MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho Athletics has hired Caleb Heim as the Director of Strength and Conditioning and Jack Rinzel as Assistant Strength coach.

Heim comes to Idaho from the University of South Dakota where he served as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. He began at South Dakota in early 2018 and worked with the USD football, women's basketball and softball teams.

"We are really excited to have Caleb here at Idaho," Athletic Director Terry Gawlik said. "He brings a very diverse background that fits in our plan to enhance sports performance across all of our teams with nutrition, new and innovative training ideas and his ever-present enthusiasm."

The South Dakota football team earned a trip to the 2021 FCS playoffs and the USD women's basketball team has earned three consecutive Summit league championships, earned four NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022.

Prior to his time at South Dakota, he served as a graduate assistant at Nebraska where he worked with the Cornhusker football team and earned his M.S. in Physiology and Nutrition. He served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Southwest Minnesota State, his alma mater in 2014-15.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Southwest Minnesota State where he played quarterback for the Mustangs.

He will be joined in Moscow by his wife Katie and their son Bennett.

"Katie and I are really excited to be welcomed into the Vandal family," Heim said. "I can sense a noticeable energy in the athletics department with AD Terry Gawlik at the helm and that has been reflected in all my interactions with the sport coaches and administration. I'm very excited to come at this time to be a part of this athletics program. I'm very impressed with the facilities and the resources here at the University of Idaho and that starts with the weight room and the athletics fueling center. There is a unique opportunity here, with these pieces in place, to really focus on the development of our student-athletes so I plan to use these resources as a catalyst to help raise expectations and results."

 

Rinzel joins Heim in his transition from South Dakota where he served as a graduate assistant. He owns an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.

He played lacrosse at Division III Stevenson University in Maryland and has experience as a National Level USAPL Powerlifter.

"I am very excited for what Coach Heim and I will have the opportunity to build across all of the athletic teams on campus," Rinzel said. "The top-notch facilities matched by even better people give us a great avenue to facilitate a culture that is committed to winning and developing not just great athletes but great people. I am excited to see more of what the amazing community and town of Moscow has to offer."

Heim looks to complete his staff with one more hire in the coming weeks.