Dr. Bill Thierfelder is currently President of Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic Liberal Arts College located 10 miles west of Charlotte, NC. Founded by Benedictine monks over 136 years ago, the College continues to celebrate the 1,500-year-old Benedictine monastic tradition of prayer and learning by providing its students with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, succeed professionally, become responsible citizens and be a blessing to themselves and to others.
Prior to his appointment as President of Belmont Abbey College, Dr. Thierfelder successfully lead and transitioned fitness legend, York Barbell Company, from a manufacturer to a solutions-based partner providing sales, marketing, product development and logistical services to mass merchants and major sporting goods retailers throughout the United States and Europe.
Dr. Thierfelder was also a principal in Joyner Sports Medicine Institute, a physical therapy corporation he helped conceptualize, found and develop. After positioning Joyner as a premier provider of physical therapy services, he was instrumental in negotiating the sale of the company to NovaCare, Inc., the nation’s second largest provider of outpatient physical therapy. As NovaCare’s National Director of Sports Science, he created, directed and co-chaired one of the largest and most successful sports medicine and physical rehabilitation conferences in the United States.
He has also served as Executive Director of the Player Management Group, a sports representation company that provided contract negotiation, financial management, legal, career planning and sports medicine services to professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Dr. Thierfelder has also helped thousands of athletes, including over a hundred at the Olympic and professional levels, achieve dramatic improvements in their athletic performances. His past clients include NFL stars such as Kyle Brady, TE, New England Patriots; Adrian Wilson, S, Phoenix Cardinals; Bobby Engram, WR, Seattle Seahawks; Omar Easy, FB, Oakland Raiders; and Andre Collins, LB, Washington Redskins; and many others.
Dr. Thierfelder received his master’s and doctoral degrees in Sports Psychology and Human Movement from Boston University. He is a licensed psychologist, a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is a former member of the United States Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry, NCAA Division I Coach, Olympian (did not compete due to injury), National Champion (IRE) and a two-time All-American from the University of Maryland. He participated in the 1980 United States Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, and was a medalist at the 1981 U.S. Track & Field Indoor National Championship. Dr. Thierfelder is a member of the Sports Faith International Hall of Fame, which includes world-class athletes, coaches, and team owners, such as George “Papa Bear” Halas, Wellington Mara, Brian Piccolo, and others
Throughout his career, Dr. Thierfelder has delivered hundreds of presentations, both live, and on camera, regarding topics related to faith, sport, education, sports science and medicine, business performance, as well as testifying before the United States Congress in matters related to religious liberty. Dr. Thierfelder has led the fight for religious freedom by initiating the first lawsuit against the federal government over the HHS healthcare mandate. He is also the author of Less Than A Minute To Go: The Secret to World-Class Performance in Sport, Business and Everyday Life with Foreword by Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Dr. Thierfelder was born and raised in New York City. He is a Knight of Malta and currently lives just outside of Charlotte, NC with his wife, Mary, and their ten children. Both Dr. Thierfelder and his wife are Oblates of Belmont Abbey Monastery.
