Dan Almekinder joined the Illinois State staff in August 2021 and is responsible for the Redbird soccer team. He previously worked with the Redbird Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams, transitioning to soccer in Summer 2023.

Prior to coming to ISU, Dan worked at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MO at an outpatient therapy clinic performing rehabilitation on orthopedic surgical and non-surgical patients. This athletic trainer-led clinic is unique in the therapy industry and boasts one of the most successful ACL reconstruction outcomes in the nation. While at the clinic, Dan specialized in post-surgical orthopedic rehabilitation, movement screening, and movement pattern correction.

Almekinder earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in athletic training at Missouri State University in 2015 and 2017, respectively. While earning his master’s, Dan was an intern with MSU working primarily with the men’s soccer team, as well as track and field and golf.

Almekinder is a certified and licensed athletic trainer, as well as a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA). Originally from Rolla, MO, Dan currently resides in Bloomington.