Vikings Strength and Conditioning Coach Tom Kanavy enters his 8th season with the Vikings and his 19th NFL campaign in 2013. His track record of success in the NFL is proven with 6 Division titles since 2000 between the Vikings and Eagles and 8 playoff appearances from 2000-12.
Since joining the Vikings, Kanavy has overseen the strength and conditioning of 20 players who have earned 38 total Pro Bowl honors and 12 players take 20 All-Pro accolades. Kanavy and his staff work closely with the Vikings athletic trainers to help players rehabilitate injuries. In 2012, Adrian Peterson came back from a severe knee injury at the end of 2011 to start the season opener, run for the 2nd-highest yardage total in NFL history at 2,097 yards become only the 3rd Vikings player to earn Associated Press NFL MVP.
Vikings Strength and Conditioning Coach Tom Kanavy enters his 8th season with the Vikings and his 19th NFL campaign in 2013. His track record of success in the NFL is proven with 6 Division titles since 2000 between the Vikings and Eagles and 8 playoff appearances from 2000-12.
Since joining the Vikings, Kanavy has overseen the strength and conditioning of 20 players who have earned 38 total Pro Bowl honors and 12 players take 20 All-Pro accolades. Kanavy and his staff work closely with the Vikings athletic trainers to help players rehabilitate injuries. In 2012, Adrian Peterson came back from a severe knee injury at the end of 2011 to start the season opener, run for the 2nd-highest yardage total in NFL history at 2,097 yards become only the 3rd Vikings player to earn Associated Press NFL MVP.
Kanavy joined the Vikings’ staff in 2006 and among his first responsibilities was to transform the Vikings strength and conditioning facilities. The willingness of ownership to provide the tools to succeed has continued to allow for the maintenance of a qualified and experienced strength and conditioning staff, as well as the best in strength and conditioning technology, ranging from weight training and cardiovascular equipment, to the latest in kettlebell training, rope training and body composition measurement methodologies.
Kanavy oversees the planning and implementation of all aspects of the Vikings’ program, which is tailored to each individual player in order to prevent injury, assist in recovery from injury, and to improve the speed, strength, power stamina, and flexibility of each player. A unique combination of free weights and machines, combined with metabolic and resisted conditioning, is used to address the training needs of the Vikings’ veteran players, as well as the development of the younger players on the roster. Kanavy has enlisted the services of registered dieticien Carrie Peterson from the University of Minnesota faculty, to help optimize team nutrition.
Kanavy came to Minnesota from the Philadelphia Eagles where he helped in the dramatic turnaround of the franchise while serving as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Kanavy received a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from Penn State University in 1993 and earned his master’s in sport management from Temple University in 1996.
Kanavy began his professional career working as a strength and conditioning intern, first with the Penn State Nittany Lions football program, and then with the University of Miami (FL) Hurricanes football program. He returned to his alma mater, Penn State, from 1993-95 as a strength and conditioning assistant. In 1994, in only their 2nd season as members of the Big Ten Conference, the squad notched a 12-0 season to win the Big Ten title and brought a Rose Bowl championship to Happy Valley after a 38-20 win over Oregon.
From Penn State, Kanavy joined the Eagles in head coach Ray Rhodes’ debut in 1995. The new staff notched a 10-6 regular season, qualified for the playoffs in the first season and went 1-1 in post-season play. In 1999 the Eagles hired Andy Reid as head coach and from 2000-05 the team won 4 NFC East titles, qualified for the playoffs in 5 of 6 seasons and represented the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIX. Kanavy worked on the same staff with Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier , who was defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for 4 seasons (1999-2002).
A native of Archibald, PA, Kanavy and wife, Kim, reside in suburban Minneapolis with daughters, Caroline and Kristen.
