Chris Steck enters his first season as the new Director of Sports Performance for Olympic Sports following his hire in June of 2021.
He comes to the Institute by way of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, where he served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the men’s basketball program since June of 2019. In this role, he was directly responsible for the athletic development of the team as well as workout scheduling, yearly program design, training sessions and nutrition testing. He was also responsible for all meals during the season at home and on the road. He also worked with the golf team’s strength and conditioning.
Prior to Missouri State, Steck served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania from October 2017 to June 2019. In this capacity, he oversaw all activities within the strength and conditioning department and directly responsible for the athletic development of all 24 varsity sports. He also served as Co-Director of the Student Recreation Center.
From February 2017 to October 2017, he served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia where he was responsible for the athletic development of the men’s soccer and women’s softball teams, track and field, and women’s crew.
Before Saint Joseph’s, Steck was the Assistant Director for Athletic Performance at UNC Pembroke from February 2015 to January 2017. He was responsible for the athletic development of the football, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, women’s basketball, wrestling and track and field teams as well as the spirit squad. In addition, he oversaw the professional development of the student interns within the strength and conditioning office.
From January 2014 through January 2015, Steck served as a performance enhancement coaching intern at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania, where he assisted 12 sports including the men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, rugby, men’s lacrosse, baseball and softball teams. He coached multiple youth camps where he was responsible for the testing of all athletes and the offensive line.
Steck was a four-year member of the Bloomsburg University football team from 2010-14 where he was a 2013 Don Hanson 2nd Team All-Super Region honoree in addition to being named 2nd Team All-Conference. A two-year team captain, he was named to the 2012 Don Hanson 2nd Team All-Super Region team as well as the 2012 PSAC East First Team All-Conference team.
Steck has a bachelor of science degree in exercise science from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania (May 2014).
