Tyler Mayo is in his third season as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Fighting Illini football program in 2025. He joined the Illinois strength and conditioning staff in January 2023.
Mayo has helped elevate Illinois with a tough, smart, dependable brand of football during his first two seasons in Champaign. Mayo's time in Champaign has been highlighted by a 10-win season in 2024, which tied Illinois' single-season record for wins. In 2024, Illinois was ranked by the CFP selection committee for a program-record four straight weeks, appeared in 12 AP Top 25 polls, and tied the program record for ranked wins with four. The Fighting Illini capped one of the best seasons in program history by beating #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, 21-17, in one of the top bowl game victories in Illinois history.
Mayo came to Illinois from San Jose State, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach working primarily with the Spartan football program as the lead performance coach for the defensive backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. The Spartans finished 7-5 and participated in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Mayo was responsible for the design and implementation of comprehensive training programs that included all aspects of strength, power, speed, agility, plyometrics, and conditioning strategies. He developed and managed corrective return-to-play protocols for injured players, working collaboratively with the Sports Medicine staff, and incorporated pre-practice and pre-game soft tissue and hydration initiatives to optimize player performance. As the department intern coordinator, Mayo directed recruiting, professional development, and oversight of day-to-day intern operations. Mayo also served as the head strength and conditioning coach for women’s soccer and helped the Spartans to the 2022 Mountain West Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to San Jose State, Mayo served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at James Madison. During his time at JMU, Mayo had an integral role in executing the football strength and conditioning program. He monitored and tracked key performance indicators to evaluate and construct individual player performance profiles for NFL scouts and supervised team-based nutrition plans, provided supplement education, and coached athletes on evidence-based training, recovery, and nutrition protocols. The Dukes won the CAA Championship and made a semifinal appearance in both the spring and fall season, finishing 19-3 in 2021. As the head strength and conditioning coach, Mayo helped the women’s golf program win the 2021 CAA Championship, the fifth CAA title in program history and the first for JMU since the 2012-13 season, and the swimming and diving program to the 2021 CAA Championship and 2022 ECAC Championship.
Mayo spent the 2020 season with the Ohio State football program. While at Ohio State, Mayo had an essential role in integrating sport science technology, including Zebra Technologies GPS tracking software, EliteForm velocity-based training, Polar heart rate monitoring systems, and OmegaWave neuromuscular readiness assessments. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten and Sugar Bowl championships, finishing as national runner-ups during the 2020 season.
The President’s List student worked with the Toledo strength and conditioning department for the Fall 2020 semester. While at Toledo, Mayo assisted with coaching all 14 Olympic sports, including baseball, softball, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and swim and dive. Mayo also served as the director of strength and conditioning/linebackers coach at his alma mater, Dundee High School from August 2018 to December 2019. He established the strength and conditioning program for the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity football teams while assisting with wrestling and men’s and women’s basketball. Mayo helped lead the Vikings to two consecutive playoff runs, while coaching two all-state linebackers.
In 2018, Mayo began his strength and conditioning career at Syracuse, gaining valuable experience working with the Orange football program. Syracuse finished the season 10-3 and ranked #15 in the AP Poll following a win in the Camping World Bowl against West Virginia.
Mayo played linebacker at Concordia University Ann Arbor, helping the team achieve its first winning season in program history and a #23 ranking in the NAIA. Injuries prompted him to retire from the sport in 2017 and pursue coaching. Originally from Dundee, Michigan, Mayo was an all-state linebacker and all-league wrestler for Dundee High School, where he helped his school to a Division 3 wrestling state championship. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toledo in 2020, graduating Magna Cum Laude, earning his bachelor of science in exercise science. He graduated with a master of science in applied exercise science with a major in strength and conditioning from Concordia University Chicago in 2022, achieving a 4.0 GPA.
Mayo is certified as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), a Mobility Specialist by Functional Range Systems (FRCms), a Level 1 Sports Performance Coach by United States Weightlifting (USAW-1), and is also First Aid/CPR/AED certified through the American Heart Association.
Mayo and his wife, Lacie, reside in Champaign with their son Myles and their German Shepherd, Faye.
