Northern Illinois University Athletics

Brad Ohrt begins his 22nd season in college football, and eighth at Northern Illinois University as Director of Sports Performance. 

While overseeing the strength and conditioning efforts of the 17 Huskie Athletics teams and a three-person staff, Ohrt works primarily with the NIU football program. During his tenure, the Huskies appeared in six straight Mid-American Conference championship games, winning the league title in 2011, ‘12 and 2014. In addition to the team’s success, Ohrt has trained two league MVPs and one Heisman Trophy finalist, Jordan Lynch. Sixteen Huskie players have gone on to play professional football during his tenure and 11 began the 2017 campaign on an NFL or CFL roster.   

At NIU, Ohrt has overseen many improvements to the strength and conditioning area, including installation of a nutrition bar and the redesigning of the walls with photos and motivational elements. In 2014, he received the prestigious title of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches association. 

Ohrt came to NIU after three seasons at Western Carolina, where he was director of strength and conditioning from 2008-10. He spent the 2007 football season on the strength staff of the Miami Dolphins and previously served as head strength coach at Western Kentucky (2005-07) and Louisiana-Lafayette (2002-05). 

At ULL, Ohrt was responsible for developing and implementing programs for almost all of the Ragin’ Cajuns athletic programs, including football, men’s basketball and baseball, while his duties at Western Kentucky included overseeing the entire strength and conditioning operation while working directly with the Hilltopper football program. 

Ohrt’s first head strength and conditioning coaching position was at Wingate University in 1997-98. He earned his master’s degree from Kansas in 1997, where he was a graduate assistant strength coach for the Jayhawks. 

He served as an assistant strength coach at Southern California from 1998-2001, working primarily with the Trojan men’s and women’s basketball teams in addition to assisting with the USC football program. Ohrt spent 2001-02 leading the staff at Western Carolina, helping to develop the WCU men’s and women’s basketball, football and baseball teams as well as seven other programs. 

The New Ulm, Minn. native was an All-American offensive lineman at Appalachian State in 1994 and earned All-Southern Conference honors his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, he was named a first-team FCS All-American by The Sports Network and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, and was a third-team Associated Press All-American. He was a three-year letterwinner for the Mountaineers and earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. 

Ohrt is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Ohrt and his wife, Ashley, have a son, Carson.
 

COACHING EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

PERSONAL