By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After serving the Tennessee Tech athletics department for seven years as an assistant athletic trainer and, most recently, 10 years as its head athletic trainer, Joe Eredeljac was recently promoted to the official title of Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer.
"I am thankful to both [Director of Athletics] Mark Wilson and President [Dr. Philip] Oldham for continuing to have faith in me and to put the health and safety of our student-athletes in the hands of our staff," Erdeljac said. "I love Tennessee Tech and the role that I am able to play in the lives of our student-athletes. I'm thankful for my time here so far and am excited to continue to serve this University."
Erdeljac was named as the head athletic trainer at Tech in July, 2008. He previously served as an assistant athletic trainer for the Golden Eagles for seven years, and worked for nine years with high school athletes for the Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
Erdeljac was at Tech from 1992 to 1999. During that time, he served as the athletic trainer for the men's basketball team and worked with the student-athletes on all of Tech's teams.
"Joe has been a key piece to our athletics' family for a long time and he has proven himself as more than deserving of his new title," Wilson said. "We were fortunate enough to bring Joe back to us in 2008 and he has done a tremendous job in keeping the best interests of our student-athletes' health and well-being the absolute top priority in his time here. We value his commitment to our University and our student-athletes and are blessed to have him as part of our team.
A native of West Virginia, Erdeljac began his career in 1988 while an undergraduate at the University of West Virginia. Upon graduation with a bachelor's degree in science and physical education, he took a graduate assistant position at Austin Peay and received his master's degree in 1989.
From there, he accepted his first full-time position as an assistant athletic trainer at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, a post he held until being hired for a similar assignment at Tech under former head athletic trainer David Green.
After seven years at TTU, he accepted a position in 1999 with the Cookeville Regional Medical Center as head athletic trainer for Upperman High School in Baxter, a position he held until accepting the top post in Tech's Sports Medicine Department.
During his time with CRMC, he was a volunteer athletic trainer at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association (SEATA), and Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society (TATS).
Erdeljac and his wife, Jessica, have one daughter, Riley Grace.
