On Wayne State College’s campus, 15 NCAA DII men’s and women’s sports teams are constantly working toward greatness. Whether that be in the classroom, community, on the field or in the weight room, the Wildcat mentality is centered around team unity, hard work and passion for athletics, academics and each other.   

The Wildcat Strength and Conditioning staff plays a pivotal role in equipping Wayne State College athletes to compete in the Northern Sun Conference. Dakota Coon leads the strength program alongside his graduate assistant Taryn Dredge.  

Coon has been with the Wayne State Strength program for five years. Previously, he played football at Concordia and interned as a strength coach for two years. Coon then earned a master’s degree in applied health and sports science from Northwest Missouri State. There, he was a graduate assistant for football and head coach of women’s soccer and men’s and women’s track.   

In Coon’s time with the Wildcats, he has been part of coaching highly competitive teams, conference championship teams, and nationally ranked teams. Weightlifting and conditioning is the behind-the-scenes work that sets good teams and great teams apart. With Coon’s guidance, the strength staff has been an important factor in developing well-rounded athletes and next-level teams that set the Wildcat standard of excellence.   

Coon explains that the purpose of the Wildcat strength program is on the levels of team goals, improving athletic ability and, above all, being able to learn life lessons. He sees teams come together through adversity. When the student-athletes go through challenging workouts, you can see new bonds being formed in the weight room.  

Coon also expressed the importance of designing and coaching lifts that are effective. “I work to increase athletic qualities and decrease the likelihood of injury,” he said. I strive to build strong, functional, well-moving and robust athletes.”   

The standards Coon sets for the Wildcat strength program foster a positive environment for students to grow into well-rounded student-athletes and people.  

“I want to utilize the weight room to help teach our kids the importance of doing things right, accountability, great effort, great attitude, and discipline,” Coon said. “Challenging them to become better people through lifting is a part of my philosophy. There is such a positive impact of developing them as people and not just as an athlete.”  

The Wildcat strength staff shows great dedication through the commitment they make to WSC athletes. Coaches are on campus from 4:30 a.m. through the late evening hours. They are frequently working seven days a week balancing coaching lifts, developing workouts, attending Wildcat games and more. The strength coaches are highly involved with every team, as Coon reports that teams will be in the weight room three to five days a week, 45 weeks out of the year. 

As athletes spend a lot of time in the weight room, Coon works to give them a positive place to decompress. When teams are at lifting, they can escape as they focus for an hour on lifting weights. Coon also helps athletes understand that the strength staff is there to be consistent leaders in their lives, and they are there for them as human beings too. “We’re around these kids all the time, so it’s about having a positive influence on them as people and not just a positive impact on athletics,” Coon said.