New Orleans Saints Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple has been chosen by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association to receive the organization's 2018 NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award for his contributions to the field of strength and conditioning.
Dalrymple was honored at the group's annual Erich-Riecke-Jones Awards Banquet on February 26 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also received Coach of the Year honor in 2009. Dalrymple is only the second NFL strength and conditioning coach to win the NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year honor more than once.
Dalrymple has been a key member of the Saints organization since arriving in 2006 as one of Head Coach Sean Payton's first hires. The efforts of Dalrymple and his staff have played a key role in the club's success over the past 13 seasons. His routines, focused on building and maintaining strength and stamina while minimizing injuries, have paid dividends for the Saints. Since 2006, New Orleans has put together 15 winning streaks of three games or more, including a franchise-record 13-game win streak in 2009 and a ten-game run in 2018. 24 players have been selected to the Pro Bowl during his tenure, 18 for the first time in their National Football League careers.
In 2018, the Saints captured their division in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history with their third 13-win regular season campaign since 2009. In a sign of stamina, New Orleans outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter and overtime 168-83, leading the NFL in fourth quarter points per game (10.1 avg.). In addition to winning streaks of ten games and three games, the 2018 Saints were the only club in franchise history to not have a losing streak.
Prior to joining the Saints, Dalrymple spent the previous 17 seasons in a similar capacity at Miami University (Ohio), including the last 16 as director of athletic conditioning, a program that he built from its foundation. While the Redhawks football team was a focus of his efforts, Dalrymple and his staff created workout regimens for every athletic program. He was promoted with the additional title of assistant athletic director in 2003. At Miami, he was a coaching colleague of Payton from 1994-95.
Dalrymple has been certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association since 1991 and has been honored as a finalist for the organization's coach of the year in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2006. He's one of only three NFL coaches in his field to be certified by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association as a Master Strength & Conditioning Coach
