Cubs' Quentin Eberhardt to return as Tennessee baseball's strength coach

Chicago Cubs strength and conditioning coach Quentin Eberhardt is returning to Knoxville for his second stint as Tennessee baseball's strength coach, multiple sources in the program told Volquest Wednesday.

Eberhardt accepted the Cubs' strength and conditioning job back in January just prior to Tennessee's 2022 campaign. It would have been his fifth season on Rocky Top after he was hired by Tony Vitello in October of 2017 following eight years in professional baseball.

The Columbus, Ohio native was instrumental in Tennessee baseball's rebuild under Vitello. The Vols saw drastic improvement under Eberhardt's guidance both at the plate and on the mound as they advanced to the College World Series in 2021 for the first time in 16 years.

Eberhardt spent the previous four seasons before arriving in Knoxville as the head strength and conditioning coach for the New Orleans Baby Cakes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

Before working with New Orleans, Eberhardt also spent time as the strength coach at four other minor league teams: the Rome Braves (2013), the Quad City River Bandits (2012), the Corpus Christi Hooks (2011) and the Gulf Coast League Astros (2010).

Eberhardt played college baseball at Norfolk State, Columbus State Community College and Ashland University, where he was a corner infielder and earned All-Regional Tournament team honors during his senior year in 2008.

Eberhardt is a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Organization (NSCA) and also holds a Precision Hydration Level 1 certification from Precision Nutrition. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Phoenix in 2011.