PELLA—After seven years as strength and conditioning coach at Saint Mary's University (Minn.), 2012 Central College grad Matt Sagar is returning as the school's assistant strength and conditioning coordinator.

Athletics director Eric Van Kley also announced that women's basketball assistant Kayla Engelhard will add some strength and conditioning coaching responsibilities to her duties, giving Centra's highly regarded program four on-campus staff members, believed to be as many or more than any NCAA Division III school. Strength and conditioning coordinator Kyle Johnson is also assisted by Monica Ruiz, a 2016 Central grad who joined the staff in May.
           
Sagar was a strength and conditioning intern as a Central undergraduate, earning a bachelor's degree with an exercise science major and a strength and conditioning emphasis. He then served as an intern at the University of Nebraska, working with the Husker football squad. He earned a master's degree in education leadership with an emphasis in sports management at Winona State University (Minn.), where he served as a graduate assistant coach, working with the baseball, women's basketball and men's and women's rugby programs.
           
At St. Mary's Sagar developed a strength and conditioning internship curriculum and also managed nutritional programs in addition to daily training sessions.
           
Johnson said he's thrilled to have Sagar back at Central.
           
"We're extremely fortunate to have someone with experience in leading a program, one that Matt helped build from the ground up," Johnson said. "He understands our athletics department and our core values, and he has some unique experiences at Nebraska, Winona State and St. Mary's. He helped grow the St. Mary's strength and conditioning program on the academic side as well. He will be really helpful with our internship program and through the accreditation process with the NSCA."
           

Engelhard is in her second year at Central after previously serving as assistant women's basketball coach at Whitman College (Wash.) from 2017-20. She was a graduate assistant at Concordia University Chicago from 2015-17 while earning a master's degree in sports administration. She's a 2015 graduate of Calvin University (Mich.) where she was a four-year starter and two-year team co-captain. She is a National Strength & Conditioning Association-certified strength and conditioning specialist.
           
"Kayla gives us a second female coach which will allow us to better connect with our female student-athletes," Johnson said. "She can help not only with training but with nutrition guidance. She'll do an outstanding job."
           
Having a fourth staff member along with Central's three full-time coaches further enhances the school's highly regarded program, providing individual attention that other schools can't match, Johnson said.
           
"Some other schools have multiple strength coaches but they often have collateral assignments where they're missing time," Johnson said. "We are available for our athletes, during the busy workout times but also throughout the day."