Lance Ancar is in his third season as the University of South Alabama’s director of strength and conditioning for football.
Ancar came to South after spending four seasons as a strength and conditioning coach at Alabama. While with the Crimson Tide, he assisted with the football program as it made three straight appearances in the College Football Playoff — winning the national championship in 2015 — and served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the baseball and men’s tennis programs. In his role, Ancar worked with Alabama’s swimming and diving and rowing teams as well.
He also has experience at the collegiate level at Minnesota State-Moorhead, where he was the Dragons’ running backs and tight ends coach while serving as assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2010 season.
Ancar earned a degree in health and physical education from North Alabama. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Lions from 2002-05, and was the recipient of the Rimington Trophy as the top center in NCAA Division II football while earning first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association as a senior. A three-time all-Gulf South Conference selection, Ancar helped UNA to a 33-16 record during his career including berths in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2003 and ‘05.
He was later chosen to both UNA’s and the Gulf South Conference’s All-Decade Teams for the 2000s.
Ancar played five seasons in the Arena Football League as a fullback/linebacker with the Alabama Vipers (2008-10) — where he helped claim the Arena Cup his first season with the team — and the Georgia Force (2011-12).
A native of Harvey, La., Ancar earned all-state, all-metro and all-league accolades as an offensive lineman at Archbishop Shaw High.
Ancar is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and United States Weightlifting Association (USAW).
He and his wife Lauren have three children, son Luka and daughters Emme Cate and Olivia.
The Ancar File
Born: March 5, 1984, in Harvey, La.
Education: North Alabama ’09, bachelor’s degree in health and physical education
Collegiate Playing Experience: Four years, offensive line, North Alabama
Professional Playing Experience:
Alabama Vipers, AFL/af2, 2008-10
Georgia Force, AFL, 2011-12
Coaching Experience:
Florence [Ala.] High — assistant coach, 2009
Minnesota State-Mankato — assistant coach/assistant strength and conditioning coach, 2010
St. Francis [Ga.] High — assistant coach/strength and conditioning coach, 2011-12
Alabama — strength and conditioning coach, 2013-16
South Alabama — director of football strength and conditioning, 2017-
Family: Wife, Lauren; One son, Luka (6), and two daughters, Emme Cate (3) and Olivia (1)
