Head Strength and Conditioning Coach- Olympic, University of Iowa
Bill's love for strength and conditioning began in high school as he prepared to play football and earn a college scholarship. He implemented various methods through trial and error, until he reached East Carolina where he had the opportunity to train under Mike Gentry, Jay Omer and Mike Kent. These men taught and demonstrated the science, art and passion required to become a strength and conditioning professional.
Bill began his career in the field as a graduate assistant at Kansas, one year later becoming an assistant under Coach Fred Roll. As he assisted Coach Roll with football, the Jayhawks emerged from the bottom of college football to become 2 time Aloha Bowl Champions, with one season finishing 10-2 with a top 10 ranking. Bill also directed the University's Olympic sports and assisted the men's basketball team to 2 final fours, 1 elite eight, as well as 3 sweet sixteen appearances, while winning 6 Conference titles in a 7- year span. The baseball team rose from last place in the Big 8 to a College World Series. In 1992-93, Kansas became the first school to win a bowl game, advance to the men's basketball final four, and reach baseball's College World Series - all in one academic year!
Iowa was the next stop for Bill where he served as the head strength coach for Olympic sports. Coach Maxwell was faced with a program, which less than half of the teams utilized. Now, under his guidance, all 23 Olympic sports utilize his program. During his tenure there, the men's basketball team has won 2 Big 10 conference tournaments and the women's basketball team has won a Big 10 conference title. Women's gymnastics has come from last place in the conference to an NCAA finalist under Bill's direction.
It has been a pleasure for Coach Maxwell to work with many great student-athletes, such as: Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis in the NBA; Dana Stubblefield and Gilbert Brown in the NFL; as well as Tamika Dixon and Tangela Smith in the WNBA. Bill's greatest pleasure is practicing his craft every day, "where our actions and words reach out like a pebble thrown into water and ripple outward." Coach Maxwell also wishes to express many thanks to all his student-athletes, assistants and mentors. He gives special thanks to Al and Lance Vermeil, who taught him tremendous life lessons, as well as the value of individual actions.
