Brian Thompson Named College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College Director of Strength and Conditioning Brian Thompson has been named the National Strength and Conditioning Assoc. (NSCA) College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year as part of the 2021 NSCA awards announcement. Thompson was selected by his peers from a list of nominees that represented Division I, II, and III colleges and universities from throughout the country.

The NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award is given to one outstanding certified strength and conditioning specialist, recognizing his or her dedication to improving athletic performance with safe and effective science-based programs.

“This is one of those awards where Springfield College is going up against some well-known colleges that play a Division I athletic schedule,” said Thompson, who has been involved with the Springfield College Strength and Conditioning program for more than 20 years, serving as the associate director of Strength and Conditioning before taking over as the director in 2010. “It’s a huge honor to be chosen for this award. I have the pleasure of working with so many talented faculty and students at Springfield College, and to earn this honor from all of the talented strength and conditioning professionals from throughout the entire country is a big honor. It demonstrates how successful our strength and conditioning program is at Springfield College.”

Since 1998, Thompson has served many roles at the college, including associate director of Strength and Conditioning, head Strength and Conditioning coach, professor of Exercise Science, and the graduate Strength and Conditioning program director. In addition to teaching in the Applied Exercise Science program, he is responsible for the Strength and Conditioning program design and implementation for 26 sport programs at Springfield College, as well as teaching and advising in the graduate Strength and Conditioning program.

“Dr. Thompson has been a leader in the strength and conditioning field for years,” said M. Susan Guyer, dean of the Springfield College School of Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership. “His dedication to his craft, coupled with his passion for excellence and dedication to teaching, has earned him this deserving award. Springfield College is lucky to have such a dedicated professional who is able to balance the demands of teaching and service at the highest level.”

Thompson first started working in the field of strength and conditioning in 1987 and has trained athletes at the elementary-school, middle-school, high-school, collegiate, professional, Paralympic, and Olympic levels. He has presented and conducted strength-and-conditioning-related workshops in Australia, China, Mexico, Taiwan, and throughout the U.S.

In 2016, Thompson received an official appointment as an expert technical consultant to the Chinese National Fitness Trainers Assoc. by the Chinese Sports Bureau, the only non-Chinese citizen ever to receive this status.

“We have a great Strength and Conditioning program at Springfield College, one that I am very proud of, and a program that is well-respected in the industry,” Thompson added. “The Strength and Conditioning program features so many success stories of current students and alumni moving on to successful careers in the strength and conditioning industry.”