RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday the promotion of Shane Venteicher to director of football medicine.
 
"This promotion is well deserved for Shane," said Steven Kraus, associate athletic director for sports medicine. "He has helped raise the bar for the standard of UTRGV Sports Medicine and has overseen his sports, facility, and student athletic trainers with efficiency and excellence that will translate very well for the football program."
 
In his new role, Venteicher will oversee all sports medicine for football. Venteicher returns to the gridiron after spending one year as an assistant athletic trainer for the Missouri Southern State football program and playing football for three years at Simpson College.
 
"Shane's background and passion for football and sports medicine will be evident to our football student-athletes as I know he will build relationships quickly and handle their care effectively," Kraus continued. "I'm very excited to continue to grow UTRGV sports medicine with Shane in this role."
 
After originally starting as an assistant athletic trainer at UTRGV in the spring of 2022, Venteicher was promoted to associate athletic trainer overseeing men's soccer, track & field, and cross country as well as the new athletic training facility at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex in Sept. 2023. Additionally, Venteicher serves as a mentor for new and student members of the sports medicine team. 
 
"I am beyond humbled and grateful for this promotion and to be a part of what [head football] coach [Travis] Bush is building here at UTRGV," Venteicher said. "I want to thank [vice president and director of athletics] Chasse Conque, [deputy director of athletics] Molly Castner, and Steven Kraus for believing in me and trusting me to transition into this position," Venteicher said. I have to thank my parents for always believing in me, pushing me to pursue my dreams, and doing their best throughout my life to help me and see me succeed. I owe them more than any thanks can give."

Prior to joining UTRGV, Venteicher spent six years as the sports medicine director and an adjunct professor at Allen Community College where he covered men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track & field/cross country, and cheer and dance.
 
"Football played a major role in my life growing up, through college, and for a short time early in my athletic training career." Venteicher continued. "I'm excited to be back with a sport that I am so passionate about, and I am thrilled to share that passion with the future Vaqueros football student-athletes."

Venteicher earned his Master of Science in Exercise Science in 2019 from Liberty University and his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training in 2016 from Simpson College.

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