Sport Responsibilities: Volleyball, Men's Swimming, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Rowing
Luis Velez is the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Performance at Florida Tech Athletics. He was hired as Florida Tech's Head Athletic Trainer in Sept. 2020 and promoted into his current role in Oct. 2021. This is his second stint with Florida Tech Athletics as he served as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Panthers from 2003-05 before heading to Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina.
Velez was an athletic trainer, preceptor and adjunct instructor for Lenoir-Rhyne since the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year and also served as the Bears' first-ever Director of Strength & Conditioning for three years.
As athletic trainer, Velez worked with numerous sports at Lenoir-Rhyne, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, and volleyball.
His strength and conditioning duties began in 2015 with the Bears men's basketball team and his influence helped guide the squad to the team's first-ever NCAA Division II berth in the regional finals. In 2019-20, Velez served as strength and conditioning coach for men's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's swimming, and men's and women's golf.
Additionally, Velez was an instructor and preceptor for Lenoir-Rhyne's School of Health, Exercise Science and Sport Science. He taught courses including First Aid and Emergency Care, Concepts of Healthful Living, Athletic Speed and Conditioning, High Intensity Interval Training, Assessment and Management and the Lower Extremity Lab, and Therapeutic Modalities Lab. Velez also served as preceptor for undergraduate exercise science students and graduate students in the Lenoir-Rhyne Athletic Training Education Program.
Prior to his initial stint at Florida Tech, Luis received a Master of Arts in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University in May of 2003. At Furman, Velez served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer from 2001-03 and worked with the baseball, volleyball, women's basketball, and men's and women's tennis teams. Luis also worked Doug Allison's Soccer Academy at Furman every summer since 2003.
Additionally, Velez directed a Speed and Conditioning Academy at Lenoir-Rhyne every summer (velezercise.com) and worked with Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association, local school teams, and individual athletes on speed and agility training.
Velez is a Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach, Certified USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach, and Certified Sportmetrics Instructor. Velez is also an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Trainer. Luis is a member of National Athletic Trainers' Association and National Strength and Conditioning Association.
