Leadership Team

Will Bartholomew is the Founder and CEO of D1 Training, a brand he built from a single 2,500 square foot facility in Nashville into a nationwide network. His vision was simple: bring the training experience of Division 1 athletics to everyday people in every community.

That vision was born from his own experience. Will earned All-State honors in football, wrestling, and track before playing fullback at the University of Tennessee alongside Peyton Manning, winning the 1998 National Championship, and captaining the team in 2001. He signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent, but a career-ending injury brought him home to Nashville before the season began.

In that season of recovery, he saw a gap. The coaching, intensity, and standard of training that had shaped him as an athlete was not accessible to everyone. So he built it himself.

"I began to feel like there needed to be a place for athletes to go, to experience the intensity of training and the coaches breathing life in you and encouraging you to get to that next level. That was the start of D1 Training."

Fun facts:

• Will’s favorite exercise is Bench Press.

• Will didn’t drink alcohol until he was 27.

• Will enjoys fishing, golf, and hiking; basically, all the sports he was not born to do.

Dan Murphy joined the D1 team in 2005 and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer.

His passion for athletics and training was born out of his experience attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was the captain of the soccer team. After serving in the Army, Dan moved to Nashville and received his MBA from Vanderbilt University. While in school, he became a member at the first D1 facility and partnered with Will to help grow his vision for D1 nationally.

As COO, Dan oversees company partnerships and monitors operational and strategic priorities for the D1 franchise management team. He was an integral part of the company’s expansion outside of the southeast and has played a pivotal role in turning D1 into a multi-million-dollar franchise company.

In his personal life, Dan is married to Stephanie. They have three children, Braden, Haley and Mason.

Fun Facts:
TBD!

Elliot joined the D1 Franchise in January 2025 as the Chief Commercial Officer. 

Capner is an experienced franchise executive with expertise in driving growth, operational efficiency, and transformative strategies within the health and fitness industry. He has been a corporate lawyer for over a decade, specializing in strategic planning, optimizing processes, and fostering partnerships to achieve business objectives.  

In 2016, Capner joined F45 as Chief Operating Officer, and he grew the network from 100 Studios to 2,200 Studios over 8 years.  After serving at F45 as COO and Chief Commercial Officer, he transitioned to Strong Pilates, where he served as Executive Director and Strategic Advisor. He has been a consultant for Xponential Fitness and D1 Training, where he now begins a more permanent role.  

Fun Facts:

• Elliot has a beautiful wife and a very sassy two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

• The most challenging negotiation Elliot has ever been a part of (including business) is getting his daughter to go to bed!

Austin Clark joined the D1 system in June 2020 and has served in a variety of roles during his tenure with D1. Austin’s first introduction to D1 was in the role of General Manager at D1 Cool Springs.

After seeing record growth during his time in that role, he transitioned to being an owner of a single unit. Today, Austin is the largest D1 Training Franchise owner in the system owning numerous D1’s across many states. As the Vice President of Operations for D1 Training, Austin is responsible for building meaningful relationships with the franchisees to better understand the needs of their business. With his experience, Austin gives strategic direction to the entire system to deliver sustainable revenue, market, and profit growth.

Austin is originally from Cottonwood, California. He attended California State University of Sacramento where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in strength and conditioning. Later, Austin received his MBA with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship and Global Business. Austin is married to his wife Madelyn, whom he met at D1, and has a son named Titus.

Fun Facts:

• Austin played Division 1 football for Sacramento State and was a three-year team captain.

• Austin met his wife at D1.

Matt Toy rejoined D1 in 2023 as the Vice President of Marketing after serving in a similar capacity at D1 from 2006 to 2012.

Matt brings to the team a high level of knowledge and expertise, boasting more than two decades of marketing and communications experience. In his first stint at D1, he played a strategic role in helping advance the business from three to 21 locations, while strengthening overall brand recognition. In addition to his time at D1, Matt has served as an executive for a large social media app, oversaw marketing at a university for eight years, and has worked in the NFL, college, and high school athletics.

On a personal note, Matt and his family live in Franklin, Tennessee where he serves on a few local non-profit boards that center around mental health or youth athletics. Matt and his wife, Melissa, have three children Annie, James, and Maggie.

Fun facts:

• Matt spends most of his free time at a local field or court coaching his kids.

• Matt once jumped through the ceiling at the D1 home office.

• Matt’s greatest marketing achievement was the D1 “Call Me Maybe” video in 2013

Devon Arnold joined the D1 system in June 2022 and has assisted franchisees in navigating through site searches, real estate negotiations, and facility buildouts.

As the Director of Real Estate and Development for D1 Training, Devon is responsible for overseeing the buildout of D1 facilities, ensuring that brand standards are met through the management of key vendors like architecture, construction management, facility branding, and equipment. To date, she has assisted over 50 franchisees in opening their D1 locations across the nation.

Devon attended Arizona State University where she received her undergrad in Finance and Masters degree in Sports Law and Business.

Devon resides in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband and two sons.

Fun Facts:

• Devon was a D1 cheerleader for Arizona State University.