NSCA’s Coaching Podcast

Expectations for strength and conditioning coaches now extend far beyond the weight room. Athletes and sport coaches demand better data, deeper insight, and stronger performance. Faith Brown, Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at George Mason University, supports women’s basketball and volleyball while collaborating with the Patriot Performance Lab. Brown describes balancing teams, testing, and athlete monitoring as a “circus act.” At the heart of her coaching is one goal: be the coach she wishes she had as a college track athlete. She demonstrates ways strength and conditioning coaches can contribute as scientists, creating impact and value outside the weight room walls. Brown shares how GPS, heart rate monitoring, and force plates support workload monitoring. However, she believes that technology should only be used when it answers a real question. Learn how to turn data into better training decisions, translate sport science so sport coaches buy in, and reach out to other coaches to refine your program. Connect with Faith on Instagram: @faithsabrown, LinkedIn: @faith-brown, or by email: fbrown20@gmu.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs From the Episode: Explore NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, a foundational text defining the field and the role of sport scientists in high-performance environments. It also supports preparation for the Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) certification exam.Show Notes“We have a lot of interns that come through the weight room. And 85% of them aren't going to continue in strength conditioning especially, or maybe collegiate strength and conditioning, but a part of them doing that internship is figuring out this is not what I want to do. So what else is left out there that maybe I want to explore?” 7:50 “I think it's just being a two-way street with talking to coaches and learning from them about the sport and what they want to see.” 14:32 “The biggest thing when you're working with the new sport is just get out there, watch a sport, talk to the coaches, talk to the athletes, learn as much as you can about it.” 15:30 “For me, I went into student conditioning, obviously, because I loved it. I had a passion for it. But I think also being able to be what I didn't have when I was in college, I didn't have a conditioning coach and me and my friends, still, best friends with two of the girls I ran track with. And they always they're like, face, like all this stuff you all do is like, so cool.” 36:00

The private sector is growing, and so is the competition. With low barriers to entry and clients cycling in and out of programs, you need a strong business strategy to stand out and build staying power. Gini Grimsley draws on her experience across commercial fitness and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) leadership to address top questions coaches are asking: Where is the smartest place to start? How do you set your rates? How do you grow a client base in a new community? Grimsley distinguishes between being certified and being qualified, noting credentials open the door while applied experience takes you further. She introduces a framework for “periodizing your paycheck,” reverse-engineering income goals into a viable revenue model. Grimsley also outlines how to integrate into established communities and balance hybrid in-person and online coaching. If you are exploring the private sector or refining your approach, gain practical strategies to find your niche and achieve career flexibility. Reach out to Gini on Instagram: @gdotgperiod, LinkedIn: @gini-grimsley-ms-cscs, or by email: trainwithgini@gmail.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Make sure your voice is represented in the profession. Join an NSCA Professional Development Group (PDG) to influence the resources and decisions that impact your segment of the field.Show Notes“We're all trying to do the same thing and getting people moving and performing at a very high level because of the carryover that it does have, whether they're performing on the court, or I like to say, performing in the boardroom.” 9:25 “There's all these apps that are coming into play. So not even online coaching, it's just fitness for the masses. And it's always kind of been like that. You go back to the '80s, it was the aerobics tapes that people were buying and doing. And this is the evolution of that, but people start and stop programs more often than we really care for them to and the health outcomes reflect that. […] How do we get people hooked on fitness in a way that meets them where they are and helps them get to where they want to be in a realistic sense, versus trying to get someone to high performance?” 15:30 “You can't become a good leader until you've become a good follower. And the same thing applies to personal trainers. You can't be a good personal trainer until you experience what good personal training, good coaching actually is.” 18:15

Your career can accelerate when you ask, offer, and say yes. For Morgan Smith, that approach led to a postdoctoral fellowship with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford University. Smith recalls how coaching sparked her interest in the science behind performance. Working across academic and practical settings, she encountered challenges with research feasibility firsthand. Today, she focuses on blending coaching with sport science. At Stanford, she began by building relationships and trust within the athletic department. She describes collaborating with coaches and staff to identify research interests, gaps, and low-burden contributions. Smith also highlights opportunities to support club sports, campus recreation centers, and community programs. These roles can help fund education while building your resume, network, and practical skills. She reinforces the value of education as a time to maximize experience and explore interests. Discover how to gain applied experience early, drive cross-department buy-in, and cultivate relationships that move your career forward. Reach out to Morgan on Instagram: @goldenmo_ and LinkedIn: @morgan-smith-sportsscientist | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs | Learn more about the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at: humanperformancealliance.org. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen organizational collaboration.Show Notes“My biggest tip would be to put yourself out there and to say yes. Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 15:50“Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 16:10“You never know what's going to happen. And especially if it's something that maybe it's an experience or it's a job that you don't necessarily have the experience for, still apply, especially when you're in undergrad or in grad school. I always tell people when you're a student, it's the best time to explore.” 25:20

Deloading is widespread, but its application is often inconsistent and undervalued. That gap caught Lee Bell’s attention after discovering there was no consensus definition. Bell is a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University who focuses on the deloading, overtraining, and overreaching spectrum. He explains how overtraining and overreaching are sometimes used synonymously. That confusion is compounded further by associations with overtraining syndrome (OTS). Instead, Bell frames overreaching as a “window of opportunity” when used intentionally. For example, a planned overreach can be functional or non-functional based on recovery. Bell also examines opportunities and tradeoffs in modern periodization models. He contrasts flexible and fluid approaches with more traditional, rigid programming; each approach has implications for athlete trust and recovery. Looking ahead, Bell envisions a collaborative approach to sport science driven by coaching needs. He reflects on recent coaching survey data and the key themes that emerged for the future. Hear his perspective on next steps in velocity-based training, individualized periodization, and variability. Reach out to Lee via Instagram: @lee3ell and LinkedIn: @lee-bell| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   → Read the SCJ article co-authored by Lee Bell referenced in this episode: A Practical Approach to Deloading: Recommendations and Considerations for Strength and Physique Sports.Show Notes“For me, coming from a coaching background, there will never be a one size fits all. I would love there to be. And I think when I started my PhD, I had quite a reductionist view on this. There will be this perfect, golden microcycle that we can implement with all of our strength athletes, and they will all get stronger, and they will all get bigger. The problem is that […] you have to treat the individual athlete as a human being, so what I mean by that is all of the things that we know as coaches about their training gauge, their likes and dislikes, their individual goals, but also what's happening in the periphery as well.” 16:40 “You've got training stress. You've got exam stress. It's the same way as if someone's got like a big workload, a lot of hours at work, they're doing overtime and things like that. It's all about understanding how the psychology can impact the physiology of training.” 17:45 “If we use our experience as a Coach, […] Your jump scores are down. Your sleep scores are not where they should be. You're reporting muscle soreness, like lots of different things that we can triangulate rather than making that decision of, oh no, you've got another two weeks left or, yes, you're going to have a deload week. Why not just have a lighter session? The deload doesn't have to be-- and we always call it a deload week. But it doesn't have to be a week.” 25:30

The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.Show Notes“For me personally, my philosophy is educating the athlete and giving them the why. It's their body. It's their processes that they're having to go through. So we can get buy in from the athlete, and they understand, even when they're away from us, how to take care of themselves, how to lead a healthy lifestyle, that buy in from them where they care and they're asking questions, it definitely makes the process much smoother, and they become proactive.” 12:00 “There are certain qualities that still need to be built that can sometimes be overlooked at this level because you just assume, well, they're the best of the best. They're the elite. But sometimes, we really have to regress and go back to basic motor learning, motor control, and reingrain and rewire some of these foundational movement patterns.” 14:30 “I connected with myself. I think that was probably the biggest lesson. I began to learn who I am and really formed a comfortable relationship with myself and trust in myself. I was guided by my intuition. I didn't chase after opportunities. I just focused on what I needed to do to continue to grow as a person, as a coach, and just trusted that the right people would come into my path at the right time with the right opportunity.” 22:30

Lanier Coleman coaches from a simple truth: intent drives intensity. Now in his role as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the National Football League (NFL) Jacksonville Jaguars, Coleman brings the same determination he embodied as a collegiate defensive lineman. He shares how early adversity shaped his standards, teaching him to lead with discipline, cultivate deeper relationships, and “build a fire” in every athlete he coaches. During his coaching tenure at Florida State University, mental and emotional endurance became cornerstones of team development — these are lessons he now carries into professional football. Coleman describes the shift from building collegiate foundations to coaching with precision at the NFL level, where he fine-tunes elite qualities to manage injury risk. He also stresses the importance of unified performance staffs to support athletes through this fast-paced and demanding sport. Gain inspiration to strengthen daily purpose, be a spark in your facility, and support athlete readiness across high-performance environments. Reach out to Lanier via Instagram: @l_coleman98 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.Show Notes“It's not just what you learn about, how you learn to clean or how you drive up your numbers in the weight room. It's the standard and the discipline that it takes to be the best you can be in the gym, which also translates to how you learn in the classroom at school, but also how you learn in the classroom in the football facility around football, how you manage yourself and the intensities of football. But also, how you manage your mind and your emotions and the intensities of life as that comes to you as well.” 4:55 “I think building those relationships allows you to create not just more buy-in and belief to what we're doing, but what I think is really important when you come into the gym is to have the intent about what we're asking the athlete to do that day. So, to not get out of bed without a fire to yourself, to not come into the building without a fire and intensity towards what you're trying to achieve, to not address the bar, to not put your pads on, to not go anywhere without an intensity and a purpose and an enthusiasm to what you're trying to accomplish. And that would mean having a deeper understanding about what's going on and having a process to making sure every part of you is geared towards the success of that goal.” 11:35 “Don't try and look at the long-term thing. Have your goal in mind, but focus on each individual day and have a success in that individual day.” 15:20 “Be dynamic enough to understand where people are in their situations and help them through those individual spots.” 22:40

When collegiate athletes are also cadets, coaching requires adaptability and flexibility at its finest. In this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, Scott Caulfield shares his coaching philosophy as the first Director of Strength and Conditioning at Norwich University, a senior military college. Coach Caulfield oversees 23 varsity teams and over 600 student-athletes — including Corps of Cadets members and civilians — while also serving as a campuswide resource and adjunct instructor. With field training taking precedence, he describes adapting to varying student needs, goals, and readiness levels. As a veteran and Vermont native, he reflects on returning home and the higher service component of preparing students for careers beyond sport. Coach Caulfield also brings his certified therapy dogs into the weight room, creating an “immediate barrier breakdown” that helps students feel at ease. He calls on coaches to get involved, take advantage of NSCA Foundation opportunities, and keep pushing the profession forward. Reach out to Coach Caulfield on Instagram at: @coachcaulfield, and see his weight room therapy dogs at: @atm_riv_g_therapydogs. Explore the latest from the Norwich weight room at: @norwichsc | Email Jon at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs. Explore scholarships, grants, and assistantships at NSCA.com/Foundation. Apply for volunteer leadership opportunities by December 15 at NSCA.com/Volunteer. Read the free TSAC Report article on coaching philosophy to enhance communication between strength and conditioning professionals and firefighters, co-authored by Scott Caulfield. This special episode is brought to you in part by Gatorade Performance Partner. Learn more and join their community at GatoradePerformancePartner.com.Show Notes“I say we have everything we need, just not everything we want. But we can get the job done. And so you have to be adaptable and flexible-- again, I go back to those two words-- with your philosophy because those things change as your resources change, as your setting changes, as your weight room size or differentials change. So it's been a super cool evolution to just, again, continually think about, all right, what do I stand for? What do I want these students to stand for?” 12:40“Both of them (Alfie and River) have gone through a certified therapy dog program, […] but it's a game-changer. Not everybody loves lifting weights. A lot of people are scared by it. […] It's an immediate barrier breakdown in the weight room that just kind of gives people a sense of calmness.” 17:00“We also have increased and are increasing the amount of funding between research and coaching advancement. So we look at the numbers, the percentages of what goes to research grants, which goes to grants for coaches. And we're pushing that level more toward the coaching side to make it more balanced.” 20:38“Volunteer applications open every fall for the NSCA and foundation. The foundation is an exciting area if you're a young or aspiring strength and conditioning coach to find funding opportunities. But more than that, you can build really strong connections through mentorship, internships, and other programs that come out of the NSCA foundation.” 22:50

Growth happens when you go all in, or as Brittany Wiebe says, “full send.” As Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of women’s basketball at the University of Oregon, she shares her people-first, evidence-based approach to maximize performance, minimize risk, and positively impact each individual. Using reverse engineering and fundamental principles, Wiebe describes programming around the big seven movements, progressive overload, and objective and subjective feedback. She reflects on her path through Kenya, Dubai, and the Dominican Republic, gaining exposure to athletes across sports, backgrounds, and abilities. Logistical challenges, like language barriers and limited resources, strengthened her adaptability and creativity. Wiebe believes weight room culture starts the moment you walk in. Her strategies — from high-energy greetings to rallying around big lifts — remind coaches that intent begins with environment. She challenges coaches to step outside their comfort zones, say “yes” to opportunities, and bring the same intensity to their development that they demand from athletes. Reach out to Brittany on Instagram: @coach.bwiebes and LinkedIn: @bwiebes | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Ready to take your coaching further? Explore opportunities to connect with top professionals and gain new insights at NSCA.com/Events, from local clinics to national conferences.Show Notes“When I do take on a new position, my core philosophy remains consistent. I want to maximize those performance outcomes, minimize risk, and positively impact each individual that I do come across. So to do this, I always utilize a people first and evidence-based approach. But it all comes down to reverse engineering. So, what are the demands of the sport? What are the positional differences? What energy system are we working with? What's the risk of injury? What are the main movements and actions in their sport that they need to be able to perform at a very high level to be successful?” 5:30“I think the environment that you foster is ultimately going to determine the intent that you get out of your athletes. And you can have the best program in the world, but unless there's intent behind it, you're not going to see results.” 16:00“Get comfortable getting uncomfortable, get outside of your bubble, and same people that you see every day, and same people that you train. And it's not easy moving to the other side of the world, not knowing anyone, not speaking the same language, or really not knowing what to expect, but just having to buckle in and take it for its ride. You're going to be out of your element at first and that's where I really believe that true growth happens. You just focus on the fundamentals. Movement is movement, you understand the key principles, and you can adapt your programs to almost any sport.” 21:30“I think it's really empowering for coaches to challenge themselves, go somewhere maybe unfamiliar, work with an unfamiliar sport, learn a new sport, learn a new language, a new culture, whatever it may be.” 22:50

For Keith Swift, coaching is completely effort based, but it starts with camaraderie and education. As Director of Strength and Conditioning at Wofford College, his philosophy is clear: educate, heal, and enhance. While playing collegiate football and studying exercise science, Swift learned early to question the “why” behind training and encourages his student-athletes to do the same. At an academically rigorous institution, his educational focus fits right in, fostering curiosity, technical precision, and peer coaching. Swift shares how his experiences across professional baseball, the private sector, and collegiate programs each shaped his foundation while making it his own. Amid collegiate challenges — from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer portal to the growing authority of student-athletes — Swift holds firm that “there is no substitute for hard work.” His goal is simple: help student-athletes leave with both a degree and a championship ring, setting them up for success in sport and life. Reach out to Coach Swift on Instagram: @worqueowt and @wofford_strength, Twitter/X: @CoachSwift93, LinkedIn: @keithswift, or by email: swiftkd@wofford.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Discover how salaries have evolved across collegiate athletics and other work settings in strength and conditioning in the 2025 NSCA Salary Survey at NSCA.com/Salary.Show Notes“Building it [Stillman College] from the ground up was a challenge. I was the only one. I think I had 14 sports by myself. And that was a time. I definitely cut my teeth as a strength coach there. And a lot of people shy away from situations like that.” 8:40 “When they start to coach each other and they have a lot of peer coaching and they're using proper terms and they're doing things the right way, that's like the biggest pat on the back and the biggest reward…” 10:50 “The expectations in the weight room, having my own expectations. They know that Coach Swift is going to come with it and you can't come with anything less. All I want is all you got. And some guys, I let them know ahead of time, like, this is-- think about this being a renovation. There's no renovation without demolition. And in the weight room, this is the demo zone. We're literally breaking your body down, and we're going to teach you how to recoup and recover and build yourself back up.” 16:25

Strength coaches build resilience in others, but sometimes life puts their own to the test. Katie Guillory, now Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at her alma mater, Louisiana State University (LSU), faced that test after a summer accident led to a below-knee amputation. As a former LSU softball captain with extensive knee and hip surgeries, Guillory explains her strong foundation for physical and mental recovery. For her, that means showing up and getting after it, even on hard days. Guillory encourages others to “act yourself into existence for a second,” believing that small, consistent steps — especially when motivation is low — are what build strong mindsets. Supported by the LSU community, she reflects on balancing relentless drive with vulnerability, accepting help, giving herself grace, and finding strength in connection. Her experience underscores that resilience is a lifelong mindset, reminding listeners that the same habits that build athletes can also rebuild their coach. Reach out to Katie on Instagram: @steel_guil and X/Twitter: @steel_guil | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Many volunteer applications are open now through December 15. Step up and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer.Show Notes“At the end of the day, it costs nothing to be a good person, and it's hard to stay positive. But at the end of the day, it costs nothing to be a good person and kind to people. And I hope that I did that the best way I knew how when I was an athlete, and some of that has laid the foundation for the community rallying around me as an alumni now. And I'm so beyond grateful for that. I can't really put it into words, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully encompass everything I want to say, and all the people I want to thank.” 5:08 “I've always been up for a challenge, and always up for an adventure. So when someone tells me I can't do something, my innate response is, watch me.” 11:30 “She was just a big proponent of when you wake up and you don't feel like working, work. When you wake up and you're tired, work. Just find a way to get something done. And it doesn't have to be much, and that's what I've learned. It can look different, but just wake up and do it. And so much of our success, especially in the collegiate realm, is not about what you say. It's about what you do. And it's about the habits that you can build, and the mindset will follow that. And if you can just act yourself into existence for a second, I think that goes such a long way… that's what I'm trying to help these kids see through my actions.” 14:00

Mentorship isn’t flawless — and that’s where its power lies. Erik Hernandez, Associate Director for Sports Performance – Olympic Sports at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, has built his career on turning imperfect scenarios into lasting lessons for athletes and young coaches alike. For over 14 years at UNC, he has guided lacrosse, volleyball, and golf, adapting his voice to each culture while holding firm to shared standards of accountability and growth. Hernandez streamlines training into a three-phase model — explosive, strength, and remedial — yet emphasizes that delivery and communication matter more than complexity. He reminds athletes, “modifications are part of progress,” linking health, recovery, and seasonal demands to long-term development. For interns and early-career coaches, his advice is clear: earn mentors by serving others, and learn from every scenario, even the imperfect ones. Hear how mentorship, adaptability, and athlete health point the way forward for stronger teams and longer careers. Reach out to Coach Hernandez on Instagram: @hernandezstrength or by email: ehhernan@email.unc.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Many volunteer applications are open now through December 15. Step up and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer.Show Notes“Once you feel more confident in your program, […] then you can get complicated with the coaching and the delivery and how you need to adapt that.” 9:00 “If you fail in it, we're going to have a conversation about it. But that's just our standard of growth. And the goal is to make you better for your teammates, make you better for your future husbands and wives, and make you better for your future employers and family.” 13:25 “Young coaches should seek to learn from every single scenario, and it doesn't have to be the most ideal scenario. I've been told before, you learn more sometimes by seeing things done the wrong way than the right way, because that's going to help in your longevity to see someone kind of burn out or something happen because they do things a certain way that maybe doesn't fit with what you think would give you the most longevity. So I think really being able to take something away from any situation that you're in,” 15:53

Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and resilient requires more than sets and reps, starting with a shift in mindset. Christi Edson, Head of Performance for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), shares how she integrates strength and conditioning with sport science to sustain athlete health and performance. She reflects on the field’s evolution from the well-known “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program to a training culture emphasizing resilience, active recovery, and durability. Drawing from her experience coaching high school athletes to NWSL professionals, Edson highlights the adaptability and creativity coaches need. Those qualities help her to develop athletes who can thrive through a demanding 11-month season. She details how tools like GPS, force plates, and velocity-based training sharpen communication and reshape expectations in the gym. Her story points coaches toward the future of athlete development: collaboration, precise load management, and long-term health as the foundation of strength. Connect with Christi on Instagram: @christiedson and LinkedIn: @christiana-edson | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Read the article, “A Creative Mind in the Professional Development of a Strength and Conditioning Coach,” from NSCA Coach, 11(1), February 2024 — referenced in this episode’s return-to-play discussion. NSCA Members enjoy full publication access. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen cross-department collaboration.Show Notes“I think that would be a good example of how I fell into the sport science side, is I was trained up as a S&C coach and then was given technology to figure out after the fact. One of those technologies being force plates, which I have come to love. They're so diverse in what I can do with them in the gym.” 9:15 “I tell my athletes that all the time. You're not here for me. You're not here for me. You are here to play soccer. And my job is to help you stay healthy, to play soccer. We have some words up in the gym, which I finally got. It was strong, healthy, resilient. […] I want you to be healthy mentally and physically, because I don't need you to just slog through a season. I want you to feel good going into the weekend. But then resilient, you're going to take some knocks. But can we bounce back from that? And that strong foundation, I think, is a big piece of that.” 17:25 “Keep your ear to the ground for internships. […] Get those NSCA certifications in early because they are becoming more required. And the organizations that you work for have their ear to the ground. They understand what the minimum standard should be.” 24:10

You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture. Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.Show Notes“I'm a firm believer in the best way to lead is by example. And it doesn't mean just performing on the field. It's how you conduct yourself in meetings. And you don't ever have to be vocal. You let your actions speak for you.” 20:10 “But Positive Athlete is a platform-- it's a recognition platform. So what we do is we recognize student athletes 9th through 12th grade for really just being positive individuals. So it could be somebody who's overcome a terrible injury, just great in the community, great student, good teammate, always on time, always showing up, accountable, all the things that sports sort of teaches us without us even thinking about it.” 26:05 “You've got to think how we value sports and the scrutiny. If every company was run the way you run a sports organization, and the detail, and the evaluation, and the team-oriented environment, and everybody knowing the mission, and staying on task, understanding your role, that's what a team looks like.” 32:30

Few strength coaches have shaped sport performance like Al Vermeil — the only strength coach to earn championship rings in both the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). In this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, Vermeil shares how a career built on explosiveness, adaptability, and relentless curiosity has transformed teams at every level. From advancing plyometrics and Olympic lifts in the 1970s to creating the performance pyramid and the innovative “time machine” testing system, his methods have influenced generations of coaches and athletes worldwide. Known for blending timeless principles with fresh, actionable ideas, he explains how mechanics, group management, and collaboration create consistent results and lasting trust. Along the way, Vermeil offers rare perspectives on coaching longevity, revealing how his adaptability and curiosity have kept him learning — and lifting — into his 80s. Gain practical insights to keep explosiveness central, integrate performance science, and strengthen your long-term coaching impact. Reach out to Coach Vermeil by email at: a60vermeil@sisna.com | Email Jon Jost at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs. This special episode is brought to you in part by Gatorade Performance Partner. Learn more and join their community at GatoradePerformancePartner.com.Show Notes“My overall philosophy never really changed. […] I always felt that the most important thing in performance was explosive power because in the sports I dealt with, it's instantaneous. It's an impulse.” 2:20 “I always recommend young coaches - if you really want to be good, go learn to coach a team sport. I don't care if it's seventh grade girls basketball or boys. Learn, know how to organize groups.” 9:35 “The other thing I recommend young coaches do is go out and learn how to coach olympic lift, even just one of them and track and field because you'll learn mechanics.” 10:05 “Well, you don't have time in sports, whether it's football, baseball bat. When you're accelerating, especially-- you don't want to wind up. And if you're in football and you're a wind up tackler, you just got run over by the running back.” 16:50

What's behind enduring success at the highest level of college athletics? Kate Smith, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Michigan, shares insights from nearly 14 years of experience coaching multiple sports in a competitive collegiate environment. Smith emphasizes sustained excellence through adaptability, genuine curiosity, and openness to opportunities — even outside of athletics. Drawing on her private-sector experiences, she explains how diverse roles helped shape her flexible, athlete-centered philosophy. Smith candidly addresses current collegiate challenges, including navigating Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) distractions and adjusting motivational strategies across team cultures and generations. As a Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®), Smith highlights how integrating data-driven insights helps her create a more effective training environment. This expertise uniquely positions her to bridge athletics with academics, deepening collaboration on campus-wide performance initiatives. Learn how to implement practical strategies for keeping athletes engaged amidst external pressures, leverage performance data meaningfully, and continually refresh your coaching approach. Connect with Kate via email at kannehay@umich.edu and on Instagram: @katehaycock | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  Show Notes“Social media, as well, presents its own challenge with the mental health aspect, where if they post something as part of an NIL deal, but then have comments that are bullying comments or derogatory comments, what have you, making sure that they understand that this is-- it doesn't speak to who they are as people.” 15:00“I don't know how many times I've had athletes come up to me now and ask, hey, I saw this exercise on TikTok. Can we do this in our lift? Well, like, how do we get them to understand this might be a great exercise, but in a different context? When we're training for a specific sport and we're in a certain time of the year within our annual plan, this might not be the best exercise. So how do we get them to buy into what we've planned out with the amount of information that they have in their hands?” 20:50“I like to say, always leave the door open. If there's something that sparks your interest, it's sparked it for a reason. So pursue it. Look into it. Don't close the door on it because it might not be directly related to strength and conditioning.” 33:20

Coaching elite mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes demands creativity, adaptability, and a global mindset. Gavin Pratt, Senior Director of Strength and Conditioning at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, shares insights from his international career. Pratt reflects on preparing athletes for the Chinese National Games and managing strength and conditioning at the world’s first MMA academy in Shanghai. Applying a systems-based approach, he tackles MMA’s unique challenges — including unpredictable training schedules, diverse personalities and backgrounds, session intensity, and load management. Driven by passion rather than prestige, Pratt emphasizes he’s never been a "tracksuit hunter" — someone motivated primarily by titles or status. He highlights MMA’s innovation potential, especially when using individualized technology based on athletes' force or velocity deficiencies. Pratt contrasts the United States’ expertise in speed, agility, and change of direction with Australia’s early adoption of sports science. He also provides valuable interview advice to help coaches communicate effectively under pressure. Discover practical strategies to elevate your coaching impact. Connect with Gavin via email at gpratt@ufc.com and on Instagram: @gav_pratt | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs   If this episode sparked your interest in MMA and other combat sports, take the next step by joining the NSCA Combat Sports Special Interest Group (SIG) on LinkedIn. Connect with a global network of professionals shaping the future of performance. Inspired by Nick Barringer’s recommendation? Register early to save on 2025 NSCA Tactical Annual Training. Catch Barringer’s talk on performance bloodwork and more nuggets of wisdom.Show Notes“You're not an electrician whose license only works in a certain state of your country and you have to stay there for your whole career. We have an opportunity to see the world, see different experiences, and understand even our own industry better.” 7:20 “It's getting out of your comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable that is. That's probably up to the individual. But there's a journey as part of any career. You can't skip the queue. There's a process to accumulating knowledge and experience. So you might have all the Xs and Os down pat, but even the inexperience might not allow you to express that knowledge as well as maybe you could. That's part of the journey, as well, learning what works and what doesn't for different athletes and different colleagues, even. It's part of the process, and you can't rush it.” 10:40 “We need to find people that understand the science, but have an even better understanding of how they can communicate that simply and effectively to colleagues and athletes. That is the skill set of being an S&C coach ultimately. […] You can have all the knowledge of the theory, but if it doesn't come from here and be expressed from a really simplistic standpoint, then it's not as valuable as what it could be.” 23:50

How do you find your coaching voice? Michelle Pifer, Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at Rutgers University, shares how mentorship and professional communication helped her establish an authentic coaching identity. Reflecting on her extensive intern journey across Ivy League and Division III athletics, Pifer highlights key milestones that shaped her coaching approach. These include observing experienced coaches, applying constructive feedback, and effectively navigating challenging athlete personalities. She offers practical strategies, such as structured time-blocking and maintaining clear boundaries, to accommodate athlete accessibility, in-season travel, and work-life balance. Pifer discusses how coaches must adapt to evolving roles, like managing and interpreting athlete monitoring technology. She also addresses common coaching pitfalls, including inappropriate language during presentations, stressing that coaches can be both authentic and relatable without sacrificing professionalism. Tune in to clarify your coaching identity, enhance your professional skillset, and maximize your impact in the strength and conditioning profession. Connect with Michelle via email at mpifer@scarletknights.com, on Instagram: @coach_pifer, and on Twitter/X: @coach_mpifer | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Show Notes“Normally, my day, let alone my week, is already planned out. So for me, it's just staying true to that because I already probably made a commit to somebody else.” 9:50 “Those mentors allowed me to be like, how is she going to address that? How is she going to handle that? And they authentically let me do it. And luckily, I definitely have a little bit more of like I'm going to nip that in the bud type of personality that I handled them well. And getting that experience but then also getting that feedback from them was a big, big milestone because I think as a young professional, finding your coaching voice, finding what is appropriate, and not appropriate, effective is super hard in a coach. And for me, that was a huge milestone” 14:40 “Then you're gaining coaching experience and on top of that, addressing some unfamiliar areas, maybe athletes you haven't worked with in the past, sports you haven't worked with, challenging personalities, all the different areas that we address in this field at times.” 15:50 “I think it's the context, your demeanor, your tone. And are you authentic?” 29:45

Do you know your legal blind spots? Attorney and former collegiate strength coach Reed Wainwright explores how legal expertise reinforces professional standards in strength and conditioning. Wainwright has been instrumental in developing NSCA resources that help professionals mitigate the inherent risks associated with athletics. He highlights key areas — such as facility safety, equipment management, and emergency preparedness — that help coaches effectively advocate for their athletes and protect their careers. Emphasizing professionalism, Wainwright notes, "the more professional we act, the more professional we're perceived.” He underscores why enhancing public perception is crucial for improving compensation, overcoming stereotypes, and supporting long-term field growth. Wainwright also reflects on how his precise, methodical approach as a strength coach has translated seamlessly into his legal practice. Discover actionable strategies to help minimize risk, stay protected, and elevate the strength and conditioning profession. Contact with Reed via email at reed@wainwrightattorney.com and on LinkedIn: @reed-wainwright | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Review the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Professional Standards and Guidelines (PDF) to identify liability risks, improve safety, and enhance program quality. Watch Wainwright’s session, What's Our Standard of Care?, and its implications on liability from the 2017 NSCA Coaches Conference. Stream Wainwright’s free Legal Considerations series on NSCA TV for guidance spanning participation screening to emergency planning. View Wainwright’s session, Standards in Strength and Conditioning, on the NSCA YouTube channel for more insights, including case examples.Show Notes“You've got to make sure that you are focused on their development based on, number one, what has been scientifically proven and, number two what has your experience showed on a consistent basis.” 4:00 “Another topic along these lines is emergency planning and response, and that's one of the other legal areas we talk a lot about in strength and conditioning. Are you, as a strength and conditioning coach, involved in your institution's emergency action plan? Are you knowledgeable in that area? That's an area that could be a huge liability.” 8:27 “Maybe you do need a alternative licensure to become a teacher to get your foot in the door, but there are institutions that are hiring CSCS strength coaches to come in because they add value.” 17:20

How do you build a sustainable high-performance culture despite yearly assistant coach rotations and demanding schedules? Alice Read, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Performance at Vassar College, shares expertise from managing 29 teams and 600 student-athletes while continuously "riding the rollercoaster" of Division III scheduling. Read explores strategies for maintaining program continuity, including matching assistant coaches to sports based on strengths and growth areas. She emphasizes advocating for daily staff lifts to test and refine programs firsthand. In a full-circle moment, Read, once an NSCA Foundation Assistantship Recipient, now serves on the committee awarding these opportunities, demonstrating the value of early professional involvement. She also discusses collaborative problem solving within the Liberty League Strength and Conditioning Committee and explains how the College Coaches Professional Development Group (PDG) provided boots-on-the-ground guidance for the 2024 NSCA Strategic Plan. Tune in for actionable insights on mentorship, collaboration, and longevity in collegiate strength and conditioning. Connect with Alice via email at aread@vassar.edu and on Instagram: @ajpr3 and @vassar_strong | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Show Notes“I think I'm the coach I am today because I was thrown right into the fire. I definitely had good support, so I wasn't going to fail. […] I want to give young coaches the kind of experience I had, which was get your feet wet right out the door and experiment yourself so you can really understand how your programs are working.” 3:40 “I think especially to younger coaches, I think that for so long you're thinking, what's the next step to push my career forward? I need to build my network or things like that. I think it's important to think outside of just yourself. I think at some point, you have to take a step back and think, OK, this career is treating me really well, or I'm building all these networks to get me to that next dream job or whatever it might be.” 18:15 “My advice is that you're never too young to get involved, […] get involved in some way on a small level, even if it's just attending your first national conference. Get to a conference. Attend some of these meetings you feel really passionately about. And don't be afraid to speak up.” 18:45

What defines true toughness in coaching? Dan Perlmutter presents an alternative to the “tough strength coach” stereotype, reframing success as adaptability, resilience, and relentless positivity. As Director of Sports Performance and Head Olympic Sports Performance Coach at Duke University, Perlmutter reflects on building a strong culture rooted in genuine relationships and longevity. He explains Duke’s structured approach to developing interns and coaching assistants, highlighting purposeful recruiting and intentional mentorship to transform passion into professionalism. Perlmutter emphasizes a gratitude lens and people-focused philosophy, always prioritizing the athlete in front of him. He also addresses how strength and conditioning coaches can navigate collegiate shifts, such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal, by reinforcing the weight room environment and culture. If you are seeking practical strategies to build a sustainable career and a workplace you look forward to each day, this conversation is your blueprint. Connect with Dan via email at dan.perlmutter@duke.edu and on Instagram: @theothercoachp | Meet the Duke University Sports Performance Staff on their website | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Show Notes“I think it's just making sure that we really, intentionally focus on helping each other out, taking care of each other, working together, filling each other's gaps as staff, right, so that if we really legitimately care about those things […] then it kind of blends into all the things that we do with our athletes. And they see us doing that and functioning that way. And it helps our teams function that way. So maybe it contributes to the team cultures for each sports program here, too.” 7:20 “It takes pretty tough, resilient people to do this work. And everybody finds that toughness and that resiliency in different ways. And I think maybe over the years, there's been a stereotype of what the tough strength coach looks like. That's not what I'm talking about at all. I'm talking about somebody who is willing to stick it out in tough situations, willing to work really long hours, willing to pivot a million times a day, and adapt a million times a day, and be out in the cold, and then be inside, and then be out in the rain. And all the different challenges that are thrown at us as professionals in this field-- I look at every single one of those as positives. I'm annoyingly positive and optimistic. I'm sure some of the folks around here get sick of me talking this way, but I think there's opportunity in every one of those situations.” 14:45 “One of the big pieces of advice that I would give to young folks who are on the job search right now or figuring out what lane they want to go down is to not forget that this is a people-focused profession. And it's not just you leading or serving athletes. You've got to find a place that you really connect the people that you're-- connect with the people that you're going to work with every day.” 15:58