season at Tampa Bay under head coach Sam Wyche
, the former Bengals head coach.
Oliver’s work with NFL athletes also includes the years 1997-99, when he was involved in programs for 35 NFL players while working for the Synergy company in Columbia, S.C.
Oliver is married to Winone Oliver. They have two grown children, Ashley and Michael.
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
strength and conditioning coach, since January 2010.
Oliver has returned to Kentucky as the strength and conditioning coach for the football team, where he previously served in the same position for the Wildcats
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
basketball team under former coach Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
Oliver came to the Bengals after three years as Director of Performance Enhancement for the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
basketball program. His resume includes prior experience as a strength and conditioning coach in the NFL (Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
1992) and in the NBA (New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, ’96-97).
He attended Withrow and Taft high schools in Cincinnati, and went on to play football at Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
(defensive back in 1980-81). He transferred to the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1982, and while sitting out the ’82 season under transfer rules, he became interested in strength training under UC head football coach Mike Gottfried
Mike Gottfried
-External links:*...
.
When Gottfried moved to Kansas University in 1983, Oliver decided to end his football playing career. He followed Gottfried to KU as a transfer student and volunteer coach, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas in 1986.
Oliver worked in strength and conditioning at the University of Pittsburgh in the mid-1980s, and during that time he also worked a Bengals training camp and several Bengals minicamps as a volunteer strength and conditioning assistant.
Oliver has a long association with University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, having worked with Calipari previously at the University of Kansas, the University of Pittsburgh and with the New Jersey Nets. Oliver also worked under coach Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky from 1989-92. During that period, he was also the strength and conditioning coach for the United States Ski Jump team.
Oliver spent his 1992 NFL season at Tampa Bay under head coach Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
, the former Bengals head coach.
Oliver’s work with NFL athletes also includes the years 1997-99, when he was involved in programs for 35 NFL players while working for the Synergy company in Columbia, S.C.
Oliver is married to Winone Oliver. They have two grown children, Ashley and Michael.