Meet the team
Coaches & Staff
Staff
M-F: 5:30 am to 7 pm
Sat: 8 am to 11 am
Sun: 1 pm to 3 pm
Copyright 2021 The Pitt Training Facility. All Rights Reserved.
Founder & Owner
Dane Fletcher was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana. He was a multi-sport athlete at Bozeman High School who went on to play football for Montana State University Bobcats. Dane went to MSU initially on a partial scholarship and went on to earn the respect of his team and coaches. He was a three-time captain for the Bobcats and received numerous honors including First-Team All-Big Sky Conference in 2009, 2009 Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP, and was a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist.
Following his notable performance for the Bobcats, Dane signed a professional contract with the New England Patriots in 2010, where he was part of the AFC Champion team in 2011. He went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 before resigning with the New England Patriots again in 2015.
Through his athletic career, Dane has had the opportunity to train at many of the top training facilities around the country. Through this experience, and by combining philosophies and ideology from some of the best in the game, he has created The PITT, a state-of-the-art group workout facility that encompasses all aspects of health and fitness.
Dane lives in Bozeman with his wife Dani and twin boys Hawkins and Tuck.
Manager
Carly comes to the Pitt with several years of management experience, specifically in the health and wellness industry. Carly studied Holistic Nutrition at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, AZ where she received her Holistic Nutrition Specialist certification. Carly has a passion for fitness and living a healthy lifestyle, and when she’s not in the gym you can find her outside with her husband and two kids enjoying one of the many activities Montana has to offer.
Performance Coach, BS, CPT
Travis came to the Pitt as a former Sprinter with the Montana State University Track and Field Team. After college, where he studied math education and physics, Travis started a career with the Bozeman Police Department where he spent the next 25 years. Towards the end of his police career, Travis joined the Pitt as a member and maintained consistent attendance in the early morning class prior to starting his police shift. Travis retired from the police department at the end of 2020 and began searching for his next public service endeavor. Understanding the positive affect physical fitness can have on overall health and mental wellbeing, Travis achieved certification as a personal trainer through the International Sports Science Association and became a member of the Pitt’s coaching team. Travis approaches fitness coaching as a public service and works to create an environment where athletes push themselves to become an even better version of themselves.
Performance Coach, BS, CSCS
Mike graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Coaching Philosophy. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through The National Strength and Conditioning Association, and recently achieved a National Level C License through The United States Soccer Association. Mike coaches youth soccer and uses his passion of the game to help young athletes find their own; whether that passion is in sports, weight training, fitness or general well-being. Mike carries his passion of coaching over to The Pitt by building relationships with our members and being a key part of their fitness journey and overall growth.
Performance Coach, BS, CPT, FNS
Sidney Zieske was born and raised in Waconia, Minnesota. She was introduced to Montana when she decided to play basketball on a scholarship for Montana State from 2018 until 2021. In three years, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and is currently furthering her education to become a registered nurse. She fell in love with nutrition and fitness in high school and has been studying it since. She is ACE certified as a Nutrition Specialist and a Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her experiences in college athletics furthered her desire to be around a gym setting.
Performance Coach, BS
Jake served in the United States Marine Corps from 2013 to 2017, then went on to graduate with his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at Montana State University. Jake competed in Olympic Weightlifting competitions from 2015 to 2017 and received a silver medal at Nationals. Jake is a certified pool operator and maintains the facility’s recovery lab. His hobbies include reading and taking his dogs out on the trails.
PERFORMANCE COACH, MS, CSCS, USAW
Neil comes to The Pitt with over 10 years of experience in the field of sports performance. His most recent position held was the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Wingate University in North Carolina. While at Wingate, Neil oversaw the implementation of strength and conditioning programs for over 20 varsity sports, including the DII National Champion Bulldogs Baseball team and Final Four Bulldogs Lacrosse team.
Neil has worked with a variety of athletes and sports, from the high school to IIHF and Olympic levels. Neil earned his Master’s degree from Michigan Tech University and is currently a PhD student in the Department of Health and Human Development at Montana State University. His research interests include sleep and its relationship to concussion recovery, hormone levels, and neuromuscular performance for the prevention of injury. Neil is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is also a Level 1 Coach through USA Weightlifting.
Performance Coach, BS, CEP.
Daniel was a multi-sport athlete who grew up between the Bozeman area and West Texas. He served 12 years in the United States Marine Corps where he specialized in training Marine’s warfighting capabilities and physical readiness. Daniel retired to Bozeman with his family in 2017. He graduated with honors from Montana State University where he majored in Human and Health Development with an emphasis on Exercise Science. Daniel is a certified exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine and a 2nd-degree black belt instructor in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. His energy stems from the joy he gets being around others as they work towards the realization of their health and wellness goals. His hobbies include dancing, hiking, fishing, shooting, and spending time with his kids.
Performance Coach
Performance Coach
Raised in an Alaskan commercial fishing family, Lani’s appreciation of fitness started at a young age picking salmon nets around the clock. Eventually trading waders for spikes, Lani attended the University of Nebraska (Go Huskers!), where she was a NCAA Division I track and field athlete. Lani competed in the pentathlon and heptathlon, earning all-conference honors in both indoor and outdoor seasons all four years. She also was elected team captain of the track and field team in her final year of competition. Lani went on to earn a DMD from Oregon Health Sciences University and is also a certified personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition to performance coaching, Lani is a practicing dentist. When not at The Pitt, you will most likely find Lani running in the mountains, on the golf course, or adventuring with her family.
Performance Coach
Zac was born in Los Angeles, CA and transferred to Joliet, Montana for High School. He was a two-sport athlete participating in football as well as track and field, honored as an All-State selection in both sports as a junior and senior. After High School, Zac attended Orange Coast College where he played running back before transferring to Montana State University to pursue a degree in kinesiology. Holding records in the weight room lead Zac into pursuing a career in strength and conditioning. In Zac’s free time he volunteers for a non-profit Big Sky Bravery, working with Special Operations soldiers. Zac currently competes in Olympic Weightlifting for a chance to compete for Team USA. He most recently won the U25 National Championship in the 96kg division in 2019.
Performance Coach/Nutritionist
Ryan grew up on a beef and dairy farm in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He attended The University of La Crosse, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
After graduation, Ryan spent three years working in the research and development of sports nutrition supplements before making the move to Montana to attend graduate school at Montana State University. He has since earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise and Nutrition Science along with a degree in Dietetics from. He has over six years of nutrition research experience and more than a decade of coaching experience.
Physical Therapist
Brian comes to us after retiring from a 20-year career in the US Air Force as a physical therapist. He was born in Great Falls, MT while his father was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, and later came back to attend his first 2 years of high school there. Brian went to the US Air Force Academy for his undergraduate work, where he played both football and rugby, after which he moved on to Baylor University to earn his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. His final assignment in the Air Force was as the Director of Human Performance for a Special Operations unit in Washington state, where he also oversaw all of the Air Force physical therapists working in Special Operations units. Brian is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is very excited to finally realize his dream of living long term on Montana (no more moving!!!), and can’t wait to enjoy all of the outdoors pursuits it offers with his wife and two boys.
