Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Kyle Tarp serves as the Sports Performance Coach for Men's Basketball at Villanova University, a position he has held since 2026. In this role, he oversees all aspects of athletic development for the men's basketball program, including strength and conditioning, athlete monitoring, nutrition, recovery strategies, and performance technology integration. Working closely with coaches and sports medicine professionals, Tarp helps optimize student-athlete performance while supporting long-term physical development and overall well-being.
 
Prior to joining Villanova, Tarp spent 15 years with the University of Maryland, serving as Director of Basketball Performance from 2011 to 2025 after beginning his tenure as Assistant Director of Basketball Performance from 2010 to 2011. During his time overseeing the men's basketball performance program, Maryland earned eight NCAA Tournament appearances, advanced to two Sweet Sixteens, captured a Big Ten Championship, and produced 10 NBA Draft selections.
 
As Assistant Director of Basketball Performance, Tarp directed the strength and conditioning program for Maryland Women's Basketball while assisting with the men's program. During that period, the Terrapins made two NCAA Tournament appearances, advanced to an Elite Eight, won an ACC Tournament Championship, and produced six WNBA Draft selections.
Before Maryland, Tarp served as a Strength and Conditioning Intern with the University of Texas men's basketball program while completing his graduate studies. He also held positions as a Graduate Faculty Instructor in the Department of Physical Education and a Graduate Teaching Assistant within the Department of Biology.
 
Tarp brings more than 20 years of collegiate strength and conditioning experience and has worked with numerous professional basketball players throughout his career. He possesses extensive expertise in sports science and athlete monitoring technologies, including Catapult, Zephyr, OmegaWave, Sparta Science, and EliteForm. His experience integrating performance data into training and recovery plans has helped support evidence-based decision making across multidisciplinary performance teams. He has also played an active role in mentoring assistant strength coaches and interns throughout his career.
 
A native of Salinas, California, Tarp earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Biology, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Davis in 2006 and a Master of Education in Sports Science and Nutrition from the University of Texas in 2010.
 
His professional interests include culture building, athlete monitoring, movement optimization, basketball-specific performance development, recovery strategies, nutrition, and long-term athletic development.
 
Tarp is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and holds professional certifications through USA Weightlifting, Altis, Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR), Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST), Gray Institute 3D MAPS, Gray Institute Soft Tissue Transformation (STT), Functional Movement Screen (FMS), and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
 
He currently resides in Dayton, Maryland, with his wife, Rachel, and their two children, Avery and Trent. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Tarp enjoys spending time with his family, supporting his children's athletic pursuits, and staying current with advancements in sports science and human performance.