Day ready to mold Gamecocks on and off the field as strength and conditioning coach

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - If there’s one thing Luke Day is passionate about, it’s his new job.

“He was texting me and calling me so much about this position so much that I didn’t have time to hire anybody else because I was trying to return his calls and texts,” Beamer said. “He was showing me how passionate he was about this position.”

Beamer said Day even created a presentation to show the Gamecocks’ new head coach what his vision was for the program. After speaking with several other strength and conditioning coaches about the position and about Day, Beamer offered him the job.

“After about 10 minutes, I was totally convinced this is the guy that we need to hire,” Beamer said.

Beamer noted that Day was offered the job on a Saturday and he wanted to get to Columbia immediately from West Virginia.

“I said, ‘Well, we’ve got to get a terms sheet to you. You’ve got to sign that. There are some things that take place with human resources and all that stuff. So, just hold tight.”

Day’s excitement ultimately led him to Columbia the next day ready to work.

“I was like, at this point and time, somebody’s gonna have to carry me out of this building because you said you want me here. I don’t care about a piece of paper until you carry me out of here in handcuffs.’ That’s just how much I wanted to be here.”

Previously, Day served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Marshall. Before that, he coached at Colorado, UCF, and USF. Day has also coached in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.

Day said he and his staff intend to measure everything to determine a player’s progress. However, his job isn’t about just lifting weights and getting players in shape physically.

“Number one thing, it is my responsibility, it is the staff’s responsibility to know these men and we are beginning that process right now,” Day said. “I want to know the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, the best thing that’s ever happened to you, your biggest dream, your biggest fear, what happened between your mom, what happened between your dad, because we’re not coaching sets and reps and GPS units and are we gonna do the power clean today? Are we gonna do the bench? Yeah, we’ll figure all that out, but let’s be able to communicate. Let’s be able to connect with these people. If you and I share time and struggle, then you and I begin to care about each other. My heartstrings are connected to your heartstrings and whatever pulls on me pulls on you. So, start with that. Then, let’s build really physical, tough, resilient people that just keep bringing it over and over and over and over and over.”