Miami has announced that Gord Farnell has joined the RedHawks staff as assistant director of human performance at the Goggin Ice Center.
Farnell comes to Oxford after four years as the head strength and conditioning coach for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
“We are honored to welcome Gord Farnell and his wife Kennedy to Miami University,” Miami head coach Anthony Noreen said in a statement. “Our program strives to be at the forefront of sports science and player development, and Gord will be an integral part of that mission. With extensive experience in hockey-specific performance and athlete development, he has the expertise and passion to help our players maximize their potential.”
During his time in Calgary (2021-25), Farnell designed and executed strength and conditioning programs for the Wranglers team, tailoring training programs to individual athletes. He also facilitated fitness assessments, collected and analyzed sport science data, collaborated with athletic training staff and coordinated nutrition before and after games.
Farnell was previously a strength and conditioning coach at the University of Alberta from 2015 to 2021. He also served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Premier Strength Sport Performance during several summers. Farnell completed internships with the University of Denver (2019), the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers (2018-19), Boston University (2018) and the University of Alberta (2015-16)
“We are excited for Coach Farnell to get started with us here at Miami and the experience he brings with him,” said assistant athletic director for human performance James Carsey. “During the interview process, his knowledge and insight on evaluating his athletes and their prep for competition is very in-depth. I am looking forward to working with him and seeing that process in action, and I am confident of the impact he is going to make right away.”
Farnell is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a certified professional sport scientist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Additionally, he is a certified sports nutritionist according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition and has been certified in levels 1-3 of the Jordan Strength Certification System. He holds two degrees from the University of Alberta, where served for four years as a lab assistant and two years as a teaching assistant: a Bachelor’s of Kinseiology in Sports Performance (2015) and a Master’s of Coaching in Strength and Conditioning (2020).
“I’m honored to join Coach Noreen’s outstanding staff and a program with the tradition and pride of Miami hockey,” Farnell said. “I look forward to supporting a shared vision of excellence and contributing to returning this program to national prominence.”
