Griffin Vander Waerdt enters his first year as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Football at the University of Arkansas Monticello, bringing Division I experience and a performance-driven approach to athlete development.
He most recently served as the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Colorado State University, where he supported football performance operations, enforced team accountability standards, and assisted with return-to-play training and body composition programming.
He began his coaching career in 2022 as a Football Strength and Conditioning Intern at Colorado State University, assisting the strength staff with daily training operations and athlete development.
Prior to entering coaching, Vander Waerdt was a Division I football student-athlete at Colorado State University, but his playing career ended when he became ill with Crohn’s disease.
Vander Waerdt has brought a disciplined, relationship-driven approach centered on accountability, effort, and consistency, and he leads Arkansas-Monticello's Football’s strength and conditioning program with a commitment to building resilient, physically prepared, and competitive student-athletes.
COACH VANDER WAERDT'S STORY
(more on Griffin's story of becoming a strength coach)
