Mike Van Bruggen has served as the Director of Sports Medicine for the Carson-Newman University Eagles since January of 2001. In this role, Van Bruggen oversees all aspects of providing comprehensive health care for the more than 500 Eagle student-athletes. Mike serves on the athletic department’s senior leadership team and is the primary healthcare provider for the University’s football and softball teams. He also leads a University-wide initiative to acquire and deploy AEDs across the campus. In addition to being a licensed and certified athletic Trainer, Van Bruggen is licensed by the state of Tennessee as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician.
Van Bruggen is an active volunteer on local, regional and national levels. He is a CPR instructor for both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Mike is also a volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps of East Tennessee. Van Bruggen currently sits on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research & Education Foundation Board of Directors after serving as an Ambassador for the Foundation for several years. He has served the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) as a member of the State Association Advisory Committee and as a volunteer at the organization’s national convention. Mike has served the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association (SEATA) as a member of the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award Committee and as a member of the College & University Athletic Trainers’ Committee, which he currently chairs. For the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society (TATS), Mike has served as a member and chair of several committees, including Honors & Awards, Corporate Relations, Governance (which he chaired), and Public Relations. Since 2014, Mike has served TATS as a member of the Executive Board, first as the East Tennessee Regional Representative and currently as Vice President. Mike has spoken numerous times at local, regional and national conferences.
In 2009, Van Bruggen was honored by TATS as the Eugene Smith/Mickey O’Brien College Athletic Trainer of the Year. In 2012, he was recognized as the NATA College & University Athletic Trainers’ Committee NCAA Division II Head Athletic Trainer of the Year. In 2016, he was awarded the R.T Floyd District Award from SEATA and the Athletic Training Service Award from NATA.
Prior to arriving in Jefferson City, Mike was the Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director at Howard Payne University in Texas. He has also held appointments at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona and in the New York Mets minor league system. Van Bruggen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from the University of Arizona. He earned his EMT certificate from Walters State Community College.
Mike is married to the former Sheri Whitney and they have one son, Alex and a daughter, Samantha along with 3 dogs.