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Green Bay - Mark Lovat, a member of the Green Bay Packers' strength and conditioning staff for 13 years, has been selected by his peers as the National Football League's top strength coach for 2011.

Lovat, 42, was named NFL Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. About 26 or 27 of the NFL's head strength coaches usually vote on the award.

He becomes the Packers' third strength coach to win the prestigious honor. Kent Johnston won in 1997, and Rock Gullickson won in 2007.

Lovat was presented with a plaque Feb. 22 at the strength coaches' annual dinner on the night before the start of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

"He's a first-class individual," said Jerry Palmieri, the New York Giants' strength coach since 2004 and an NFL strength coach since 1995. "He's a great person to meet with. He's highly regarded by his peers and the players that he trains.

"I know he's always learning. He has a good, humble spirit, and that lends itself to learning."

Lovat is the seventh head strength coach in Packers' history.

In 1984, the Packers were among the few teams with a strength coach when they hired Virgil Knight. Upon Knight's departure in 1990, Russ Riederer held the position for one year.

Johnson worked under coach Mike Holmgren from 1992-'98. He was followed by Barry Rubin (1999-'05), Gullickson (2006-'08), Dave Redding ('09) and Lovat, who took over in '10.

Lovat joined the Packers full-time as an assistant to Rubin in January 1999. When Redding stepped down to become an assistant in January 2010, Lovat was promoted to replace him.

He is the son of Tom Lovat, the Packers' offensive line coach in 1992-'98 and assistant O-line coach in 1980.

Coach Mike McCarthy has said Lovat employs cutting-edge training methods and is constantly searching for new ways to improve the squad.