Lamar University Athletics

Mike Gardner joined the Lamar University football staff as the director of strength and conditioning in January 2026. He returns for his second stint with the Cardinals after spending 2025 in Lake Charles serving as director of strength and conditioning for the McNeese baseball program.
 
Gardner makes his return to Beaumont after spending the 2023-24 academic year as the director of strength and conditioning for LU baseball.
 
Gardner's career in sports performance spans 25 years dating back to his start as an intern with the LSU football, basketball and baseball programs. His career has included stops at the high school, junior college and NCAA FCS and FBS levels.
 
Prior to his first stint with Lamar, Gardner spent the previous three seasons in Monroe, La., serving as the UL Monroe Director of Strength and Conditioning. During that time, he oversaw the entire strength and conditioning department and served as the football team's nutritionist. Gardner got is start at ULM as a senior associate director overseeing the baseball program. Gardner has also made stops at The Dunham School in Baton Rouge, La., the Central Community School System and South Alabama during his career.  
 
Gardner graduated from South Alabama in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. He graduated from UL Monroe in 2018 with a master’s in exercise science.