DEKALB, Ill. – Zach Cahill, who spent four years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Northern Illinois University from 2013-2017, returns to NIU as associate athletic director for sports performance.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Zach and his family back to NIU and the Huskie family," said NIU senior associate athletics director for development & revenue generation TJ Feuerbach who also oversees NIU's sports performance unit. "He is extremely well respected among our coaching staff as well as our administration. We are confident he will be a tremendous asset to our student-athletes and coaches as we move our sports performance and nutrition programs forward."
 
Cahill will lead the sports performance efforts for all 17 Huskie athletic teams.
 
"When the opportunity to return NIU presented itself, it was a no brainer for me and my family," Cahill said. "Professionally, I really felt I could improve the student-athlete experience and maximize their potential at NIU with the lessons learned from being at NDSU.  Personally, the DeKalb-Sycamore community was something we really missed and looked forward to returning too."
 
A native of Rolla, North Dakota, Cahill returns to DeKalb after spending the previous year and a half as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for North Dakota State. While in Fargo, he worked with the Bison's National Championship-winning football team, nationally ranked wrestling squad and the throwers on the NDSU men's and women's track & field team.
 
During his previous stint with the Huskies, Cahill oversaw the training programs for NIU's 13 Olympic sports, including the 2016 MAC West Division Champion Huskie softball team and assisted with strength and conditioning efforts of the 2014 MAC Champion and three-time MAC West Division Champion Huskie football team.
 
A National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Cahill began his career at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill. He is also certified by the American Red Cross in first aid and CPR.
 
Cahill earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science at Minnesota State Moorhead and was a four-year letterwinner at defensive end for the Dragons. He received his master's degree in kinesiology from North Dakota where he was an assistant strength and coach for the Fighting Hawks from 2009-12.
 
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