Penn State’s performance enhancement program will have a void to fill with Assistant Athletic Director of Performance Enhancement Dwight “Deege” Galt’s retirement.
Galt moved on earlier this month after working more than 36 years working in strength and conditioning, the last eight in Happy Valley. With athletes like Saquon Barkley, Micah Parson and Mike Gesicki impressing at NFL combines from football alone, Galt’s work spoke for itself, and replacing him won’t be easy.
Chuck Losey will be tasked with filing “Deege’s” shoes, the school announced today. Losey will be Penn State’s assistant athletic director of performance enhancement for the schools football program.
“For the past 11 years, I’ve had a clear vision of what I wanted the next step to be in my coaching career,” said Losey. “Working alongside James Franklin and Dwight Galt has afforded me the opportunity to help cultivate my craft in order to be more than prepared to take on this new role.
I am grateful to continue the relationships built with the student-athletes, staff and Penn State community. Let’s get to work.”
Losey worked with Galt from 2014 through his retirement, first as assistant director of performance enhancement before being promoted to associate director in 2017.
Before coming to Happy Valley, Losey worked at Vanderbilt with Galt from 2011-13, and prior to that, was Tennessee State University’s director of speed, strength and conditioning from 2004-10. He’s a Hixson, Tennessee, native and graduated from Vanderbilt.
Dr. Lauren Rhodes, senior associate AD for student-athlete performance/SWA, health and welfare, said Losey is a “proven winner.”
“His ability to develop others, positive and active relationship with our football student-athletes, and overall growth mindset, are just a few reasons why he was selected as our assistant AD for performance enhancement of football,” Rhodes said.
Penn State also announced that Rhian Davis will be the schools first Assistant Ad of Performance Enhancement for Olympic sports.
Davis has been working at Penn State since 2013, and has assisted Penn State’s women’s soccer team, both swimming and diving programs, softball, women’s golf, women’s basketball and men’s tennis.
Before that, she was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Rice University and Jacksonville University and interned at her Alma Mater Florida.
Rhodes described Davis as a “solution-driven leader.”
“She is innovative in her approach to this field, and her vision and values align well with Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics,” Rhodes said. “For these reasons, among many more, I am elated to have Rhian serve as our assistant AD for performance enhancement of Olympic sports.”
Overall, Rhodes is excited for the transition.
“With change comes opportunity, and I am certain Rhian and Chuck will work together, and with our sport performance team colleagues in sports medicine, applied health & performance science, student-athlete welfare & development, performance nutrition, performance psychology, counseling & psychological services, and the Morgan Academic Center to turn opportunity into forward progress,” Rhodes said.
