The University of Detroit Mercy Larry Bleach Fitness Center features a 3,800-square foot facility with a wide assortment of equipment from some of the top names in the fitness industry to provide a premier environment for the 19 varsity athletic sport teams at the University of Detroit Mercy. This list of equipment includes seven (7) Hammer Strength cage racks with platform extensions, a four-station Muscle Driver stag rack, bumper and standard plates and bars by Elieko, Pendlay, Troy, and York Barbell, and state of the art plyometric development units from VertiMax. Other products from leading companies like Rogue, EliteFTS, and PowerBlock contribute to a facility that is at the forefront of a mission to support the athletics department by providing strength and conditioning programs that meet the needs of each sport through sound scientific principles.
Along with the goal of improving athletic performance, the mission of the Strength and Conditioning department at the University of Detroit Mercy is to instill values of hard work, discipline, mental toughness, and attention to detail to each of our student athletes. These values are provided to the student athletes at the University of Detroit Mercy with a positive and supportive environment for athletic and personal growth. We believe that hard work, discipline, mental toughness, and attention to detail are key components of athletic success. Each strength and conditioning program is designed to meet the needs of the sport, coach, and individual student-athlete. Our programs are constructed around research-based principles, aimed at reducing the incidence of injury and improving athletic performance using ground-based, multi-joint movements and sport-specific energy system training.
Detroit Mercy Strength & Conditioning Staff
Sam Jeffries was named the Director of Strength of Conditioning in the summer of 2023.
He has worked in both intercollegiate athletics and sports performance centers.
Jeffries came to Detroit Mercy from Elizabeth City State University, where he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance. There he developed the University's first sports medicine program, integrating the athletic training, strength and conditioning, and sports nutrition programs, for nine varsity sports. He also was the primary athletic trainer for the football and men's basketball teams.
Before that, he was the Director of Athlete Performance for Godspeed Elite Sports Academy from 2020-22. He ran a strength and conditioning program with teams and individuals at the middle, high school and collegiate level, and over a dozen pro football players. He collaborated with the performance therapy staff to design and implement return to sport programs and used Fusion Sport Technology daily for testing, tracking, and evaluations.
His first collegiate full-time position was as the head strength and conditioning coach at Mary Baldwin University from 2018-20. He started the strength and conditioning program at the school as he designed and implemented programs for all 10 varsity programs.
Prior to that, he was the Director of Sports Performance at Perfect Performance in Tysons Corner, Virginia, where he designed and implemented programs for all athletes, including professional and collegiate football and lacrosse players, high school and club travel teams, and individual athletes in all sports and areas. He also directed nutrition programs, the facility's internship program and managed staff and budget.
Before his full-time positions, he was a strength and conditioning intern at Georgetown, James Madison and Temple and a graduate assistant at Salisbury University.
Jeffries attended Greensboro College, playing football and earning academic All-Conference honors twice. While in college, he worked with the William Bradley Sports Performance designing and implementing strength programs for athletes ranging from middle school through the collegiate ranks.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and Exercise Science from Greensboro College in 2013 and a master's in Applied Health Physiology with a Concentration in Strength & Conditioning from Salisbury University in 2016.
Logan Gibson came to the University in January 2023 in a temporary role and became the full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach in March of 2023.
He came to Detroit Mercy after working nearly two years with nearby Lawrence Tech, where he was an Associative Director of Strength & Conditioning overseeing seven programs.
Prior to that, he completed internships with Southern Indiana and with Purdue University. He also worked for five years as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning and assistant football coach at Gibson Southern High School.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Southern Indiana in 2020 and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting Level 1.
