University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball
Wiley, MS, CSCS, Sara
Sara Wiley, MS, CSCS
- Title:
- Associate Athletic Director for Olympic Athletic Performance - Volleyball, Softball
- Email:
- wiley004@umn.edu
- Phone:
- 612-626-9792
Sara Wiley joined the University of Minnesota staff in 1994 as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach working in the Women’s Athletic Department. She was promoted to the Director of Olympic Athletic Performance in 2016, Assistant Athletic Director for Olympic Athletic Performance in 2019 and Associate Athletic Director for Olympic Athletic Performance in 2020. She currently oversees the Olympic Athletic Performance staff and is the AP Coach for Volleyball and Softball.
A native of Indianapolis, IN, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from the University of Evansville in 1993. She was a 4-year letter winner of the Purple Aces Softball team playing catcher. She attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and graduated with a Master of Science in Human Performance in 1994. While at UW-La Crosse, Wiley assisted with all varsity athletic teams and was an instructor in the undergraduate Health & Performance programs.
Coach Y has worked with numerous teams while at Minnesota and has coached a multitude of All-American and All-B1G student-athletes and B1G Championship teams (VB: 2002, 2015, 2018; SB: 2015, 2017, 2018), NCAA Final Four teams (WBB: 2004; VB: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2019) and a Softball College World Series team (2018). She has also coached B1G Volleyball Player of the Year athletes (Nicole Branagh, Cassie Busse, Daly Santana, Sarah Wilhite, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Stephanie Samedy), B1G VB Defensive Player of the Year athletes (Paula Gentil, Malama Peniata, Christine Tan and Jessica Granquist), B1G VB Setter of the Year and Freshman of the Year Samantha Seliger-Swenson, NCAA VB National Player of the Year Sarah Wilhite, B1G Softball Player of the Year athletes (Sara Groenewegen & Kendyl Lindaman) and B1G Women’s Basketball Player of the Year athletes (Lindsay Whalen & Amanda Zahui B.). Numerous Gopher athletes that have trained with Coach Wiley have gone on to achieve significant success in the WNBA, professional volleyball, professional softball, USA Volleyball and the Olympics (Lindsey Berg, USA VB: 2008 Beijing, 2012 London; Nicole Branagh, USA Beach VB: 2008 Beijing; Daly Santana, Puerto Rico VB: 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Airi Miyabe, Japan VB: 2024 Paris; Lindsey Whalen, USA WBB: 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro).
During her tenure in Minnesota, Wiley has served as an Adjunct Instructor at Globe University in Bloomington, MN, teaching courses in Human Performance and was involved in designing the curriculum for the school. Wiley played rugby with the Minnesota Valkries from 2005 – 2010 and served as a consultant for the club regarding training and conditioning during the early 2000’s. She also served on the Advisory Board for the MN Chapter of the National Strength and Conditioning Association for 4 years.
In July 2008, Sara was recognized as the 2007-2008 National Strength Coach of the Year by the National Strength Coaches Association. She is just the second female in the 40-year history of the award to be so honored.
Wiley is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA). She holds training in Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) and Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR).
Sara and her wife, Jenny Goodfriend, reside in Roseville, MN, with their sons, Gabriel and Gideon.
Special Interests:
A native of Indianapolis, IN, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from the University of Evansville in 1993. She was a 4-year letter winner of the Purple Aces Softball team playing catcher. She attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and graduated with a Master of Science in Human Performance in 1994. While at UW-La Crosse, Wiley assisted with all varsity athletic teams and was an instructor in the undergraduate Health & Performance programs.
Coach Y has worked with numerous teams while at Minnesota and has coached a multitude of All-American and All-B1G student-athletes and B1G Championship teams (VB: 2002, 2015, 2018; SB: 2015, 2017, 2018), NCAA Final Four teams (WBB: 2004; VB: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2019) and a Softball College World Series team (2018). She has also coached B1G Volleyball Player of the Year athletes (Nicole Branagh, Cassie Busse, Daly Santana, Sarah Wilhite, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Stephanie Samedy), B1G VB Defensive Player of the Year athletes (Paula Gentil, Malama Peniata, Christine Tan and Jessica Granquist), B1G VB Setter of the Year and Freshman of the Year Samantha Seliger-Swenson, NCAA VB National Player of the Year Sarah Wilhite, B1G Softball Player of the Year athletes (Sara Groenewegen & Kendyl Lindaman) and B1G Women’s Basketball Player of the Year athletes (Lindsay Whalen & Amanda Zahui B.). Numerous Gopher athletes that have trained with Coach Wiley have gone on to achieve significant success in the WNBA, professional volleyball, professional softball, USA Volleyball and the Olympics (Lindsey Berg, USA VB: 2008 Beijing, 2012 London; Nicole Branagh, USA Beach VB: 2008 Beijing; Daly Santana, Puerto Rico VB: 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Airi Miyabe, Japan VB: 2024 Paris; Lindsey Whalen, USA WBB: 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro).
During her tenure in Minnesota, Wiley has served as an Adjunct Instructor at Globe University in Bloomington, MN, teaching courses in Human Performance and was involved in designing the curriculum for the school. Wiley played rugby with the Minnesota Valkries from 2005 – 2010 and served as a consultant for the club regarding training and conditioning during the early 2000’s. She also served on the Advisory Board for the MN Chapter of the National Strength and Conditioning Association for 4 years.
In July 2008, Sara was recognized as the 2007-2008 National Strength Coach of the Year by the National Strength Coaches Association. She is just the second female in the 40-year history of the award to be so honored.
Wiley is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength Coaches Association (NSCA). She holds training in Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) and Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR).
Sara and her wife, Jenny Goodfriend, reside in Roseville, MN, with their sons, Gabriel and Gideon.
Special Interests:
- Manual Techniques
- Performance Recovery
- Return to Performance Training
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