Kevin Backus has been an assistant strength and conditioning coach with Rutgers Athletics since 2015. Backus designs and implements year round strength and conditioning programs for the Baseball, Women’s Swim and Dive, and Men’s Golf teams. He trains primarily out of the Druskin Strength and Conditioning Center inside Jersey Mike's Arena and the Rodkin Academic Success Center.
Prior to Rutgers, Backus was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of California – San Diego. While at UCSD, he oversaw the programs for seven different teams, redesigned the curriculum for and managed the internship program, and was instrumental in the design of the Spanos Athletic Performance Center.
Backus is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and a Certified Sports Performance Coach by USA Weightlifting. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and has a TPI Level 1 Certification specializing in golf fitness. He has shared his expertise by speaking at several clinics including the 2020 NSCA New Jersey State Clinic.
A 2011 graduate of Villanova University, Backus earned a B.S. in biochemistry where he also worked as a strength and condition student volunteer, a nutrition and fitness intern, and an equipment room student worker. He is also a graduate of the Rutgers Business School earning an MBA with a concentration in Strategy and Leadership in the Fall of 2020.
Backus is married to wife, Melissa, and they have three children, Brayden, Natalie, and Colin.
