Chip Morton has been as strength and conditioning coach for five different NFL teams and one of the only strength and conditioning coaches to have Super Bowl rings with two different teams. Morton has brought an innovate methodology to his teams. Morton is responsible for the athletic performance and injury reduction for the Bengals who have had playoff appearances in 5 of the last 6 years.
The Art of Coaching: How to C.A.R.E. about your Athletes
Chip Morton
This presentation will go beyond the overall training philosophy Chip Morton has used while training NFL players over the last 30 years. Coach Morton will detail his philosophy of Preparing, Protecting, and Performance through a comprehensive system involving all athletic qualities within the training philosophy. More importantly, Morton will delve into the key components of the art of coaching much deeper than sets and reps. The questions we all ask, "How can I get the most out of my players and the players the best out of me?" Coach Morton's CARE system will enlighten coaches of all levels.
Chip Morton, CSCS, USAW, RKC
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach - Cincinnati Bengals
“Any program is only as good as its players and we have a group that is accountable, consistent, and diligent in their efforts.”
- Chip Morton
Chip Morton is in his 12th season as Bengals strength and conditioning coach. He took over the position under head coach Marvin Lewis when Lewis joined the Bengals in 2003. During his tenure, Morton and his staff have established a program that features innovative ideas while never straying far from the fundamental principles of productive training
“But any program is only as good as its players,” Morton says, “and we have a group that is accountable, consistent, and diligent in their efforts.”
In order to build a quality product, the previous year’s programming is evaluated, and adjustments are made to help the team reach its goals for the upcoming season. The Bengals’ strength and conditioning program is characterized as comprehensive and progressive in nature. At its very core lies a foundation of traditional training principles, with an emphasis on teaching, communication and service to the players. Morton and assistant S/C coach Jeff Friday both have coached on teams that have reached the Super Bowl, and the Bengals have reached the playoffs in three straight and in four of the last five seasons. They are one of only five teams to qualify each of the last three years, and one of only six to make four or more trips the last five years.
“Under Chip’s direction, our strength and conditioning program remains on the cutting edge of training techniques and philosophy,” says head coach Marvin Lewis. “I am very pleased with the outcome, using this program to both improve our players’ football performances and to increase their resistance to injuries.”
Morton was a coaching colleague of Lewis with the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2001, serving as Ravens assistant strength and conditioning coach, and he was with Lewis in ’02 at Washington, serving as head strength and conditioning coach for the Redskins.
Morton is in his 22nd NFL season, having also served as strength and conditioning assistant at San Diego from 1992-94 and as head strength and conditioning coach at Carolina from ’95-98. He has coached with two Super Bowl teams — the 1994 Chargers and the 2000 World Champion Ravens.
He started his career in the collegiate ranks, serving as assistant strength coach at Ohio State (1985-86) while completing his master’s degree in physical education. He moved to Penn State in 1987 as the first-ever full-time strength and conditioning assistant for the Nittany Lions football team. He also worked with 14 other men’s and women’s sports during his five years (1987-91) at Penn State.
Morton’s hometown is Hamden, Conn. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1985 with a degree in zoology, where he also earned a varsity letter in swimming.
Continuing education has always been a hallmark of Morton’s coaching career. He most recently was re-certified as a Level One Sports Performance Coach by the United States Weightlifting Association and has been a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association since 1990. In 2006, Morton became the first NFL strength coach to receive the Russian Kettlebell Instructor’s Certification (RKC), and in ’08, he was certified as a Level I coach in John Brookfield’s Battling Ropes training system.
- Courtesy Cincinnati Bengals
