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Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology, West Virginia University

Dr. Ed Etzel serves as a Professor in the Department of Sport Sciences within the CPASS. Born in New Haven, CT, in 1952, he received his B.S. from Tennessee Technological University in Biology and Secondary Education in 1974, his M.S. in Physical Education from WVU in 1979, and his Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology from WVU in 1989.

Etzel has developed and teaches a variety of sport psychology courses at the graduate level (e.g., Counseling College Student-Athletes, Psychological Aspects of Performance Enhancement, Ethics and Professional Issues, Sport Psychology doctoral practicum, research, supervision), as well as undergraduate Psychological Aspects of Sport and Psychological Aspects of Sport. Etzel has edited three books on the provision of counseling and psychological services to college student-athletes and coedited a book on ethics in sport, exercise and performance psychology. He has written over 25 book chapters, published over 25 referred journal articles, and made numerous conference presentations.

Ed’s areas of specialty are counseling athletes, alcohol and substance abuse, brief counseling/psychotherapy with college students, ethics and professional issues in sport psychology, peak performance enhancement development, retirement from sport, and stress management.

Ed is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of West Virginia. Etzel completed an American Psychological Association-approved doctoral psychology internship at Duke University’s Counseling and Psychological Service in 1988. Since 1990, he has served as a part-time psychologist for the West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and is a part-time staff member of Well WVU and the WVU Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychiatric Services.

Etzel is involved in the provision of counseling services for personal, career, and sport performance enhancement concerns, consultation with WVUIA staff on mental health issues. He is listed as a consultant on the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sport Psychology Registry and serves as Chair of the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 Education Committee. Etzel previously served as Chair of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology’s Ethics Committee from 1998 to 2007 and is chair 2016 to present.

Etzel is a Fellow in the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and received the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 Distinguished Contribution to Education in sport and exercise psychology award in 2009. He has served as a member of the WVU Faculty Senate and Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Council for Women’s Concerns, the Social Justice Council and Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Committee.

In a previous lifetime, Etzel served as the coach of the WVU Rifle team from 1976-89, turning in a 101-3 career coaching record. He coached over 30 WVU All-Americans and guided his teams to four NCAA National Championships during the 1980s. He was an active duty officer in the US Army Medical Service Corps for nearly three years during the Vietnam War and subsequently for 10 years in the US Army Reserves, retiring at the rank of Captain. Etzel was the Gold Medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles in the Men’s English Match Rifle event and was a Gold Medalist in the 1978 World Championships and 1979 Pan American Games. He was 11- time National Champion and set numerous national rifle records as a member of the U.S. Shooting Team. Etzel is an avid exerciser, animal lover, retro rock and blues DJ on WWVU-fm radio, golfer, amateur cook, gardener, guitar player and water color painter. He is married to G. Anne Cather, M.D. They reside in Morgantown.

Experience

  • –present
    Professor of Psychology, West Virginia University