Justin McClelland, who originally served as a part of the Villanova Sports Performance Staff in 2014-15, returned to the Nova Nation in the summer of 2023. He serves as The Sports Performance Coach for Villanova Men’s Basketball.
In this role, McClelland oversees a Men's Basketball Sports Performance effort that has received acclaim for its work in the development of a long list of Wildcats who have prospered in college and later went on to play professionally. Detailed strength and nutrition plans are developed for every student-athlete in the program to enhance strength as well as explosive power, speed, agility, endurance, coordination, balance and flexibility. McClelland works closely with the coaching and athletic training staffs to monitor in-season development and recovery.
McClelland served previously as the Sports Performance Coach for Men’s Basketball at Clemson University (2020-23). In his first season, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2016-17, McClelland worked at East Carolina as an assistant with the Men's Basketball program.
During the 2015-16 season, McClelland served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Florida men’s basketball program. He assisted in the development and implementation of year-long periodization sport specific training/conditioning programs for men’s basketball, tennis and golf programs.
While at Florida, he designed and implanted year-round strength, speed, and conditioning workouts, while also guiding each student-athlete through individual training programs.
Prior to his time in Gainesville, McClelland served one season with the Villanova Men’s Basketball program (2014-15) and also served as an intern during the spring of 2011, director of strength and conditioning at Germantown Academy (2013-15), Eastern University (Spring of 2013, 2014).
McClelland graduated with his B.S. in exercise science in 2011 from Eastern University, while earning his M.S. in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention from California University of Pennsylvania in 2015.
McClelland is originally from Naugatuck, Conn. He and his wife JoAnna welcomed daughter Hallie in July 2024.
