Zach Vander Griend joined the Strength, Conditioning & Campus Wellness staff in January 2026. Originally from Nebraska, Vander Griend graduated from Northwestern College in 2025 with a degree in Exercise Science. During his time at Northwestern, he played football for five years and was a member of the 2022 NAIA National Championship and 2023 GPAC Championship teams.
Vander Griend gained strength and conditioning experience at Northwestern College, where he trained the freshman football team and worked with multiple other athletic programs. He also completed a summer internship at Elon University, where he worked with Division I athletic teams and gained experience utilizing TeamBuildr, Vitruve, and GPS technology.
Vander Griend is currently pursuing his master's degree in Leadership. His coaching philosophy centers on developing athletes through intentional training, strong relationships, and creating an environment that helps athletes perform at their best both on and off the field.
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