Earl Joseph or E.J. Kreis the 3rd, was born on October 4, in Montgomery, Alabama, to Earl Joseph the 2nd and Francis Kreis, the oldest of four children: one younger sister and two younger brothers. In addition to playing baseball, basketball, and football as a child, E.J. also competed in the decathlon in Track and was an Alabama state champion in his youth division. He continued to run track and played basketball and football in high school. In track, he placed second at State in the decathlon his senior year. During Middle school, his father bought himself and his sons their first set of weights. E.J. was hooked! He developed a love for strength training. He later began working for the local gym, which would waive his membership fee in return for him doing various jobs around the facility. This interest in strength training expanded into powerlifting in college, resulting in E.J. winning numerous powerlifting competitions throughout his career.
E.J. briefly attended Ole Miss upon graduating from high school, but was soon drafted into the U.S. Army. Upon completion of his military service, he returned to college at Clemson University and played linebacker on the Tiger Football Team, lettering 3 times. He also obtained his bachelor's degree from Clemson in Therapeutic Recreation in 1976 and later earned both a Master's and Doctorate degree in Physical Education from Middle Tennessee State University, thus becoming known thereafter simply as "Doc."
Doc's career as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach began in 1979 at Georgia Southern University and included additional stops at Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State, the University of Colorado, and UCLA. His career has also included stints in the private sector.
Doc received many awards and honors during his career, twice being named National Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. In 1995 he was the first individual to receive the prestigious Stan Jones Award, which is presented by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) and which is named after the legendary Strength and Conditioning Coach. Stan Jones had the following to say about the inaugural recipient of the award named in his honor: I've known Doc for many years. He's done a great job everywhere he's gone, and I think he's proven himself at Colorado and everywhere else.
In 2000, Doc became a founding member of the Board of Directors for the newly formed Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa), a position he held until 2009, at which time he was asked to continue to serve the organization as a Special Advisor to the CSCCa Board of Directors, a position he still holds today. In 2001, he was recognized by the CSCCa as a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach, the highest honor that can be achieved as a Strength & Conditioning Coach, as a member of its inaugural class of ten coaches. In 2003, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the USA Strength & Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame.
Doc loved learning about strength and conditioning and spent time in Europe at a variety of institutions with various individuals, including the renowned USSR Sprint Coach Dr. Ben Tabachnik. He traveled to the former Soviet Union and the former East Germany multiple times, as well as to France, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. Regarding his travels, Doc is quoted as saying: I don't get excited about many things unless it has to do with seeing an athlete reach or surpass his goals. I love to travel to foreign countries, but not as a sightseer. I go to see what their coaches and their experts are doing differently from what we do. The only way you can improve is by seeking out new and better methods. He went on to say: These trips and seminars are exciting to me because when you get some of the greatest minds in the world gathered together, the knowledge starts flowing and it's like you're starting all over again in the profession. I guess you could say I'm like a kid in a candy shop. And I'll also go and seek out the gyms in these countries and just watch the athletes first-hand. There's no substitute for that.
Legend in the Field, Johnny Parker, had this to say about Doc: One of the things I like about Doc is he doesn't know it all. He is a perpetual student and he feels like he owes it to his players and his program to constantly learn more about every facet that will help improve an athlete's performance.
Always eager to share his knowledge and his expertise, Kreis authored/co-authored four books on strength and conditioning, as well as a video titled In-Kreis. Throughout his career, Doc was considered to be a strength and speed expert. His book entitled Speed-Strength Training for Football was a national best seller. His training programs emphasized explosive power, speed, and conditioning. As Doc said, referring to body weight/mass, If you can't move with it or show mobility or agility, what good is it. You've got to run to play this game. The teams he coached were also known for being in top physical condition and for their intensity in the 4th quarter of the game. Doc is quoted as saying, We train for five quarters of play, not four. Four isn't enough. be willing to go further than you have to. He went on to say, Our attitude is conditioning, first and foremost. Speed comes about from a single factor: conditioning. And if you can't run, you can't play.
During Doc's long and distinguished career, he has had a major impact on his former athletes. Many maintained contact with him longer after their athletic careers were over simply because of the great respect they have for Doc and for all that they learned from him regarding the importance of conditioning, discipline, developing a winning attitude, --and just life in general. In addition, Doc was a mentor to numerous individuals with a desire to enter the field of strength and conditioning, many of whom have become successful strength and conditioning coaches in their own right. Three of these individuals are Master Strength and Conditioning Coaches. All have greatly benefited from Doc's example and teaching:
Donnie Maib, Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance, University of Texas Austin
From the first time I met Doc at MTSU in 1990, he had a positive impact on my life. I had an unfortunate injury and finished up my senior year not knowing what I would do next. Doc told me that if I wanted to get into coaching he would help me out. He offered me a job as an intern, and I followed him out to Boulder to start my career. I learned so much working under him from motivating and serving athletes to writing programs and striving to be the best you could be.
Darren Edgington, Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning, Vanderbilt University
When I was a sophomore in high school, he allowed my cousin and me to lift at the Vanderbilt weightroom over the summer. Doc didn't know me, but instead of ignoring me he took the time to actually train me over the summer. He took the time to help a small, 148 lb., scrawny kid from a Single A football team, get stronger and better.
Because of his help, I learned and found a career that I'm passionate about. I always remember his unselfish attitude and taking time to not only push and help my college athletes grow into strong independent adults, but also give some of my time and attention to kids who may never see a field or court.
Dave Plettl, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Florida State University
Passion; Energy; Excitement; Enthusiasm; Generosity; Work ethic; Going above and beyond. These are just words until you see them in action. Doc, I am forever grateful for you modeling them. They are the key ingredients for success, not only in coaching but in life. I have tried to follow your example and live them as well. Thank you for believing in me. I am proud to have worked for you.
Doc has two children, a daughter and son. Another individual who has been influenced by this great man is his son, E.J. Kreis IV, who is following in the footsteps of his father and is in his third year as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Chadron State College. And so, the profession of strength and conditioning coaching continues to benefit from the legacy of E.J. "Doc" Kreis, a true Legend in the Field.
