A veteran strength coach with more than 20 years of experience at the highest levels of college athletics, Wateska came to Stetson from Indiana University where he served as Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning from 2009-14. While in Bloomington he designed the Hoosiers 25,000 square foot Student-Athlete Development Center and assisted in the development of the IU Excellence Academy.
Prior to his promotion to Assistant AD, Wateska served at IU as Director of Athletic Performance from 2002-09.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Wateska played college football at Penn State for legendary coach Joe Paterno. During his time with the Nittany Lions he competed in three bowl games including the 1986 Orange Bowl, where Penn State lost in the national title game, and the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, where the Lions defeated heavily favored Miami to win the national title.
After receiving his degree in Exercise and Sport Science in 1989, he began his career as a strength coach at his alma mater, working as a graduate assistant coach from 1989-91 while at the same time working on his Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Science.
Upon completing his second degree, Wateska served as an intern with the Philadelphia Eagles in the Player Personnel Department in 1991 before moving to Boston College as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach where he worked with the Eagles’ nationally ranked hockey program as well as the football and men’s and women’s basketball teams among other sports.
Wateska got his first opportunity to serve as a head strength coach in 1994 when he took over the program at the University of Maine as the Black Bears’ first full-time strength coach.
After a short tenure in Orono, Wateska attracted the attention of Stanford University. He took over the Cardinal strength and conditioning program in January of 1995, overseeing all 33 intercollegiate sports, with direct oversight of the football, women’s basketball and softball programs. He was named the Pac 10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year for 1995-96 by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He was promoted to Assistant AD for Strength and Conditioning at Stanford in 2001.
As a strength coach he has worked with seven bowl teams, including the 2000 Rose Bowl Game. He is a certified member of both the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting (USAW Level I) as well as a member the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Association.
At Stetson, Wateska works with the Hatters' football and baseball teams.
Wateska and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Julia (18) and Cameron (14).
