Shaun Huls

The Huls File

Virginia Tech XP: First season
Professional XP: 31st season
NFL XP: 13 seasons
Special Operations XP: Seven years
Hometown: Le Mars, Iowa
Alma Mater: Nebraska, 2000; California University of Pennsylvania, 2016
Certifications: CSCS, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, Pose Method Running Specialist, Postural Restoration Institute coursework, CPR/AED

Career Highlights

• Huls joined Virginia Tech in 2026 as director of sports science, bringing more than 20 years of experience enhancing athlete readiness, durability, health, and performance across the NFL, collegiate athletics, Olympic-level performance environments, and U.S. Special Operations.

• Prior to Virginia Tech, Huls spent six seasons with the Cleveland Browns as director of performance, leading an integrated performance model across strength and conditioning, sport science, nutrition, player development, and coach development. During his tenure, the Browns earned AFC playoff berths in 2020 and 2023.

• While with Cleveland, Huls helped advance the organization’s performance infrastructure, including the development of the Regen Center, redesign of the Performance Café, and design of the Player Development & Performance Center.

• Before joining the Browns, Huls spent seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was hired in 2013 as the NFL’s first sports science coordinator. He later served as sports science and reconditioning coordinator and director of high performance, helping build the Eagles’ sports science, player development, and return-to-play model. 

• Huls was a member of the Eagles staff during two NFC East championship seasons and Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII championship season.

• Prior to his NFL tenure, Huls served seven years with U.S. Naval Special Warfare as head strength and conditioning coach and combatives coordinator. In that role, he supported Navy SEAL teams through physical preparation, combatives training, and injury prevention programming. 

• Huls began his collegiate leadership career at Hampton University, where he built the school’s first interdisciplinary performance program from scratch and directed strength and conditioning for all 16 varsity sports. During his tenure, Hampton football won three MEAC championships and back-to-back Black College National Championships. 

• He also held strength and conditioning roles at the University of Nevada and the University of Nebraska, where his early career included work with football and baseball. At Nebraska, Huls was part of a championship-level environment that included the 1997 football national championship, Big 12 football and baseball championships, and a College World Series appearance.

• Huls’ approach emphasizes player-centered care, collaboration across medical and performance staffs, practical use of data and technology, and alignment of people, systems, and facilities to improve athlete health, readiness, and performance.

• In addition to his team roles, Huls has contributed to professional education and innovation in human performance, including work with the Mission Critical Teams Institute, NSCA sport science and tactical strength and conditioning initiatives, DARPA-related performance projects, and presentations at Harvard, Wharton, USC, and other professional performance forums. 

Education

Huls earned his bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Nebraska in 2000. He later earned a master’s degree in exercise science and sport psychology from California University of Pennsylvania in 2016. 

Personal

A native of Le Mars, Iowa, Huls and his wife, Minisa, have two children.