s p o rt s m e d i c i n e Responsible for providing medical coverage, recognition and treatment of injuries, and rehabilitation for all 14 intercollegiate teams and more than 300 student-athletes. Tennessee Tech’s Sports Medicine department provides some of the most complete and advanced care available.
Joe
ERDELJAC v Director of Sports Medicine
His first full-time position was Assistant Athletic Trainer at LaSalle University prior to joining the Tech staff. After seven years at TTU, he accepted a position in 1999 with the CRMC Joe Erdeljac was named in July 2008 as Head Athletic Trainer at Tennessee Tech as Head Athletic Trainer for Upperman High School in Baxter. University. Erdeljac previously served as an During his time with CRMC, he was a volunteer athletic Assistant Athletic Trainer at Tennessee Tech trainer at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colofor seven years, and worked for nine years rado Springs, working with the basketball teams and other with high school athletes for the Cookeville Olympic team members. A member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Regional Medical Center. (NATA), he is also in the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Asso Erdeljac was at Tech from 1992 to 1999. During that time, he was the Athletics Trainer for the men’s basket- ciation (SEATA) and recently completed a term as president of the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society (TATS). ball team and worked with the student-athletes on all of Tech’s teams. He was recently re-appointed by the governor to the A native of West Virginia, Erdeljac began his career in 1988 while an undergraduate at the University of West Virginia. Upon graduation with Tennessee Board of Athletic Trainers, a post he’ll fill through a bachelor’s degree in Science and Physical Education, he took a gradu- 2014. Joe and his wife, Jessica, have one daughter, Riley Grace, ate assistant position at Austin Peay and received his master’s degree in born on December 15, 2008. 1989.
Assistant Athletic Trainers JAKE FOX --
Jake Fox
Jake Fox, a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for two years, became an assistant athletics trainer at Tennessee Tech University in 2010. Fox earned his masters degree in clinical exercise physiology while at Chattanooga, receiving it in May. A native of Canandaigua, N.Y., Fox earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from East Carolina University where he worked with the football, volleyball and baseball teams, and also with high school teams in the area. He served as a graduate assistant in athletics at Chattanooga for two years. Prior to beginning his collegiate studies, Fox had more than 10 years of service in the U.S. Army, spending his time on active duty as a paratrooper and combat medic. He was in Operation Iraqi Freedom II from 2003 to 2005.
JESSICA VAUGHAN --
Jessica Vaughan
RANDI KAPLAN --
ADAM GRAHAM --
Adam Graham
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Adam Graham joined the Sports Medicine staff in 2011 as assistant athletic trainer. A graduate of Western Carolina with a master’s degree from West Virginia, Graham is a native of Chapel Hill, N.C., and a 2008 graduate of Western Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. As part of the WCU Athletic Training program, Graham had a stronghold on the department’s annual honors, winning the Outstanding Sophomore, Junior and Senior awards. After graduation, he spent one year in an internship position at Georgia Tech where he worked primarily with the Yellow Jacket football team. During 2010-11, Graham worked toward his master’s degree and served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at West Virginia University. His coverage with Mountaineer teams was with the baseball, cross country, track and football teams. He holds membership in several regional associations, and is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Jessica Vaughan joined the Tennessee Tech athletic training staff in October 2011. A native of Camano Island, Wash., Vaughan did her undergraduate work at Washington State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Athletic Training. From there, she attended graduate school at Seattle University, where she earned a Master of Sport Administration with a concentration in Leadership. While at Seattle, Vaughan served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer working primarily with baseball and men’s and women’s track and cross country. In her summers, Vaughan worked with the Bellingham Bells, a collegiate summer baseball team in Bellingham, Wash., which plays in the West Coast League. Vaughan resides in Cookeville.
Randi Kaplan
Randi Kaplan joined the Tennessee Tech Sports Medicine staff in January 2012 in the role of Assistant Athletic Trainer. She works with women’s basketball and other sports as assigned. A native of Salisbury, Md., Kaplan received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Albany in 2004 and went to graduate school at the University of Buffalo. From 2007 to 2010, Randi was an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Newberry College. While there, she spent an extended period of time serving as the acting Head Athletic Trainer, and became proficient in numerous additional staff duties including insurance coordinator and staff liaison. In October 2010, she was selected as Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, a position she held until joining the Golden Eagle Sports Medicine staff. Professionally, she is a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) in addition to the College Athletic Trainer’s Society and the Maryland Athletic Trainer’s Association.
TENNESSEE TECH GOLF GUIDE / 2010-11