RAPID CITY, S.D. --- Athletic Director Joel Lueken along with Monument Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine have announced the newest additions to the South Dakota Mines athletic staff.

Ben Servais and Garrett Snook have officially been announced as Co-Directors of Performance. Sport assignments are still to be determined; however, Ben Servais will primarily oversee football.

"We are extremely excited to welcome our new Directors of Performance in Ben and Garrett." said Athletic Director Joel Lueken. "The two of them bring a good combination of experience and passion, and we're excited to see what they can bring to our student-athletes."
Servais has worked as the head strength and conditioning coach at Division II Southwest Minnesota State University since 2019, where he worked with all student-athletes.

Prior to that position, Servais spent several years at Humboldt State University, spending 2013-19 as a Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the entire campus and as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the athletic department. Servais also taught as a lecturer in the Kinesiology department at Humboldt State from 2016-19.

Before getting into the institutional setting, Servais spent time as a Physical Therapy Aide at Results Physical Therapy and Training Center in 2012, after initially getting his start from 2011-12 as a Sports Performance Coach at Velocity Sports Performance.

Servais initially earned his bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University in Kinesiology/Exercise Science in 2011 while being a part of the rugby team (2006-10) and the track & field team (2011). In 2015, Servais earned his master's degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science, also from Humboldt State.

"I am fired up to be on campus and given the role of Director of Performance at South Dakota Mines," said Servais. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to be an asset to the athletic department and monument health, and can't wait to work with the coach and student-athletes to be a positive influence in their physical, personal, and academic growth."

Servais began working in his position on August 16.

Snook is originally from the area, earning his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Black Hills State University in 2020. While attending Black Hills State, Snook was a member of the track & field team.

Most recently, Snook served as assistant strength and conditioning coach while working with the soccer and rodeo teams primarily at Black Hills State, beginning in September of 2021.

Snook started his career with Monument Health and Black Hills State. He worked as an athletic performance instructor at Monument Health and a strength and conditioning intern at Black Hills State in 2021.

Following graduation, Snook served as a fitness instructor at The Hot Room in Spearfish, S.D. where he programmed and directed workouts.

While in school, Snook worked as a strength and conditioning coach for Physio Performance in Rapid City.

Currently, Snook also co-owns and operates Melius Motion which is an online strength and conditioning app.

"I am excited to contribute to the future of Hardrocker athletics," said Snook. I am grateful to the athletic department and Monument Health for providing me the opportunity to develop and work with the student-athletes at South Dakota Mines."

Snook began working in his position on August 7.

About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.