Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Announces Strength and Conditioning Staff Promotions
7/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
July 27, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips has announced a pair of elevations in the Wildcats' Strength and Conditioning Department.
Effective immediately, Jason Pullara is NU's new Director of Strength and Conditioning while Jay Hooten is the Wildcats' new Director of Sports Performance for Football. Pullara replaces Larry Lilja.
Pullara oversees the strength and conditioning program for 18 of Northwestern's 19 varsity sports while providing vision and direction for his department and working closely with Hooten. Prior to his elevation, Pullara worked directly with seven total programs as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for eight seasons. He has coached and helped develop numerous all-conference and All-America selections including multiple Player of the Year and Tewaaraton Trophy winners.
Pullara served as the strength coach for the Northwestern women's lacrosse team during its run to win six out of seven NCAA championships from 2005-11. The Northwestern softball team earned NCAA tournament bids in seven of Jason's seasons with the program, finishing among the top 16 teams in the country in 2005 and 2008 while placing second at the Women's College World Series in 2006 and third in 2007.
Pullara is originally from Joliet, Ill., and currently resides in Wilmette. He graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and a minor in psychology. He earned a master's degree in sports administration from Northwestern in 2011. As a college athlete he captained the Purdue rugby team for two years, and was voted the Most Valuable Freshmen before earning the Most Valuable Player award three times. Pullara was named all-conference for three years and was selected for the Midwest regional team for two years.
Hooten came to Northwestern in January of 2009 as an assistant director of strength and conditioning, spending the next two years directing the training programs of the NU wrestling, baseball and men's soccer teams while also devoting significant time to the football program.
An Ohio native, Hooten spent six years as a football performance assistant at Ohio State, where he assisted with the strength and conditioning program for the three-time Big Ten and 2002 national champion Buckeyes. After leaving Ohio State, Hooten spent a year as the Director of Sports Performance at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio, before taking over as the owner and director of Fast-Twitch Performance Enhancement in Dayton.
Hooten is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and also is a certified specialist with the National Association of Speed and Explosion.
A graduate of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, Hooten earned his bachelor's degree in health and sport science. He graduated from Northridge High School in Dayton where he was teammates with current NU assistant coach Matt MacPherson and former director of football operations Nolan Jones.
Hooten and his wife Lori have four children, daughter Joss, son Landon and twin boys Jaxn and Jeremy. The Hootens reside in Skokie.
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