Tim Farina has been named strength coach at Kansas Wesleyan. He will be the first full-time strength coach in school history.

“We are very pleased to welcome Tim to KWU and look forward to his leadership in this critical area of player development,” Director of Athletics Miguel Paredes said. “I am confident he will make an immediate impact on each athletic program and each student athlete. Coach Farina will bring our sports performance to new heights.”

“This is one big step moving the Coyote Athletic Department to be leaders in the Kansas Conference and the NAIA as we hire the first full-time strength coach in school history,” said Ken Oliver, Executive Vice President for Advancement and University Operations.

Farina comes to KWU after serving as strength and conditioning coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut since 2021. He worked with 19 NCAA Division III varsity teams and helped develop two national champions in track and wrestling. He also implemented a power-based assessment to quantify athlete fatigue levels.

This summer Farina worked as an intern at the University of Connecticut where he assisted with the strength and conditioning staff in the supervision and training of the Huskies’ Division I football program. He coached daily speed and strength training sessions.

Farina also served as a sports performance intern at Yale University in the summer of 2020 where he developed quantitative analysis for on field productivity in football.

Before Yale, Farina was an assistant football coach and video coordinator at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts from 2019-20. He assisted the offensive coordinator with game planning and game management.

Farina is a graduate of Becker College (Massachusetts) and was four-time all-conference offensive lineman (2012-16). He played professionally in France for one year and competed for the USA in the World University Championship Games in 2016.

“The leadership, obviously,” Farina said of his decision to accept the job at KWU. “I had a lot of discussions with Miguel. With him as a leader I think the department is heading in a great direction and then additionally the athletics staff and department all seem to be on the same page with that of academics. I think the alignment is a great fit for me.”

Farina said he is eager to work with KWU’s athletes.

“First and foremost, enhancing the student athlete experience – I know that’s one of the biggest things,” he said. “I had a strength coach for like one year in college so the ability to have four years to physically develop and prepare players I think is huge.”
Farina said his training regimes will vary but will have a common foundation.

“The biggest thing is when you’re approaching a sport what’s going to be appropriate for them based on their schedule?” he said. “In-season teams will be treated very similar and others on how far outside of competition they are. It’s based on what’s more appropriate for each sport at that given time. Football guys might need an additional day or two.

“But pretty much every sport will be focused on improving speed, strength, and power. All three of those components, in my opinion, you train for year-round.”

Farina said working at UConn this summer has been beneficial.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “I hopped on staff as a volunteer while I was working my full-time job at the Coast Guard Academy. I was able to learn more about how they operate at those higher divisions and I feel like I can take a good amount of what I’ve learned and apply it to KW and the athletes there.”

Farina is excited to have a new training facility to work with as KWU is in the process of renovating the Everett Morgan Strength Training Center. New equipment including branded weights, new machines and new specialized flooring have or will be installed.

“I think it’s a great use of the space,” he said. “A good amount of space for (weight) racks but also a fair amount of free space to be able to do some plyometrics and stretching which is a great idea. And then obviously the branding in the space is incredible. You want your brand all over that place.

“When I walk in there for the first time, I can see myself coach on the floor and working with the athletes.”

Farina will begin his duties at KWU later this month.