Sam Morreale Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Seventh Season

Northern Illinois assistant coach Sam Morreale brings years of experience as a gymnastics coach, as well as his personal experiences as a Huskie gymnast, to the NIU women's program for the seventh consecutive season in 2009. In addition to his coaching in the gym, Morreale handles many administrative and recruiting duties for Huskie Gymnastics. His duties include coaching the Huskies on the uneven parallel bars, where he has directed a pair of MAC Champions on the event in Ashlee Williams (2005) and Holly Reichard (2008). He also aids in instruction and spotting of the other events at NIU.

When he first began his Northern coaching career, Morreale led the Huskies' strength and conditioning program and he now works with strength and conditioning coach Chad Bower to help shape the Huskies' efforts in the weight room.

In addition to his Northern Illinois responsibilities, Morreale has served as program director of the Energym Sports Campus for the last 19 years, and heads up that facility's preschool and school age gymnastics programs. Current Huskies Ashley and Sarah Hurley and Briana Dicus trained at Energym.

A professional member of U.S.A. Gymnastics, Morreale has worked numerous summer camps, state clinics and regional training camps.

Like his older brother Andy, Sam was a member of the Huskie men's team. After walking on to the NIU squad, Morreale worked his way into the line-up and served as team captain as a junior in 1986-87. He won a pair of letters before leaving to join the staff at Gym-Kats (now Energym).

A native of Addison, Ill. who graduated from Addison Trail High School, Morreale's wife, the former Lisa Swauger of Naperville, Ill., serves as the coach of the NIU dance team, the Silverettes. The couple has three children, son Brandon (22) and daughters Bailey (18) and Brienne (15).