McKendree University Director of Athletics Anthony Francis has announced the hiring of Tyler Aulbur as the school’s new Director of Athletic Performance. Aulbur began his duties at McKendree on May 11.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Bearcat family and have an impact as the Director of Athletic Performance,” Aulbur said. “McKendree has given me the opportunity to advance my career and I am excited to get started with my staff to provide a positive training environment that will help our student-athletes succeed in their sport.”
Aulbur comes to McKendree after spending the past three years (2019-22) as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Coordinator of Recreation, Wellness, and Intramural Sports at Culver-Stockton College, which is an NAIA-member school that is in Canton, Mo.
He was responsible for programming and implementing all areas of athletic performance for Culver-Stockton’s athletic teams including strength and power development, linear and lateral speed, conditioning, mobility, and pre-game and practice warm-ups for all the school’s teams. In addition, he also helped manage the redesign of the athletics weight room, including the purchasing of new equipment.
In his position as the Coordinator of Recreation, Wellness, and Intramural Sports, he coordinated and advised the school’s intramural programs, including the selections, training and supervision of sports supervisors and officials and coordinated, promoted, advertised and scheduled intramural games on and off campus.
Prior to going to Culver Stockton, Aulbur spent two years (2017-19) as an Athletic Performance Graduate Assistant at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. In his time at William Woods, Aulbur oversaw a strength program for the school’s men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field, throwers, cheer, dance, and equestrian, as well as, assisted with the school’s athletic men’s and women’s athletic programs and helped managed the Weider Fitness Center.
During his time at William Woods, he worked for nine conference championship teams and 11 NAIA national qualifying teams and multiple All-Americans.
Along with his time at William Woods, Aulbur also was the Sports and Recreation Director and personal trainer at the YMCA of Callaway County.
Before returning to his home state, Aulbur, who is a native of Huntsville, Mo., was an Athletic Performance Coach at Pella (Iowa) High School and an Athletic Performance Fellow at William Penn University from June 2016-July 2017. In his time at Pella High School, he worked with and programmed for all sports. In his one year at PHS, Aulbur worked with five conference championship teams, along with the school’s 2016 State Football title team, the 2016 Women’s Volleyball State runner-up team, the 2016 Baseball State semifinalist team, and the 2016-17 Girls Basketball State semifinalist team.
In his time at William Penn, Aulbur programmed for track and field, men’s golf and cheer, as well as assisting with football.
Aulbur, who was a basketball player at St. Ambrose, began his athletic performance career as an intern at Samford (Ala.) University in the Fall of 2015. While at Samford, he worked with the school’s Olympic sport programs. In the Spring of 2016, he was an intern with the University of Missouri, where he worked primarily with football and women’s soccer, along with several Olympic sport teams.
As a men’s basketball student-athlete at St. Ambrose from 2011-15, he was an NAIA Champion of Character Award winner and was a part of two Conference Championship teams as a player.
Aulbur, who prepped at Westran High School, graduated from St. Ambrose with a degree in Exercise Science and Human Performance and Fitness in 2015 and earned his Master’s in Education in Athletic Administration from William Woods University in 2019.
He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach through the NSCA, Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USAW, and a Certified Nutrition Coach (Level 1) through Precision Nutrition.
