Former D1 Director of Training Kurt Hester passed away on Saturday following a battle with Stage IV melanoma. He was 61.

Hester most recently served as the director of strength and performance for the University of Houston. The Louisiana native also spent time working at Tulane and Louisiana Tech, in addition to his time at D1.

While at D1, Hester worked with dozens of college and professional athletes, including most notably Tim Tebow. Hester trained Tebow for the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine ahead of the NFL draft. In this video from 12 years ago, Tebow recalls the impact Hester made on him.

During the D1 Coach Summit this summer in New Orleans, D1 Training CEO Will Bartholomew announced that the top strength and conditioning coach award would be named “The Kurt Hester Award."

Following the news of his death, people whose lives have been impacted by Hester posted to social media to share their stories.

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