MEET THE COACHES

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Olympic Weightlifting is a technical sport. It takes time, patience, and the right kind of guidance. That’s why every athlete here trains 1-on-1 with a coach who’s invested in their progress. We don’t believe in quick fixes or one-size-fits-all programs—we believe in building strong, RESILIENT weightlifters, one rep at a time.

OUR COACHING STAFF

  • A smiling man wearing a black Adidas jacket with white stripes standing in a gym with weightlifting equipment and flags in the background.

    Danny Casey

    HEAD COACH

    Coach Casey spent over 10 years training and competing under Sr intl. coach Marc Chasnov. He has trained athletes that have competed nationally and internationally, along with earning national medals and championships.

    • USAW National Coach
    • Masters in Education
    • WSO referee

  • A smiling man with a beard stands in a gym, wearing a black sweatshirt that says 'New York Weightlifting Academy'.

    Dan Greco

    CO-HEAD COACH

    Coach Greco has been a part of New York Weightlifting since 2016. In that time, he has built a substantial following of weightlifters. He is also club coach at Iona Univiersity.

    • BS Exercise Science
    • USAW Level 2
    • WSO referee certification

  • A young man with dark hair and a beard smiling at the camera in a gym with flags hanging on the wall.

    Sergio Castillo

    ASSISTANT COACH

    Coach Castillo has been weightlifting for five-years where he aims to qualify and compete nationally.

    • USAW Level 2
    • ISSA Certified
    • 5 years competitive Weightlifting (formerly mentored by Marc Chasnov, currently Danny Casey
    • Former wrestler before weightlifting

  • A smiling man with a beard, wearing a black track jacket with white stripes, standing in a gym with Canadian and another flag, possibly Ecuador, hanging in the background.

    DAN “MR.” SMITH

    MASTERS TEAM CAPTAIN

    Although Mr. Smith is a CPA, MBA, CFO, and COO in his day job, his passion is weightlifting. Mr. Smith has competed as a +109 at US Masters Nationals every year since 2018, winning in 2021. He has competed and reached the podium at American Masters, Masters Pan Ams, and Masters Worlds—winning the Clean & Jerk at Worlds in 2022.

    • USAW Level 1
    • USAW Local Referee

  • A young man with shoulder-length curly hair smiling in a gym, wearing a gray athletic shirt. In the background, a Canadian flag and a Colombian flag are visible.

    Luke Kordy

    APPRENTICE COACH

    Luke is new to the game of weightlifting but has made stellar progress as an athlete. He is also a new entry into the game of coaching, where we look to develop him to coach at a high-level.

    • USAW Level 1
    • Certified personal trainer