Alex Brunson - Men's Basketball Coach - Bucknell University Athletics

Alex Brunson

Title:
Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach
Email:
atb008@bucknell.edu
Phone:
570-577-2219

Alex Brunson was selected to be Bucknell's first basketball strength and conditioning coach in July 2022. Brunson came to Lewisburg after serving in a similar role at Niagara for the previous three years, and he also has collegiate strength and conditioning coaching experience at Clemson, Wagner, and Delaware.

This new position on the Bison staff is tasked with coordinating the comprehensive strength and conditioning program for the Bucknell men's and women's basketball programs. Brunson tailors a basketball-specific program that emphasizes injury prevention, performance enhancement, nutrition, speed and agility, strength training, and student-athlete well-being.

Since 2019, Brunson had worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for Niagara's men's and women's basketball teams. He completely overhauled the program and installed an elite-level performance culture in the weight room that led to significant on-court improvement from both teams. Brunson's strength & conditioning contributions helped drive the Purple Eagles' women's team to employ a pressing defense that helped it lead the nation in steals per game on the way to its first winning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record in 17 years. Meanwhile, the men's squad posted two straight top-five finishes in the MAAC after being picked 10th in preseason polling.

"The addition of a basketball-specific strength, conditioning, and performance coach is a giant aid to our program," said head men's basketball coach Nathan Davis. "Alex's ability to focus on a smaller number of athletes will allow for a much more individualized approach to our training. I am very excited to welcome Alex to our basketball family. His experience, knowledge, and personality will be invaluable to our program."

"We are thrilled to welcome Alex to our Bison Family," said head women's basketball coach Trevor Woodruff. "The opportunity to have someone of his caliber as our basketball-only strength and conditioning coach will be a force multiplier and game-changer for our program."

Prior to his time at Niagara, Brunson interned as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the men's and women's basketball teams at Clemson University. He also assisted with summer training phases for the baseball, softball, track and field, and women's volleyball programs. Brunson was invited back to Clemson in the summer of 2020 as a mentor to a staff of 20 interns in a virtual internship.

Brunson is a 2016 graduate of West Chester University, where he received a bachelor of science degree in exercise science with a minor in nutrition. Later that year he interned as a football strength and conditioning coach at the University of Delaware, and then he moved on to Wagner College as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach.

At Wagner, Brunson served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the men's basketball team. In 2017-18, he was part of a Seahawks program that captured the Northeast Conference regular-season title followed by a bid to the NIT.

Brunson received his master of business administration degree from Wagner in 2018, and he earned a second master's degree in elementary and early childhood education from Niagara in 2021.