CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State University Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Chris Ratcliff has named Andrew Thullesen as the inaugural Assistant AD for Sports Performance.
"Today is an important milestone here at RSU with the establishment of the Sports Performance Department," said Dr. Ratcliff. "We are enthusiastic about providing this service to our student-athletes and enabling them to reach their full potential." Ratcliff added, "Andrew Thullesen is an excellent choice for this position; he has an outstanding reputation and experience in the MIAA. We look forward to seeing how he will develop this new program."
Thullesen will lead the new Hillcat Sports Performance Department ahead of the 2025-26 academic year.
"Being the first strength coach at Rogers State University is an exciting opportunity," Thullesen commented. "I look forward to building this program and helping the RSU athletic programs reach their full potential." He added, "My goal in establishing the Sports Performance department is to create a resource that all athletes can use and feel welcome to embrace. Through furthering myself and assisting successful programs, I am sure the department will grow."
Prior to joining Hillcat Nation, Thullesen served as the Associate Director of the Sports Performance Department at Missouri Western State University, where he primarily worked with golf, football, men's and women's basketball and track and field (throws) for two years.
Before joining MoWest, he was an assistant at Presbyterian College, where he worked with acrobatics, cheerleading, cross country, football, softball, tennis and volleyball for a year. He was also a graduate assistant at Ottawa University, where he aided the cheer, football, men's and women's lacrosse and track and field (throws) programs.
Thullesen graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Missouri Valley College in 2021 and earned a master's degree in education administration from Ottawa University in 2023.
The Joplin, Missouri, native holds the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) credential from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).
Thullesen will reside in Owasso, Oklahoma, with his wife, Bailee.
