Troy Football hires new strength and conditioning director from SEC School

Troy football has announced the hire of Ben Sowders as the new director of strength and conditioning.  

Sowders comes to the role after a two-year stint at Arkansas in the same position. He coached a number of NFL players with the Razorbacks, including Buffalo Bills defensive end Landon Jackson, Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, and Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little working under Sowders. 

“Coach Sowders is going to be a big-time addition to our football program,” Troy football head coach Gerad Parker said in an official statement about Sowders’ hire. “Our players are going to receive world-class training in the weight room, and I can’t wait to see their progression under Coach Sowders and how it will translate onto the field.” 

Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Sowders is no stranger to the Sun Belt Conference. His first full-time position was at Southern Miss from 2012 to 2013, where he was in control of strength and conditioning with the men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and softball teams for the Golden Eagles while also assisting in football. Prior to his tenure at Southern Miss, he was an intern at Alabama for their football, volleyball, tennis and rowing teams. 

After Southern Miss, Sowders went to Gardner-Webb for two seasons, training all of the Bulldog’s Division I programs. He then became the assistant director of player development at Georgia Tech from 2015-16. 

His first role as the director of strength and conditioning came at McNeese State, where the Cowboys went 9-2 in 2017, his only season at the program. Sowders then moved on to Georgia as the assistant director of strength and conditioning, helping the Dawgs make the SEC Championship three times and win the 2022 National Championship. 

For the 2022 season, Sowders led Louisville as the director of strength and conditioning before moving on to Arkansas. During his time at the Razorbacks, Sowders was named a master strength and conditioning coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Associations, the highest honor a strength and condition coach can earn. 

Sowders has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in recreation and sport administration, both from Western Kentucky. He played linebacker for the Hilltoppers, where he began as a walk-on before eventually earning a scholarship. He is married to Shelbee Rodgers, and the couple has one daughter named Gibson. 

Sowders joins new offensive coordinator Adam Austin as the new coaches for the Trojans in an attempt to build upon Troy’s success from 2025. The Trojans made the Sun Belt Championship, but lost to James Madison, which made the College Football Playoff.