Bio

Danny Capps comes to Missouri Valley after spending several years as Athletic Director at Santa Fe (Mo.) High School in Alma, Mo.  Capps also served as head coach for the football and track and field programs.  Prior to his time at Santa Fe, Capps built a successful powerlifting program at Lexington (Mo.) High School.  From 2014-2019 Capps produced four women’s state champions in power lifting, that later competed at Missouri Valley, and a team championship in 2018.  Capps also produced state and National championship lifting teams while he was at Leavenworth (Kan.) High School from 2010-2014, along with success as a National level weightlifting coach with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City.

In February 2024, MVC took home team hardware in both Women's and Men's divisions at the USA Powerlifting Midwest Collegiate Regionals at McKendree University (IL), where the Women took 2nd and Men 3rd. The Viking Powerlifting teams then also qualified 14 student-athletes, 9 women and 5 men for the 2024 USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals held in Atlanta, GA, where the top Viking competitor was Corey Morabito, securing All-American status in his first year of competitive powerlifting with a 3rd place finish. Other medalists were Audrey Schoch and Laren Bates, finishing 5th and 4th respectively. The Men's team finished 11th as a team, and the Women took 4th, securing National team hardware for the first time in program history.

Capps graduated from Southwestern (Kan.) with a bachelor’s degree in health/physical education, and a minor in psychology after winning three KCAC championships and making three NAIA National Championship Series appearances with the football program.  He spent time as a graduate assistant with the Baylor (Texas) strength and conditioning program, where he earned a Master’s of Science in Education degree, with an emphasis in Sport Pedagogy in 2004.  At Baylor, Capps helped train two Olympic Gold Medalists, Jeremy Warnier and Darold Williamson, in track and field.  He also worked with the 2003 NCAA Division I men’s tennis National championship team, the 2004 NCAA Division I women’s basketball National championship team, along with several future NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB players.  He worked full-time under renowned strength and conditioning expert John Williams, who is now the Director of Strength and Conditioning at East Carolina.

“I am excited for the opportunity to take on a Missouri Valley powerlifting program that has potential for National dominance,” said Capps.  “I thank Athletic Director Mike Machholz and President Dr. Joe Parisi for believing in my capability to lead this program.”

Capps was a stand-out powerlifter in his youth, winning multiple awards at Park Hill (Mo.) High School, most notably the NASA Powerlifting Bench Press National Championship and helped his team to the overall men’s National championship his senior year.  Capps has two sons, Snowden and Declan.