Roos' Sports Medicine, Sports Performance Add to Staff
9/6/2022 3:07:00 PM | Sports Medicine, Sports Performance
Keith Garnett, Brice Cox and Sean O'Connor all join the Kansas City Athletics staff
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Athletics has officially announced the hiring of three new support staff. Keith Garnett will take over as Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine, while Brice Cox and Sean O'Connor will join the Sports Performance department.
Keith Garnett - Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine
Keith Garnett was named the Assistant Athletic Director – Sports Medicine in August 2022. He is responsible for oversight of all student-athlete healthcare, while serving as the primary trainer for men's basketball.
Prior to Kansas City, Garnett spent the previous three seasons with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) as the Director of Medical Services. He was the Director of Rehabilitation & Consultation – Senior Account Manager for RP Sports Pneumatic Compression company for several years and was the Director of Sports Medicine / Head Athletic Trainer for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer (MLS).Â
Garnett worked as the Men's Basketball Athletic Trainer / Team Travel Coordinator at Texas Tech University. Before Texas Tech, he began his second stint in the Houston Rockets (NBA) organization in 2007 as Assistant Athletic Trainer / Rehabilitation & Performance Coordinator and had the privilege to work with Hall of Fame members: Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and Dikembe Mutombo. Prior to Houston he was he served as Assistant Athletic Trainer / Head Equipment Manager for the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets) of the NBA. Garnett also assisted the Rockets and Comets (WNBA) athletic training staffs during the off-season's while serving as Head Athletic Trainer for the Texas Terror / Houston Thunder Bears Arena Football League (AFL) from 1996-99.Â
Prior to joining the Bobcats, Garnett spent eight years as Head Athletic Trainer / Assistant Professor at Drury University in Springfield. Garnett's work experience as an athletic trainer also includes stints with the Springfield-Ozark Mountain Ducks (Texas-Louisiana Baseball League), the Sonoma County Crushers (Western Baseball League), Houston Baptist University (Southland Conference) and the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL).Â
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma (OU), Garnett moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he worked for American Express, TRS Headquarters as a Statistical Analyst. Garnett went on to earn a Master's of Science degree from Central Missouri State University (UCM). Garnett (MS, ATC, LAT, NASM-PES, CES) is a member of several prestigious groups, including the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA Alumni), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Society of Black Athletic Trainers and served as the former Chair of the NATA's Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.Â
Garnett is a Board-Certified athletic trainer, Licensed athletic trainer and is Certified as a CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer through the American Heart Association (AHA). He is also a NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist and Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist. Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Corrective Exercise – Certified Specialist and a member of the Collegiate Athletic Trainers Society (CATS).Â
A native of Denver, Colorado, Garnett and his wife, Karen (OU – BA; DU – MS) have two children: Kelsey (son) and Kalen (daughter). Kelsey - Washington University (WashU) in St. Louis, Mo., and Kalen - New York University (NYU).
Brice Cox - Director of Sports Performance
Brice Cox begins strength and conditioning work with the Roos following a stint at Kent State. In his role, Cox will work with the men's basketball and cross country teams.
"I'm excited about the energy and family atmosphere that Coach Menzies and the rest of the staff bring to Kansas City," Cox said.
During the 2021-22 season, Cox was the Head Basketball Sports Performance Coach at Kent State. Throughout his 13-year career, he has also worked at Missouri State and Coastal Carolina, working with football, volleyball, tennis, golf, track and field and basketball teams.
Cox graduated from Culver-Stockton College in 2008, earning a Bachelor's degree in education. While at Culver-Stockton, he was a member of the basketball and football teams. He then did post-grad work at Northwestern State and Arkansas, where he concurrently did work in their athletic performance departments.
A native of Bowling Green, Mo., Cox was an All-Conference, All-District and All-State performer during his time at Bowling Green High School.
Cox is a member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and holds CSCCa certification, TPI Level One certification, Applied Functional Science certification, Sportsmetrics ACL Injury Prevention Specialist certification and Corrective Exercise Specialist certification.
Sean O'Connor - Director of Sports Performance
Sean O'Connor comes to Kansas City after a three-year stay at Upper Iowa University. In his current role, O'Connor will take charge of developing and implementing strength and conditioning programs for the women's basketball and track and field programs. O'Connor is married to Kiki Stokes O'Connor, Kansas City Softball's head coach.
"Kansas City and Dr. Martin provided Kiki and me an incredible opportunity to work within an outstanding athletics program and to be back home close to family," O'Connor said. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes and to elevate the strength and conditioning department here at Kansas City."
During his time at Upper Iowa, he spent two years as the Peacocks' assistant strength and conditioning coach, before a promotion to head strength and conditioning coach in October of 2020.
For two years, O'Connor spent time as a Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at South Dakota State, while also earning his Master's degree in exercise science and nutrition. While at Brookings, he worked with the Jackrabbits' wrestling, golf, cross country, football and baseball programs.
Prior to his stint at SDSU, he worked as an intern strength coach at Iowa State for a year and at south Dakota School of Mines & Technology for a year.
O'Connor also spent two years as an intern strength and conditioning coach at Northwest Missouri State, earning his degree in corporate wellness in 2016. He was a member of the Bearcats' football team from 2012-14 and won an NCAA Division II National Championship in 2013.
Originally from Prairie City, Iowa, O'Connor attended Prairie City-Monroe High School, graduating in 2012. While at PCMHS, he was an All-State Track and Field Selection and National Honor Society member.
O'Connor is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is also CPR/AED certified.