Rutgers University Athletics

Dave McCune, a Virginia native, rejoined the Rutgers football team in January 2020 as the head athletic trainer and moved to director of football athletic training for the 2022 season. He is employed by RWJBH Health Services and also serves as the assistant director of the athletic training department. He previously served at Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights’ head football athletic trainer from 2001-2016, overseeing all aspects of athletic training from injury prevention to rehabilitation within the program. While at Rutgers, he also co-directed in the coordination of the entire athletic department’s athletic training staff.

McCune’s extensive professional career spans over 33 years where he began as an assistant athletic trainer at Missouri State University. He first served as head athletic trainer at the University of Miami Sports Medicine Clinic from 1989 and until 1995 working with the orthopedic surgeons for the Heat, Marlins, Dolphins and Hurricanes. He then returned to his alma mater to serve as the men’s basketball, soccer and baseball athletic trainer for James Madison University from 1995-97.

Following his time with the Dukes, he returned to the University of Miami as the coordinator of athletic training & football athletic trainer from 1997-2001. From 2001, McCune served as the head football athletic trainer for the Scarlet Knights. In 2005, he was named the co-director of athletic training and remained in that position until 2016.

In July 2016, he was named the head athletic trainer at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. He served as the coordinator for the athletic training department and also provided the medical care for the Captains’ football and baseball teams.

McCune received his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and went on to earn his master’s degree from Missouri State University in 1988. A member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA), McCune has also served as a clinical education instructor at Rutgers and has teaching experience dating back to 1987. In addition to his work in collegiate athletic departments, he has also worked and traveled with the USA National Track & Field team, USA Soccer and was selected to work the Pan American Games.

McCune is married to Annie, a Rutgers grad. They have three sons, Devon, Braden and Alex.