Greenwich, CT | Darien, CT
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Coaches

Craig

OWNER / PERFORMANCE COACH

Craig Vitale is the CEO and founder of Combine Training. Craig began his athletic career as a Greenwich Cardinal at Greenwich HS. In his senior season, Craig was named First Team All-FCIAC and First Team All-State for football. Upon graduation, Craig attended the University of Tennessee to play football. After his football career at Tennessee, Craig transferred to the University of Southern Connecticut to complete his degree in Exercise Science. He began his training career at Golds Gym. He then moved to New York Sports Club and was named #1 national trainer in 2001.

Craig has been actively racing in triathlons since 2002, and in full Ironman competitions since 2007. Craig qualified for and competed in the Ironman World Championship and the 70.3 Ironman World Championship in 2010, 2012, and 2014-2017.

He has been named All American Triathlete from 2009 to 2017 each year. Amongst his many clients, Craig trains several of the local sports teams and is the official dry land coach for the YMCA Marlin’s swim team and the three-time triple crown Darien Blue Wave boys and girls swim team. He is also the former head swim coach for Greenwich Academy girls swim team. His professional certifications include NASM, ACE, AAAI-ISMA, AFAA, Athletes Performance Mentorship, FMS 1 – 2 certified and USA Triathlon Level 1 coach.

Nick Cerra

PERFORMANCE COACH

Nick’s goal is to provide a challenging training environment that will help maximize physical potential, while decreasing the risk of injury. Nick has experience working with adults and youth athletes ranging from high school to the Division I Collegiate level. Nick was a competitive swimmer and was a four-time high school All American.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Sciences and a minor in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Science in Sports Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from Hofstra University. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Jeff Merlo

PERFORMANCE COACH

​Jeff received his Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Connecticut in 2016. There, he studied Kinesiology with a focus in Strength and Conditioning. Upon graduating, Jeff spent two years serving as an Assistant Strength Coach for the Providence Bruins. This experience, along with his love and passion for the musculo-skeletal system, propelled Jeff to pursue an education in Massage Therapy to better assist athletes with the recovery portion of training. He completed his schooling for massage therapy in September of 2018. Jeff is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and is Sport and Exercise Nutrition certified (Pn1).

Nic Tiemann

PERFORMANCE COACH

Nic is a lifelong athlete, competing in football, lacrosse, and rugby. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor in Physical Education. Thereafter, his passion for coaching led him to pursue his CSCS certification and become a Strength & Conditioning Coach. For the past 6 years, Nic has been working with adult and youth athletes from a variety of sports and backgrounds around the world. His goal is to help athletes and individuals reach their full athletic potential through smart, effective physical and mindset training.

He currently holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification through the NSCA, as well as a Certified Performance Nutrition Coach certification (PN-1).

Diana Pineda

PERFORMANCE COACH

Diana is a first-generation college graduate with a Master and Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Nutrition from Sacred Heart University. In high school, she was on the soccer and track & field team where she developed a love for fitness, sports, exercise, and the science behind it all! She enjoys lifting, running, boxing, and playing volleyball and soccer recreationally. She received her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She wants to help athletes and people improve their fitness, performance and live a happy, healthy lifestyle.

Tyler Petersen

PERFORMANCE COACH

Tyler’s training objective is to blend athletic development with injury prevention, creating the best equation for lifelong performance. Tyler attended Hofstra University. There he received a B.S. in Psychology with a double minor in Community Health/Sociology, as well as an M.S. in Sports Science with a focus on Strength and Conditioning. After graduation, Tyler went on to work in a clinical sports rehabilitation setting working as a licensed chiropractic assistant. Tyler combined his strength and conditioning background and applied it to help rehabilitate a wide range of youth and adult clients.

He currently holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification through the NSCA, as well as a Level 1 Certification through USA Weightlifting (USAW), and he is a Licensed Chiropractic Assistant (LCA).

Mark Cohen

PERFORMANCE COACH

Mark grew up in New Jersey, with Basketball as his primary sport. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Physiology. While in Colorado, he interned with several physical therapy clinics, the CU Women’s Soccer team, and in both the Neurophysiology of Human Movement laboratory and the Sleep and Development laboratory conducting research on motor unit control, sleep and development, amongst many other experimental studies. These experiences have helped him understand major systems within the body (cardiovascular, pulmonary, neural and muscle) and how these systems interact with each other in health and disease. Mark works with youth / collegiate athletes, as well as adult general fitness clients. He has been coaching in the private sector for over 6 years. He currently holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

SCOTT DALCONZO

PERFORMANCE COACH

Scott joins the Combine Training team, bringing over a decade of experience training adults, youth, collegiate, and pro athletes. He has worked at Rutgers, LA Tech, University of Missouri, Lamar, and UCONN. Most recently, he was the Director or Strength and Conditioning in a private sector facility. Scott strives to help his athletes reach goals, mentally and physically, that they originally thought unattainable through a commitment to Strength & Conditioning.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education with a Teaching Certification and a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Lamar University. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) and USAW Weightlifting Certification level 1(USAW-1).

Daniel Rosa

PERFORMANCE COACH

Daniel received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Montclair State University in 2019. Upon graduation, he interned and then later worked for various private Strength & Conditioning facilities in New Jersey working with professional athletes, high school and collegiate athletes, and adult clients. He has also been a Track and Field Coach for a private high school in New Jersey, leading many sprinters and high hurdlers to All-American status and Bergan County records.

He is a certified personal trainer (CPS) through NASM and will complete his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential in Nov 2023. He is a former high school soccer player and stays fit by boxing and playing basketball.

Glen Tobias

MS, RDN, CSSD, FAND

Glen is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) with a master’s degree (MS) in clinical nutrition as well as being a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD).

He was the former Team Performance Dietitian for the Boston Red Sox (2017-2020) and the former Team Performance Dietitian for the NY Jets (2013-16).

Glen’s nutritional approach is based on three principles that lead to a healthier lifestyle: eating, exercise, and education.

The focus of the e3 Weight Management System is to help you change your body composition and improve your overall health through the understanding and management of energy.