KNOXVILLE – One phone call to a familiar place eventually led Tennessee basketball coach Cuonzo Martin to his next strength and conditioning coach.
The former Purdue assistant called his alma mater and found Nicodemus Christopher, whom Martin tabbed Thursday to replace Troy Wills.
Now Martin is hoping the Boilermakers’ special performance assistant can take his Volunteers team to the next level.
“For me it’s just as important, when you have a strength and conditioning guy, he’s like one of my assistant coaches,” Martin said by phone Friday. “There’s great value to a guy like that. He has to be in tune to everything that’s going on with our players from their eating habits, what they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner [and] what they’re getting at the grocery store.
“That’s an everyday lifestyle.”