SUPPORT STAFF Andy Palko
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER Prior to the 2013-14 school year, Andy Palko returned to Waynesburg University to become his alma mater’s Head Athletic Trainer. Along with his duties as Head Athletic Trainer, Palko works very closely with the Yellow Jacket football team. Palko made his first trip to Waynesburg in 2001, when he began a successful four-year playing career with the Yellow Jackets as an offensive lineman. The Yellow Jacket standout was a four-year starter, a three-time All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honoree, the team’s Rookie of the Year and a major contributor to the Jackets’ 2003 PAC title over a stretch of 42-consecutive starts. The Johnstown native also excelled in the classroom and was a member of the 2001 Fall PAC Academic Honor Roll. He returned to campus after serving as Clinical Coordinator/Instructor/Interim Head Athletic Trainer for football and softball at Greensboro College. Palko served in that capacity from 2012 to 2013. After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training from Waynesburg in 2005, Palko added a Master’s of Science Degree in Athletic Training Education from Ohio University in 2006. He also served as a graduate assistant at OU, before becoming a staff athletic trainer at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, while also serving as the Head Athletic Trainer at McKeesport High School. Palko returned to the state of Ohio to take a position with Division II Ashland University as an Assistant Athletic Trainer/Adjunct Instructor. From 2007 to 2012, he oversaw the Eagles’ men’s soccer, women’s soccer, football, wrestling, baseball and women’s tennis teams at various points during his time with the school. Over that same span, Palko was also contracted to be the assistant athletic trainer with Team USA Softball. He is a graduate of Richland High School, where he participated in football, basketball, baseball and track & field. He currently resides in Canonsburg with his wife Jackie.
L. Randy Pettit, D.C. Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Fitness Center Director After spending six years at Waynesburg University as a lecturer, L. Randy Pettit, D.C. joined the Yellow Jacket athletic staff in 2012 as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator and as the school’s Fitness Center Director. Pettit will also remain on as a lecturer in the school’s Biology department. Pettit graduated from Waynesburg University in 2000, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology before moving on to New York Chiropractic College where he earned a doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine in 2004. Following graduation, Pettit went into private practice for eight years before moving into his current position at Waynesburg. During his career, Pettit has treated a wide variety of individuals, including children, high school athletes, collegiate athletes, and professional football players. Pettit will work closely with all 18 of Waynesburg’s varsity programs as the S&C Coordinator, while also overseeing the daily operation of the school’s fitness center, which is open to all students and employees of Waynesburg University. Along with his extensive professional background, Pettit also has seven years of experience as an assistant high school football coach following a successful playing career at nearby Waynesburg Central High School, which led to a scholarship at Fairmont State University. He earned playing time as a freshman at FSU before transferring to Waynesburg. He has also been an instructor at Penn Commercial College. Pettit is highly involved with the Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, where he serves as a lieutenant and as the company’s treasurer. He and his wife Alissa reside in Waynesburg with their daughter Brianna and son Lucas.
2016 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE
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