Sara McGuire was named assistant director of sport science at Vanderbilt in October 2024.

McGuire was previously as Clemson, serving first as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant with the men’s and women’s basketball programs before moving into the role of assistant sport performance coach during the 2023-24 season. In her role, she assisted in implementing and coaching a year-round strength and conditioning program for over 30 athletes while also utilizing new sport science technologies to individualize training and provide student-athlete feedback. Her efforts helped the Tiger men’s basketball team advance to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament her final season with the program.

McGuire was a member of the lacrosse team at Winthrop for five years, and during her time with the program she was named the NSCA All American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year while also earning the Winthrop University Woman of Distinction Award. She graduated from the school in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a concentration in coaching and legal studies. Following graduation, McGuire was awarded an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship and would go on to add a master’s degree in athletic leadership from Clemson in 2023.