Rich Gardner joined the Fighting Saints in July of 2024 as the head strength and conditioning coach for University of St. Francis (Ill.) athletics. The 2025-26 season will mark Gardner’s second year as the Strength and Conditioning Coach.
At St. Francis, Gardner assists the athletic department with utilization of current research and methodologies for enhancing athletes’ neuromuscular connection and improving muscular strength, speed, agility and conditioning levels. He oversees individual player and team development while leading training sessions for all USF athletic programs.
Gardner began his coaching career in 2012 as a personal trainer for the FFC Formula Clubs in Chicago, Ill. After two sesasons, he accepted the position of Director of Operations for the GoDeep football organization. While with the club, Gardner led the team to back-to-back championships and saw his 2018 team qualify for national competition in Bradenton, Fla. which was hosted by the IMG Academy.
In 2017, Gardner became the assistant strength and conditioning coach/defensive consultant at St. Laurence High School in Burbank, Ill., where he helped the Vikings earn a No. 5 ranking in Division 6A which led to a berth in the IHSA state playoffs.
Gardner concurrently works for Kinect Health & Wellness in Chicago, Ill. as a performance coach, a position he has held since 2020. In 2018, he founded Maroon Village, a non-profit organization that has worked with over 500 student athletes across Chicago and Northwest Indiana in building resilience on and off the playing field through performance training and practices such as yoga, meditation and breathwork.
Gardner graduated from NCAA Division I Penn State University (Pa.) in 2003, with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2021, he completed his Master’s of Sports, Fitness and Recreational Leadership from DePaul University (Ill.). He is currently a PhD Candidate at Concordia University - Chicago for Health and Human Performance. While at Penn State, Gardner started every game in his final two seasons, totaling 141 tackles, two fumble recoveries, 15 pass deflections and three interceptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. He was named a third-team All-American his senior year and honorable mention All-Big Ten his senior and junior years. After college, Gardner was third-round draft pick (#92 overall) for the Tennessee Titans in 2004. Gardner made 24 tackles and an interception in his two seasons there, playing cornerback and special teams. In 2006, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks before finishing his professional career with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in Kiel Germany. While with the Hurricanes, he helped lead the team to its first German Bowl Championship in 2010.
