With over 20 years of experience on the high school and collegiate levels to rely on, Coach Joe “Big House” Kenn is one of the most respected strength and conditioning/performance coaches in the nation. From his start at Pine Crest Preparatory School in Ft Lauderdale, Florida to the University of Louisville, Coach Kenn has been fortunate to work with numerous championship individuals and teams.
Coach Kenn has overseen successful programs at Boise State University, University of Utah, Arizona State University, and the University of Louisville. Coach Kenn now is the President of Big House Power Competitive Athletic Training, Inc.
It was during his seven-year tenure at Arizona State that Coach Kenn had his biggest impact on an Athletic Department. In January of 2001, Coach Kenn became the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Football at Arizona State University and in 2003 was named Head Coach of Sports Performance. During Coach Kenn’s tenure at ASU, the program developed a sense of tremendous pride by being an integral part of consistent top 20 finishes in the Directors Cup. Coach Kenn was a major factor in the development of the Nap and Barbara Lawrence strength facility that was recognized by Sports Illustrated in 2002 as the best facility in the nation. The football team participated in five bowl games in Coach Kenn’s 7 seasons with four consecutive appearances for the first time in over 30 years. Coach Kenn’s tenure at ASU concluded with a PAC 10 Championship in football.
Although Coach Kenn is widely known as a “football guy”, he takes tremendous pride in what he accomplished with his Women and Olympic Sports while at Boise State University. He takes extreme value in his relationships and influences with these coaches and athletes, specifically with the Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, and Gymnastics teams. Coach Kenn also takes pleasure knowing the influence that his Tier System Strength Training Program had with highly successful track and field programs at Boise State and Arizona State Universities.
Coach Kenn has been recognized several times through the National Strength and Conditioning Association [NSCA]. In voting by his peers, he has been named the 1998 NSCA Big West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the year, 2000 NSCA Mountain West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the year, and 2002 NSCA National Strength and Conditioning Coach of the year. The National award is can only be earned one time in coach’s career based on NSCA by-laws.
In 2009, Coach Kenn received his Master’s Strength and Conditioning Coach’s certificate from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association [CSCCa]. This is the highest honor a coach can earn under the CSCCa organization. Coach Kenn is a highly regarded speaker in the field and has been published in numerous periodicals as well as authoring the very popular book, “The Coaches Strength Training Playbook”.
Coach Kenn earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Sports Science from Wake Forest University where he was a two-year starter as an offensive lineman for coaching legend Bill Dooley, and his Master’s of Arts degree in Education from Boise State University. He is a Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified through the CSCCa, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach through the NCSA, a Certified Club Coach and Sports Performance Coach through United States Weightlifting.
