Support Staff RYAN GROOMS
MIKE HIESTAND
CHAD KLUNDER
HEAD FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT MANAGER
GRADUATE ASSISTANT - DEFENSE
ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR, FOOTBALL OPERATIONS
Ryan Grooms enters his fifth season at Notre Dame as the head football equipment manager. In his position, Grooms directs all facets of athletic equipment management for the Irish football team and oversees one assistant equipment manager and 50 student managers. Grooms came to Notre Dame following two years at the University of Minnesota where he served in a similar capacity. Prior to Minnesota, he spent five seasons as an equipment specialist for the United States Air Force Academy football program. During his time at Air Force, Grooms supervised 30 Cadet student managers and oversaw the daily football operations that included laundry for more than 240 Cadet varsity and junior varsity football players. He was responsible for organization and upkeep of the Falcon Athletic Center equipment room and bi-annual inventory. Grooms also handled equipment for boxing, cross country, track and field and water polo at the Air Force Academy. Grooms has been involved in equipment management since 2000, when he was a student at Ohio University. He spent two seasons with the Bobcat football team working with equipment and also taking part in film exchange and highlight videos. Following graduation, Grooms was an equipment intern for the New Orleans Saints’ summer training camp. He spent one year as a graduate assistant equipment manager at Marshall University where he supervised 12 student managers and assisted in the organization of equipment travel. Grooms is a member of the Athletic Equipment Manager Association and was a 2008 nominee for the Knight Pickard Award as the District 7 Equipment Manager of the Year. He also serves on the McDavid Advisory Committee. He and his wife Lynzee have two sons, Easton and Brecken, and live in Granger.
Mike Hiestand begins his first season as a defensive graduate assistant coach for the Irish in 2014. He spent the 2013 campaign as a defensive graduate assistant coach at Florida International. Hiestand played linebacker at Illinois State (2008-10). He played mostly on special teams during his three seasons before an injury during his junior campaign ended his career. Hiestand returned a blocked punt for a 28-yard touchdown against rival Southern Illinois in 2010. Following his injury, Hiestand worked as a football student assistant coach for the remainder of Spring '11. Off the field, Hiestand was a Missouri Valley Conference Honor Roll student all three seasons. He graduated from Illinois State ('11) in just three years with a bachelor's degree in history and minor in politics and government. In 2012, Hiestand served as a graduate assistant at Miami University. He worked with the linebackers and special teams along with running the offensive scout team. Mike Hiestand's father, Harry, is in his third year as the Irish offensive line coach.
Chad Klunder is in his 12th season at Notre Dame and second as associate athletics director for football operations. In his role, Klunder coordinates and oversees all day-to-day administrative and operational details including team travel, budgets, preseason camp arrangements, the annual coaches clinic and summer camps. A former graduate assistant coach at Notre Dame in 2003-04, Klunder worked with the Irish offense for two seasons. He previously served as running backs coach and coordinator of football operations at Harvard from 1998 through 2002. During his tenure at Harvard, his running backs led the Ivy League in rushing on three occasions. He coached three all-Ivy League players, including Chris Menick, Harvard’s all-time leading rusher. Harvard in 2001 finished 9-0 in the Ivy League and became the first Harvard team to go unbeaten or untied in conference play since 1913. Klunder also served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Minnesota – and worked as a graduate assistant football coach at St. Cloud State. At St. Cloud, he coached Randy Martin, who was a finalist in 1995 and ’96 for the Harlon Hill Trophy that goes to the NCAA Division II player of the year. The Waverly, Iowa, native played defensive back at Wartburg College in Waverly. He earned four letters, was twice a unanimous all-league pick and gained honorable mention All-America recognition. He served as a Wartburg co-captain in 1994 when his team advanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. Klunder received a degree in sports management from Wartburg in 1995 and has done master’s degree coursework at St. Cloud State, Minnesota and Notre Dame. He is married to the former Lisa Malin, who is executive director of the Kelly Cares Foundation. The couple has one daughter, Allyson, and resides in Granger.
RYAN GOULD ASSISTANT VIDEO COORDINATOR Ryan Gould is in his fourth season as the assistant video coordinator for the Notre Dame football team, serving as the primary assistant to video coordinator Tim Collins. In this role, Gould assists Collins with all video and filming needs for the football team in addition to traveling to all football games. Gould helps compile all video packages utilized by Notre Dame’s football coaches in their scouting and game preparation and also works on special assignments within the program, such as highlight videos. A 2011 graduate from State University of New York-Cortland with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, Gould worked with the Irish as a temporary employee during spring practices before being hired full time in June. Gould worked as an intern in the Syracuse University football video department during the 2010 season where he filmed practice and filled other requests. As a student at SUNY-Cortland, Gould was a member of the sports management club where he volunteered in a variety of roles at sporting events, including selling tickets, fundraising and working as security for events. A native of Newburgh, N.Y., Gould attended Burke Catholic High School. He is single and resides in South Bend. Gould is a member of the Collegiate Sports Video Association.
DR. JERRY HOFFERTH CHIROPRACTOR Dr. Jerry Hofferth, D.C., begins his 10th year in 2014 as the chiropractor for Notre Dame football and all other Irish athletic teams. He also enters his 23rd year of private practice at Hofferth Chiropractic Center in Mishawaka. Hofferth earned his undergraduate degree from North Central College (Naperville Ill.) in 1988. He's a 1992 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Hofferth collected a post-graduate certification in spinal trauma from the International Chiropractors Association in 1996. Hofferth has been a board member of the Indiana State Chiropractic Association since 2007. A native of Munster, Ind., Hofferth is married to the former Kelly Day and the couple has two daughters: Sydney and Madison. The family resides in South Bend.
ROB HUNT HEAD FOOTBALL ATHLETIC TRAINER The 2014 football season is Rob Hunt’s fourth at Notre Dame as head football athletic trainer. Hunt joined Notre Dame in March 2011 and has 17 years of experience as an athletic trainer at NCAA institutions. Prior to Notre Dame, Hunt worked at Oklahoma State University for five years, serving as the head football athletic trainer from 2006-07 and the head athletic trainer for the Cowboys starting in 2007. At Oklahoma State, Hunt served as athletic trainer for the football team all five years and in his final four years in Stillwater he coordinated all aspects of medical care for the athletic department’s 16 athletics teams as well as supervised six assistant athletic trainers, eight graduate assistants and two insurance coordinators. Hunt spent 10 years in the state of Missouri prior to moving to Oklahoma State. From 2004-06 he was the head athletic trainer at Southeast Missouri State after serving as an assistant athletic trainer with the University of Missouri football team from 19992004. In his final year with the Tigers, Hunt also served as director of rehabilitation services. A graduate of Ball State in 1997 with a major in athletic training, Hunt earned his master’s degree in education at Missouri and served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer from 1997-99. In 1996 Hunt worked as an athletic trainer during the preseason with the New England Patriots. A native of West Lafayette, Ind., Hunt is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association. He and his wife Krista are parents of four children: Robbie, Alexa, Rachel and Cole.
RYAN MAHAFFEY GRADUATE ASSISTANT - OFFENSE Ryan Mahaffey is in his first season with Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. He will primarily work with the receiving corps, assisting Irish offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock and tight ends coach Scott Booker. Mahaffey spent 2013 as the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa. Mahaffey graduated from Northern Iowa in the spring of 2011 with a degree in economics. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in June of 2011 and spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins prior to volunteering as an assistant coach during spring drills at UNI in 2013. As a member of the Colts, Mahaffey saw action in five games with one reception for five yards in 2011. Mahaffey played in 51 career games at Northern Iowa. He finished his collegiate career with 25 catches for 227 yards. Mahaffey was twice named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) and was named to the league's allNewcomer team as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He was also named to the MVFC All-Academic team twice in his career.
82 11 National Championships | 7 Heisman Trophy Winners | 188 First-Team All-Americans 65-84Coaches&Staff.indd 82
8/20/14 10:39 AM