Kaia Anderson, online publishing coordinator
Walker Gotzinger is Augsburg’s current strength and conditioning head coach. He runs the weight room and works with athletes to help them train so they can compete at their best. On Oct. 5, I had the opportunity to sit down with him and discuss his position and what it means to him. The interview was truly delightful. Gotzinger is easy to talk to, open, and passionate about his work.
In 2022, Gotzinger joined Augsburg University staff as the assistant strength and conditioning coach, and then in 2025, he was named head of the program. This change in title, according to Gotzinger, has not significantly affected his day-to-day work. While his duties have increased—scheduling, running a staff and internship program—the core of his work has stayed the same. “In the aspect of how I program, the relationships, putting the athletes first—that never changes.” The strength and conditioning program, as Gotzinger sees it, is designed to help Augsburg’s athletes compete at their best. According to Gotzinger, “The main goal is for the athlete to be able to compete. If the athlete can’t compete, it doesn’t matter what they can do in the weight room.” The purpose of his strength and conditioning program is to help the athletes be their best on the field. However, Gotzinger’s impact has gone much further than just making athletes stronger. Macaria Person, a sophomore on the women’s basketball team, said, “Every moment and conversation with Walker is meaningful and special in its own way, whether it’s him telling me to go be great, or his sharing of wisdom […] where you wonder how that actually just fixed your problem.”
When asked about his relationships with the athletes, he described how important trust is between a coach and athletes and how respect must be earned both ways. If the athletes need to earn his respect, then he believes he should have to earn theirs. He also feels strongly about having difficult conversations with his athletes. “I’m not going to shy away from it because it’s hard. I encourage athletes to do the same. If you don’t agree with something I say or do from a coaching standpoint, bring those conversations up.” This goes back to his student-focused work. When asked about how Gotzinger has affected her, Person said, “Walker has impacted me as a student and athlete, but better yet, he has impacted me as a person. In the weight room, Walker uses the phrase ‘be better than your best,’ and that is exactly what he will push me to be.” Gotzinger’s strong connection with his athletes and his ability to balance work and fun in the weight room are what have allowed the strength and conditioning program to flourish.
“Walker has impacted me as a student and athlete, but better yet, he has impacted me as a person. In the weight room, Walker uses the phrase ‘be better than your best,’ and that is exactly what he will push me to be.”
Macaria Person