Job Description

Key responsibilities include conducting rigorous athletic evaluations, formulating individualized exercise prescriptions, and ensuring strict weight room supervision and safety compliance. Utilizing advanced sports science methodologies, this position will actively manage both internal and external load monitoring systems to optimize athlete readiness and mitigate injury risk.

The Asst Director will partner closely with sport coaching staffs during official and unofficial visits to serve as a presenter of the university's high-performance capabilities.

• High-Performance Program Design & Athlete Evaluation

  • Athletic Assessment: Conduct rigorous, data-driven athlete evaluations to establish baseline metrics for strength, power, mobility, and metabolic conditioning.
  • Periodization & Prescription: Design, implement, and oversee comprehensive annual periodized training cycles (macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles) tailored specifically to the physiological demands of assigned varsity sports.
  • Individualization: Develop evidence-based exercise prescriptions that optimize athletic performance, address individual biomechanical deficiencies, and support long-term injury-mitigation strategies.

• Sports Science Integration

  • Load Monitoring Management: Utilize advanced sports science technologies—including GPS tracking, accelerometers, heart rate monitors to track, analyze, and report internal and external student-athlete training loads.
  • Data-Driven Adaptation: Translate load-monitoring data into actionable insights to adjust daily training volumes, optimize athlete readiness, and manage fatigue.

• Technical Instruction & Facility Supervision

  • Coaching & Technique Evaluation: Instruct, coach, and evaluate proper exercise mechanics, Olympic lifting variations, speed/agility techniques, and energy system development.
  • Weight Room Supervision: In conjunction with medical staff, provide active, vigilant supervision of athletic performance facilities, ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols, lifting techniques, and a high-energy, disciplined training environment.
  • Cross-Functional Support: Assist with the training and supervision of any varsity sport utilizing the athletic performance facilities as needed, fostering a collaborative departmental culture.

• Recruitment Engagement

  • Recruitment Strategy Integration: Partner closely with sport coaching staffs during official and unofficial visits to serve as a presenter of the university's high-performance capabilities.
  • Prospect Engagement: Articulate the Olympic Performance Science philosophy, data-driven training methodologies, and technological advantages directly to prospective elite student-athletes and their families.
  • Camp Operations & Athlete Development: Support and actively participate in institutional and sport-specific camps throughout the year, delivering high-performance training instruction, athlete evaluations, and mentorship while promoting the university’s performance culture to prospective student-athletes.

• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and certification in at least one: CSCS-NSCA, SCCC/MSCCC-CSCCA, or USAW-USA Weightlifting.
• Experience: Minimum of 1 year experience working as a sports performance coach.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Sports Medicine Collaboration & Communication

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Proven ability to work seamlessly within a multi-disciplinary high-performance team, establishing strong lines of communication with the Sports Medicine/Athletic Training staff.
• Reconditioning & Return-to-Play (RTP): Skilled in executing progressive, post-therapy reconditioning programs designed by medical staff to safely transition student-athletes from injury back to peak competition.
• Interpersonal & Leadership Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills necessary to command the training floor, effectively instruct elite student-athletes, and align with sport coaches on performance goals.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Master’s Degree a related field
• Experience: Experience working on a Power 4 collegiate sports performance staff, professional sports performance staff, or directly with Olympic sport performance for athletes.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Advanced Biomechanical Assessment: Demonstrated proficiency in utilizing, analyzing, and interpreting data from force plate technology to evaluate athlete asymmetries, neuromuscular status, and power production.
  • Performance Metrics & Technology: Skilled in the operational setup and data collection of elite electronic timing devices and velocity-based training (VBT) hardware for speed and acceleration tracking.
  • Data Management & Software Literacy: Proficient in leveraging Microsoft Office Suite (advanced Excel formulas and data visualization), Google Workspace, and industry-standard athlete management systems (AMS) to synthesize performance data.
  • Digital Program Design: Expert-level capability in utilizing specialized computerized strength and conditioning software (e.g., TeamBuildr or equivalent) to build, track, and distribute complex periodized training regimens.

Technical & Sports Science Expertise

Work Location

• Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 10

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

About Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Athletics Mission, Vision & Core Values

Mission: To lead the way forward in all aspects of college sports

Vision: Deliver an unparalleled student-athlete experience fueled by the relentless pursuit of comprehensive excellence; be bold and innovative in our approach to recruiting and developing well-rounded graduates, championship-driven competitors and world-changing leaders.

Core Values: Vols lead through…
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