Staff
Ruben Mendoza
Director of Strength and Conditioning
Wayne State '89
Coach Mendoza is in his fourth year as Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Notre Dame. He oversees all the varsity sports at the University of Notre Dame. He responsible for the strength and conditioning program for the football team and the day to day operations for the 25,000 square foot training facility. Before coming to Notre Dame, he served as the coordinator of strength and conditioning at the University of Mississippi for four years. At Ole Miss, Coach Mendoza oversaw a Rebel strength program that included 500 student-athletes and 18 varsity sports. Two 10,000 square foot weight rooms combined with Mendoza and his staff provided Ole Miss with one of the top programs of its kind in the country. Prior to Ole Miss, Coach Mendoza was the Assistant Director of Strength, Speed and Conditioning for four years at Clemson University. Other Strength and Conditioning positions include Head Strength coach at the University of Tennessee-Chatanooga, Head Strength coach/Defensive Line coach at Presbyterian College, and GA strength coach at the University of South Carolina. A Kodak All-American offensive linemen in 1985 while playing at Wayne State, Coach Mendoza spent three seasons in the NFL, playing for the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and the Phoenix Cardinals. Coach Mendoza is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa).
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Tony Rolinski
Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning
Penn State '91, Pittsburgh '95
Tony enters his ninth year at the University of Notre Dame. He is responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for Men's and women's basketball and hockey teams. He is also responsible for the day to day supervision the jacc weight room. Prior to coming to the University of Notre Dame, he served as the Head strength and Conditioning coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He was responsible for the design and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for all varsity sports. He also served as the head strength conditioning coach for one year at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Tony served as a strength and conditioning intern for the University of Pittsburgh football team. He is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).
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Rick Perry
Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning
Missouri State '95, Kansas '99
Rick Perry joined the University of Notre Dame strength and conditioning staff in 2006 and was promoted to his current position of assistant director in May 2008. He assists with the strength program for Fighting Irish football and also oversees the strength and conditioning programs for Notre Dame men's soccer and men's lacrosse teams.
Prior to coming to the University of Notre Dame, Rick served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Missouri State for eight years. At MSU, he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for 21 varsity sports and the day-to-day management of the Plaster Sports Complex. In 2002, he was a nominee for the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year.
Perry also spent two years as a graduate assistant strength coach at the University of Kansas, working with the Jayhawks' football, men's basketball, and swimming and diving programs. He is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).
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Elisa Angeles
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Ball State '02, Iowa State '06
Elisa Angeles is in her third year at the University of Notre Dame. She is responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for women's soccer, women's lacrosse, women's cross country, and swimming & diving.
Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, Angeles spent three years at Iowa State, two as a full time assistant and one as a graduate assistant. She is certified the United States Weightlifting Federation (USWL) and the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).
Elisa Angeles is in her second year at the University of Notre Dame. She is responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for women's soccer, women's lacrosse, women's cross country, and swimming & diving.
Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, Angeles spent three years at Iowa State, two as a full time assistant and one as a graduate assistant. She is certified the United States Weightlifting Federation (USWL) and the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA).
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Craig Cheek
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Bluffton University '97, Bowling Green '04
Craig Cheek is in his second year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Notre Dame. He is responsible for the strength and conditioning programs for women's lacrosse and men's & women's fencing, and he also assists with men's & women's basketball and hockey.
Before arriving at Notre Dame, Cheek was the head strength and conditioning coach at Nicholls State (La.) for two years. There, he oversaw all varsity athletic programs and the strength & conditioning staff. Cheek also spent one year as an assistant strength coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
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Irele Oderinde
Speed/Skills Development Coach
Western Kentucky University '03, '07
This is Irele's first season with the University of Notre Dame strength and conditioning, where he is the speed/skills development coach. He assists with the strength program for Fighting Irish football and also oversees the strength and conditioning programs for Notre Dame track and men's & women's golf teams.
Prior to coming to the University of Notre Dame Irele severed three seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Western Kentucky University, and four years on the school's staff. While there, Irele developed and implemented strength and conditioning programs for men's basketball and softball. During his tenure, the Hilltoppers saw a significant increase in vertical leaps and total strength. Irele also assisted with the program's nutrition regimen and was responsible for the purchase of training equipment used by the basketball program.
As a senior, he recorded a career-best 45 total tackles (31 unassisted) with nine stops for loss including a sack. A starter in 12 of WKU's 13 games, his efforts helped the Toppers rank in the top 20 nationally in four of five team statistical categories.
A four-year letterwinner, Oderinde played in 10 games as a junior as WKU won its first national championship. He collected 18 tackles with three for loss and a pass defensed that season. In 2001 he played in all 12 games with three starts, collecting 28 tackles (17 unassisted) with eight stops for loss (20 yds) and three sacks (13 yds).
During his career, the Toppers posted a 40-13 (75.5%) record and advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in four consecutive years for the first time in school history.
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Eric Overland
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Winona State University '02
Eric Overland is in his first year as assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Notre Dame. He assists Coach Mendoza with football, and directs the strength programs for Mens and Womens Tennis.
Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Overland was working towards a master's degree in Education at Winona State (Minn.) as a graduate assistant strength coach. He also helped develop and implement programs for WSU's football, men's & women's basketball and baseball teams.
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Chris Sandeen
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Arizona State '01, Central Michigan '06
Chris Sandeen is in his first year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Notre Dame. He is responsible for assisting Coach Mendoza with football, he also develops programming for Volleyball and Softball.
Prior to Notre Dame, he was a Strength Assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals. Other experiences include a Graduate Assistantship at Central Michigan and worked at Athletes Performance, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona State University.
A graduate of Arizona State University in Exercise Science, he was also awarded a Masters Degree in the same concentration from Central Michigan University. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the NSCA, and has Sports Performance certification by USA Weightlifting.
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Jim Seacord Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Gardner-Webb University '71
Jim Seacord is in his second year at the University of Notre Dame. He is an assistant strength coach with football and is responsible for the strength and conditioning program for women's rowing.
Prior to coming to Notre Dame, he served as the defensive line coach at Gardner-Webb (N.C.) for the 2006 season. He also served as a high school football, track and field, strength and conditioning coach for more 30 years in North and South Carolina.
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Erika Whitman Sports Nutrition
Delaware '02
Erika Whitman is in her second year as the sports nutritionist at the University of Notre Dame. She oversees the education, monitoring and guidance for nutrition of all student-athletes for all 26 varsity sports.
Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Whitman spent 10 months as the coordinator of sports nutrition at the University of Florida. She also worked as a program health educator for Health and Nutrition Technology in Indianapolis for three years. In addition, she was an assistant sports nutritionist at Penn State University for three months and also completed an internship at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
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