Oklahoma State University Athletics
Lutz adds championship strength coach Gavin Roberts to Cowboy Basketball Staff
June 01, 2026 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State has tabbed one of the nation's top sports performance coaches, Gavin Roberts, to lead its men's basketball strength and conditioning, pending board approval.
Roberts has spent the past eight years building up two of college basketball's most successful programs, UConn and Purdue, overseeing performance training, recovery protocols, load management and on-court movement efficiency.
During a five-year run as UConn's Director of Sports Performance, Roberts helped the Huskies to back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. He played a similar role at his alma mater, Purdue, from 2018-21, helping the Boilermakers to the 2019 Elite Eight and the 2020 Big Ten title while working alongside current OSU head coach Steve Lutz.
"Gavin has been part of championship-level programs and understands what it takes to prepare players to perform at their best," Lutz said. "I saw that firsthand when we worked together at Purdue. He brings energy, expertise and a very intentional approach to developing athletes, and he will be a tremendous resource for our players."
Roberts has developed a number of future professionals over the years, including two-time NCAA player of the year Zach Edey, as well as Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams and Carsen Edwards. At UConn, he played a key role in the progression of Jordan Hawkins, Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Andre Jackson, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Tyrese Martin.
I'm excited to be at Oklahoma State and to work alongside Coach Lutz and this staff," Roberts said. "This program has great tradition, and I'm ready to help our players build the daily standard that it takes to win."
Roberts' approach blends traditional strength and conditioning with sport-specific movement, recovery and performance data. His background includes the use of force plate analytics, GPS tracking, velocity-based training, readiness monitoring, sprint development and nutrition strategies designed to maximize athlete performance and longevity.
Before his time at Purdue and UConn, Roberts spent 16 months as assistant director of sports performance at Western Michigan where he played an integral role in the Broncos' football success. The 2016 team finished the regular season with a 13-0 record and earned a spot in the Cotton Bowl.
From 2015-16, Roberts worked in NFL Draft preparation at Bommarito Performance Systems, where he trained professional prospects for the NFL Combine and Pro Days. His résumé includes work with Ezekiel Elliott, Chris Jones, Trey Hendrickson and former Oklahoma State standout Emmanuel Ogbah.
Originally from Somerset, N.J., Roberts was a two-sport star at Franklin High School in football and basketball. He played football at Purdue from 2008-11, helping the Boilermakers to a victory in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in his final season.
Roberts got his coaching start working as a graduate assistant with Purdue's strength and conditioning department during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. He earned his bachelor's in Health and Fitness and later added a master's degree in Technology, Leadership and Innovation in 2015. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.
Roberts and wife Alanna are the parents of four children: daughter London, son Cairo, and twins Kingston and Brooklyn.
Roberts has spent the past eight years building up two of college basketball's most successful programs, UConn and Purdue, overseeing performance training, recovery protocols, load management and on-court movement efficiency.
During a five-year run as UConn's Director of Sports Performance, Roberts helped the Huskies to back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. He played a similar role at his alma mater, Purdue, from 2018-21, helping the Boilermakers to the 2019 Elite Eight and the 2020 Big Ten title while working alongside current OSU head coach Steve Lutz.
"Gavin has been part of championship-level programs and understands what it takes to prepare players to perform at their best," Lutz said. "I saw that firsthand when we worked together at Purdue. He brings energy, expertise and a very intentional approach to developing athletes, and he will be a tremendous resource for our players."
Roberts has developed a number of future professionals over the years, including two-time NCAA player of the year Zach Edey, as well as Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams and Carsen Edwards. At UConn, he played a key role in the progression of Jordan Hawkins, Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Andre Jackson, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Tyrese Martin.
I'm excited to be at Oklahoma State and to work alongside Coach Lutz and this staff," Roberts said. "This program has great tradition, and I'm ready to help our players build the daily standard that it takes to win."
Roberts' approach blends traditional strength and conditioning with sport-specific movement, recovery and performance data. His background includes the use of force plate analytics, GPS tracking, velocity-based training, readiness monitoring, sprint development and nutrition strategies designed to maximize athlete performance and longevity.
Before his time at Purdue and UConn, Roberts spent 16 months as assistant director of sports performance at Western Michigan where he played an integral role in the Broncos' football success. The 2016 team finished the regular season with a 13-0 record and earned a spot in the Cotton Bowl.
From 2015-16, Roberts worked in NFL Draft preparation at Bommarito Performance Systems, where he trained professional prospects for the NFL Combine and Pro Days. His résumé includes work with Ezekiel Elliott, Chris Jones, Trey Hendrickson and former Oklahoma State standout Emmanuel Ogbah.
Originally from Somerset, N.J., Roberts was a two-sport star at Franklin High School in football and basketball. He played football at Purdue from 2008-11, helping the Boilermakers to a victory in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in his final season.
Roberts got his coaching start working as a graduate assistant with Purdue's strength and conditioning department during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. He earned his bachelor's in Health and Fitness and later added a master's degree in Technology, Leadership and Innovation in 2015. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.
Roberts and wife Alanna are the parents of four children: daughter London, son Cairo, and twins Kingston and Brooklyn.
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