Kohle Helle is in his sixth year with the Iowa football program. Helle is in his third year as assistant strength and conditioning coach. He served as the manager of nutrition and performance analytics for Iowa football in 2019 after joining Iowa’s strength and conditioning refueling and analytics staff in August, 2018. He previously served as a strength and conditioning intern with Iowa football from January to May in 2018.
The Hawkeyes won 10 games in 2021, winning the Big Ten’s West Division title and advancing to the conference championship game. Iowa concluded the season with an appearance in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl and was ranked 23rd in the nation in the final national rankings. Iowa’s streak of nine straight bowl invitations matches the longest in school history and the Hawkeyes have been in the Top 25 final rankings four straight seasons.
Iowa opened the 2021 season with six straight wins and closed the regular season with four straight victories to earn the West Division title and a berth in the league championship game for the second time since 2015. Iowa has been in the final national rankings in each of the past four seasons and has earned 19 conference wins in the past three seasons, Iowa’s highest three-year conference win total since 2002-04.
Following back-to-back narrow losses to open the 2020 season, Iowa won six straight games, all in Big Ten play, to complete the regular season. The Hawkeyes scored at least 26 points in each of the six wins. The winning streak included road wins at Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois, and trophy game victories over Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes were ranked 15th in the nation in the final CFP rankings and coaches poll, and 16th by the Associated Press. The Hawkeyes were selected to compete in the 2020 Music City Bowl, but that event was canceled.
Iowa won 47 games from 2015-19, the highest total in school history over any five-year period, and a total that ranked ninth nationally. Iowa won its final four games in 2019 and ranked 15th in the nation in the final Associated Press and coaches polls.
The Hawkeyes concluded the 2019 campaign with a 10-3 record following a 49-24 win over No. 22 Southern California in the Holiday Bowl. The three losses were all to ranked opponents by a combined 14 points. The Hawkeyes were 4-1 in trophy games for the third straight season.
Iowa completed the 2018 season with a 9-4 mark and a final ranking of 25th in the Associated Press national rankings. The Hawkeyes earned a 27-22 Outback Bowl win over No. 18 Mississippi State to close the season with three straight wins. The four losses came by a total of 23 points and all were decided in the final minutes of play. Iowa tied for second in the Big Ten West Division.
As the manager of nutrition and performance analytics, Helle prepared daily analytic reports for student-athlete recovery, managed GPS technology and Fatigue Science performance tracking data, coached athletes on proper exercise technique, and assisted with other areas of the strength and conditioning program.
Helle was a strength and conditioning intern at Central College (2015-17) and was an intern at North Carolina-Charlotte during the summer, 2016.
Helle is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC), and is American Red Cross certified for First Aid, CPR, and AED.
Helle attended Central College as an undergraduate, earning his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science – Strength and Conditioning, with a minor in Communication Studies. He earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of South Dakota.
Helle was a four-year letterman in football at Central College, where he holds the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He was also elected to the team leadership council.
Helle was born in 1995, and is a native of Guttenberg, Iowa.