Like the St. Louis Blues, which finished as the top team in the National Hockey League last season, Eric Renaghan wants Maryville’s Exercise Science program to be the best in the country. Renaghan, an adjunct professor of exercise science at Maryville, incorporates the experiences he has learned as the head of sports performance for the Blues into the classroom.
“We are setting ourselves to the side and we are advancing to the point where we are one of the top two in the country,” Renaghan said. “We are definitely trying to make this program one of the most advanced in terms of providing students with the opportunities to excel at real-world practices.”
Victor Kizer, director of the exercise science program, facilitated the partnership with Renaghan and the Blues to have development and training camp testing performed at Maryville in Walker Hall in 2018. That relationship led the pair to become good friends, and Kizer asked him to become an adjunct professor.
Renaghan is in his second year of teaching at Maryville, but has nearly a decade of experience working with professional athletes in strength conditioning and nutrition. He established his career in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks then moved north to ply his trade with the Vancouver Canucks before landing with the St. Louis Blues for the 2016 season.