Recently hired as the Director of Sports Performance for the Philadelphia Eagles, Ted Rath enters his 12th season at the pro level, previously as the Director of Strength Training and Performance for the LA Rams and an assistant strength coach for the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. In his first season leading his own strength and conditioning program, Rath was named the NFL Strength Coach of the year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, an award voted on by strength and conditioning coaches around the NFL.
Rath was an integral part in the Rams sports science program, which helped L.A. finish the 2017 season as the healthiest NFL team based on adjusted games lost, according to Football Outsiders, an innovative statistics website. Shortly after Rath’s first season directing the Rams strength and conditioning program, the organisation presented Rath with the new title “Director of Strength Training and Performance” which allows Rath to play a critical role in all aspects of performance.
In 2018 the Rams took another step forward in earning a trip to Super Bowl XIII. The health and performance of the team over the past two seasons has helped them earn the best record in the NFL during that time. Prior to joining the Rams, Rath was named assistant strength and conditioning coach in Miami for the 2016 season. Before his stint with the Dolphins, he spent seven seasons (2009-15) with the Detroit Lions as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. In 2011, the Lions won 11 games, the most the franchise had won in a single season since 1991.
Prior to Detroit, Rath was an assistant director of strength and conditioning at his alma mater, Toledo, where he directed the strength and conditioning programs for all 15 of the school’s Olympic sports. He also assisted with all phases of football training, including design and implementation of its workouts. Prior to his appointment to assistant, Rath spent time at Toledo as a graduate assistant in the strength and conditioning department, focusing on the strength programs for men’s basketball, baseball, track, cross country, golf and swimming.
He began his professional career at Crestwood High School (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) where he served as an assistant football coach and directed the school’s speed and strength training. Rath played linebacker at Toledo from 2003-06 during that time the Rockets appeared in multiple bowl games, won two division titles and one conference championship. He is certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (C.S.C.C.A.), he has written articles for several industry publications and speaks regularly at conferences, clinics and corporate events both domestically and abroad.
Rath is married to his wife, Robin. The couple have three children, Brooklyn, Brady and Emerson.
