Will Franco
Hands-on Experience In The Field
Will Franco was a part of the inaugural class of graduate students in Merrimack’s M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science program and has gone on to become a successful strength and conditioning coach.
During Will’s time as a Merrimack master’s student, he was a graduate fellow in the Strength and Conditioning department. Within his fellowship, he had the opportunity to work with varsity athletic teams for which he designed and implemented year-round strength and conditioning programs.
“Throughout my experience at Merrimack, I had my hands in multiple sports,” Will recalled. “Baseball kind of stuck with me the most. When I finished my master’s I got a call for a job at the University of Maryland to work for their baseball team. So obviously, I jumped at that opportunity. I worked with baseball and field hockey for almost four years there.” Afterward, Will moved on to work in professional baseball as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Baltimore Orioles, and currently serves as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston College.
“During my fellowship, I was working with the athletes, doing a research project on a specific kind of training program and seeing the effects and results of that research.”
Achieving His Goals
Franco’s work during the master’s program was an important milestone in achieving his long-term goals. He got to work with student-athletes at the Division-1 level, build relationships with coaches and faculty and get the opportunity to have hands-on experience in the field. Franco said he always knew he wanted to become a strength coach from a very young age.
At Merrimack, Franco said he learned “the importance of organization and communication between your staff, your coworkers, but also the coaches you work with and the athletes you work with, of course.” His strong work ethic allowed him to be successful throughout his master’s and into his professional career.
Read more about Will’s experience in professional baseball as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach.
