Samson Strength Coach Collective

Finding your coaching voice takes time, responsibility, and people who help you grow. For Livi Cranston, that process has happened through early mornings in the weight room, graduate coursework, research, and learning to support athletes with different goals.On this episode of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, Cranston joins Connor Agnew to discuss her development as a graduate assistant in sports performance at Northern Michigan University. She has worked with 17 teams during her time at Northern and currently works with seven. That experience has challenged her to organize her schedule, communicate clearly, and build confidence while continuing to learn.Across the conversation, Cranston returns to the impact of relationships. Seeing athletes develop and knowing they value her support has been one of the most rewarding parts of her time at Northern Michigan.Key Takeaways:• Confidence grows through preparation, responsibility, and repeated coaching experience.• Seek opportunities in other programs to expand your perspective and learn from different coaches.• Build relationships around each athlete's goals, including their life beyond sport.• Organize the spaces between sessions so programming, research, and coursework have a place in the week.• Protect the habits that help you arrive ready to coach.• Use mentorship to develop your own voice and keep enjoyment in the work.Quote:“Helping the individual athlete in what they need and what they want.”

How do you build consistency across a coaching staff while giving each coach room to be themselves?On this episode of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, Connor sits down with Michael Silbernagel, manager of Sanford Sports Performance, to explore the everyday work of developing coaches and building culture.Michael traces his career from a graduate assistant position at the University of North Dakota in 2003 through Colorado State and nearly 13 years at the University of Mary. He shares how family priorities, a desire for broader impact, and the realization that he had become comfortable led him to pursue a new challenge at Sanford.Today, Silby oversees 13 strength and conditioning coaches and works alongside academy and return-to-play staff. Sanford’s approach reaches athletes through partner schools, regional performance facilities, sports academies, and remote programming. Across those environments, his goal is to create a consistent experience while encouraging coaches to bring their own personalities to their work.That balance requires ongoing development. Silby explains how weekly check-ins and quarterly video reflections help coaches evaluate their presence, teaching, standards, and programming decisions. By reviewing their own sessions before discussing them with others, coaches can take ownership of improvements and approach feedback as an opportunity to grow.He also introduces a simple exercise: choose three words that describe the coach you want to be, then ask others whether your actions reflect those qualities. It is a reminder that coaching identity depends on what people experience from you every day.The conversation closes with a challenge to practice the habits you ask of athletes, revisit lessons with the benefit of experience, and seek insight from people outside your professional circle.Key Takeaways:Growth requires an honest look at comfort. Recognizing that you have become comfortable can help you identify when you need a new challenge.Consistency can coexist with individuality. Shared terminology and expectations help athletes feel confident across locations while allowing coaches to remain authentic.Culture requires ongoing attention. Staff needs, relationships, and environments change, so culture must be actively maintained.Make reflection part of coach development. Recorded sessions and structured reviews help coaches connect their intentions with what happens on the floor.Define your coaching identity. Choose three qualities you want to embody, then seek honest feedback about whether others see them in your behavior.Experience changes how you learn. Revisiting a book, course, or familiar idea can reveal lessons you were not ready to recognize earlier.Model the standards you teach. Examine whether your own habits align with the advice you give athletes about sleep, recovery, and personal accountability.Quote:“Culture is dynamic, not static.”— Michael “Silby” Silbernagel

On the latest edition of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, host Connor Agnew shares the personal experiences and professional reflections behind his decision to leave collegiate strength and conditioning.Connor opens up about his departure from App State and how personal loss changed the way he thinks about time, family, and career priorities. The decision meant taking a closer look at what matters most to him and how he wants to spend his time.The conversation also explores Connor’s experience with the changing landscape of college athletics. He reflects on NIL and the transfer portal, particularly how shorter periods with athletes can affect the relationships and long-term development that drew him to coaching.Throughout the episode, Connor returns to the importance of making an impact. Helping athletes grow, building trust, and being present for family remain central to how he evaluates his next chapter.For young coaches and those reassessing their own careers, this episode offers a personal perspective on recognizing when priorities change and making a difficult decision with support from the people around you.Key TakeawaysPersonal loss can change how you evaluate your career, time, and priorities.Family deserves a place in conversations about professional goals.Meaningful athlete relationships are central to Connor’s passion for coaching.Connor reflects on how NIL and the transfer portal have affected his experience of athlete development and relationship building.Career decisions require honesty about what gives your work purpose.Support from colleagues and family can help you navigate a difficult transition.Quote“My passion is making an impact, not just winning.”— Connor Agnew

On the latest edition of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, we sit down with Dr. Faith Brown to explore her journey from collegiate athlete to strength and conditioning coach and the role of sports science in everyday coaching.Faith reflects on the experiences that shaped her career, including a near-fatal car accident and the demands of pursuing a PhD while working full-time. Her story highlights the persistence required to keep learning while managing the responsibilities of coaching.The conversation also explores how research and load monitoring can inform training. Faith discusses evaluating new information, adapting as the field evolves, and translating data into practical insights for coaching staffs. She emphasizes making those insights small and digestible so coaches can understand and apply them.For coaches looking to strengthen the connection between research and practice, this episode offers perspective on education, communication, and continued professional growth.Key Takeaways:Persistence matters. Faith describes consistently showing up as an essential part of her journey.Research should inform practice. Consider how findings apply to the athletes and training environment in front of you.Load monitoring requires interpretation. Collecting information is one step; understanding what it means for training is another.Communication shapes how data gets used. Share clear, digestible insights that help coaches make decisions.Professional growth extends beyond training knowledge. Education and leadership development also deserve attention.Keep adapting. New research and technologies create opportunities to reassess and improve coaching practices.Quote:“It's about how you communicate and make small, digestible insights.”— Dr. Faith Brown

High-performance environments depend on coaches who can interpret information, communicate clearly, and work together to support athletes.On the latest edition of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, Asa Britt, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Long Island Nets, shares his journey through college internships and into professional basketball. He reflects on the transition to the NBA G League and the experiences that shaped his approach to coaching.Asa discusses how data and technology inform practice and game preparation, alongside the relationships that help coaches understand and support their athletes. Honesty and transparency are central to that process, allowing coaches to build trust as they guide athlete development.The conversation also explores athlete health and return to play, including collaboration with physical therapists, athletic trainers, and the broader performance staff. Asa highlights the importance of working together across disciplines to support athlete success.Key TakeawaysData and technology help inform decisions about preparation and athlete development.Honest, transparent communication helps build trust with athletes.Moving from college to professional basketball requires adapting to a different coaching environment.Athlete development and return to play benefit from collaboration across performance and sports medicine teams.Physical therapists, athletic trainers, and strength coaches each bring valuable perspectives to rehabilitation.Career growth involves learning from new roles, environments, and relationships.Quote:“Be honest and transparent with athletes.”— Asa Britt