Novak Named Head Football Athletic Performance Coach

Jason Novak has been named the new head athletic performance coach for the California football program, Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox announced Friday.

Novak comes to Berkeley with extensive experience, including most recently serving as director of strength & conditioning at James Madison in 2024 after serving in the same role at Michigan State from 2020-23.

Before arriving in East Lansing, Novak was the head of physical conditioning at IMG Academy (2019-20), was the director of strength and conditioning at Central Michigan (2015-19), and spent 11 years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tennessee Titans (2004-15).

Novak's offseason strength and conditioning program was one of the key reasons for Michigan State's school-record turnaround season in 2021 as the Spartans won 11 games, beat No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and finished ranked in the top 10 of the national polls (No. 8 coaches, No. 9 AP).

During his time as the director of strength and conditioning at Central Michigan, Novak oversaw the year-round training for more than 450 student-athletes.

Prior to joining the Titans, Novak served as the director of strength and conditioning at Yale where he handled the design and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for football, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey and baseball in 2003-04.

He served in a similar capacity at Alabama State from 2000-03, and worked as a graduate assistant/strength coach at both Baylor and Stephen F. Austin.

Novak earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin in 1998 and his master's degree from Baylor in sport management in 2000.

A native of Houston, Texas, Novak and his wife, Michelle, have three children: Drew, Avery and Gray.