Navy head football coach Brian Newberry announced Friday that Jim Kiritsy has been named Football Strength & Conditioning Coach.
“I am thrilled to welcome Jim Kiritsy and his family to Navy,” said Newberry. “Coach Kiritsy is one of the best and brightest in the business. I have known him for 10 years and witnessed first-hand the tremendous impact he had on the program and the student athletes while at Kennesaw State. He is an outstanding leader and person and will be a difference maker here at Navy.”
“I am fired up to have an opportunity to work at the Naval Academy,” said Kiritsy. “I am grateful for the trust Coach Newberry is putting in me and I can’t wait to get to Annapolis and get to work with the finest young men this country has to offer. This is a dream opportunity for me and my family and I am going to do everything I can to make the most of it.”
Additionally, Bryan Fitzpatrick has been promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Strength, Conditioning and Sports Performance for all 35 varsity sports programs.
“I’m excited to continue my leadership role over the Sports Performance department and expand on my responsibilities within the NAAA,” said Fitzpatrick. “I am thankful for this opportunity from Mr. Gladchuk.
Kiritsy comes to Navy from Kennesaw State, where he served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance and was the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning.
At Kennesaw, Kiritsy was responsible for developing a comprehensive player development program designed to achieve three primary goals: injury prevention, athletic performance enhancement and mental discipline development.
Prior to Kennesaw State, Kiritsy served three seasons as Associate Director for Strength and Conditioning at The Citadel (2011-13) where his responsibilities included coordinating all aspects of the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball and wrestling training programs.
He also was the top assistant in the development of football and oversaw the maintenance and upkeep of the facility, including equipment purchases, while managing and developing graduate assistants, interns and student managers.
While at The Citadel, Kiritsy trained three All-American wrestlers in Odie Delaney (2013), Ugi Khishignyam (2013) and Turtogokh Lusandori (2014), and two football All-Americans in Mike Sellers (2012) and Darien Robinson (2013).
Kiritsy joined The Citadel after spending two seasons at Vermont as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach. While with the Catamounts, he worked directly with the men’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s soccer.
A 2009 graduate of Norwich University, Kiritsy received a bachelor’s of science degree in physical education with a concentration in coaching and served as a part-time student assistant strength & conditioning coach. He was a four-year (2005-08) letter winner in football, serving as co-captain as a senior, and played baseball for three seasons (2006-08). He served as a member of the Corps Honor Committee in 2008-09.
Kiritsy holds certifications in CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) from the American Red Cross and is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
A native of Northbridge, Mass., Kiritsy attended Northbridge High School. He and his wife Bryana have two children, Adeline and Jack.
Fitzpatrick is in his 11th year at Navy and his fourth as an Associate Athletic Director.
Prior to Navy, Fitzpatrick spent three years at West Virginia as Assistant Football Strength and Conditioning Coach. He also spent one year with the Minnesota Vikings as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach and was a Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Penn State.
He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) and also holds performance coach certifications from U.S. Weightlifting (USAW) and U.S. Track & Field Association (USATF).
Fitzpatrick earned a bachelor’s degree in sports studies/sports and humanities from Towson in 2005 and earned a master’s degree in education leadership/principal certification from Penn State in 2008.
Fitzpatrick was a football team member at Towson and served as team captain in 2004. Fitzpatrick resides in Annapolis with his wife, Bianca, and their daughters, Bailey, Brooke and Brianna.