Jazz Name Eric Waters as Head Athletic Trainer

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has hired Eric Waters as Head Athletic Trainer. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

A veteran in the athletic training field, Waters comes to the Jazz after spending 12 seasons (2004-16) as the head athletic trainer for the Washington Wizards, where was selected as the NBA’s Athletic Trainer of the Year by the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA) following the 2009-10 season. He has also served as an athletic trainer for the USA Men’s National Team since 2014.

Certified and licensed as an athletic trainer (ATC), strength and conditioning coach (CSCS), corrective exercise specialist (CES) and performance enhancement specialist (PES), Waters previously served as both Secretary of the NBATA, as well as the association’s Eastern Conference representative, and was a featured speaker at the 2010 National Athletic Trainers Association Conference in Philadelphia.

Prior to joining the Wizards, Waters spent four years as the assistant athletic trainer of the Chicago Bulls from 2000-2004. His career has also included assistantships within the athletic departments of Northwestern University and the University of Iowa, and he spent two seasons with NFL Europe working as the head athletic trainer for the London Monarchs and the assistant athletic trainer for the Rhein Fire, following an internship with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

Waters received bachelor’s degrees in both exercise science and psychology from the University of Iowa in 1995 and a master’s in exercise science from Boise State University in 1998. Waters has continued to enhance his skillset throughout his career by traveling abroad to study the latest high performance sport and sports medicine techniques and practices, and is currently pursuing a master’s in high performance sport (MPHS) degree from Australian Catholic University located in Australia.

Very involved in community efforts, Waters has made multiple international trips in support of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders efforts, and is also active in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program among others.