IRFU Appoint Nick Winkelman As Head Of Athletic Performance And Science
The IRFU are pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Winkelman as Head of Athletic Performance and Science. Nick will commence work at the IRFU from April 1, 2016.
Nick Winkelman joins the IRFU from the US-based company EXOS where he held the position of Director of Education and Training Systems.
Located in Phoenix, Arizona, EXOS supports over 100 collegiate athletes each year preparing to make their transition into the National Football League through the NFL Combine and Draft process.
As the Director of Education, Nick was responsible for developing and managing an education department that served the professional development needs of the international EXOS team in addition to thousands of coaches worldwide who engage through the EXOS live Mentorship programmes and their online EXOS Performance Specialist Certification.
As a performance coach, Nick has been running the EXOS NFL Combine development programme for the last seven years. In his ten years at EXOS, Nick has supported a diversity of athletes across sport (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) and the armed services.
IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora commented: “We are delighted to welcome Nick to the IRFU’s High Performance Unit. He is a world leader in his area of expertise and will bring a wealth of knowledge and new capabilities to how we develop, manage and assess the physical performance of our professional players.
“The IRFU is committed to securing the best talent to support our athletes and coaches and in Nick we have secured a highly talented and motivated individual whose expertise will greatly benefit Irish rugby.”
About Nick Winkelman
Nick is a graduate of Oregan State University where he completed a Bachelors in Exercise and Sports Science. He undertook a Masters in Strength and Conditioning at Edith Cowan University and did a Doctorate (with an emphasis in motor learning and sprinting) at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
Throughout Nick’s career he has placed a strong emphasis on personal development, having been certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the USA Weightlifting Association and the USA Track and Field Association.
Nick is an internationally recognised speaker on topics pertaining to skill acquisition, coaching science, movement skill development, and athletic profiling, and has publications through the NSCA, UKSCA and IDEA Health and Fitness.