Denver Nuggets: Steve Hess transfers to consulting role with Nuggets

Denver Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess is transferring to a new role with the team. Felipe Eichenberger will step in and fill the shoes of the legendary fitness guru.

For over two decades Steve Hess has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Denver Nuggets. He signed on as assistant strength and conditioning coach in 1996. That title was officially changed to director of performance and head of strength of conditioning just last year. Now, the legendary performance trainer is transferring to a new role with the team.

Hess will remain with the Nuggets as a consultant, but the change in title is to make room for his new responsibilities as chief performance operator at Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center.

This is a significant change internally. Although Hess didn’t officially receive that title change until April of last year, he’s actually the first and only person to fill that role for Denver. This man is the face of the strength and conditioning program in Denver.

To put it in perspective, Hess has been with the team for as long as Nuggets prized point guard Jamal Murray has been alive. He oversaw the conditioning of Nuggets legends past and present and he leaves the team after laying the foundation for the Nikola Jokic project.

Steve Hess leaves behind a strong legacy as a coach and a trainer, but he’ll also be remembered as an inspiring and driven individual. Hess is lauded for the passion and relentless with which he approaches every single day. Nuggets governor and president Josh Kroenke sang his praises as he discussed Hess’ role change:

"“Steve realizes that at the beginning of every day he has the ability to impact everyone in the organization,” Kroenke said. “Steve’s energy is genuinely contagious. I was joking with him that you could easily say that Steve never has a bad day. But over the years, I’ve learned enough and been around Steve enough where you realize that on his bad days, he’s extra hyper. He brings it even more.”"

These are some large and legendary shoes being left behind for new head of strength and conditioning, Felipe Eichenberger.

Eichenberger attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he studied health and sports science, and health and physical education/fitness. He later attended Arizona’s A. T. Still University, where he obtained a Master’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science.

He worked as a performance trainer for Forza Fitness and Performance club for three years before joining the Nuggets as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2011. His title was changed to associate head strength and conditioning coach in April of 2016, following Hess’ own title change.

As for Hess, it’s the end of an era as he says goodbye to a life that he’s dedicated so much of his time to. The Nuggets took to Twitter and thanked Hess for 21 years of service. They then tweeted out this video of Hess, who had a message of his own:

Chris Dempsey of Altitude TV asked Hess what he’ll miss the most. His response was reflective of the passion and dedication that is so often attributed to him:

"“Without a doubt, the possibility of winning a championship,” Hess said. “Being around a group with one common goal. Being in that group where there’s so much work and dedication being put in by those guys, when they succeed it’s the greatest feeling.”"

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A championship is far away for Denver, but they’ve laid down the foundation for a successful era of basketball. Hess may not be there when it all comes to fruition but he will forever be a part of this organization.