Michael Naperalsky, a highly regarded coach in the strength and conditioning field, has recently been appointed as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic Sports at Iowa State Athletics Department. Naperalsky joins Iowa State after spending eight successful seasons at Louisville.
His tenure at Louisville, where he served as the assistant director of sports performance, focused on assessing, programming, and coaching to enhance athletic development while reducing injury risks. Naperalsky hails from Granger, Indiana, and previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
Throughout his career, Naperalsky has supported elite athletes who have achieved numerous accolades. His athletes have won Olympic medals, world championship medals, X-Games medals, and World Cup podium efforts. At the collegiate level, Naperalsky has coached athletes to ACC team championships, NCAA individual championships, and NCAA All-America status.
Naperalsky brings a wealth of experience, having worked with athletes from over 20 different countries. He holds several certifications, including master strength and conditioning coach (CSCCa), registered strength and conditioning coach with distinction (NSCA), and certified exercise physiologist (American College of Sports Medicine).
He completed his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Ball State in 2006 and earned his master’s degree in health and human performance from Montana in 2009. Iowa State Athletics Department is excited to have Naperalsky onboard, as his expertise and passion for sports performance are expected to positively impact the development of student-athletes.