Strength and Conditioning is the hub of sports performance for Chico State Athletics. Using the most up-to-date scientific evidence based approaches, head strength and conditioning coach Colin Coughenour goes above and beyond the basics to ensure that every Wildcat student athlete maximizes their athletic potential. Strength, conditioning, recovery, nutrition, sport psychology, sport science, and injury prevention are just some of the many arenas of sports performance that S&C delivers and supports.
"Our department has made some big improvements over my 13 years here and he might be the best addition we have added to our programs," Former Head Men's Basketball Coach Greg Clink said. "Colin has added science to what we do in the weight room and our student-athletes have made drastic strength gains because of it. He has a plan. It's not just a plan for the day, but a plan for the year.”
The benefits of strength and conditioning extend beyond the weight room and onto the track, field, and court. One of the key areas that this is especially true is nutrition. Nutrition is a critical element to recovery and performance for all athletes and has been a critical focus for the past year. Golf is no exception of course, as Women’s golf coach Heather Fegley explains:
"Colin has been a game changer for our team. He's created a program that has already yielded significant results across the board. One of the main things we struggled with as a team was fatigue during the tail-end of tournaments. With Colin's help we made great strides in combating this issue. His nutrition knowledge has also been extremely helpful to my team. When on the road we made better food choices that helped keep us better energized for long days on the course.”
Injury can completely change the direction of a season and a student’s athletic career. Head athletic trainer Scott Barker, now retired, knows all about the value in decreasing the occurrences and improving recovery from athletic related injuries.
"Injury prevention is hard to quantify and under-acknowledged sometimes, but the addition of Colin has been extremely valuable to our program's success in that area and much appreciated by me and my staff," Barker said. "Colin has also been invaluable to our student-athletes in the late stages of the rehabilitation process as well. That phase can be very difficult, but Colin has really helped our student-athletes progress through it exceptionally."
Head Track and Field Coach Oliver Hanf wraps it up by saying that: "Colin has a gift, and its shining in every corner of our department."
The strength and conditioning program plays a significant role in the health and athletic development of every one of our over 350 Chico State Wildcat student athletes.
"Our department has made some big improvements over my 13 years here and he might be the best addition we have added to our programs." - Former Chico State Head Men's Basketball Coach Greg Clink
Colin Coughenour
Strength & Conditioning Coach |
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Colin Coughenour joined the Chico State Athletics department as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in the fall of 2019. Prior to Chico State he spent time as a strength coach at UC Berkeley (2019), Sonoma State (2012-19), College of Marin (2018-19), and Santa Rosa Junior College (2014-15).
In addition to his experience as a strength and conditioning coach, Coughenour has also served as a lecturer in the department of kinesiology at both Sonoma State and College of Marin. His courses included Foundations of Strength and Conditioning, Foundations of Personal Training, Elementary Physical Education, Weightlifting, and activities courses ranging from indoor soccer to basketball.
Prior to his work in academia, Coughenour worked in multiple private training facilities and health clubs. He served in many roles which included personal trainer, performance coach, fitness manager, and director of education. His role as sport performance coach at Parisi Speed School was most formative in his transition to collegiate strength and conditioning.
Coach Coughenour completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees at Sonoma State, graduating with his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in kinesiology. In addition to his degrees, Coughenour has amassed a multitude of credentials over the course of his career. He is currently a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), USA weightlifting coach (USAW-L1), performance enhancement specialist (NASM-PES), corrective exercise specialist (NASM-CES), and fitness nutrition specialist (NASM-FNS). He also maintains current certification in CPR/AED and First Aid through the American Heart Association.
A native of Sonoma County, Coughenour married his wife, Kinsey, in 2018. They currently reside in Chico with their son Cassius (Cash) and daughter Kennedy Rose.
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Dr. Aubrey Newland
Director of Mental Performance |
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About Dr. Newland
Dr. Aubrey Newland is an associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Kinesiology Department. She has a PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sport psychology. Her primary professional interests include motivation, optimizing the athlete experience, and understanding coaching. She supervises and coordinates sport psychology graduate students as they work with athletes and teams to enhance performance using mental skills.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to empower athletes to consistently perform at a high level by providing mental skills training. We are committed to offering high quality, evidence-based workshops and individual sessions with athletes and coaches that develop resilience, focus, and confidence. We aim to help each athlete unlock their full potential by teaching a variety of mental skills, including self-talk, arousal regulation, imagery (visualization), concentration, and routines.
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Dr. Angela Alger
Director of Sports Nutrition |
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About Dr. Alger
Dr. Angela Alger is a lecturer and sports nutrition externship coordinator in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science. She has an MS in Nutrition Education and a PhD in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis in sports nutrition. Her research focuses on factors that influence dietary behaviors of collegiate athletes, sports nutrition, and health behaviors. She has worked as a faculty liaison with CalFresh Outreach and the Basic Needs Program.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to give athletes the tools they need to appropriately fuel their bodies to perform at a high level, recover, and reduce their risk of injury. We strive to connect athletes with appropriate resources on campus and in the community to increase their access to affordable, nutritious foods. We are committed to offering high quality, evidence-based workshops and individual sessions with coaches and athletes to increase their nutrition knowledge and ability to choose and prepare appropriate foods to meet their individual goals.
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