James “Jim” Gillen graduated from FHSU with a B.S. in physical education in 1974 and an M.S. in physical education in 1976. Since 2014, he has been the associate athletic director for facilities and community engagement for Metropolitan State University, Denver.
For 23 years he was the head athletic trainer and team travel coordinator for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, responsible for working with the team’s medical staff to treat injuries and help players during rehabilitation. He retired from that position in 2014.
Before that, he was the assistant athletic trainer for the Denver Broncos, during which time the Broncos played in three Super Bowls, and was part of a staff which was named the NFL’s Athletic Training Staff of the Year in 1987. He was an athletic trainer for the AMI/Denver Broncos Sports Medicine Clinic and was head athletic trainer at Overland High School from 1982 to 1986, and at Aurora Central High School from 1980 to 1982. After graduating from FHSU, he was head athletic trainer at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio.
During his career, he was an athletic trainer at three NBA All-Star games – two of them as head trainer – and, in both 2002 and 2007, he received the Joe O’Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. He was also an athletic trainer in 2002 for U.S.A. basketball at the world championships in Indianapolis.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.fhsu.edu/news/FHSU-Alumni-Association-announces-2015-Alumni-Awards/