College Sports
Chase Engdahl Hired as Newest Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning
By: Rebecca Osowski Story Links HANOVER, N.H. – Executive Associate Athletics Director for Peak Performance Austin Driggers recently announced Chase Engdahl will join the Big Green as the newest Assistant Director for Strength and Conditioning. Engdahl will work primarily with the men’s and women’s hockey teams, men’s and women’s golf, as […]
HANOVER, N.H. – Executive Associate Athletics Director for Peak Performance Austin Driggers recently announced Chase Engdahl will join the Big Green as the newest Assistant Director for Strength and Conditioning. Engdahl will work primarily with the men’s and women’s hockey teams, men’s and women’s golf, as well as assist with the football team.
“The fact that even a team’s top players are on the ice for less than half the game speaks to the extraordinary physical demands of hockey. This search was about identifying someone with a proven ability to prepare players to meet those demands at the highest levels of the sport—and that’s exactly what we’ve found in Chase,” Driggers said. “His NHL experience not only reflects deep domain-specific expertise, but also a strong understanding of how to operate within an interdisciplinary team—something that’s central to how we support our athletes through Dartmouth Peak Performance.”
“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of like-minded administrators, coaches, staff and student-athletes at Dartmouth College,” Engdahl said about joining the Big Green. “The investment that Dartmouth is making across all athletics and performance is something that instantly drew my attention to this position, and I hope that my experience and passion for enhancing human performance can have a positive impact on our entire staff and student-athletes within the Dartmouth Athletics community. I’d like to thank Mike Harrity, Coach Crowell, Coach Cashman, Austin Driggers and all of the Dartmouth Peak Performance staff for this opportunity. My fiancé Jena and I can’t wait to move to the Upper Valley and get ingrained in the community as soon as possible.”
| WHAT THEY’RE SAYING |
| “I was fortunate to hire Chase as a member of our strength and conditioning staff with the Colorado Avalanche. He was a tremendous asset to both our coaches and our players. Chase made a huge impact immediately as he worked to enhance our strength and conditioning program. His knowledge, experience, demeanor and ability to communicate with players and staff alike is a strength that is hard to find. He has a passion and energy for the job that is unmatched and he truly cares about all the athletes and people he works with. He will be an excellent addition to the Dartmouth team.”
— Jared Bednar Head Coach, Colorado Avalanche |
| “When I first got to the Colorado Avalanche, I knew right away that the organization was lucky to have Chase in the gym. Not only is he a valuable asset because of his knowledge and attention to detail, but more importantly, he’s a great person who genuinely cares about the people and players he works with. His expertise helped me pursue my goals and reach the highest level.”
— Jacob MacDonald Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles |
| “Chase is an incredible human being. His smiling demeanor coupled with his energetic, knowledgeable and innovative approach to helping athletes leads his field of expertise. He has this ability to balance backbone, brain, and brotherhood all while maintaining a strong sense of humility in the partnered chase for peak performance of his athletes. Dartmouth College, great job! You picked a winner, a winner that I am privileged to call a friend.”
— Shawn Allard Founder of Perfect Skating and Former Colorado Avalanche Skills Coach |
| “I’ve had many different strength and conditioning coaches, and I’ve never felt faster, stronger, and more prepared under anyone else’s watch. Chase is one of the best to ever do it and I’ve been very grateful to always have him as a resource throughout my career. On top of that, he brings unmatchable energy to the weight room every day and any team is fortunate to have him.”
— Natalie Mlynkova UVM and Minnesota Gophers Hockey, Czech Olympian |
Engdahl has spent the two seasons at Minnesota Duluth, working as the strength and conditioning coach for both the Bulldogs’ hockey programs. In addition to designing and implementing training programs, Engdahl assisted with recovery and nutrition, collaborated with sports medicine to return players to the ice and conducted a variety of physical testing to optimize training programs.
Maura Crowell, who is in her second season behind the bench of the women’s ice hockey team, worked with Engdahl in her last year and a half at UMD.
“Having worked closely with Chase at the University of Minnesota Duluth, I can say that he is the one of the best strength coaches in the country,” Crowell said. “His expertise in training elite hockey players from the NHL to the WCHA makes him an unbelievable hire. He will help Dartmouth Hockey chase championships.”
Prior to UMD, Engdahl spent two seasons at the University of Vermont as the director of hockey performance. In addition to the same responsibilities with the Bulldogs, Engdahl assisted with nutrition and meal planning for both men’s and women’s teams as well as implementing injury mitigation strategies.
With the Avalanche, Engdahl initiated various sport science practices like force plates and VBT, assisted with warm-ups, training and recovery, and return to play training sessions. He also worked closely with the American Hockey League, Avalanche Player Development, and scouting staffs with development and data preparation of prospects.
Koenig Family Head Coach of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey Reid Cashman described the hiring of Engdahl as a “great addition.”
“We have added an elite strength coach who has the ability to help maximize our student-athletes the same way he did while working in the NCHC, Hockey East and the NHL. With the Colorado Avalanche he worked/developed some of the best players in the world,” Cashman said. “He has first-hand experience in both what it takes to get to the next level and what it takes to stay there. Development and growth are top priorities for our program and Dartmouth Hockey just added one of the best strength coaches in the country.”
Engdahl earned his Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with a concentration in health and fitness promotion from Colorado Mesa University in 2018 before earning his Master of Applied Exercise Science with a concentration in strength and conditioning from Concordia University Chicago in 2020.