McKeefery named Assistant AD for Sports Performance

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State Director of Athletics Terry Tumey announced on Tuesday the addition of Ron McKeefery as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance. He will lead the athletic department's strength and conditioning staff and work directly with the Bulldog football team as their head strength and conditioning coach.

McKeefery, twice named a Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (2008, 2016), joins Fresno State having most recently served as the vice president of performance and education for PLAE, a sports training company that he helped found. PLAE works with teams and coaches from around the world including national and Olympic teams.

McKeefery's strength and conditioning coaching experience does not stop at PLAE. He has served as a strength coach at the collegiate and professional levels for years. He began his strength-coaching career by spending one year at Ottawa University, his alma mater. He then went to work as an intern with the Kansas City Royals. McKeefery's next stop was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he coached the team to the 1999 NFC Championship game.

A year later, McKeefery had his first head coaching opportunity with the Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe) at just 21-years-old before returning to the collegiate athletics world at South Florida. He spent 11 seasons with the Bulls as assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning, and head strength and conditioning coach.

After his 11-year stint with South Florida, McKeefery was a human performance coordinator for the United States Army Special Forces, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, in Fort Campbell, Ky. McKeefery trained and prepared soldiers for some of the toughest battles in the Middle East.

McKeefery followed his time with the U.S. Army with an array of collegiate and professional stops including Tennessee, the Cincinnati Bengals and Eastern Michigan. After his time at Eastern Michigan, he decided to leave the sports realm entirely to put some emphasis on family and begin working with PLAE.

In his coaching tenure, McKeefery has worked with over 100 football players who have gone on to the National Football League, including 36 NFL draft picks. He has also led teams of strength coaches who have earned head coach positions of their own. Two of his fellow coaches have gone on to earn the National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year honor.

A man of many talents, McKeefery has also written two No. 1 Amazon International Bestselling books - "CEO Strength Coach" and "Weight Room Wisdom".

Introduced to the game of football at 7-years-old, McKeefery went on to play at the collegiate level at Ottawa University (1994-95, 1997). He was a Second Team All-KCAC selection in 1997. McKeefery earned a bachelor of arts in biology at Ottawa, and a master of arts in adult education from South Florida.

He and his wife Angela have four adopted children - Tyler, Ava, Maya and James.

Accolades

2019 Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Emeritus (RSCC*E)
2016 National Strength and Conditioning Association Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
2013 Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association)
2008 Under Armour Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year

Coaching Experience
2014-2016: Eastern Michigan - Director of Sports Performance
2013: Cincinnati Bengals - Strength and Conditioning Coach
2011-13: Tennessee - Director of Strength and Conditioning (Football)
2001-10: South Florida - Assistant Athletic Director/Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
2000-01: South Florida - Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
2000: Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe) - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
1999-00: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - part-time Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
1998-99: Kansas City Royals - Intern Strength and Conditioning Coach
1998-99: Ottawa University - Assistant Defensive Backs/Strength Coach

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit www.bulldogfoundation.org.

Fresno State Athletics

McKeefery named Assistant AD for Sports Performance

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