The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has named Brian Zettler as the fourth head athletic trainer in franchise history. In addition, Nick Asay has been promoted to assistant trainer and Adam Klauke has been named the team’s equipment manager.
Zettler recently completed his 19th season in professional basketball and his 12th season with the Jazz, having served as the assistant trainer/equipment manager since the 2004-05 season. Prior to joining the Jazz, Zettler spent three seasons as the head athletic trainer with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He concurrently spent four seasons assisting the Dallas Cowboys athletic training department. Zettler also worked with the Dallas Mavericks athletic training staff from 1997 until his departure to Utah. Before working in professional sports, he spent three years as the head athletic trainer at the Southwestern Assemblies of God University where he founded the school’s sports medicine program.
The Waxahachie, Texas native earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M in 1993 and a dual master’s degrees in science and education from the University of North Texas in 1998 and 1999. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Consultant (NCSA), a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM). He was co-founder and elected inaugural president of the National Basketball Equipment Managers Association (NBAEMA) in 2013.
Zettler replaces longtime Jazz head athletic Trainer, Gary Briggs, who retired following the 2014-15 season after 33 NBA seasons, including 15 with Utah.
Asay spent the last two seasons assisting the Jazz athletic training staff and has worked for the franchise for six years total. In his new role, he will be a traveling member of the team’s training staff while continuing to work closely with the University of Utah Health Care, the official Jazz healthcare provider. Asay previously spent four seasons working for the University of Utah Health Care, serving as their head athletic trainer at Herriman High School from 2011-14.
The Salt Lake Valley native completed his undergraduate degree in athletic training and also received his master’s degree in sports psychology at the University of Utah. Asay served as the head athletic trainer for former Jazz NBA Development League affiliate, Utah Flash, from 2007-09. He previously worked as an athletic trainer for the University of Utah baseball team from 2004-06 and the Washington Nationals’ minor league affiliate, the Vermont Lake Monsters, from 2006-07.
Klauke has been with the Jazz for 16 years in various capacities in basketball operations, serving as the team’s assistant equipment manager and Zions Bank Basketball Center facility coordinator for the past three seasons. In addition to his time with the Jazz, Klauke spent 12 seasons with the Salt Lake Bees. Beginning as a program seller and bat boy, he served as assistant clubhouse manager for eight years.
A 2009 graduate of the University of Utah, Klauke earned a bachelor’s degree in health promotion and education.
