Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
Celebrating the dedication to student-athlete success, the Assistant College Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year Award recognizes a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) for exemplary service to the advancement of strength and conditioning at the collegiate level.
Assistant College Strength & Conditioning Coach Of the Year Award Eligibility
Each nominee will be asked to fill out a criteria sheet that details career accomplishments and contributions to the personal training industry.
The criteria sheet assigns points to a variety of professional achievements, letters of recommendation, volunteer involvement with the NSCA, and other activities related to the personal training industry.
NSCA Members in good standing may nominate other NSCA Members or themselves.
Nominations are open August - December
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
| Current NSCA Member |
| NSCA CSCS Certification |
| Current Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach with at least 2 yr experience (beyond the internship / graduate assistant level) |
| Award Not Previously Received |
Additional requirements listed in the General Awards Criteria, include but not limited to, the nominee must be nominated by a member in good standing and nominees will be sent a criteria sheet to fill out that must be returned with a cover letter and CV/resume before the required deadline. |
How Awardees are Selected for Coach of the Year Awards
Gathering Nominations
Nominations are gathered February-June each year. Any nomination received before the established deadline will be accepted for review of eligibility. Nominees will be notified of their nomination along with a request to complete the award criteria sheet.
Eligibility Verification and Points Tally
NSCA Headquarters will verify eligibility and minimum category requirements have been met. The overall points for each nominees will be tallied, and qualified nominees will be notified.
Voting by Industry Leadership
The top three nominees based on overall points will be sent to the Coaching (RSCC) Task Force. The voting group will be determined based on the following:
1. The Task Force will be volunteers selected yearly by the Coaching Program Manager.
2. It will be apparent that the Task Force is impartial to the nominees.
3. The Task Force will be comprised of >50% non-coaching award recipients and <50% past coaching award recipients.
4. For the HS Coach of the Year Award voting, members of the HS SIG Executive Council will be included in the Task Force.
5. The Coaching Program Manager will certify that the policies and procedures for the nomination and awarding process were followed as outlined herein and will submit the winners’ names to the Awards and Honors Committee Chair for review and approval.
Awardee Notification
1. The Chair will notify NSCA Headquarters and the Awards and Honors Committee Chair of the selected recipient.
2. The Awards and Honors Committee Chair will notify the NSCA Board of Directors of the recipient.
3. The NSCA Headquarters will notify the recipient of the award, send regret notifications, create a Press Release announcement of the winner, and verify attendance at the National Conference awards banquet.
If there are no qualifying nominees, the award will not be given.
Award Timeline
August – nominations open
December – nominations close and nominees are contacted to submit award requirements
February – nominees are required to have all materials submitted and NSCA staff will evaluate that eligibility requirements have been met before submitting to the Committee, SIG, or Task Force.
April – Committee, SIG, or Task Force should vote and decide the winner and will submit the winners name to the National Office.
April – notifications to nominees will be sent by the National Office and press announcements will be coordinated
July – Award conferred at the National Conference Awards Banquet
Assistant College Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year Recipients
Congratulations 2025 Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year
Lilly Bernardi, MS, CSCS, RSCC
Lilly Bernardi is in her fourth year as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. She has had stops at Fordham University (2021 – 2022) and Hofstra University (2022 – 2024) and is in her first year as an Assistant Director of Sports Performance at The University of North Carolina (2024 – present). She has worked with ten different sports throughout her career. In her current role, she is responsible for all aspects of programming for softball, gymnastics, and women’s tennis. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from The College of New Jersey and a Master’s degree in Sports Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from Hofstra University. She has presented at several NSCA events, served on the NSCA New York State Advisory Board, and coordinated Hofstra University’s graduate and undergraduate internship programs. She currently resides in Cary, North Carolina, with her fiancé Jacob.
Read The Press Release
2024 Winner
Kenna Smoak Minnici, MA, CSCS, RSCC*D
2023 Winner
Gary Calcagno, MA, CSCS, RSCC*E
2019 Winner
Ashley Jackson, MS, CSCS, RSCC, University of Michigan
2024 - Kenna Smoak Minnici, MA, CSCS, RSCC*D
2023 - Gary Calcagno, MA, CSCS, RSCC*E
2022 - Ryan Metzger, MS, CSCS, RSCC
2021 - Andrew Stocks, MS, CSCS, RSCC
2019 - Ashley Jackson, MS, CSCS, RSCC, University of Michigan
2017 - Domenic Reno, CSCS, RSCC*D, Western Kentucky University
2016 - Matt Shaw, MEd, CSCS, RSCC, University of Denver
2015 - Bo Sandoval, MS, CSCS, USAW-2, RSCC, University of Michigan
2014 - Caitlin Quinn, CSCS, RSCC, Florida State University
2013 - Antony McClure, CSCS,*D, RSCC*D, New Mexico University
2012 - Jason E. Spray, CSCS Middle Tennessee State University
- Privacy Policy
- Your Privacy Choices
- Terms of Use
- Retraction and Correction Policy
- © 2025 National Strength and Conditioning Association