Who is Dr. Lorenzo Guess Michigan State Basketball’s New Director of Strength and Conditioning

The Michigan State Men’s Basketball program is getting stronger and they will have a new leader to thank for this improvement. Dr. Lorenzo Guess is moving from the MSU football team to the men’s basketball team. Dr. Guess has been a long time member of the football coaching and player development staff and is a former basketball and football player in East Lansing.

On the official Men’s basketball website, Dr. Guess shared his excitement for this next step in his long connection to Michigan State.

“I am excited to be joining the men’s basketball team as the director of strength and conditioning. Michigan State has always felt like home to me and this opportunity is truly a dream come true. I have a special relationship with Coach Izzo and the staff, having met him when I was just 14 years old. It’s amazing to see how things have come full circle.”

From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Guess was a safety on the Michigan State football program. The Wayne, Michigan native played 45 career games and recorded 111 tackles. The multi-sport athlete also managed to play two seasons of basketball, and was part of the Final Four team in 1999. While he missed the 2000 basketball championship season, he was part of the MSU win in the 2000 Citrus Bowl.

In this video, Dr. Guess lists just a few of his favorite memories of Spartan Stadium.

While most of Dr. Guess’s career has been in football, his first job after graduating was as an assistant varsity boys basketball coach at his alma mater Wayne Memorial High school. While pursuing his masters degree at Tiffin University, Dr. Guess got his first taste of football coaching covering both the defensive backs and strength and conditioning.

Since this start, Dr. Guess has had a long and successful career as a football coach, handling various areas of the game as well as substantial work in off the field development for players.

His background includes three years working with Chip Kelly, first at Cincinnati then at Notre Dame.

In 2012, Dr. Guess returned to Michigan State and launched a more than 10-year tenure in various strength and conditioning roles. During his time at Michigan State, Dr. Guess has served as the Director of Player Enrichment as well as leading the “Overtime” player development program.

While helping players develop on and off the field, Dr. Guess received his Doctor of Education in sports leadership, where his research involved “The Perception of Educational Barriers in Transition of African American Male Student-Athletes.” On top of his many strength and conditioning certificates, he was named a “Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) in 2020, the highest honor in this field.

According to Coach Tom Izzo, the basketball program is getting more than just a good coach, they are getting a leader and developer of young men.

“More than anything, I have great respect for him and what he has done with his career. His work with our football program has been outstanding, but he’s also one of the most well-respected strength coaches in the country. The guys in our basketball program are going to benefit from his work ethic and his knowledge. Lorenzo is an ideal role model for our players because he has already walked in those footsteps.”