One of the most vital staff hires early in Head Coach Barry Odom’s tenure was that of Rohrk Cutchlow (pronounced ROAR-k) to join his new staff at Mizzou as Director of Athletic Performance. Now entering his third year at Mizzou, Cutchlow oversees all aspects of the Mizzou Football strength and conditioning program.
Cutchlow is a 20-year veteran of the athletic performance industry, and he’s regarded as one of the top coaches in the trade. For the past 14years, he’s directed athletic performance for football programs, including four at his alma mater Memphis, where he played a big role in Memphis developing into one of the top programs in the American Conference. The Tigers won the AAC and finished 10-3 overall in 2014, and followed up with another strong 9-4 season in 2015, spending much of the season ranked in the top-25. During his time with Memphis, Cutchlow aided in the development of Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist and a first-round NFL draft pick.
Prior to Memphis, Cutchlow served the 2011 football season as the director of strength and conditioning at Tulsa, where he oversaw a program that won eight games and played in the Armed Forces Bowl. Before that, Cutchlow directed football strength and conditioning at Illinois State for seven seasons (Nov. 2003-Feb. 2011). He served as the Redbirds’ strength and conditioning coordinator his first three football seasons (2004-06), before being promoted to assistant athletic director for sports performance (July 2007). During his career, Cutchlow has worked with over 60 players who have gone on to sign with NFL teams, multiple Big 12,MVC and AAC Championship teams, 15 All-Americans and an Olympic Gold Medalist. He was one of five finalists for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2006.
From 2001-03, Cutchlow was the head strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports at Iowa State, where he directed programs for 17 sports, including men’s basketball and wrestling. In 2001, Cutchlow earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from Iowa State.
A native of Littleport, Iowa, Cutchlow attended and played baseball at Memphis, where he was a three-year letter winner and a two-year starter at catcher for the Tigers from 1996-98. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education, with an emphasis on exercise and sports science. He then pursued a professional baseball career, where he started at catcher for two years, one each for the Dubois County Dragons (1998) and the Evansville Otters (1999) of the Frontier League. He later would go on to serve two seasons (2002-03) as the strength and conditioning coach for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs.
Cutchlow is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC*D) through the NSCA, Additionally, Cutchlow holds certifications from USA Weightlifting (Level I- Sports Performance Coach), Functional Movement Systems (Level I), and Functional Range Conditioning (FRCms). He is also a member of the National Association for Coaching Equity and Development.
Cutchlow and his family reside in Columbia.
Rohrk Cutchlow File
Coaching History:
- Jan. 2016-Present Mizzou - Director of Athletic Performance
- July 2013-Dec. 2015 Memphis – Director of Athletic Performance
- May 2012-June 2013 Memphis – Director of Football Strength and Conditioning
- Feb. 2011-April 2012 Tulsa – Director of Strength and Conditioning
- July 2007-Feb. 2011 Illinois State – Assistant Athletics Director/Sports Performance
- Nov. 2003-June 2007 Illinois State – Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
- April 2002-Sept. 2003 Iowa Cubs Baseball Club – Volunteer Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Jan. 2001-Nov. 2003 Iowa State – Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports
- Aug. 1999-Dec. 2000 Iowa State – Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Aug. 1998-Feb. 1999 Memphis – Volunteer Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach
Education:
- Memphis – Education/Exercise and Sports Science (Bachelor's)
- Iowa State – Educational Leadership and Policy Education (Master's)
