Hunter Pembleton joined the Youngstown State Sports Performance staff on a full-time basis in January 2025. He had previously been a graduate assistant coach in the department.
In his current capacity, Pembleton assists with the sports performance program for Youngstown State’s football team. He previously served as the primary coach for the men’s tennis student-athletes and the jumpers on the track and field team.
Pembleton held similar duties during his graduate assistantship at YSU. He led the implementation of the VALD ForceDecks and force frame testing with members of the football program. He also compiled daily readiness reports for coaches based on force plates, body weight and questionnaire data.
Before coming to Youngstown State, Pembleton served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2022-24. During his time with the Spartans, he co-led fundraising efforts to complete a $300,000 renovation project for the weight room and locker room. He also volunteered on the sports performance staff at the University of Cincinnati, and he was a performance specialist coach at Ignition Athletic Performance Group.
Pembleton graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2023, and he earned his master’s of health and human services in 2024 from Youngstown State. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and he has a Level 1 certification from USA Weightlifting.
