Introducing Ernest Eugene, Athletic Trainer
http://gomarquette.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/070508aaa.htmlJuly 5, 2008
Milwaukee - The Marquette University athletics department has announced the addition of Ernest Eugene to the staff as an athletic trainer with the men's basketball program.
Eugene arrives in Milwaukee after spending each of the past five seasons with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association as an assistant athletic trainer. With the Wizards, his duties included on-court coverage, athlete rehabilitation, travel administration and injury tracking. He served as the interim head athletic trainer for a portion of the 2004 campaign and worked the NBA Pre-Draft Camp each of his seasons with the Wizards.
"The athletic trainer, in my opinion, is one of the most important and critical elements in building your staff," head coach Buzz Williams said. "His (Eugene's) responsibilities are wide-ranging and require that person to have talents in many different areas. As I have said all along, each person I have hired, their No. 1 talent must be to take care of our players and in this position this is a revealing characteristic, on and off the floor."
Prior to joining the NBA ranks, Eugene served as a seasonal intern with the Washington Redskins in 2003. He assisted with on-field coverage, supervised a staff of summer interns and also was involved with the administrative duties of the office. Eugene also worked with the Redskins as a summer intern (1999-2001), assisting with the NFL Combine in 2002 and 2003.
The Washington, D.C., native earned his master's degree in allied health management from The Ohio State University in 2003, working with the Buckeye football team and other assigned sports as a graduate assistant (2001-03). Prior to arriving in Columbus, he worked as an intern in 2000-01 at the United States Naval Academy.
"The reason Ernest was the last full time position to be hired on my staff, is because I wanted to make complete certain he was the absolute best for our current and future players," Williams said. "His energy is contagious and he is constantly trying to find ways to become even better in this ever changing field.
"We want our players to have every need fulfilled in regards to the demands placed on their bodies as elite level athletes and I know that Ernest is consistently working to make sure we are on the cutting edge to give our players what they deserve," Williams added. "His track record and experience proves that out. We are grateful to welcome Ernest and his wife into our family."
Eugene earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from George Washington University in 2000. He is certified as an athletic trainer (ATC), performance enhancement specialist (PES) and corrective exercise specialist (CES). He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Eugene and the former Jackie Jovel were married in August of 2005.
