Toughness, Discipline, Effort: HSU Values on Display at Big 12 Championship

When Brigham Young University (BYU) takes the field Saturday at AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 Championship against Texas Tech University (TTU), assistant strength and conditioning coach Tim Ismail ’19/’22 will be on the sidelines. But the path that helped shape him began on a field in West Texas.

HSU alumnus Tim Ismail ’19/’22 celebrates a BYU football game with his family, who continue to support him throughout his strength and conditioning coaching career.

“I’m so proud to tell people I work with that I came from a small Division III school out in Abilene, Texas,” Ismail said, reflecting on conversations with his current players. “Just to let them know how far someone from Hardin-Simmons can go in life.”

The Foundation: Building More Than Muscle

Ismail arrived at Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) in 2015 as a wide receiver from Dallas, the youngest of three sons whose parents immigrated from South Sudan in 1995 — the same year the Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl, as he’s quick to point out.

“My parents always told us the reason why they moved away from their siblings and their family and their friends to the U.S. is to give us a

Before coaching on the Big 12 stage, Tim Ismail sharpened his work ethic as a wide receiver at Hardin-Simmons University.

better life, a better opportunity to chase our dreams and aspirations,” Ismail said. “There’s a little bit of pressure because of how much they sacrificed for us. Our job is to fulfill their dreams and not let them down.”

During his four years playing for the HSU Cowboys, Ismail discovered a love for the weight room that extended beyond his own athletic development — a passion that set the stage for a major pivot in his life.

The Pivot: From Business to Barbells

Ismail graduated in 2019 with a degree in business administration, but by then his passion had already shifted. He had been interning under HSU’s strength and conditioning staff — a move that opened his eyes to an entirely new world.

He interned for a full calendar year after his senior season, and that experience fundamentally reshaped his perspective.

“It’s weird because I got to see a different perspective — going from a player to a coach — to see all the things behind the scenes that a normal player wouldn’t see,” Ismail said. “The hours and hours of preparation to get these guys physically and mentally prepared.”

That behind-the-scenes work helped him realize that strength and conditioning wasn’t just something he enjoyed — it was something he was meant to pursue.

When he applied for HSU’s master’s program in kinesiology, Dr. Lindsey Spindler didn’t sugarcoat the challenge: “Your undergrad is in business with no background in any type of kinesiology or exercise science. This is going to be pretty tough.”

Ismail’s response was simple: “I’ll find a way to get it done.”

And he did. From 2020 to 2022, he served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach while earning his master’s degree — overseeing volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s basketball, and track and field, while also assisting with football.

“I wouldn’t have been able to complete those two years without Dr. Spindler and Dr. Ruot,” he said. “They definitely helped me out a lot, keeping me grounded, making sure I’m staying focused.”

The HSU Effect: A Pipeline of Excellence

Ismail is part of a remarkable trend emerging from HSU’s kinesiology program. Under the mentorship of Dr. Ruot and Dr. Spindler, the department has produced strength and conditioning coaches now working for the New Orleans Saints and others in coaching or training roles with private and school-based performance programs.

“They hold a high standard for their students,” Ismail said. “They expect you to not only learn the material but apply it in the real world.”

BYU football players push through a strength challenge during a training session, where HSU alumnus Tim Ismail contributes to developing the team’s toughness and discipline.

But it wasn’t just academic rigor that prepared Ismail for the jump to Power Four football. It was the culture instilled by Cowboys head coach Jesse Burleson.

“Toughness, discipline, effort — that’s our DNA,” Ismail said. “That takes zero talent to achieve. Mentally and physically tough, being disciplined, giving ultimate effort in every single thing that you do.”

Those three words — toughness, discipline, effort — are so central to Ismail that he literally wears them. His training gear features the initials “TDE” as a constant reminder.

“It’s a lifestyle for me,” he said. “Everything Coach B says, I always try to live by.”

The Climb: From Intern to Power Four

After completing his master’s degree in 2022, Ismail’s career gained momentum quickly. His early internship experience — paired with strong performance and networking — opened doors.

“Networking is a huge part of it, but your performance has to back that up as well,” he said. “Your performance at one place propels you to the next step. It’s kind of like a domino effect.”

That domino effect took him from HSU to Army West Point in 2022, where head strength coach Conor Hughes stretched him beyond his comfort zone.

“Coach Hughes was always trying to put us in uncomfortable positions to learn and grow,” Ismail said. “He’d put me in situations to learn about things in strength and conditioning that I wasn’t well-rounded in, so I could add that to my toolbox.”

By 2023, when BYU reached out, Ismail was ready.

“I felt so confident in my abilities to be the best I could possibly be for these guys here,” he said.

Game Week: The Mindset Doesn’t Change

As BYU prepares for Saturday’s championship rematch against Texas Tech — a team that defeated the Cougars earlier this season in Lubbock — Ismail’s message to his athletes remains steady.

“The same way you approach and attack every single game is the same way you approach and attack this game,” he said. “Don’t change anything up because we’re playing in the Big 12 Championship. Stay levelheaded, be humble, and stay hungry.”

It’s the same mindset that guided his own journey — one that began with a young man from Dallas discovering his calling in a weight room in Abilene.

Tim Ismail shares a fired-up moment with BYU athletes on the field — a glimpse into the energy and leadership he brings to the program.

“I always tell them: Why is this the best training day of the year? Because it’s the next one, and it’s the next guaranteed one,” Ismail said. “Treat every single day as if it’s your last one.”

Full Circle

These days, Ismail’s mother has become “the biggest BYU fan on Earth,” calling after every game. His wife, Emily — whom he met at HSU — has supported him through moves from Texas to Florida, then to New York, and finally to Utah. And his HSU education, both on the field and in the classroom, continues to shape his approach.

“Hardin-Simmons definitely propelled me mentally,” Ismail said. “I can guarantee my teammates who are in business now and doing other things still carry that same mindset from when we were players into their professional careers.”

On Saturday, as the Big 12 Championship kicks off in Arlington, two schools will compete for conference supremacy. But for Ismail, it’s also a chance to show that a small school in West Texas can compete at any level — not despite its size, but because of its standards.

“Being able to tell these guys about Hardin-Simmons, about Cowboy football, about my playing career there, and how much they appreciate where I come from to where I’m at now?” Ismail said. “That definitely means a lot to me.”