IGCT Episode #288: Tim Kontos "Let Your Work Do The Talking"

Tim Kontos, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, is in his 20th year as the Director of Sports Performance for VCU Athletics. In 2015, Kontos was named as a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, the highest honor given in the profession.

His honors were further elevated by VCU after being named Associate AD for Sports Performance in July 2016, then to Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance and Student-Athlete Wellness in September of 2018 where he oversees the sports medicine, sports psychology and sports nutrition departments in addition to the sports performance department.

Kontos designs, implements and supervises all strength, speed and agility programs for The Rams’ Baseball and Volleyball teams. In addition to his direct sport oversight, Kontos oversees 16 of VCU’s 17 sports. Kontos has worked to develop a holistic approach to Sports Performance since his arrival at VCU in 1998. Kontos has built a program that believes in educating athletes beyond the “what” and puts emphasis on the “why” behind their program. Although each program is built around the needs of the sport, principles of nutrition, psychology, and recovery are common themes in addition to strength and conditioning.

A firm believer in leading by example, Kontos is a competitive powerlifter and most recently squatted 600lbs in December of 2015 placing him seventh on the all time highest squat for his age and weight class. A 1997 graduate of Radford University, Kontos spent two years as strength and conditioning coach for the ice hockey team at his alma mater, where he supervised off-ice workouts for speed and strength training. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Radford. Kontos is a Level-1 Club Coach through the United States Weightlifting Association, a Level-1 Coach through the United States Track & Field Association, and a Functional Movement Screen Practitioner.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• What experience in his journey impacted him the most, and Why.
• Biggest mistake he has made and how he learned from it.
• Secret to staying in one place for 20 years. 
• His role as an Associate AD and how he works with all other departments. 
• Advice to the next generation of Strength and Conditioning Coaches.  
• Best piece of coaching advice he has ever received.
• His favorite quote, Book/App/Website recommendation.