Speaker Bios, Background, & Accomplishments

The Loyola University Greyhound Strength and Conditioning Department 4th Annual Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference on Friday, July 23, 2010.


Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor, Jr.

SCCC, CSCS*D, CCS, PES, CES, CSES, NSCA-CPT*D, NSPA-CPT

Director of Sports Performance at the Gordon Institute /Founder and Owner of STT

As the newly appointed Director of Sports Performance at the Gordon Institute, Robert Taylor oversees all aspects of the Sports Performance program at the Baltimore-based performance complex, encompassing the disciplines of Strength & Conditioning, Nutrition, VO2 Max, and Performance Evaluation and Training. Rob is also the founder and owner of SMARTER Team Training. STT has been developed to focus on athlete and team development, performance, and education.

Prior to coming to GISP, Taylor was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Loyola University Maryland for over seven years. Rob was a strength and conditioning consultant for athletes on the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup Champion’s Team Australia in 2005, and was the Head Strength Coach for Team Australia’s 2009 World Cup team which played in the world championship game also. He has worked with professional organizations such as the Anaheim Angels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Mutiny, and San Antonio Silver Stars.

Coach Taylor has also been the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at UNC Greensboro. He left to pursue a graduate degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Delaware, while working as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Rob has also worked with the athletic department at Cincinnati, Princeton, and Villanova. At each of these institutions he has helped numerous athletes reach their dream of becoming professional athletes. Rob’s athletes have gone on to be drafted by the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, MLL, and NLL.

Taylor is certified through numerous national and international organizations. He is a Strength and Conditioning Certified Coach through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. Rob is recertified with distinction for both the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer certifications through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In both 2009 and 2010, Taylor was a finalist for the NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year award. He is also recognized by the National Strength Professionals Association as a Certified Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer. Taylor is also the Maryland/DC State Director for the National Association of Speed and Explosion and is a Certified Speed and Explosion Specialist. Rob has also earned the Performance Enhancement Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist credentials through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Currently, Rob is preparing for the Certified Sports Nutritionist certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Coach Taylor has presented various components of the program he has developed at the NSCA Sport-Specific Conference and National Conference, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention, numerous NSCA Regional conferences, Team Australia Women’s Lacrosse Camps in Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia, England and Czech Republic, the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Association’s national conference, the NC State University Basketball Specific Strength and Conditioning Symposium, the National Coaching Educators’ Conference, the PA Strength & Conditioning Clinic, plus the National Association of Speed and Explosion national conference, as well as many other locations. Rob also hosts Baltimore’s annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference in July and regional events around the country. For more information about STT’s programs, go to www.SMARTERTeamTraining.com.


William Hicks, Jr.,

William Hicks, Jr.,

CSCS

Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance at Syracuse University

Positions Held: North Carolina State: Athletic Improvement Coach (1986- 90); Athletic Improvement Coordinator (1990-94); Director of Athletic Improvement (1994-99); Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations (1999- 2000); Syracuse: Head Strength and Conditioning Coach (2000-07); Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance (2007-present). Hicks has worked with football programs that have appeared in a combined 10 bowl games.

Assistant athletics director for athletic performance William Hicks Jr. is responsible for the strength and conditioning program for Syracuse’s 21 intercollegiate athletics teams. He is the primary strength and conditioning coach for the Orange football program. Hicks and his staff develop programs to increase conditioning, strength, speed and agility for all sports teams.

He joined the Syracuse staff as strength and conditioning coach in 2000 after working at his alma mater, North Carolina State, for 16 years. He was an assistant on the athletic improvement staff from 1986-90 before being promoted to coordinator of the program in 1994. He was named assistant athletic director for football operations in 1999. Hicks was selected the Atlantic Coast Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association in 1999. He was one of 11 finalists for the national honor.

He earned his degree in recreation resources administration from North Carolina State in 1987. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and is a professional member of the American Football Coaches Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.


Michelle Rockwell

Michelle Rockwell

MS, RD, CSSD

Sports Nutrition Consultant and Co-founder of RK Team Nutrition

Michelle is a Registered Dietitian specializing in Sports Nutrition for competitive athletes and active Individuals. She is one of 250 dietitians in the United States holding the Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics credential. She consults with individual athletes and athletic teams locally and nationwide on issues related to enhancing performance and health status through nutrition intervention. Michelle serves as consultant to athletic departments of several colleges and universities nation-wide in addition to a number of professional teams and athletes. She has served as a speaker, lecturer, and writer for several professional organizations, universities, and sports groups.

Co-founding RK Team Nutrition, a nutrition education program, with Susan Kundrat MS, RD, CSSD has been a recent career highlight as educating students and sports/healthcare professionals is a true passion of Michelle’s.

Previously, Michelle served as the Director of Sports Nutrition for the University of Florida Athletic Association from 1999-2005. In this role, Michelle directed nutrition education, counseling, and food service for the Gators’ 18 varsity teams. She actively collaborated with coaches and the sports medicine team to provide high level nutritional care to each athlete. She directed the Gator Training Table, body composition analysis, dietary supplement evaluation, the eating disorder team, and Sports Psychology services. She also served as a lecturer and preceptor for the University of Florida Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and other campus departments.

Michelle holds Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from the Human Nutrition, Foods, & Exercise department at Virginia Tech where she was team captain and 5-time conference champion of the Hokies’ Track & Field team. She completed her Dietetics internship training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.


Mike Gittleson

Mike Gittleson

MS

Former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Michigan

CA pioneer in the field, Mike Gittleson spent thirty seasons as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Michigan’s football program. He was appointed the athletic department's first strength and conditioning coach in 1978. Gittleson was recognized by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society as the 2003 National Collegiate Football Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.

Gittleson maintained the overall training and conditioning of the football program in one of the finest facilities in the country. He developed a unique and scientific approach to Michigan's conditioning program, tailoring each program to the individual player in order to provide the maximum physical output and the prevention of injuries.

A native of Manchester, N.H., Gittleson earned degrees from the University of New Hampshire (1975) and Plymouth State College (1977). He graduated summa cum laude with a 3.9 grade point average and was named the outstanding physical education student in his class at Plymouth State. Gittleson also lettered in three sports, football, wrestling and track and won the state weightlifting championship.

A Vietnam veteran, he later came to Michigan and completed a master's degree in exercise science (1980) and earned the prestigious Paul Hunsicker Award as an outstanding graduate student at the University.

An adjunct lecturer in Sports Management and Communication for the Division of Kinesiology, Gittleson was honored with the distinction of becoming an "Honorary 'M' Man" in 1997.


Allan Johnson

Allan Johnson

MS, MSCC, CSCS, NASE

Sports Performance Director for Hall of Fame Chiropractic

Allan has 25 years of experience at the high school, collegiate, and professional level as a strength and conditioning professional. He coached collegiately at West Virginia and Ohio State University where he helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2002 National Football Championship. He also coached in 17 post-season football and basketball bowl games including Sweet- 16 NCAA tournaments and three National Football Championship games.

Johnson was the first strength and conditioning coach in the history of the Baltimore Orioles and one of the 1st five in all of MLB. Allan is a 2003 inductee into the Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame and was named 2002 National Strength Coach of the Year. He has been recognized six times as the Big East Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Throughout his career Allan has trained NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA All-Americans, and nationally ranked tennis players.

Allan speaks at national, regional, and local conferences and clinics regarding strength, speed, and conditioning topics as well as motivation, leadership, and team building. Coach Johnson was an extra in the movie, “Dave”, with Sigorney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Allan serves as a consultant for: Nike Football Clinics, Gilman Gear, High Performance Nutrition, Training & Conditioning Magazine (Editorial Board), Maxx Football, and Alpha Dog Sports. Allan is certified through the NSCA, CSCCa, and NASE.


Jose Antonio

Jose Antonio

Ph.D., FACSM, FNSCA, FISSN

CEO and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

Jose Antonio, Ph.D. is the CEO and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.theissn.org); furthermore, he is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and National Strength and Conditioning Association. He was the 2005 recipient of the NSCA Research Achievement Award and the 2009 NSCA Educator of the Year. He has published 12 books and over 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is the host of three radio shows that include the Performance Nutrition Show (co-host, Carla Sanchez, www.pnshow.com), the Strength-Power Hour (co-host, Dr. Bill Kramer, www.sphour.com), and the Weekend Workout (co-hosts, Dr. Doug Kalman and Anna Lepeley, www.theweekendworkout.com). Dr. Antonio is on the Advisory Board of Informed Choice and has given lectures on sports nutrition throughout the world. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Nutrition Insider, the first and only trade publication dedicated to the sports nutrition industry, and Inside Fitness magazine, and is a regular contributor to Ironman, Muscular Development, and Fitness Rx Men/Women. Furthermore, he is the sports science and clinical trials manager to VPX/Redline. Dr. Antonio completed a Ph.D. and post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas Texas. He is an Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Ft Lauderdale FL.


Bradley Pantall

Bradley Pantall

M.Ed., USAW, NASE

Basketball Speed, Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Pennsylvania State University

Brad Pantall is entering his fourth season as the basketball speed, strength and conditioning coach at Penn State University. Pantall is in charge of the physical development of all Nittany Lion and Lady Lion basketball players. His primary focus centers on designing, implementing and overseeing a functional and individual training regimen with emphasis on all aspects of speed, agility, power, strength, conditioning, flexibility and performance nutrition in the men’s and women’s basketball studentathletes.

From 1996 - 1998 Pantall worked as an assistant football strength and conditioning coach. In 1998, Pantall was hired as assistant strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports, in which he spent time with each of the departments 29 teams. He has also worked with the strength and conditioning programs of the NFL’s Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals. Pantall is a training consultant for various organizations and has spoken nationally at different sport performance camps and clinics. Throughout his professional career, Pantall has trained and worked with/for:

  • (15) Conference Championships
  • (6) National Championships
  • (1) NIT Basketball Championship
  • (200+) All-Big Ten selections
  • (100+) All-Americans
  • (20) NFL first-round draft picks
  • (2) Heisman Trophy winners
  • (1) Hermann Trophy winner

A 1996 graduate of Penn State with a degree in Health Education and Exercise Sports Science, Pantall was a member of the Nittany Lion football team. He earned a master’s degree from Penn State in Counseling and Education, with an emphasis in chemical dependency and sport nutrition in 1999. Pantall is certified by USA weightlifting and the National Association of Speed and Explosion, for which he serves as the state director. He is also a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.


Colin Quay

Colin Quay

CSCS, CCS

Owner of Elite Athlete Training Systems

Colin Quay is regarded by his peers as one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the Washington, DC area. His dedication, knowledge and creativity in the gym, and on the practice field, ensure that his athletes and clients continually make outstanding gains. He has had the privilege of training thousands of the area’s top high school, college, and professional athletes. Colin has also spent several years under the tutelage of many of the top strength and conditioning experts in the world.

Coach Quay graduated from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College) in 2001 with a BS in Exercise Science and Kinesiology. He is a Certified Conditioning Specialist (CCS) with NSPA (National Strength Professionals Association) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association). Colin also works with Nike as a SPARQ Certified Trainer and as an Assistant Regional Director for SPARQ Junior Football Combine. He has served as the Assistant Regional Director for Scout Camp Professional Football National Combines, an agency that provides standardized tests and evaluations for all of the professional football leagues too.


Eric Gordon

Eric Gordon

PT

CEO/President of the Gordon Institute in Baltimore, Maryland

CEO and President of Gordon Institute, Eric M. Gordon, PT, is a 19-year licensed Physical Therapist, lecturer, author, and pioneer in the field of Oncology Rehabilitation. In founding Gordon Institute, Eric realizes his vision of creating the premier facility for the development and restoration of maximum physical performance. Whether working with patients in need of Orthopaedic, Oncological or other physical therapies or in providing professional strength and conditioning for athletes, Eric Gordon is dedicated to delivering the highest quality care and service. The union of Sports Performance and Physical Therapy in one facility was a natural progression for Gordon, who believes that patients facing injury or illness should be treated the same as athletes training for competition.

Nowhere is this philosophy more evident than in Gordon's approach to Oncology Rehabilitation. Eric began to lay the foundation for these breakthrough therapies as Founder and Director of the Cancer Rehabilitation Program at Mady and Mules Physical Therapy in 2004, and he is now refining them at Gordon Institute with a highly-focused, research-based approach to improving patient outcomes. In 2008, The Journal of Urologic Oncology published Gordon's article, "Exercise and Rehabilitation of the Cancer Patient", and he also serves as an instructor and frequent lecturer on a variety of PT topics such as spinal mobilization, sports injuries in the youth athlete, and athletes and injuries related to the use of PEDs. Gordon was formerly Founder and Director of The Maryland Center for Vertigo and Vestibular Disorders at while in private practice from 1995 until 2008. Early in his career, Eric served as both Team Physical Therapist for the Baltimore Blast and Staff Outpatient Orthopaedic Physical Therapist at Kernan Hospital from 1991-1993.

A 1991 graduate of Northeastern University, Eric's clinical affiliations included an Inpatient Neurological, Neurosurgical and Neuropsychological rotation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Outpatient Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine, Amputee and Spina Bifida clinics at Kernan Hospital in Baltimore, and Inpatient and Outpatient Spinal Cord Rehabilitation at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC.


Bryan Meyer

Bryan Meyer

CSCS, HFI, PES, CES

Owner of B Meyer Training Systems

Coach Bryan Meyer is founder and CEO of B Meyer Training Systems, as well as a consultant and trainer for multiple Florida High School Basketball and Soccer programs. Coach B Meyer has been featured as an Expert Advisor in Men's Health, ESPN the Magazine, USA Today and multiple other websites and publications. He is the current performance coach for NBA Superstar Dwight Howard and resides outside Orlando, Florida. Coach B also trains NBA/AFL and other professional dance teams for photo shoots, and pre and in-season workouts. In the summer of 2009 he traveled with the NBA’s Basketball without Borders to South Africa. Coach B Meyer has also produced strength, movement, and lower body DVDs that are available for purchase


Nick Tumminello

Nick Tumminello


Founder and Owner of Performance University

Nick Tumminello is the director of Performance University Speed Strength & Conditioning in Baltimore MD. Nick also serves as the conditioning coach for Team Ground Control MMA. He is a nationally recognized coach and educator who’s known for his innovative exercises and smarter approach to strength & conditioning. Nick is the developer of the Core Bar, has authored numerous best-selling DVDs and a regular contributor to Men’s Health, Women Health, Men’s Fitness and Fight magazine. He has been featured in two NY Times best selling exercise books. For more information go to NickTumminello.com


Jason Gallucci

Jason Gallucci

MS, SCCC, CSCS, USAW

Director of Strength and Conditioning at Princeton University

Coach Gallucci graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology/Biomechanics in 2000. As an undergraduate at Penn State, he was a member of the football team including the 1994 team that went 12-0 and won the Rose Bowl. While completing his Master’s degree, Coach Gallucci worked as a graduate assistant strength coach for the Penn State Football team and as the head strength coach for the university’s club boxing program.

Upon graduation, Coach Gallucci was hired at Princeton as an assistant strength coach and was named head strength coach in 2002. At Princeton, he has had work published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics and has co-authored a book titled, Training the Female Athlete: Reach for Victory. During his tenure, Princeton has won more league titles than any school in the conference and has become the first non-scholarship school to finish in the top 25 of the Sear’s Director’s Cup. Currently overseeing a staff that trains 25 varsity sports, he has coached athletes that have gone on to compete in the NFL, MLB, NHL, MLL, as well as the Olympics in various sports. He has had the privilege of speaking at many conferences including the NSCA Sports Specific Conference in Nashville, TN and the Hammer Strength Clinic in Montclair, NJ.


Jason Dierking

Jason Dierking

MS, CSCS, USAW

Assistant Director of Sports Performance at the University of Louisville

Jason Dierking is in his fifth year as Assistant Director of Sports Performance at the University of Louisville. In this role he works directly with men’s and women’s swimming/diving, men’s soccer, field hockey, men’s golf, and cross country.

Prior to Louisville, Dierking served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Indiana University from 2001-2005. He also was a graduate assistant strength coach at IU from 1998-2001. During the summer of 2000, Dierking worked as the strength and conditioning intern at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, where he helped train athletes that were preparing for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Dierking earned his master’s degree in exercise physiology from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in adult physical fitness from Eastern Kentucky University, where he also played baseball for the Colonels.

Jason is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a USAW Level 1 Coach, and a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Certified Specialist.


John Smith

John Smith

MS, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer at the University of Delaware

John Smith begins his 10th year with the University of Delaware athletic training staff and his first as the Blue Hens' head athletic trainer for the 2010-11 season. He works extensively with the UD football program as its head trainer and has day-to-day responsibilities at practices and all games.

Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in human development in 1988 from Penn State University and his master’s degree in physical education from West Virginia University in 1989. A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Eastern Athletic Trainers Association, and Delaware Athletic Trainers Association, Smith worked for three years as a student athletic trainer at Penn State. He began his career as a graduate assistant trainer at West Virginia University in 1988-89.

He served as an athletic trainer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. from 1989 until 1995, working the Commodore football, basketball, and golf programs. In addition, he served as coordinator of the Vanderbilt University Sports Medicine Student Athletic Training Program.

Smith returned to Penn State in 1995 and served six seasons as assistant trainer, working with the Nittany Lions nationally-ranked women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, and baseball squads.


Jim Kielbaso

Jim Kielbaso

MS, CSCS

Director of Total Performance at Total Sports Complex in Wixom, Michigan

After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Michigan State University, Jim headed to Ann Arbor to get a Masters Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan. While in school, Jim worked as an intern in the Strength & Conditioning Program in U-M's Athletic Department. During that time, he also served as the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Holt High School and worked as a personal trainer at the Michigan Athletic Club in East Lansing.

After graduate school, Jim ran an Athletic Republic training center for a year before he was hired as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Detroit Mercy. While at UDM, Jim was a part of numerous league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in a variety of sports. In addition to coaching responsibilities at the university, he also served as an adjunct faculty member teaching courses in Sports Medicine. After seven years at the university, Jim joined forces with the Total Sports Complex to open the Total Performance Training Center in August 2002.

Jim is the Regional Coordinator for the National Strength & Conditioning Association where he organizes clinics for trainers and coaches and provides support for members of the organization. He has been a featured speaker at clinics and conferences all over the country and has authored articles in numerous publications. Jim is the author of two books - Speed & Agility Revolution and Weight Loss In Reality - and was recently contracted by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to develop a strength & conditioning curriculum for their Coaches Advancement Program. During his career, Jim has trained thousands of athletes including professional football, basketball and hockey players, Olympic competitors, hundreds of college athletes and too many youth athletes to count. He is proud to be able to bring the training techniques of college and professional athletes to younger athletes looking to reach their potential.


Greg Zecca,

Greg Zecca

MA

Director of Athletics at The Calverton School

Greg Zecca started his professional career in athletics nearly 20 years ago as a coach at Huntington High School in New York. He is currently the Athletic Director at The Calverton School in Huntingtown, Maryland. Mr. Zecca has a BA in psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University where he played both football and lacrosse. He also earned a MA in Sports Management from Adelphi University. In his 20 year professional career in athletics he has been both a coach and an administrator at the high school and college levels. In addition to his professional responsibilities at The Calverton School he also serves as a league president for the C.A.L.L. and M.I.S.A.L. From 2003-2006, Greg served as the Head Coach and General Manager for Team Italy as they prepared for their first competition at the World Lacrosse Championships.


Jeff Sherman

Jeff Sherman

MA, CSCS, SCCC, Coach Practitioner

Asst. AD/ Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of South Florida

Ronnie McKeefery is in his eighth season at USF. A former all-conference defensive back at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., he earned bachelor's degrees in biology and physical education in 1997, while also being named a two-time Academic All-American. In addition, he earned his master's degree in adult education from the University of South Florida in 2004.

After one year as coach at Ottawa, he made the switch to strength and conditioning, working first as an intern with the Kansas City Royals. He then worked as a part-time assistant for two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before becoming the head strength coach for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe.

McKeefery joined the USF program prior to the 2000 football season. He is certified by both the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).


Scott Swanson

Scott Swanson

MSCC, CGFI

Assistant Athletic Director of Strength and Conditioning Coach at the United States Military Academy

An important cog in the physical development of Army's varsity athletes, Scott Swanson is in his 11th year as the director of strength and conditioning at West Point. A 1992 graduate of Wake Forest University, Swanson spent the 1995 and 1996 football campaigns as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Army before departing to serve in the same capacity at Stanford University. He returned one year later in 1998 to take over the Black Knights’ head job.

Since his return to the Academy, Army has captured countless league championships and sent numerous teams to postseason competition, while Black Knight athletes have secured a host of All-America certificates since 1998. Swanson oversees the unique task of training cadet-athletes at West Point. He directs the training of 1,000 athletes, operates three weight rooms and manages five off-site facilities throughout the country during summer assignments.

The Parkersburg, W.Va., native was instrumental in the development of Army’s vast strength development center housed in the Kimsey Athletic Center, which opened in April 2003. The Kimsey Athletic Center houses coaches’ offices, spacious locker rooms, equipment rooms, an athletic training area, meeting space and an athletic hall of fame area. But perhaps the crown jewel of the building is its 20,000-square-foot strength development center that is under Swanson’s direction. This area features state-of-the-art equipment to accentuate the overall development of a host of Army athletes, but most notably serves football. While his chief focus is on the football squad, he and his staff also oversee the total strength and conditioning program for Army’s other 24 intercollegiate sports programs.

A member of the National Strength Coaches Association, Swanson also speaks to various camps, classes and clinics. He was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach in the summer of 2005.


Luke Tipple

Luke Tipple

MS, CSCS, SCCC, USAWS

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Ohio State University

Luke Tipple, M.S., CSCS, SCCC, USAW senior contributes to a variety of Olympic sports within the Buckeyes' strength-training program. He oversees the yearly training of the Baseball, Wrestling, Men’s and Women’s; Diving, Pistol, and Cheerleading teams. Tipple came to The Ohio State University after serving as a sports performance coach at Cris Carters’ Fast Program in Coral Springs, Fla. Prior to that, he was a personal trainer and private strength, speed, and conditioning coach in the Miami, Fla., area.

Tipple holds a bachelor of science degree in exercise physiology and health appraisal and enhancement from Miami University and a master’s of science degree in sports medicine, with a concentration in kinesiology, from the University of Miami.


Tom Palumbo

Tom Palumbo

MS, SCCC

The Ohio State University

Tom Palumbo has been a strength and conditioning coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes since 2001. Palumbo came to Ohio State from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization where he served as a Minor League conditioning coach for the 2001 season. His team, the Williamsport Crosscutters won the NY/Penn League championship. From 1999-2001 Palumbo was the assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Georgia. While earning his master's degree in Physical Education and Sport Studies, Palumbo was a graduate assistant for the P.E. department and a volunteer strength and conditioning coach at UGA. Just some of Coach Palumbo’s athletes’ accomplishments:

  • 2009-2010 OSU Hall of Fame Inductees:Allison Hannah, Emma Laakenson
  • 2008-2009 Golf: All Big Ten - In-Hong Lim, Vicky Villanueva; Big Ten Freshman of the Year - Vicky Villanueva; Lacrosse: American Lacrosse Conference Rookie of the Year – Alayna Markwordt, All Conference Team – Kelly Haggerty, Kendall Gysin, Alayna Markwordt; Softball: All Big Ten – DeeDee Hillman, Kim Reeder, Whitney Cooper, Sam Marder, Alicia Herron, All District – Kim Reeder, Tory Haddad, All American – Kim Reeder, Sam Marder
  • 2007-2008 Softball: All American, Sam Marder, Brittany Vanderink; Lacrosse: All Conference and All Region, Kristen Slahor and Brittany Zerhusen, American Lacrosse Conference Rookie of the Year – Maghan Beadrault
  • 2006-2007 Softball: Big Ten Season Champions, Big Ten Tournament Champions, seven players named All Conference, six players named to the All Tournament Team and Tournament MVP; Women’s Ice Hockey All WCHA: Tessa Bonhomme, Amber Bowman, Erin Keys, Lisa Chesson; Baseball: Big Ten Tournament Champions, four players drafted, Ping! Freshman All-American Corey Korvanda
  • 2005-2006 Softball: All Big Ten and All Region - Brittany Vanderink; Golf: All Big Ten - Dana Je; Baseball: All American - Ronnie Bourquin
  • 2004-2005 Big Ten Championship: Women’s Golf; All American and Big Ten Player of the Year: Kristen White; All Big Ten: Kristen White (Golf), Lindsey Knowlton (Golf); All Big Ten Team (Baseball): Dan Delucia, Mike Rabin
  • 2003-2004 Big Ten Championships: Men’s and Women’s Golf; Big Ten Player of theYear: Steve Caravatti (Baseball); Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Jacob Howell (Baseball); All Big Ten: Josh Newman (Baseball); Olympic athlete: Gulsah Gunec (Swimming); All Big Ten, All American: Kristen White, Allison Hannah(Golf); OSU Athlete of the Year: Allison Hanna (Golf)
  • 2000-2001 NY-Penn League Champions; Pinkney Division Champions (Baseball); National Championship and SEC Championship: Women’s Swimming and Diving; SEC Championship: Men’s Golf; (Swimming) Four World Records; Seven American Records; Four US Olympic Athletes: Five International Athletes; Three Gold Medalists; One Silver Medalist; 2000 and 2001 Honda NCAA Female Athlete of the Year and NCAA Top VIII Award: Kristy Kowal, Kim Black; Baseball: 1st round draft pick – Jeff Keppinger