Teresa Varley

Get to know head strength and conditioning coach Mark Lovat, including who inspired him to enter the coaching profession.

What got you interested in coaching:

"When I played college baseball, I had a coach that trained us. And I got to watch him plan out the training. And that was the first time I saw somebody on a grease board kind of laying it out and having a plan. And I thought that was cool to see. That's really the first guy that kind of got me thinking about how it would be neat to do that. I just was fortunate to be around good people. My dad (Tom Lovat) was a coach, so I was exposed to a lot of good coaches, both position coaches and coaches in this field. Being around good people that I watched do the job of coaching. Those were my role models. It felt natural in that way."

Who has been your inspiration:

"I would just say both my parents. My mom passed, God rest her soul, but just the type of people they were. Their work ethic, and I think I've learned more from my dad watching him care for my mom. I think my dad grew a lot in that process. My mom had Alzheimer's for a long time, and he took care of her every day. Watching that taught me a lot. So as an older coach, I learned a lot from watching him that helped me in my job at this age. That's a big inspiration for me. And then watching him coach as a child. Watching him growing up and being able to go to practice and watch him coach. The style of coach he was, the way he interacted with the players and other coaches, that was 100% a driving force for me."

Describe your coaching style:

"I think you've got to stick to your principles. That's the number one thing. Once you know your principles, you stick to your principles. It's just like life. When you stick to your principles, things generally go well. And when you deviate from principles, things get a little sideways. It's the same way in training. But then within those principles, you've got to have a lot of modalities. In other words, there's a lot of ways to go about your principles. As long as the modalities fit the principles, you'll be okay. If I'm going to squat, there's a lot of different ways to get a squat pattern in the weight room. Not just a barbell back squat, there's a front squat, or a safety squat. Sticking to your principles but having a wide array of modalities to match those principles, to execute those principles."

What do you love about coaching:

"It's the people. To be able to come every day, and work with Justice (Galac), Grant (Thorne), Abe (Munayer) and Bryant (Harper), Coach McCarthy, all the other coaches, the players. They are all people. That is what makes it great. This is a hard endeavor. You go through the hard stuff with good people, and you learn about each other, and you become very close. So that's the best part about it."

Best advice you have received in coaching:

"Put your head down and look up when you're told to look up. So do the job that's in front of you, and just keep your mouth shut. Do that job, and if you do it well, you might get asked to do a little more. So just do what is in front of you, and whatever that is, if it's cleaning a blender in the weight room, that's what you do. Do what is in front of you, keep your mouth shut, know your place, know your role, and do that role. And if you do well at that, your role expands."

Best advice you give to players:

"Be consistent. Stack days. It's got to be part of your lifestyle. Your nutrition, your sleep, your training, your study. It's got to be a part of your lifestyle, and then if you establish that and you have that kind of consistency, then you just keep working at that and let it come to you. You don't have to chase it. If you're consistent and you just keep doing the work. Similar with coaching advice I shared, the best advice I had was just do your job, be consistent with that, and then more will come to you than you having to go out and chase it. I try to remind the guys of that."

Favorite coaching moment:

"I have a lot of good memories of winning the Super Bowl. Being part of that is what comes to mind right off the bat. Coming here and over the last few months getting to work with these guys, that's a big highlight for me. So just being able to work with this staff that we have in the weight room, that is a highlight."

Offseason relaxation/reset:

"Just be with my family. I was late to the game getting married, I was 45. I had a son and when I'm not here, I like to be with them."

More about Mark Lovat:

Prior to joining the Steelers, Mark Lovat spent the last two seasons with the Tennessee Titans as the assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Prior to his time with the Titans, he spent 25 years with the Green Bay Packers, where he worked with Coach Mike McCarthy.

Lovat was the Packers strength and conditioning assistant for 16 seasons, and the team's strength and conditioning coordinator from 2010-2018.

Lovat was named the NFL Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coach Society in 2011, and they also honored him with the Super Bowl Achievement Award in 2010.

Lovat attended Butler University where he played baseball. He is the son of longtime NFL offensive line coach Tom Lovat, who worked for the Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks.