Masters Academy International Appoints Veteran Performance Coach Rich Casella to Lead Strength and Conditioning

Former UMass men’s and women’s basketball head of strength and conditioning brings over 15 years of elite athlete development experience

STOW, Mass. – March 11, 2026 – Masters Academy International (MAI) announced the appointment of Rich Casella as the school’s Head of Strength and Conditioning, bringing one of New England’s most impactful performance coaches to the academy’s integrated model of elite athletics, rigorous academics, and comprehensive student development.

A highly respected strength and conditioning specialist and athletic performance expert, Casella has spent more than 15 years developing elite and emerging athletes across the collegiate and independent school levels.

Casella previously served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the men’s and women’s basketball programs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he directed all facets of athletic performance, movement development, recovery protocols, and athlete wellness. During that time, he also worked closely with the university’s swimming and diving program as the men’s team captured an Atlantic 10 Championship and the women’s team earned a runner-up finish.

At MAI, Casella will oversee all aspects of strength and conditioning, athletic performance development, recovery strategy, and movement optimization across the school’s athletic programs. Strength and conditioning will play a central role in MAI’s daily training model, where student-athletes train year-round as part of the school’s integrated academic and athletic schedule.

“Elite performance doesn’t happen by accident — it requires a system, a culture, and a relentless commitment to development,” said Peter Masters, co-founder of Masters Academy International. “Rich Casella brings not only the experience and proven track record required to develop elite athletes but also the ability to connect with students in a way that builds confidence, character, and long-term growth.”

“What I value most about coaching is the opportunity to create transformational relationships with my student-athletes,” said Rich Casella. “The weight room provides a training ground to develop grit, enhance performance, build confidence, push past perceived limits and cultivate the mindset and habits necessary to separate themselves from the competition ”.

Prior to UMass, Casella built and led high-performance strength programs at several elite New England institutions.

At Northfield Mount Hermon from 2018–2022, he successfully elevated the performance of the school’s varsity programs, including a New England championship-winning wrestling program and boys soccer team. During that span, NMH also captured a New England Championship in AAA boys basketball, and two athletes earned NEPSAC AAA Player of the Year honors.

From 2022–2025, Casella served as Director of Strength and Conditioning at Greens Farms Academy, where his performance system helped produce three New England wrestling championships, maintain a top-five national wrestling ranking for three consecutive years, develop two National Champions and more than 20 Wrestling All-Americans. During that same period, Greens Farms Academy became home to the only two Strength and Conditioning All-Americans in New England.

Casella also managed all aspects of athletic performance for The Newman School’s two-time reigning AAA Boys Basketball New England Championship program, helping strengthen the team as it rose to No. 1 in the national rankings in each of the past two seasons.

Across his career, Casella has mentored hundreds of collegiate and high school athletes, many of whom have gone on to compete at Power 4 programs, Ivy League, Hockey East and NESCAC institutions. Several have continued to the professional ranks across multiple sports.

“At Masters Academy, we won’t just encourage ambition — we support it every step of the way,” said Casella. “We’re not simply preparing students to arrive at their universities, we’re equipping them to dominate when they get there.”

Casella holds a Master of Science in Sports Science and Rehabilitation from Logan University and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds numerous professional certifications, including NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist, Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, Certified Speed and Agility Coach, and Precision Nutrition Certification.

In addition to his coaching work, Casella serves as a Kinesiology Lecturer at University of Massachusetts Amherst and is the founder of RC Strength Training LLC.

About Masters Academy International: Masters Academy International (MAI) is an elite boarding and day school opening in Stow, Massachusetts, designed to redefine the student-athlete experience. MAI prepares students to think, train and perform at professional standards by integrating pro-level coaching, top-tier academics, and comprehensive student development into one aligned model — ensuring students never have to compromise one for the other. The school is operated in partnership with Cognita, a global education leader with more than 100 premium private schools worldwide. MAI provides a structured pathway for students aspiring to compete at the collegiate and professional levels while excelling in the classroom and in life. Learn more at https://www.mastersacademyinternational.com/.

Media Contact: Joe Zarbano, Regan Communications on behalf of Masters Academy International, jzarbano@regancomm.com.