Clayton Denker was named the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Upper Iowa for the 2026-27 season. He came to UIU after serving as a Strength and Conditioning Intern at Notre Dame and as a Strength Graduate Assistant at South Dakota.
As a Football Strength and Conditioning Intern at Notre Dame, Denker helped support the team's Pro Day and NFL Draft preparation. During his time as a graduate assistant at South Dakota, he worked with the football team and the Olympic sports programs. The Coyotes went 10-5 with an FCS Playoff appearance during his time with the team in 2025.
He also played football for South Dakota from 2021-24, appearing in 34 games with 13 total tackles. He earned CSC Academic All-District® honors and finished his bachelor's degree with a 4.0 GPA.
The native of Bellwood, Nebraska earned his master's degree in kinesiology and sport management with an emphasis in exercise science specialization in 2025.
