John Sisk, a coaching veteran with more than two decades of experience in the field of strength and conditioning, is in his seventh year as Georgia Tech’s director of player development.
Sisk, who oversees the player development staff that works with more than 350 Georgia Tech student-athletes, works directly with the Yellow Jackets’ football program. He came to The Flats after serving one season as director of strength training and conditioning at Furman in 2011.
Prior to his one-year stint at Furman, Sisk served as the director of speed, strength and conditioning at Vanderbilt for 10 years (2001-10). At Vanderbilt, Sisk and his staff contributed to the football program’s turnaround, which culminated in the Commodores’ 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl victory over Boston College. He coached four strength and conditioning all-Americans at Vandy, including former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler and former Chicago Bears offensive linemen Chris Williams both went through Sisk’s strength-training program at Vandy before being selected in the first round of the National Football League Draft.
In all, Sisk directed the strength training regimen for 12 Vanderbilt players that signed NFL contracts, as well as four Major League Baseball first-round draft picks, including No. 1 selection David Price (Tampa Bay, 2007), No. 2 selection Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh, 2008), No. 7 selection Mike Minor (Atlanta, 2009) and No. 8 pick Casey Weathers (Colorado, 2007).
Sisk first worked in college athletics as an assistant strength coach at Furman for two years (1993-94) before serving as the head strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Western Carolina, for two years (1995-96). He moved on to Clemson for four years (1997-2000) before his 10-year stint at Vanderbilt.
A Waynesville, N.C. native, Sisk played football at Western Carolina and graduated from WCU with a degree in sports administration. Upon graduating, he spent three years as a football and strength coach at Tuscola (N.C.) High School.
In 2011, Sisk was one of eight recognized as a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
