Dr. Tommy Otley ’20
Dr. Tommy Otley
Dr. Tommy Otley is a distinguished alumnus of the University of North Georgia's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Class of 2020. He is recognized for his exceptional leadership and innovative contributions to sports physical therapy and high performance. While at UNG, Dr. Otley served as class president and chief anatomy graduate assistant in the DPT program. His impactful journey continued with a sports residency at Duke University, where he specialized in treating athletic injuries and provided pro-bono rehabilitation services to several Durham area high schools. Dr. Otley earned additional time at Duke, completing their prestigious Division I Sports Physical Therapy Fellowship. In this role, he worked to rehabilitate elite athletes and integrated advanced sports technologies to enhance performance and recovery with their basketball, football, and Olympic sports teams. In addition to his work at Duke, Dr. Otley has managed rehabilitation for a World Cup medalist and national champions in the WNBA and NCAA DI men’s and women’s basketball.
Currently, Dr. Otley is the team physical therapist and sports scientist for the University of Miami’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, where his innovative use of technology and performance profiling strategies has significantly contributed to the teams’ development and historic successes, including an ACC championship and final four and elite eight appearances. In addition to his role with basketball, Dr. Otley is an associated faculty member for the University of Miami DPT and Sports Residency programs and serves as the Practice Chair of the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy. Dr. Otley is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Physical Therapy at the University of Miami, focusing on research related to return to performance after injury in elite sport. He is committed to teaching and mentoring future physical therapists and is actively bridging research with practical applications to advance the field. Dr. Otley’s impact at UNG continues as he serves on the advisory board for the newly established UNG Peak Performance Institute.Top of Form