Strength Staff
Iron Tiger Weight Room
Mike Stark
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Mike Stark, who lettered for the Tigers for three years under former head coach Billy J. Murphy during the late 1960s and early 1970s, is in his eighth year with the Tiger athletic department.
A native Memphian, Stark came to the University of Memphis after serving as defensive coordinator and head strength coach at Cordova High School for two years (1998-99). He also worked as the head wrestling coach for the Wolfpack.
Prior to joining the staff at Cordova High, Stark spent 10 years as the defensive coordinator and strength coach at Bartlett High School. During his tenure at Bartlett, the Panthers posted an 87-39 record, made seven appearances in the state playoffs and reached the quarterfinals four times. As the strength coach, his teams won eight City Weightlifting Championships and three Tennessee Weightlifting Championships.
Stark began his coaching and strength career at Trezevant High School in Memphis. From 1983-89, the Bears posted a 42-8 record, made the state playoffs three times and won a state championship.
A 1972 graduate of the University of Memphis (then Memphis State University), Stark played football for the Tigers for four years, serving as an offensive lineman. He was selected to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team in 1968 and received All-MVC honors for the next three seasons. Stark received All-Midlands honors as a junior and senior and was named All-American by Associated Press, UPI and Kickoff Magazine as a senior. He received his bachelor's degree in education from the U of M in 1982.
Stark and his wife, Cindy, have two children, a daughter, Keelie (19), and a son, Cody (10).
Jason Hartman
Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Chad Smith
Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Fieldhouse Olympic Sports Weight Room
Lee Yerty
Director of Olympic Sports
Lee Yerty begins his eighth season as strength and conditioning coach and his sixth season as the Tiger volleyball strength coach.
Yerty served a year as the administrative assistant for women's athletics before he was appointed to his new position. While in the administrative assistant position, Yerty was responsible for game management of the Tiger volleyball and Lady Tiger basketball squads.
Before coming to Memphis, Yerty served as the assistant strength coach at Washington State from 1985-90. He then accepted the job as marketing director at Eastern Washington in 1991. Yerty was then elevated to assistant athletic director in 1993 before becoming the recruiting coordinator for volleyball in 1995.
A native of Naches, Wash., Yerty is the husband of head coach Carrie Yerty. The two have two sons, WesLee and Jace, and reside in Cordova, Tenn.
Jake Fitts
Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Larry O. Finch Center Weight Room
Richard Hogans
Director of Performance Enhancement
In just over two years with the program, Hogans' desire, intensity and passion for strength and conditioning has been infectious, winning over the coaches and players and preparing the squad for another tough schedule in 2006-07.
Hogans joined the University of Memphis Athletic Department in September of 2004, coming to the school from his position as a personal trainer and fitness director. Prior to his career in personal training, Hogans served on the Memphis Xplorers staff in the 2002 season. He had two roles with the Mid-South's arena football team as offensive and defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach. Before jumping into the coaching ranks, Hogans played professional football in the NFL, NFL Europe and XFL.
The Columbus, Ga., native was a four-year letterman for the Tiger football squad from 1993-96. Hogans and his wife, Wendy, have three children -- two sons, Dylan (14) and R.J. (8), and a daughter, Olivia (4).
