Dr. Kevin Diaz joined Sacramento State as Head Team Physician in September 2021.
Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Diaz grew up snowboarding, surfing, and playing baseball and football. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology at San Diego State. During medical school at UC Davis, Dr. Diaz found his passion for sports medicine. He went on to complete residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a medical specialty focusing on the evaluation and management of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. During his residency training at UCLA, Dr. Diaz sought out additional training in the use of point-of-care ultrasound imaging. He also had the opportunity to volunteer as team physician for the Lawndale High School football team and witness their victory in the state championship.
After completing residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Diaz completed a fellowship in sports medicine through the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. As part of his fellowship training, Dr. Diaz was one of the team physicians for the Los Angeles Giltinis, a Major League Rugby team. In their inaugural season, the unlikely newcomers won the Major League Rugby Championship. Celebrating in the locker room at the LA Coliseum after their victory is still one of Dr. Diaz’s fondest memories.
Upon completing fellowship training in sports medicine, Dr. Diaz was recruited to join Sacramento State as part of an initiative to build a state-of-the-art sports medicine program to better serve the student-athletes of Sacramento State.
“Being a collegiate team physician is my dream job and I feel grateful every day for the opportunity to live my dream,” Diaz said. “As a first-generation college student, I am especially proud to work at a university that is committed to transforming the lives of students of all backgrounds. Nothing makes me happier than helping others achieve their goals, because so many people helped me to achieve mine. Even though I graduated from UC Davis (School of Medicine), I think I’ve always been a Hornet at heart!”
