SummerStrong 19: Bo Sandoval

Bo Sandoval joined the Athletics Department in December 2021 and serves as Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Performance. He is responsible for oversight and development of Texas A&M's Sports Performance Staff as well as bespoke delivery of Strength and Conditioning services for all varsity student-athletes (with the exception of football). In addition, Sandoval represents his unit on the Athletic Department's Performance & Wellness Leadership Team. Sandoval came to Aggieland after spending over four years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. There, he led the development and implementation of all strength and conditioning aspects within the UFCPI globally--including the design and management of UFCPI training facilities in Las Vegas, Shanghai, and Mexico City. Sandoval played an integral role in the continued development of the world’s leading training institution in terms of performance, welfare, and research regarding mixed martial arts. Over the course of his career, he has designed and implemented comprehensive performance training programs for several NCAA champions, United States national champions, Paralympians and Olympians in a multitude of sports and disciplines (including track & field, weightlifting, powerlifting, football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, boxing, fencing, figure skating, shotgun, rifle and pistol). Sandoval’s professional experience also includes speaking engagements around the globe covering training topics regarding MMA, wrestling, judo, weightlifting, programming, and coaching operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Prior to his time with the UFC, Sandoval spent eight seasons at the University of Michigan as an Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning. While in Ann Arbor, he was honored by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) as the 2015 College Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Additionally, he was selected by USA Weightlifting to serve as the Men’s Head Coach for the Olympic Test Event held in Rio De Janiero Brazil prior to the 2016 Olympic Games. Sandoval began his career with a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Southern Miss. He then spent two years as the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, before moving to Colorado Springs and working at the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 2007-09. Sandoval is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction through the NSCA. He is also Strength & Conditioning Coach Certified via the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA). A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sandoval graduated from Southern Miss in 2003 with a degree in exercise science and received a master's of science coaching and sports administration from USM in 2005. He and his wife, Amanda, enjoy spending time outdoors with their two sons, Grayson and Lucas, and their two German shorthaired pointers, Hank and Cash.