LIBERTY, Mo. – William Jewell Director of Athletics Tom Eisenhauer has announced the hiring of Jason Smelser as the new Head Athletic Performance Coach. He replaces Gage Rosier who departed the College in April after five years in the position. 
 
"We are excited to add Jason Smelser to our Jewell team. Our Athletic Performance program has improved immensely in recent years, and we believe Coach Smelser's energy and experience in player development is going to continue to elevate it even further," said Eisenhauer.  
 
Smelser comes to the Cardinals from Lane College and also spent seven years at Central Oklahoma (UCO) and three at Henderson State, coaching football and working in strength and conditioning, along with time at Concordia (MI) and Iowa Wesleyan. While at UCO he helped the Bronchos football program to four winning seasons to go along with back-to-back Great American Conference titles at Henderson State. Following the 2012 season with the Reddies he was named Samson Equipment's NCAA-II Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly. During his career he has also worked with five national champions, two athletes who participated in the U.S. Championships and one who attended the Olympic Trials. 
 
He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with distinction and certified strength and conditioning coach with distinction for over 10 years, both by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Smelser is also licensed for Function Movement Systems, USAW Sports Performance, CPR and First Aid and the Altis Foundations which includes mechanics of sprint and speed movement development.
 
"My family and I are honored to join William Jewell College and the Athletic Department in this role. My number one priority is the physical and mental wellbeing of our student-athletes," said Smelser. "Together, with our coaches, athletes and administrators, we will provide the best that college athletics has to offer." 
 
A native of Monroe, Louisiana, Smelser played collegiate football at Southern Arkansas where he was a four-year letterwinner, earning All-Gulf South Conference honors once. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in Kinesiology from Southern Arkansas. 
 
He is married to wife Wendy and has two children, Madison and Slade.