Inside Athletics | 8/13/2026 1:00:00 PM

LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University Director of Athletics Jim Brazill has announced the hiring of Mitchell Zajicek as the new Director of Athletic Performance.

Zajicek brings more than a decade of experience in strength and conditioning to the Red Wolves program.

"I am excited to announce Mitch Zajicek as the new Director of Athletic Performance," said Brazill. "His playing experience in the PAC brings a unique competitive advantage to our athletic department. Having competed in the conference, he understands the demands, culture, and level of competition our student-athletes face. His firsthand experience, combined with strength and conditioning expertise, will enhance performance development, injury prevention, and overall athletic success."

Most recently, Zajicek served as Associate Director at NY Sports Science Lab. Based in New York's Staten Island, Zajicek focused on optimizing performance of all athletes through measuring and quantifying the subtleties and complexities of athletic movement using state-of-the-art sports science technologies.

Zajicek's collegiate coaching background includes serving as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, as well as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Utah Tech University and Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Cumberland University. During his time at IUP, he served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach across multiple sports, including football and field hockey.

His collegiate experience also includes stops at Robert Morris University and the University at Buffalo, while he began his coaching career at Grove City College as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning and Football Coach. At Grove City, Zajicek worked with the football program after completing his playing career there.

A native of Pittsburgh, Zajicek was a standout student-athlete at Grove City College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science in 2017. He was a four-year member of the Wolverines football program, playing offensive tackle and serving as a starter during his senior season. His playing career in the Presidents' Athletic Conference provides him with firsthand experience competing in the conference and understanding the physical and competitive demands faced by today's student-athletes.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Zajicek has worked in military performance as a Strength and Conditioning Coach with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. In that role, he developed training programs designed to improve strength, power, speed, durability and readiness for the high-level physical demands of military service.

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Saint Francis University community and lead the athletic performance program," said Zajicek. "My goal is to build an environment where our student-athletes are challenged, supported and developed both physically and personally. I believe in a human-first approach and in the value of developing athletes over the long term. I am excited to work alongside our coaches, staff and student-athletes to help create a culture built on confidence, discipline, consistency and a commitment to performing at the highest level."

Zajicek is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.