River Forest, Ill. - Dominican University athletics announces that Branden Dos Santos has been named the new Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.

Dos Santos previously served in the department as the Coordinator of Athletics Events & Student Workers while also serving as the head men's and women's cross country coach. Dos Santos will continue to lead the cross country teams while taking on the new role.

In 2018, Dos Santos graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Social Psychology with a minor in Integrative Biology with the intent of pursuing a career in sports performance. He also completed his NASM Certified Personal Training Certificate and began working as a strength and conditioning coach for MFC Sports Performance in Darien, Illinois. During his time at MFC Sports Performance he had the opportunity to work with a variety of skill and aged athletes and was able to help them become bigger, faster, stronger, and overall healthier athletes.

Dos Santos has had the opportunity to work with some of the best high school athletes in the state of Illinois in sports including baseball, softball, hockey, wrestling, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. In 2020, he completed his NCSA CSCS certificate and took the opportunity to intern with Goodman Elite Training which is owned and run by Chicago Blackhawk's head strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman. This was a tremendous experience because he was able to see how some of the most elite athletes on the planet took care of their physical and mental preparation to be successful on and off the ice. Since then, through MFC Sports Performance, he took lead on North Central's Women's Soccer program's strength and conditioning and was able to work alongside them as they set a new school record for wins in the program. In March of 2022, he came back to DU not as a recruit, but as a contracted strength and conditioning coach to assist the Men's Soccer program.

"I am extremely excited to work with all of our programs here at Dominican," Dos Santos said. "I am a huge advocate of strength and conditioning for athletes of all ages, but I believe what sets collegiate programs apart from others is having a coach who is experienced and knowledgeable on how to optimally train athletes. I want to give our athletes the tools and resources to be as successful as possible, and to go on this journey alongside all of them will be rewarding."