Beaulieu’s base of operations is the Chuck Hall Weight Room, a 2,500-square-foot facility in the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center that is stacked almost from floor to ceiling with lifting platforms, power racks, weight trees, bar holders, utility benches and dumbbells.

During an impromptu preseason workout, Beaulieu watched Fightin’ Blue Hens quarterback Sonny Riccio and a group of scholar-athletes work out. At the completion of each set of set of repetitions, Beaulieu congratulated the athletes on their progress while identifying areas where improvement was needed.  

“Athletes want structure. The more structure, the more success they can achieve,” Beaulieu says. “Today’s athletes are visually oriented, so I always try to relate to something they have done and to incorporate visual demonstrations as part of my training routine.”

While athletes appreciate the structure and direction he provides as a coach, he says they also are influenced by what their peers are doing in the weight room.

Although it took some time for some of the seniors to appreciate the benefits of his coaching philosophy, Beaulieu says, they eventually came to realize that he is serious about what he does as a coach and how it affects the performances and athletic careers of those who participate in strength training programs at UD.  

“They want to know you care about them and about what you are doing,” Beaulieu says. “They want to improve, and they need to know that you will do anything to help them.”

Beaulieu says a typical coaching day for him begins at 5 a.m. and can run past 9 p.m.

Besides working with players to improve their strength training techniques, Beaulieu says it also is necessary to respect the goals of the various individuals who coach varsity sports at UD.

“Coaches can be demanding,” Beaulieu says. “They want to win, and they want what is best for their athletes.”

Beaulieu’s interest in strength training began during his days as a high school soccer and lacrosse player. He also was greatly influenced by his father, D. Alan Waterfield, UD professor of health and exercise sciences and former dean of the College of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation from 1990-97.

“I always wanted to be a professional athlete, and during my athletic career in high school and college I was always in the weight room,” Beaulieu says. “When my dad was dean, I used to hang out at the athletic facilities.”

It was also at UD that Beaulieu met his wife, Kathy Kittila, who graduated from UD in 1998 with a degree in athletic training.

“We met in the weight room at UD and kept in touch with each other,” Beaulieu says. “When I was working in Virginia, she worked at Nanticoke Hospital in Seaford. When we were married, there must have been at least 16 UD grads at our wedding party.”

As a highly recruited lacrosse and soccer talent, Beaulieu says he wanted to stay involved with athletics at some level after his collegiate playing days had ended.

“When I came to UD, I realized that I could not play two sports at the college level and still maintain my academic responsibilities,” Beaulieu says. “I also knew that I had to find a career, so I started out as an athletic trainer and studied exercise sciences with a concentration in strength and conditioning.”

After graduation, Beaulieu worked several years at UD as a strength consultant under Tony Decker, followed by a one-year stint as supervisor of events.

His next career move was a two-year hitch as director of strength, conditioning and physical education at St. Stephens and St. Agnes High School in Alexandria, Va.

Beaulieu then served as associate director of strength and conditioning at the University of Kansas for three years. “We went to the Final Four basketball tournament when I was with the University of Kansas,” Beaulieu says. “It was an amazing experience. The arena was packed and the whole thing was on television.”

Before coming back to UD, Beaulieu was employed by Velocity Sports Performance in Alexandria, where he worked with company founder Loren Seagrave.

“Loren was a mentor, and he taught me a tremendous amount of things about speed development,” Beaulieu says. “I’ve been blessed to work with all sorts of great coaches and players.”

While some of his mentors and friends questioned a move back to UD, Beaulieu says that there was never any doubt about where he really wanted to be. “I have a passion for what I do, and when this job came up my wife asked me what I wanted to do,” he says. “My heart wanted to be here. It was a chance to come home.”