Director, Player Development
Aaron Hillmann is in his 32nd year coaching collegiate athletes, and he is in his eighth year at Iowa State University, working with Head Football Coach Matt Campbell and the Cyclone football team. Hillmann was previously the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning at the University of Illinois for 4 football seasons. Previously he had been Director of Strength and Conditioning and Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach at Bowling Green State University for 10 seasons. At BGSU, Hillmann mentored numerous championship teams and future professional athletes. As an assistant strength coach, Hillmann had stops at the Universities of Michigan, Notre Dame, Connecticut, and Cincinnati. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Hillmann completed his graduate studies at Ball State University while also working with the University's football team.
Coach Hillmann is very thankful to the many mentors he has had in this profession: namely Mickey Marotti and Urban Meyer at the Ohio State University; Chet Fuhrman, previously with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State University; and Heather Mason at the University of Tennessee. He is also grateful for the constant support of his current staff: Dave Andrews, Aaron Burkart, Austin Addington-Strapp, and Freddie Walker, along with all the others he has worked with over the years. Without their assistance and friendship, this journey would not have been as rewarding or enjoyable.
Coach Hillmann would also like to recognize his parents, Perry and Anita Gockel, for their support, psychologically and financially, through the lean years coming up in this profession. Most importantly, he would like to thank his beautiful wife, Dina, and their three children-Jacob, Jonah, and Skylar, for loving him regardless of the outcomes on game day.
