NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2025 COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce the recipients of the organization’s 2025 Coach of the Year Awards:

Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Kevin Neeld, PhD, CPSS, CSCS, RSCC*D

College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Scott Caulfield, MA, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D, RSCC*E

Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year: Lilly Bernardi, MS, CSCS, RSCC

Award winners are selected by the NSCA’s Coaching Taskforce, a group filled with previous award winners and other established leaders from the strength and conditioning community. The Taskforce determines the winners based on their contributions to the NSCA, their community, and the coaching profession.

Accepting the Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award is Kevin Neeld, PhD, CPSS, CSCS, RSCC*D. Neeld is the Director of Performance for the Boston Bruins, where he oversees the team’s performance training program and sports science initiatives. Prior to Boston, Neeld spent two years as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Jose Sharks and five years assisting the U.S. Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team. He also spent seven years as the Director of a private sports performance facility in New Jersey, where he worked with pro, college, junior, and elite-level youth hockey players. Neeld serves on the Executive Council of the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey (SCAPH) as well as NSCA’s Ice Hockey Special Interest Group and is a founding Board Member of Metabolic Elite. Neeld earned his PhD in Human and Sport Performance from Rocky Mountain University, where his research focused on elite hockey workload and performance. He has published several articles, authored Ultimate Hockey Training and Speed Training for Hockey, and co-edited Strength Training for Hockey. Neeld has spoken at NHL, NSCA, and USA Hockey events.

Accepting the College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award is Scott Caulfield, MA, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D, RSCC*E. Coach Caulfield oversees, develops, and manages the individual and group strength and conditioning programs for over 600 student-athletes participating in Norwich University's 22 NCAA Division III varsity athletic programs. As a native Vermonter and US Navy Veteran, he has honed his expertise through "under the bar" lifting and coaching throughout his various roles, including his tenure at the NSCA world headquarters in Colorado Springs from 2011 – 2019. Before joining the NSCA, Coach Caulfield was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Dartmouth College from 2008 – 2011, working with football, men's and women's swimming, and men's rugby teams. Notably, from 2006 – 2008, he was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Director of Camps for the back-to-back American Basketball Association champions, the Vermont Frost Heaves. Caulfield earned his Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Castleton University in 2000 and his Master of Arts in Sports Coaching from the University of Denver in 2017.

Accepting the Assistant College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award is Lilly Bernardi, MS, CSCS, RSCC. Bernardi is in her fourth year as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. She has had stops at Fordham University (2021 – 2022) and Hofstra University (2022 – 2024) and is in her first year as an Assistant Director of Sports Performance at The University of North Carolina (2024 – present). She has worked with ten different sports throughout her career. In her current role, she is responsible for all aspects of programming for softball, gymnastics, and women’s tennis. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from The College of New Jersey and a Master’s degree in Sports Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from Hofstra University. She has presented at several NSCA events, served on the NSCA New York State Advisory Board, and coordinated Hofstra University’s graduate and undergraduate internship programs. She currently resides in Cary, North Carolina, with her fiancé Jacob.

“It is an honor to celebrate Coaches Neeld, Caulfield, and Bernardi as this year’s distinguished recipients,” states Eric McMahon, NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager. “Their dedication to excellence uplifts their athletes, communities, and the NSCA. We look forward to celebrating their impact on the coaching profession in New Orleans.”

The NSCA invites you to join us in celebrating their achievements at the 2025 NSCA Coaches Conference on January 8-10 in New Orleans, LA, and online. Register now at NSCA.com/Coaches.

For more information regarding the NSCA’s prestigious awards, please visit NSCA.com/Membership/Awards.

Media Note: To schedule an interview with award winners, please contact marketing@nsca.com.

About the National Strength & Conditioning Association

Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a recognized 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning science and education for all people.

The NSCA exists to empower the public and professionals across the strength and conditioning spectrum with evidence-based information to safely and effectively enhance health and performance. Our community consists of more than 60,000 Members and Certified Professionals worldwide who further best practices as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other exercise science-related roles.