FAYETTE, Iowa - Vice President of Athletics Rick Hartzell has announced the promotion of Sean Robbins to the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Upper Iowa Athletics. Robbins earned the job after serving as an Assistant Director on the staff this past year, and he also served as the Interim Director of Strength and Conditioning throughout the leadership transition this past spring. 

"We are very happy that we have been able to retain Sean Robbins as our Director of Strength and Conditioning," Hartzell said. "Sean brings great experience to this position; he understands how important this position is to our athletic success, and he will continue to build our already strong strength and conditioning culture." 

Robbins spent this last season primarily with baseball, softball, golf and volleyball. He also assisted with football and supported many other Peacock programs. Robbins replaces Matt Vargas, who left the program to become the Director of Football Sports Performance at South Dakota. 

"I've truly valued my time at Upper Iowa, and stepping into this role means a great deal to me," Robbins said. "It's an opportunity to continue building on the strong foundation that has already been established while helping our student-athletes grow physically, mentally and personally. My goal is to create an environment that challenges them to become the best version of themselves, both in competition and in life."

Before coming to UIU, Robbins spent five seasons at Fresno State in California. He began as a Strength and Conditioning Coaching Assistant in 2021, then was promoted to Assistant Sports Performance Coach in 2022. In that role, he helped lead the Bulldog swim and dive program, while also contributing to the football team's speed development and athletic performance.

Under his coaching at Fresno State, the swim and dive program broke multiple program records as the team achieved two program-bests with a fourth-place finish at the Mountain West Championships in 2024 and a third-place finish in 2025. The football program also secured three straight bowl victories from 2021-23, while winning the conference championship in 2022 during his time there. 

Prior to Fresno State, Robbins worked as a Coaching Assistant at New Mexico State in 2019-20, serving as the lead strength coach for women's golf, women's soccer, men and women's tennis and swimming and diving, while also supporting the football team. Robbins also completed internships with North Dakota State football in 2019 and the Stanford Sports Performance program in 2018. 

"My philosophy is simple: combine evidence-based training with a culture of accountability, growth and excellence," Robbins said. "We want to develop athletes physically and mentally while challenging them to become better teammates, leaders and people. By continuously raising the standard, we can create an environment where our athletes thrive and every program within our department is positioned to compete at the highest level within the GLVC and beyond."

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in leadership studies from Humboldt State University in California. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in performance coaching at Setanta College, located in Ireland. 

"There are a lot of people I need to thank," Robbins said. "First, Matt Vargas, who gave me the opportunity to come to Upper Iowa and trusted me from day one. I'm grateful for the support of our coaches and administration, and for the relationships we've built working toward a common goal. I also want to thank my fiancée for her unwavering support throughout this journey. Most importantly, I want to thank our student-athletes. Their trust, commitment and daily effort are what make this job so rewarding. None of this is possible without them."