Mickey Marotti

Mickey Marotti
Assistant AD for Football Sports Performance

Mickey Marotti is in his eighth season as the assistant athletic director for football sports performance at Ohio State and his 33rd season overall as a coach. He is the person Ohio State head coaches trust in the critical area of strength and conditioning training and overseeing sports performance.

“There are times in the year when the strength staff has more contact with the team than the coaching staff,” Urban Meyer, who hired Marotti four times, has said, “and I had complete trust in Mickey Marotti’s abilities to prepare our student-athletes to be the strongest, fastest and mentally toughest football players they can be.”

Marotti, called a “master” of motivation and mental preparation, is indeed that: he has coached three teams now that have won national championships: the 2006 and 2008 Florida Gators and the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes.

His work with the Buckeyes earned him American Football Monthly’s FBS Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year award in 2016.

During his time in Columbus, 19 Buckeyes have been named first-team All-American: CB Bradley Roby and DT Johnathan Hankins in 2012; LB Ryan Shazier and OT Jack Mewhort in 2013; DE Joey Bosa and DT Michael Bennett in 2014; Bosa, SAF Vonn Bell, LT Taylor Decker and DT Adolphus Washington in 2015; C Pat Elflein, S Malik Hooker, OG Billy Price and HB Curtis Samuel in 2016; and Price, DE Nick Bosa and SAF Denzel Ward in 2017; and C Michael Jordan and DT Dre’mont Jones in 2018.

Additionally, Buckeyes were named the Big Ten Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year (John Simon in 2012 and Joey Bosa in 2014), Defensive Lineman of the Year (Simon in 2012, Bosa in 2014 and 2015, Tyquan Lewis in 2016 and Nick Bosa in 2017), Offensive Player of the Year (Braxton Miller in 2012 and 2013; Ezekiel Elliott in 2015; Dwayne Haskins in 2018), quarterback of the Year (Miller in 2012 and 2013; J.T. Barrett in 2014, 2016 and 2017; Haskins in 2018), Running Back of the Year (Carlos Hyde in 2013 and Ezekiel Elliott in 2015), Freshman of the Year (Barrett in 2014 and Mike Weber in 2016) and Chicago Tribune MVP (Miller in 2012 and 2013, Elliott in 2015, Barrett in 2016, Haskins in 2018).

And even more impressive: Marotti has helped 12 Buckeyes achieve first-round NFL Draft status: CB Denzel Ward and C Billy Price in 2018; CB Marshon Lattimore, SAF Malik Hooker and CB Gareon Conley in 2017; DE Joey Bosa, RB Ezekiel Elliott, CB Eli Apple, OT Taylor Decker and LB Darron Lee in 2016; and LB Ryan Shazier and CB Bradley Roby in 2014.

The well-conditioned and mentally tough Ohio State Buckeyes have been one of the best teams in the nation over Marotti’s time with the program. The team’s 86-9 record from 2012-18 includes a school-record 24-game winning streak, only the sixth undefeated season in school history in 2012 (12-0), a national championship in 2014 and Big Ten championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

Marotti first worked with Meyer when the two were graduate assistants at Ohio State, in 1987, with Marotti earning a master’s of arts degree in strength and conditioning from Ohio State before moving on to the University of West Virginia to be a strength assistant. He spent two years at WVU and graduated with a master’s of science degree in sports medicine.

From there he went on to the University of Cincinnati, where he spent seven seasons (1990-97) as head strength and conditioning coach for UC’s 20-sport program. He also worked in the areas of diet analysis and planning and assisted in student-athlete rehabilitation from injuries.

Midway through Meyer’s five-year run as an assistant coach at Notre Dame, Marotti had the opportunity to work with him again when he was named Notre Dame’s director of strength and conditioning in 1998. He spent seven seasons in South Bend.

Marotti was then one of Meyer’s first hires when he took over as head coach of Florida in early 2005. And from 2005-11 Marotti oversaw the complete strength and conditioning programs for all of Florida’s intercollegiate sports. He also served as the director of the football athletic performance team.

Unique in the fact he is one of approximately 100 strength trainers to hold a Master of Strength and Conditioning – the highest honor in his profession – certification, Marotti is also atypical in the things he has his players do that all lead to developing a mental and physical edge.

Marotti’s talents helped Florida develop 22All-Americans and eight first-round NFL draft choices during his seven years in Gainesville. And there is no disputing the team accomplishments the Gators achieved: two national championships, two Southeastern Conference championships and three 13-win seasons.

A native of Ambridge, Pa., Marotti was a four-year letterwinner as a fullback for West Liberty (W.Va.) University, serving as a team tri-captain in 1986 and winning first team NAIA All-Academic honors in 1987. He is a 1987 graduate of West Liberty with a degree in exercise physiology.

Marotti and his wife, the former Susan Laffey, have a son, Mitchell, and a daughter, Maddie, both of whom are Ohio State graduates. Maddie is a member of the OSU softball team.

Mickey Marotti Experience

Mickey Marotti Quick Facts
Hometown: Ambridge, Pa.
High School: Ambridge
Alma Mater: West Liberty State, 1987
Master’s Degrees: Ohio State University, 1988; West Virginia, 1990
Year in Strength & Conditioning: 31st (Sixth year at Ohio State)
Wife: Susie
Children: Daughter, Maddie, and son, Mitchell