Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) Vice President and Athletics Director Gerald Harrison announced hiring Steven Curtis as the Governors’ Director of Sports Nutrition on Monday.
Curtis comes from a background in college athletics and most recently served at Vanderbilt as a Sports Nutrition Assistant in 2023. There, he coordinated inventory for the fueling stations on campus and worked with team dietitians to assist in team education. He also conducted research to create a concussion protocol for football players.
In 2021-22, Curtis was a sports nutrition and strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Tennessee Tech, where he conducted individual consultations with student-athletes in different sports and gained experience working with student-athletes on their eating habits and dietary plans. He also oversaw the men’s and women’s golf team’s training plans and assisted in football team lifts.
Curtis worked from 2020-21 with D1 West Nashville, a facility that provides training and coaching to athletes of all levels. At D1, he was responsible for planning and implementing training programs for athletes ages nine to 18 and educating them on proper nutrition, hydration, and the importance of vitamins and minerals. He also performed Functional Movement Screen (FMS) tests, t-tests, and sprint tests.
From 2018-22, Curtis was a graduate assistant and strength and conditioning coach for Lincoln Memorial. While working with the Railsplitters, he educated different teams on various subjects, such as how to shop for groceries, fad diets, and eating on a college campus. Curtis also managed the training and development of different athletic teams.
Curtis earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and nutrition and dietetics from Tennessee Tech in 2017 and then received a Master of Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial in 2020. He then went back to his alma mater and earned a second master’s degree in community health and nutrition in 2023 before completing rotations at Tennessee and South Carolina in sports nutrition.
Additionally, Curtis is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association. He also has been a certified strength and conditioning specialist since 2018.
