Michigan State's men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo announced that Director of Athletic Performance Dr. Lorenzo Guess will serve as the program's director of strength & conditioning.

Guess, who is in his 12th year on staff at MSU, was named the Director of Athletic Performance in July 2022 and previously served as the associate head strength and conditioning coach for the Spartans football program.

"I'm really excited to have Lorenzo working with our program," Izzo said. "He is a Spartan through and through. Lorenzo was a two-sport athlete here, played safety on football teams that won a pair of bowl games and then was part of two Big Ten Championships and a Final Four team playing for me early in my career.

"More than anything, I have great respect for him and what he has done with his career. His work with our football program has been outstanding, but he's also one of the most well-respected strength coaches in the country. The guys in our basketball program are going to benefit from his work ethic and his knowledge. Lorenzo is an ideal role model for our players because he has already walked in those footsteps."

Guess was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa) in May 2020, the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. A former Spartan safety, Guess returned to East Lansing in 2012 to work with former longtime MSU head strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie and former head football coach Mark Dantonio for eight season (2012-19). Guess has 19 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level, including stops at Notre Dame, Cincinnati and South Florida.

"I am excited to be joining the men's basketball team as the director of strength and conditioning," Guess said. "Michigan State has always felt like home to me and this opportunity is truly a dream come true. I have a special relationship with Coach Izzo and the staff, having met him when I was just 14 years old. It's amazing to see how things have come full circle. It's a great opportunity to work with this team and help them achieve their goals."

A native of Wayne, Michigan, Guess earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State in 2002 and graduated from Tiffin University in 2007 with a master's degree in business administration. He completed his doctoral program with the United States Sports Academy in the summer of 2021.

While at Michigan State, Guess was a four-year letterwinner in football (1998-2001) and earned two letters with the basketball team (1997-99). As a safety, he helped Michigan State beat Florida in the 2000 Citrus Bowl and Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl. He was part of two Big Ten titles and an NCAA Final Four appearance (1999) with the basketball team.