How do you become a Pro-level Strength and Conditioning Coach? (Or the best coach you can be?) w/Dr. Ramsey Nijem

If you’re strength and conditioning coach, you probably want to work with athletes. If you can, you probably want to work with professional athletes. How do those opportunities come about? And will striving to get there make you an all-around better coach? We asked Dr Ramsey Nijem, who a few year ago became probably the youngest every head strength coach in the NBA, to break it down for us.

Here are some of our thoughts:

• What are the degree requirements?
• Which certifications are really necessary?
• How do you learn to handle professional athletes?
• How much is programing and how much is psychology?
• What do you have to do to prove yourself to management?
• Is there a clear career path?

Dr. Nijem earned his Doctorate of Science in Human and Sport Performance as well as Health Promotion and Wellness in 2018. He has published research in top scientific journals in strength and conditioning and is currently investigating injury risk in NBA athletes. He earned his B.S. from UC Santa Barbara and M.S. from Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Sport Performance (where he studied with Dr. Andy Galpin).

After several years as head Performance and Strength Coach for the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise, he recently became the Men’s Basketball Director of Sport Performance for the University of Kansas (KU Jayhawks), one of the top Division 1 college basketball programs.

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