BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo head football coach Jim Hofher has announced the hiring of Cheyenne Pietri as strength and conditioning coach and Michael Roark as graduate assistant in the Bulls' program.

Pietri comes to Buffalo after serving for the past two years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arizona State. In that role he worked directly with the Sun Devils' football, men's swimming and Top 10-ranked women's swim team.

Prior to his stint at Arizona State, Pietri was the graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Utah for two years. At Utah he worked with the basketball, football, golf, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's alpine and nordic skiing teams.

"I am very pleased that Cheyenne has joined our staff," said Hofher. "He is a very dedicated young professional who will bring great enthusiasm and direction to our strength and conditioning program. "

An outstanding student-athlete in his own right, Pietri was two-year letterwinner at Boise State University in football, while earning his Exercise Science degree in 1999. Accomplished in martial arts, he has claimed the Gold medal at the 1st Inland Empire International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships in 2002 and earned a Gold at the USA Junior Olympic Judo Championships in 1986. He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as USA Weightlifting.

Roark, meanwhile, will serve as graduate assistant on the defensive unit after serving as a high school assistant coach the last five years. Roark spent last season at DeWitt Clinton in the Bronx as receiver, secondary, outside linebackers and special teams coach. He also served from 1998-2002 as an assistant at Stamford HS in Stamford, CT. He was the defensive coordinator for two seasons there.

Roark, a native of Plattsburgh, NY, played four seasons at Cornell University (1988-91) while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in English Education at Columbia University.