Alex Derenthal was hired as the Director of Football Sports Performance in January of 2023, and begins his second season with KSU football this fall.
“Coach Derenthal brings great experience to Kennesaw State,” said Bohannon. “Alex’s leadership and past playing experience will be a tremendous asset to our football program.”
Derenthal arrives from Georgia State University where he served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for four seasons. At GSU, the Davie, Fla. native helped design and implement both the football strength and speed development programs.
His time at Georgia State included involvement in multiple milestones for Panther football. In his first season, Derenthal was a part of GSU’s first-ever win over a Power Five program when the team defeated the University of Tennessee, 38-30, in Knoxville.
The Panthers had continued success during the 2019 campaign and set the record for most regular season wins in school history (7) en route to an appearance in the Arizona Bowl. One season later, Georgia State earned its second postseason win as a program with a 39-21 victory over Western Kentucky in the LendingTree Bowl.
Before joining the Panthers, Derenthal worked across town as a member of the strength and conditioning staff at Georgia Tech from 2017-2019. With the Yellow Jackets, he worked with the football program and helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.
Prior to his time on The Flats, Derenthal spent four years as the head strength and conditioning coach at Reinhardt University during the 2013-2017 seasons. With the Eagles, he oversaw all aspects of strength and conditioning for eight intercollegiate sports.
With Derenthal leading sports performance, Reinhardt football was crowned 2016 Mid-South Conference Champions. The team also made an appearance in the NAIA national semifinals and was ranked No. 3 in the final NAIA poll of the season.
In 2015, the Eagles earned a playoff berth and top-10 national ranking. With Derenthal’s leadership, Reinhardt produced 44 all-conference players and two all-Americans during his four seasons in Waleska, Ga.
Before being hired full-time at Reinhardt, Derenthal spent two seasons as the strength and conditioning intern at Georgia Tech (2011-2013). He also served as a graduate extern for football at his alma mater, Temple University, from 2010-2011.
Derenthal was a four-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman at Temple (2004-08) and served as a team captain during his senior season. Upon his graduation, the center signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants in 2009.
He graduated from Temple in 2008 with a B.S. in kinesiology and earned a M.S. in exercise science from California (Pa.) in 2012.
