Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

Trent Caldwell was announced as the new Director of Strength and Conditioning in January 2019. Caldwell comes to Hickory after serving as the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning since June 2015.

“I am looking forward to the knowledge, energy and vision Trent will bring to Lenoir-Rhyne as the Director of Strength and Conditioning,” said Michael Flicker, Associate AD of Sports Performance / Head Athletic Trainer. “This hire is timed perfectly with the Neill McGeachy Sports Performance Center set to open in the fall. I am proud of the Strength and Conditioning program to this point under Luis Velez and look forward to continued growth with Trent at the helm.”

At Furman, Caldwell was primarily responsible for programming and implementing annual strength and conditioning programs for the Paladins football team as well as men’s lacrosse, baseball, tennis, golf, basketball, tennis volleyball and golf programs. He also was responsible for recruiting and developing an Intern Staff in his Strength and Conditioning department. During his time with Furman, the Paladins won Southern Conference Championships in football, men’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s golf and volleyball and Matthew Schmidt won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2017.

Caldwell is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA), as well as being a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sport Performance Coach Certification and holds an Advanced Olympic Lifting Certification (Totten Training Systems).

Prior to joining the Furman staff, Caldwell served 10 months as assistant strength and conditioning coach at Troy University, where he worked primarily with football and men's basketball. Caldwell also spent one year as an intern at the University of Tennessee and a semester at the University of Notre Dame.

Caldwell began his graduate education at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, where he assisted in the founding of TAMUCC Athletics' strength and conditioning program, before earning his master's degree from UNC Pembroke in December of 2012 while working as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Caldwell graduated from UNC Pembroke in May of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in health & physical education. He was a member of Pembroke's inaugural football team in 2007, and was a three-year letterwinner.