Less than two weeks after announcing the addition of men’s and women’s powerlifting to its list of athletic offerings, Cumberland University has named its first powerlifting head coach.
Vice President of Athletics Ron Pavan announced Monday that former Providence Christian Academy Director of Sports Performance Will Santi will serve as the program’s inaugural leader.
“I am very excited to hire Will Santi as our new men’s and women’s powerlifting coach at Cumberland University,” Pavan said in a statement. “Will brings a wealth of experience in powerlifting which will make an immediate impact.”
Santi currently serves as an adjunct professor at Cumberland, where he teaches strength and conditioning design and advanced strength programming.
Prior to his role at Cumberland, Santi led PCA’s performance program under athletic director Tara James. He designed and implemented strength and conditioning programs for 14 varsity sports, and helped usher the Lions into competing in the TSSAA.
PCA has won eight team state championships across four different sports since joining the TSSAA – including repeat state titles in boys basketball the last two seasons – and captured four individual state titles in girls golf and track and field.
Santi also spent time as the Director of Sports Performance at Wil Power Sports Training based in Nashville.
HIs experience there included working with youth athletes, college football players training for the NFL combine and professional athletes.
Santi holds certifications in USA Weightlifting, USA Track & Field, and is affiliated with the American College of Medicine and the International Society of Sports Nutrition. He earned his master’s degree from Cumberland University in 2024 in sport and exercise science.
“This is the beginning of something truly special here at Cumberland University,” Santi said. “Our tradition will rise on the broad shoulders of effort, where discipline is the standard, consistency is the expectation and excellence is relentlessly pursued.”
