University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Brandon Ronan named UNI Athletics’ Director of Athletic Performance
9/30/2025 5:17:00 PM | General
Waukon native takes over leadership of Panthers’ strength and conditioning program.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI Athletics Department on Tuesday announced the promotion of Brandon Ronan as its new Director of Athletic Performance.
The Waukon native, who joined the Panther staff as a strength and conditioning coach for several teams at UNI in 2022 will now oversee the Athletic Performance Department.Â
"I'm incredibly appreciative and excited for this opportunity to serve and continue to develop the Athletic Performance department," said Ronan "I would like to thank Dean Brenda Bass, Director of Athletics Megan Franklin, Senior Associate AD Stacia Eggers and the coaches for their trust in me to lead this department. This is such a unique role to not only serve UNI Athletics, but also mentor future strength coaches through our Kinesiology department. I look forward to continuing to enhance our student-athlete's development."
A certified strength and conditioning specialist, Ronan previously spent eight years at the University of Montana, where he served as Director of Athletic Performance. Ronan earned his bachelor's degree from Loras College in Dubuque in sports science in 2013, where he played four seasons of football for the Duhawks.Â
Following a summer internship in 2013 with Stanford Sports Performance in Palo Alto, Ronan interned and later became a graduate assistant at the University of Montana while studying to earn a master's degree in health and human performance. After graduating from Montana in 2016, he took on full time duties with the Grizzlies as Assistant Director of Athletic Performance, serving as the head strength coach for Montana volleyball, women's basketball, track and field, and cross county. He also assisted in strength coaching for football, and became an adjunct professor of Health and Human Performance at Montana, teaching basic concepts of strength training and conditioning, before being promoted to Director of Athletic Performance in November 2017.
"With years of experience in strength and conditioning, Brandon has consistently brought out the best in student-athletes through his leadership, expertise, and drive. His background includes impactful roles developing performance programs that emphasize strength, speed, and injury prevention. His professional experiences make him the perfect fit to lead UNI's Athletic Performance Department. We are excited for what's ahead under his direction!" said Eggers.Â
Ronan resides in Cedar Falls with his wife Rachel and their two children, Harper and Kaden.
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