Matthew Wisniewski was hired by Lees-McRae Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports Craig McPhail on August 12, 2022 to become the new head strength & conditioning coach. Wisniewski comes to Banner Elk from nearby Appalachian State where he was a Sports Science Intern, while also obtaining his Master's degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in strength and conditioning from Appalachian State.

"We are excited to welcome Matthew to our Bobcat family," said McPhail. "He is a former student-athlete, comes from a great Exercise Science program, and brings a level of skills to the position we are all excited about as he develops our young people in the strength and conditioning realm of our department."

While working with the Appalachian State athletic department, Wisniewski's responsibilities included management of the individual team's GPS data, providing student-athletes with specialized workouts as needed, as well as coordinating team training sessions with an emphasis on in-season and out-of-season workouts. Before moving to the mountains, Wisniewski was an Athletics Lab Intern in Morrisville, North Carolina, working as a group class instructor, a group and personal fitness plan developer for professional athletes, and also working with the NWSL Carolina Courage team.

"I would like to personally thank Vice President Craig McPhail and Deputy Athletic Director Jeff Merrill for giving me this opportunity," said Wisniewski. "After talking with Craig in our early interviews, I fully understood what it means to be a part of Bobcat Nation. I'm excited to start working with our student-athletes and helping them succeed on their playing surface and in the classroom."

Wisniewski earned his Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, while also being a member of Guilford's men's soccer program. Wisniewski has also served as a Strength and Conditioning Intern at North Carolina A&T, a Youth Soccer Coach for the North Carolina Fusion Soccer Club, and a volunteer coach for the Greensboro United Soccer Association.