Aug. 30, 2007

DALLAS (SMU) - Chad Chronister has been named an assistant strength and conditioning coach at SMU, announced head strength and conditioning coach Vic Viloria. Chronister will work specifically with SMU men's and women's basketball and will office in the soon-to-be-completed Crum Basketball Center. He comes to the Hilltop with experience from Idaho, LSU, Washington State, and the United States Olympic Training Center. At LSU, he worked with the basketball squads as the men reached the 2006 Final Four and the women made the Final Four in 2005 and 2006.

"Chad is a great addition to our staff," said Viloria. "He has great success in maximizing athletic potential at the highest level. His experiences with the United States Olympic Training Center and with Final Four men's and women's basketball teams at LSU are a great addition to SMU basketball."

Chronister came to the Hilltop after a year as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Idaho where he worked with men's and women's basketball as well as football, soccer and volleyball.

"I am excited to be part of SMU," states Chronister. "The basketball programs have top-notch coaches in Matt Doherty and Rhonda Rompola and will have a state-of-the-art training center with the completion of the Crum Basketball Center. It's a great time to be a Mustang."

Prior to Idaho, he served as a graduate strength coach at Louisiana State from 2004-06. In 2003, he spent a semester with the strength and conditioning staff at the United States Olympic Training Center and a term as an intern in the same capacity at Washington State. From 2001-02, he was a volunteer assistant at Washington State. Chronister played collegiate basketball at Yakima Valley Community College in Washington from 1998-2000.

He earned a masters in sport management from LSU in 2005 as well as a bachelor of science in movement studies from Washington State University in 2002. He received an associate of arts from Yakima Valley Community College in 2000.

Chronister is originally from Yakima, Washington, and is married to the former Tiffany Hoffmann of Slidell, Louisiana.