WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gallaudet University Director of Athletics Michael Weinstock announced Thursday the official addition of Stephon Healey to the athletics department as its new strength and conditioning coordinator for all varsity teams and the assistant head coach for football.

"We are excited to add Stephon to our staff. He brings innovative and forward-thinking ideas to our department that will help the performance of our student-athletes and teams during their respective seasons and in the off-season," said Weinstock. "Stephon has great skills in the strength and conditioning field that will serve him well as he tries to maximize the potential of our student-athletes and motivate them to strive for better results."

Healey, 39, comes to Gallaudet from Bridgewater (Va.) University, a Division III program and member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). He spent eight years at Bridgewater where he served as Assistant Head Coach for the last three seasons. This past season he also coached the Eagles' linebackers and special teams as Bridgewater tallied an 8-2 record. In his span with Bridgewater the Eagles compiled a 65-23 record and won three ODAC titles. While with the Bridgewater football program he also helped oversee the academic success of their student-athletes.

"Bridgewater has been a good place to me but I am looking forward to this new challenge in my life," said Healey. "What I am looking forward to is overseeing the strength and conditioning program for all Gallaudet athletic teams. Learning a new language (American Sign Language) because it forces me to grow. Thirdly, working with Head Coach Chuck Goldstein, Assistant Head Coach John Davis and the rest of the staff excites me. GU is in a good conference and one that the Bison will be able to challenge for the conference title in the near future."

In addition to his football duties at Bridgewater, Healey also worked with the track and field programs for several years where he concentrated on jumps and coached two All-Americans. He was in-charge of constructing and implanting the strength and conditioning program for the 16 varsity sports at Bridgewater. He created the strategic planning of the weight room, oversaw the procurement and maintenance of equipment and training facilities and started the strength and conditioning internship program.

"Stephon will make an immediate impact to our program," said Goldstein. "His knowledge and experience will take not only the football program but the athletic department to another level. His diverse football background will allow us to modify our offensive philosophy."

Healey is a highly certified strength and conditioning specialist as he holds certification from several national associations including the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), USA Weightlifting, British Weight Lifting and the English Basketball Association. His practices on conditioning have also been nationally published most recently in the 2008 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Summer Manual.

"What I like about strength and conditioning and the weight room is that you can measure success. The numbers won't lie. We can teach the hard lesson that hard work equals success," said Healey. "I look forward to meeting all Gallaudet head coaches and seeing where their sport and student-athletes stand when it comes to physical fitness. Every sport, individual and coach will be unique and their needs will be unique so my responsibility is to help everyone improve."

The London, England native, graduated from the University of Greenwich in London with a dual degree in Human Movement Studies and Education in 1998. He earned honors with his Bachelors in Education. In his collegiate time he spent one year (1995-96) at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a NCAA Division II program. He played defensive end for the 1995 IUP football team that went 8-3 and posted a 5-1 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division.

Healey served as the head football coach at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales from 2002-03. He managed the coaching staff, served as the offensive coordinator as he helped foster the development of American Football at the University and in the Wales region.

Healey's first day with the Bison will be Wednesday, May 25.