SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Micah Cloward has been named the University of Sioux Falls Director of Strength and Conditioning, according to an announcement today (Thursday, May 20) by USF Director of Athletics Pam Gohl.  

"I am really pleased to announce the addition of Micah Cloward as our new director of strength and conditioning," Gohl said. "Micah (Cloward) is a talented individual, who has a track record of establishing relationships with student-athletes and coaches, while managing and encouraging daily improvement from student-athletes. With extensive experience in strength and conditioning at several DI institutions, he will do a great job in preparing our student-athletes so they will be able to perform at the highest level throughout their time at here and beyond," she said.

Prior to joining USF, Cloward, who is certified as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, was an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Illinois (Champaign, Ill.) football program from January 2018 to 2021. In 2017, he served as interim head football strength and conditioning coach at Oregon State (Corvallis, Ore.) where he had been an assistant strength and conditioning coach for football and women's swimming since 2015.  

At USF, Cloward, a native of Casper, Wyo., will direct a best-practices and safety strength program for nearly 400 student-athletes across 17 DII sports. He will oversee, coordinate and implement in-season and out-of-season player development and strength conditioning both from an individual and team perspective.

"I'm honored to have been selected as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at USF, where there is a great foundation of development and competitive excellence," said Cloward, who has a B.S. in exercise science in 2008 and a Master of Physical Education, Athletic Administration in 2010 from Idaho State University. "I'm excited to get to work. I've already felt embraced into the Cougar family. I look forward to getting to know the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the community of Sioux Falls. My family and I couldn't be happier," added Cloward, who was selected to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic Team twice while playing football at Idaho State from 2006-08 and earned Junior College Academic All-American honors in football at Snow College in 2004-05.  

From 2013-15, Cloward was assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.) where he worked with football, women's volleyball and men's and women's track and field. He was assistant strength and conditioning coach (2011-13) and served as an intern for strength and conditioning (2010-11) at Utah State (Logan, Utah) where he worked with football, men's basketball, women's volleyball, men's golf and men's and women's tennis.

From 2007-09, he was an intern in strength and conditioning at Idaho State (Pocatello, Idaho). As an intern, he worked with football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball and softball.

He and his wife, Rachel, have two daughters, Marley and Palmer.