CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M Vice President of Athletics Doug Lipinski has announced the promotion of Jesse Herd to the Director of Athletic Performance for the Buffs and Lady Buffs.
 
"Jesse has been a constant professional since coming to WT, he truly cares for his student athletes and has made every team better. His drive to be the best in the weight room and on the field transfers over to the student-athletes" said Assistant A.D. for Sports Medicine Luke Kasper "Jesse has been instrumental in the growth of our Nutrition Center and he has spearheaded the implementation of Catapult at WT. I know the Sports Performance Department will continue to benefit with his elevation to this position."
 
Herd, originally from Jacksboro, Texas, came to Canyon from Southeastern Oklahoma State where he was the Assistant Director of Sports Performance. While in Durant, he oversaw the sports performance training for the baseball and men's basketball programs, while serving as the top assistant for the football program's sports performance training.
 
Prior to his time at Durant, Herd worked with the US Army's Combat Aviation Brigade as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Health and Holistic Fitness (H2F) program at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Herd had previous stops at the University of Texas with the football strength and conditioning staff, Ottawa University (KS), and then-fellow Lone Star Conference member Tarleton State.
 
Herd earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education in 2020 from Ottawa University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology in 2018 from Tarleton State where he was a two-time Collegiate Nationals qualifier as a member of the TSU Powerlifting team. 
 
Herd is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), possesses a Level 1 Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) certification, is CPR/AED/First Aid certified as well as Mental Health First Aid.