A veteran within the Central Illinois strength and conditioning industry, Eddie Papis is in his 12th year at Bradley University and his seventh as the school’s Sport Performance Head Coach.

Among his responsibilities with the Braves, Papis works directly with the men’s basketball, baseball and soccer programs. He also oversees the sport performance department and the management of the school’s 15 teams in addition to leading a staff of three coaches.

During his tenure on The Hilltop, Papis has worked with 17 teams that have won Missouri Valley Conference Championships. He has also coached a number of student-athletes that have continued their career in the professional ranks, including 14 Major League Baseball draft picks.

A fixture in the field throughout Central Illinois during his career, Papis has also held positions at Hopedale Medical Complex, the Greater Peoria Family YMCA and Peoria Notre Dame High School. He first began his tenure at Bradley as strength and conditioning assistant coach in 2004 before returning to The Hilltop in 2016 to lead the department. During his career, Papis has received multiple accolades in the community, including 40 Leaders Under 40 from Peoria Magazine and YMCA State Physical Programmer of the Year.

A native of Washington, Illinois, Papis graduated from Illinois State in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology. He is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and American Red Cross (CPR/AED/First Aid).

Papis and his wife, Kristy, have two sons, Eddie and Eli.