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Lauren Cooper joins UMES as assistant strength & conditioning coach

Lauren Cooper joins UMES as assistant strength & conditioning coach

Lauren Cooper has officially been named the assistant strength & conditioning coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She joins a revampled UMES strength & conditioning program led by head strength & conditioning coach Christopher Puzzo.


Cooper brings experience working with collegiate student-athletes across a variety of sports.


Prior to joining UMES, she served as a Strength and Conditioning Intern at Villanova University from 2025-26. During her time with the Wildcats, she gained valuable experience within a Division I athletics program and further developed her expertise in athletic performance and student-athlete development.


From 2023-25, Cooper served as a Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was responsible for baseball, women's lacrosse, women's bowling, and track and field throwers. She also gained experience at St. Thomas Aquinas College, serving as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2022-23. In that role, she worked directly with baseball, women's lacrosse, and field hockey, while also assisting with men's and women's basketball, softball, and track and field. Cooper additionally served as an Assistant Field Hockey Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas.


Cooper began her collegiate strength and conditioning career as an intern at Pace University in 2022, working with football, women's volleyball, men's and women's lacrosse, and field hockey. She also has experience as a personal trainer with Hackensack Meridian Fitness & Wellness.
Academically, Cooper earned a Master's degree in Sports Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2025, graduating with a 3.95 GPA. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from St. Thomas Aquinas College in 2022, graduating with a 3.77 GPA.
A native of the United Kingdom, Cooper completed her secondary education at The British School in the Netherlands, where she earned her GCSEs and A-levels with a focus on Physical Education, Food Science & Technology, and Psychology.


Cooper is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and holds Heartsaver CPR & AED certification through the American Heart Association.


With a background spanning exercise science, sports management, strength and conditioning, and collegiate coaching, Cooper is committed to developing student-athletes and helping them maximize their performance both on and off the field. Cooper's main role at UMES includes being responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for the Hawks' baseball, softball, and track and field programs.
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