SIOUX FALLS – Zack Cook has been named the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Sioux Falls by Zach Mathers, USF's Director of Strength and Conditioning/Head Athletic Trainer.

With a wealth of experiences in strength and conditioning, Cook comes to USF from Prairie View A&M (Prairie View, Texas), where he was the director of strength and conditioning. At PVAMU, he administered the design and implementation of strength training, conditioning, and performance programming for all sports. He also collaborated with academics to create the first accredited internship curriculum, increasing the number of interns involved in S&C drastically.  

"We are incredibly fortunate to have been able to hire a strength and conditioning coach with the expertise and experience that Zack (Cook) brings to the table," said Mathers. "He will make an immediate impact and greatly improve our ability to train our student-athletes here at USF.  The addition of someone of Zack's caliber will be a game changer for our entire athletics program.  I am very excited to be able to work with him."
 
Cook, based at USF's Sports and Fitness Center, will be responsible for training multiple sports, which will include developing athletes' strength, power, explosion, speed, agility, conditioning, and nutrition.
 
Originally of Necedah, Wisc., Cook also served as head of strength and conditioning at West Virginia State, where he organized the first-ever WVSU Strength and Conditioning Department. At WVSU, he created and implemented performance programs, organized nutrition purchases and developed an equipment investment budget model. Additionally, he served as director of sports performance at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich. While at Pioneer High, he spearheaded a remodeling task force which revamped and renovated the school's 18,000 sq. ft. athletic facility, weight room, and fitness center.  

Cook completed his master's degree practicum for Eastern Michigan director of sports performance Ron McKeefery, who won the 2008 Under Armour Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, as well as the 2015 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Coach of the Year Award. After completing his practicum, Zack was promoted to the position of EMU Sports Performance coaching assistant.

As part of his undergraduate degree requirements, Cook served as an intern with NX Level Sports Performance; a professional athlete training facility in Waukesha, Wis. With that training facility, he organized and led a Division I High School Strength and Conditioning Program as well as gained experience training professional football athletes such as Deondre Levy (Lions) and JJ Watt (Texans).

Cook competed on three NCAA DIII national championship football teams at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he earned Bachelor of Science in Education (Health, Human Performance and Recreation) in May 2013 and also a Master of Science in Education (Health, Human Performance and Recreation) in August 2014.