André Bernardi has served as Furman University’s director of strength training and conditioning since February of 2018 and in January of 2023 added the title of associate head football coach.
During his tenure as Furman’s director of strength training and conditioning, he has earned an outstanding reputation for delivering results across the entire Paladin sports spectrum, playing a vital role in the 36 Southern Conference championships, 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 44 All-American scrolls garnered by Paladin student-athletes. His work with Furman’s football program has helped net two SoCon championship, three FCS playoff appearances, 43-24 overall record, and 33-14 league worksheet over seven campaigns.
Supporting the impact strength of and conditioning has had on Paladin athletics, Bernardi spearheaded a $500K campaign and facility renovation and in 2024 oversaw a Dins Day fundraising effort that produced the second highest participation rate among all campus groups.
Bernardi’s knowledge and expertise is not only reflected is competitive performance of Furman’s teams but also in the growing tree of former student assistants, interns, fellows, and full-time staff members now in the profession. They include Trent Caldwell, director of strength and conditioning/Lenoir Rhyne; Caleb Phillips, assistant strength coach, fitness director, UFC GYM/Greenville; Trey Tuten, strength coach/Fountain Inn High School; Matthew Thomas, assistant strength coach/Florida Atlantic; Mary Briggs, assistant strength coach/Byrnes High School; Elizabeth Dupree, assistant strength coach/Louisville; Casey Stewart, director of strength and conditioning/North Greenville; Jaylan Reid, associate director of football strength and conditioning/Boise State; Will Mullins, assistant strength coach/South Carolina; Brad Booth, assistant strength coach/Boise State; Mike Buhmeyer, director of basketball strength and conditioning/Texas Arlington; Lauren Farber, assistant strength coach/Furman; Stephen Antley, head strength coach/Northwestern High School; Will Zambernardi, men’s basketball assistant strength coach/Virginia; Johnny Jordan, assistant strength coach/Texas A&M; Justen Chatman, Performance Scientist Fellow/L.A. Rams.
Bernardi came to Furman from North Greenville University, where he served as director of strength training and conditioning for five years. The first person in North Greenville history to occupy the position of program-wide strength training director, he was charged with development, implementation, and oversight of the performance programming for North Greenville’s 19-sport NCAA Division II athletics program.
While there he also played a key role in the design of the Crusaders’ 5,000-square foot Kelly Strength and Conditioning Center.
Prior to being elevated to director of strength training and conditioning, and while a graduate student, he served as head strength and conditioning coach from 2010-12, working primarily with football, softball, women’s basketball, and volleyball, in addition to serving as outside linebackers coach on NGU’s football staff.
A Marietta, Ga., native, he was a standout football player at North Greenville from 2006-09, earning All-America honors three times and South Carolina All-Decade Team (2000-09) honors while recording a school record 42 sacks and an NCAA Division II record 78 tackles for-loss.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in sport management in 2010 and added an MBA from NGU two years later.
In addition to his duties at NGU, he served as a performance coach at D1 Sports in Greenville from 2011-13 and speed, agility, and jump coach with Spartanburg’s Upstate Volleyball Club for four years.
A CPR Pro, Bernardi holds certifications with the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association and National Strength and Conditioning Association. In addition he is an Advanced Sports Performance Coach through United States Weightlifting; a specialist in Sports Nutrition through the International Sports Science Association; a Performance Enhancement Specialist with the National Association of Sports Medicine; and is a Certified Speed Specialist with the National Association of Speed and Explosion.
Bernardi and his wife, Kaitlyn, who serves as associate director of strength training at Furman, have a son, Nicolo, 1.
