Dueling Football Coaches: Motivating the Masses
Jason Veltkamp University of Arkansas Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Jason Veltkamp is in his fourth season as the head strength and conditioning coach at Arkansas after joining head coach Bobby Petrino?s staff in January of 2008. While at Arkansas, Veltkamp has helped the Razorbacks to two bowl trips, including the first BCS game in program history. Last season, Arkansas played in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against No. 6 Ohio State after qualifying for the Liberty Bowl following the 2009 season. The Razorbacks have continued to post career-best showings in testing each offseason along with their increased performances on the football field. The Bozeman, Mont., native spent the four previous years (2004-07) as the head strength and conditioning coach for football at Louisville, including the first three years with head coach Bobby Petrino, when the Cardinals earned trips to the Liberty, Gator and Orange bowls. In his time at Louisville, he coordinated the development of 21 future NFL Draft selections. Before going to Louisville, he was the director of strength and conditioning at the University of Utah from 2001-03 after working as an assistant from 1999-2000. While with the Utes, the football team won two Mountain West Conference championships, earned three bowl bids, and had wins over Southern California in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl and Southern Mississippi in the 2003 Liberty Bowl. The men's basketball team also won three conference titles and earned three NCAA Tournament bids with Veltkamp organizing their workouts. Veltkamp began his career in 1995 as a student assistant and volunteer coach working with the offensive line at Carroll College in Helena, Mont. A little more than a year later he moved into strength and conditioning as the coach for the Helena Ice Pirates Junior "A" hockey team for the 1996 season. He returned to Carroll and assisted with spring practice before working at Utah State as a graduate assistant from 1997-98. His time at USU saw him work with 14 sports, including football, basketball, volleyball and track. Athletes he has worked with include four NFL first-round draft picks in defensive tackle Amobe Okoye (Houston), offensive tackle Jordan Gross (Carolina), quarterback Alex Smith (San Francisco) and offensive guard Eric Wood (Buffalo). Three of Veltkamp?s former pupils have won a Super Bowl, with offensive lineman Jason Spitz part of the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers and offensive lineman Chris Kemeoatu and defensive back William Gay playing for Super Bowl XLIII champion Pittsburgh. He also worked with basketball center Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee). Other professional athletes he has worked with include Steve Smith and Maake Kemoeatu (Carolina), Elvis Dumervil (Denver), Michael Bush (Oakland), Kolby Smith (Kansas City) and Kerry Rhodes (New York Jets). The Carroll College graduate was a four-year starter for the Fighting Saints, where he played for Bob Petrino, Sr. A two-time all-conference selection in 1993 and 1994, he was also a team captain in 1994. Veltkamp earned his master's degree in exercise science from Utah State in 1998 and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also a member of the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Association. He and his wife Kristen have two sons, Caden and Colton. DUTIES: strength and conditioning BORN: June 1, 1973 FAMILY: wife Kristen; sons Caden and Colton EDUCATION Charles M. Russell (Great Falls, Mont.) HS, 1991 Carroll College ? B.A. in sports management and coaching, 1996 Utah State ? M.S. in exercise science, 1998 JOINED UA STAFF: Jan. 3, 2008 YEARS OF COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE/YEARS AT UA: 12/3 COACHING HISTORY 1997-98 Utah St. (graduate assistant strength coach) 1999-00 Utah (assistant strength coach) 2001-03 Utah (director of strength and conditioning) 2004-07 Louisville (head football strength and conditioning coach) 2008- Arkansas (head strength and conditioning coach) PLAYING EXPERIENCE Carroll College (center), 1991-94 POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE Player Carroll College 1993 NAIA Division II Playoffs Strength & Conditioning Coach Utah St. 1997 Humanitarian Bowl Utah 1999 Las Vegas Bowl 2001 Las Vegas Bowl 2003 Liberty Bowl Louisville 2004 Liberty Bowl 2006 Gator Bowl 2007 Orange Bowl Arkansas 2010 Liberty Bowl 2011 Sugar Bowl PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AFCA National Strength and Conditioning Association Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association
