Cidzik named strength and conditioning coach atNorthwestern State

NATCHITOCHES ­ Ryan Cidzik, the strength and conditioning coordinator for NFL international player development with NFL Europe, is the new strength and conditioning coach for Northwestern State. Cidzik, who was also assistant strength coach at Louisiana Tech since February 2004, took over his duties earlier this summer. His hiring has the approval of the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana system Cidzik is state chairman of the American Powerlifting Association and oversees all competitions in Louisiana and Alabama. NSU recently hosted an APA state competition under his guidance. He works with all of Northwesternıs varsity sports and is assisted by Ben Larson. ³Heıs done a tremendous job with our conditioning program this summer,² said Demons football coach Scott Stoker. ³Itıs just amazing to see how the kids respond to him and to see the progress being made. Itıs not just football; every head coach in every sport is very pleased to have him on our staff.² Cidzik served as the primary strength and conditioning consultant for NFL Europe in 2004 before being appointed the leagueıs first strength and conditioning coordinator. He developed agility, dynamic strength, flexibility, mobility, absolute strength, anaerobic endurance, linear speed, aerobic endurance and nutrition programs for all NFL Europe players. He coordinated programs for the top 300 prospects as identified by the leagueıs staff and worked directly with the leagueıs senior director of player development, while consulting with all the leagueıs head coaches on a weekly basis. At Louisiana Tech, he served briefly as interim head strength and conditioning coach in spring 2004. Since February 2004, he acted as the primary assistant for all aspects of player development for the Bulldogs football team. He coordinated strength and conditioning for the womenıs basketball and baseball teams in 2005 and 2006 after working with menıs basketball, baseball and the throwers on the track and field team in 2004. Cidzik, who graduated from Susquehanna (Pa.) University with a 3.2 grade point average in May 2001, earned a masterıs of exercise science from Louisiana Tech with a perfect 4.0 average in May 2005. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and has been a certified Level 1 Club coach in the USA Weightlifting program since 2003. Former NSU basketball star Dr. Gayle Hatch served as head menıs coach of the USA Weightlifting team in the 2004 Olympic Games. Cidzik also worked as a volunteer strength coach at the University of Richmond in 2003 and was a physical education instructor in Henrietta, N.Y., in 2002-03. He was a four-year letterman on the Susquehanna football team. He was the 2005 APA Drug Free National Powerlifting Champion and won the 2003 APA Lonestar Championships Best Lifter Award. He set APA Louisiana and Texas squat and total lift records in 2003 and the New York State bench press record in 2003.