Inside Athletic Training: Meet MSUB's Miracle Workers

Thomas Ebel begins his 13th year as the head athletic trainer at Montana State University Billings in 2023-24 after serving five years (2006-2011) as the head athletic trainer and teacher at Clovis High School in Clovis, New Mexico.

At MSUB, Ebel is in charge of taking care of student-athletes on the men's soccer, men's basketball, and track and field squads, and oversees all 16 varsity athletic teams’ athletic training needs.

Before taking over at Clovis High, Ebel spent four years (2002-06) at Eastern Medical Associates (EMA) in Portales, New Mexico, where he was a physician extender and covered the local high schools. Part of his duties with EMA were designing core strength, rehabilitation and conditioning programs, performing fitness evaluations and orientations, developing athletic injury prevention and treatment programs, along with various other duties.

Prior to his time at EMA, Ebel spent six years (1995-2001) as the head athletic trainer and instructor at Concordia University Nebraska in Seward, Nebraska. At Concordia, Ebel created and developed the student athletic training program for the university. He also designed multiple programs and was responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the training room.

Ebel received a Bachelor of Arts degree in exercise science from Concordia University Nebraska in 1994 then received a teaching certificate from Concordia in 2002. In 2004 he received his master's degree in athletic administration from Eastern New Mexico University.

Ebel is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association as well as being CPR and AED certified. He also holds a certification as a Performance Enhancement Specialist.