Home | Strength and Conditioning Staff | Facilities | Banned Substances | Videos

Strength and Conditioning Staff

Matt Brand moves up to the head strength and conditioning coaching position after serving as assistant coach. Brand, who earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science from Ithaca College (N.Y.) in 2002 and his master's in applied exercise science from Springfield College (Mass.) with a concentration in strength and conditioning in 2004, was the head strength and conditioning coach at Lafayette College prior to coming to UC Davis.

He's also gained experienced on staffs at Rutgers, Springfield, College of the Holy Cross and Cornell.

Brand is a two-time national powerlifting champion and twice captured powerlifting gold medals at the A.A.U. Junior Olympics. He is a Certifified Strength and Conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and possesses his United States Weightlifting certification as well. He continues his competitive career in both powerlifting and amateur strongman.

Andy Dendas joins the Aggies' athletics program after serving as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Stanford where he worked primarily with the football program. He's also worked on the strength staff at Oregon State, serving as the strength coach for the Beavers' national champion baseball program in 2006. Additionally, his six-year tenure included responsibilities with the football program and Olympic sports.

Dendas holds national certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the National Athletics Trainers Association. He graduated from Humboldt State University in 1997 with his bachelor's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training, and earned a master's in exercise science - also from Humboldt State - with an emphasis in strength and conditioning in 1999.

He and his wife, Jeanne, have two daughters, Katelyn and Ashleigh.

Nate Hemphill arrives at UC Davis after two years as a graduate assistant in strength and conditioning at Seattle University where he worked primarily with baseball, softball, men's soccer, volleyball and swimming while assisting with other aspects of the strength and conditioning program, including developing nutritional plans for student-athletes and mentoring interns.

Prior to his stint at Seattle, Hemphill worked as a strength and conditioning intern for the football team at Washington and was also an intern at Missouri State University where he worked alongside several Division I programs, including softball, baseball, diving, women's soccer and football. He also spent time with the Springfield Cardinals, the AA affiliate to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he managed in-season workouts, stretching and conditioning for all 28 players.

Hemphill received his bachelor's degree in exercise and movement science from Missouri State University in 2009 before achieving a master's degree in sports administration and leadership from Seattle University. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.