Sixteen U-M Student-Athletes Named NSCA Athletes of the Year
Mike Favre (pronounced FAV-or), the 2011 NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, is in his fourth year as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic Sports at the University of Michigan. He oversees 27 varsity sports composing of 660 student-athletes. Favre manages a staff of five full-time coaches and three graduate assistant coaches, along with numerous interns per semester. He is also the strength and conditioning coach for volleyball, women's soccer and wrestling. In addition, Favre was awarded the inaugural Maize and Blue Driving Change award by the University of Michigan Athletic Department in 2012.
Favre joined the Wolverines after spending five-plus years as strength and conditioning coach at the United States Olympic Committee Sports Performance Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was the head strength and conditioning coach for the national Greco-roman wrestling, men's and women's freestyle wrestling squads and select taekwondo and fencing athletes with the USOC. During his tenure, he worked with eight Olympic medalists and five World Championship medalists along with the historic 2007 World Champion Greco-Roman Wrestling team.
Prior to joining the U.S. Olympic staff, Favre spent two-and-half years as the lead strength and conditioning coach for The Scottish Institute of Sport (Nov. 2001-March 2004). He worked with athletes in judo, track and field, rugby, swimming, field hockey, taekwondo, curling, badminton, skeleton bobsled, skiing and tennis while in the West of Scotland.
Favre was the head strength and conditioning coach at La Salle University from December 1999 through January 2001. He was in charge of implementing programs for the football, baseball, softball, volleyball, women's basketball, women's soccer, women's lacrosse and field hockey teams.
In addition to his stint with the Explorers, Favre worked in the Philadelphia area at Temple University for two years. He was a full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2000-01 academic year after serving as a graduate assistant during the 1999-2000 school year. He coordinated the strength and conditioning program for the baseball, men's basketball, men's and women's soccer, field hockey and men's and women's rowing programs. He also assisted with the football team, women's basketball and women's volleyball teams. During his tenure, Favre worked with the men's basketball team that made it to the Elite 8 of the 2001 NCAA Basketball Tournament and the 2001 Atlantic-10 Conference Champion baseball team.
Favre spent seven months as the strength and conditioning coach for the High Desert Mavericks, a Class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 1998 season. He also worked with the Major League organization as an intern during spring training. Prior to his position with the Diamondbacks, Favre was an undergraduate and graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Arizona State University (1996-98), working with the football (1996 Pac-10 champions, 1997 Rose Bowl, 1997 Sun Bowl), baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, soccer, basketball, swimming, golf and wrestling teams.
He earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Arizona State University (1997) and added a master's degree in sports administration from Temple University (2001). Favre was an infantry soldier with the United States Army from August 1989 to February 1992, where he served in Operation Desert Storm.
Favre's credentials include Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the NSCA, Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach by the United Kingdom Strength & Conditioning Association, Bronze Level Coach by USA Wrestling, Level 1 Coach by USA Track and Field and Senior Level Coach by USA Weightlifting. In addition to his list of credentials, Favre was awarded the Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach w/Distinction by the NSCA, which recognizes the professional achievement and competence of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists via a formalized assessment of their practical/applied employment experience, and contribution to the profession of strength and conditioning.
In addition to his current duties, Favre is also involved with several national governing bodies, including: Certification Assessor and Member of Editorial Panel for the United Kingdom Strength & Conditioning Association, Certification Committee member with the National Strength & Conditioning Association, Chair of the Executive Council with the National Strength & Conditioning Association's Collegiate Strength Coach's Special Interest Group. He regularly presents on sports performance related topics at both the national and international levels. Favre has also been published in numerous journals, magazines and newspapers.
Favre and his wife, Bridget, have two children: Lindsay and Liam.
