Piedmont College Head Athletic Trainer Matt McKinney has announced the hiring of a new Assistant Athletic Trainer with Brian Lentz joining the staff beginning in the fall of 2016.
Lentz arrives in Demorest after a year-long stint with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins as an Athletic Training Assistant, the second of two stops in the NFL for Lentz.
Lentz brings rich experience to a Piedmont College Athletic Training staff already flush with its own experience led by Head Athletic Trainer Matt McKinney who has spent time at two Division III institutions with a stint at LaGrange College and another as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Piedmont before being named to his current position in 2013.
“Brian brings very unique experience with him to Piedmont College,” said McKinney when asked of the latest addition to the athletic training staff. “Our student athletes will really benefit from this. Myself and my staff look forward to working with him.”
“I’m excited to accept the position of assistant athletic trainer at Piedmont College,” said Lentz. “I look forward to working with the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and staff.”
In his last post, Lentz worked with the Miami Dolphins as an Athletic Training Assistant starting with the organization in May of 2015. Lentz assisted with treatment and rehabs while also helping to set up for practice and games, prepare medical trunks for travel, and gaining experience with injury documentation software.
His experience with the Dolphins was not the first stop in the NFL for Lentz as he spent the summer of 2012 working with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an Athletic Training Student Intern.
In between his time in the NFL, Lentz served as a graduate assistant in the Athletic Training department at NCAA Division III member Waynesburg University. Lentz conducted injury evaluation, rehabilitation, and also worked on injury prevention while with Waynesburg’s football, women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, cross country, and tennis teams.
Prior to jumping to Waynesburg for his graduate work, Lentz spent time working with several teams as an undergraduate at Penn State including the football, men’s soccer, wrestling, women’s ice hockey, and cheerleading teams. Two summers of Lentz’ time at Penn State were also spent working with summer camps as a Sports Health Aid.
Lentz earned his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from The Pennsylvania State University in 2013. For his undergraduate work, Lentz earned the Sayers J. “Bud” Miller Memorial Award from Penn State in 2011.
In the spring of 2015, Lentz completed his graduate work earning his Master of Science in athletic Training from West Virginia University in Morgantown.
Certified through the BOC and also licensed as an Athletic Trainer, Lentz is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). Additionally, Lentz also retains certification with the American Heart Association BLS for Health Care Providers.
