Eric Pitkanen, ATC, MS

Forest Grove, OR

Eric Pitkanen has been a member of the athletic training program at Pacific for 11 years and was promoted to head athletic trainer in 2013. He primarily works with the football program, but also assists with several other sports programs during the winter and spring. Pitkanen joined the Pacific staff in 2010 as the university added a football program and increased the number of full-time trainers to four. Prior to his time at Pacific, he served as an athletic training intern at Vanderbilt, where he worked with the football team and managed athletic training needs for the school's summer camp program. He also spent six months as a training intern with the Denver Broncos in 2009.

Pitkanen began his career as a graduate assistant trainer at Portland State from 2007 to 2009, where he served as the primary trainer for the women's soccer program and worked closely with several other sports programs. He holds a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science from Oregon State and a master's degree in community health from Portland State. He is a professionally certified athletic trainer with additional certification in Kinesio taping.