Covenant Finalizes Athletic Training Staff

The Covenant athletic training staff has been finalized for the 2019-20 academic year, as director of athletics Dr. Tim Sceggel announced the hiring of Ryan Clark as head athletic trainer and Lydia McGee as assistant athletic trainer.

Clark's experience in athletic training ranges from high school to the professional ranks. He comes to Covenant after spending nearly five years as the head athletic trainer at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, Tenn.

Along with his duties at CPA, Clark also served as an athletic trainer with the Tennessee Titans for four years. With the Titans, Clark assisted with rookie and veteran mini-camps along with home and away games.

"We are thrilled to bring in Ryan as head athletic trainer. His background in the NFL, along with serving as a head trainer for the last five years at CPA make him well equipped to pursue excellence in this role," Sceggel said. "His professional qualifications combined with his heart for the Lord make him a great fit in our department."

Previously, Clark was an intern on the athletic training staff for both the Titans and the Detroit Lions.

Clark graduated from Chattanooga with a degree in exercise science in 2012. He then completed his master's degree in athletic training in 2014 from Chattanooga. Clark is a certified athletic trainer along with certifications from SFMA, NATA, Southeastern Athletic Trainers' Association, and Tennessee Athletic Trainers' Society.

McGee comes to Covenant after spending the last year at Summit Physical Therapy where she served as an athletic trainer. She has a wide array of experiences both in collegiate sports and in other professional athletic trainer settings. McGee was on staff with UAB in the spring of 2017 and assisted with athletic training needs of the Blazers' baseball and softball teams and with Samford football in 2017. 

"I'm also very excited that Lydia McGee is joining the training room as she comes in highly recommended to us, and with clear gifts in both athletic training in discipleship," added Sceggel. "She will round out a very gifted athletic training room staff, and I'm thankful that she will be joining us on the mountain."

A 2016 graduate of Samford, McGee was a four-year player on the women's basketball team where she appeared in 90 career games and made 44 starts.

McGee earned her bachelor of science degree in health sciences from Samford in 2016 and then her master's in athletic training from Samford in 2018. She is a licensed athletic trainer and is a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer, along with several other professional certifications and memberships.