Let’s call it what it is, but being a strength and conditioning coach and excelling at it at the top level takes a rare breed of human. College strength and conditioning coaches work incredibly long hours all year round — and in my opinion — hardly ever receive the recognition they deserve.
That’s why ESPN’s latest video focusing on strength and conditioning coaches is so awesome because it’s helping to shine light on a critical role in a school’s athletic success.
In the ESPN video below, they highlight the evolution of college strength and conditioning coaches and provide details behind just how much work they do on an annual basis. More specifically, ESPN highlights a man known as the “godfather of strength and conditioning”, Boyd Epley.
In 1969, Epley was hired by the University of Nebraska and became the first paid strength coach in college history. As mentioned in the ESPN video, Boyd was initially paid $4 USD a day and his staff were not paid at all — and to add to this, he was told if any athlete got slower, then he would be fired.
After Epley’s first year, Nebraska saw success on the field, which then translated to other top colleges wanting to hire strength coaches full-time.
Some key stats about Boyd Epley
- First ever paid college strength coach.
- Founder of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
- Won first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the NSCA in 1993.
Another coach highlighted in ESPN’s video is Mickey Marotti, who has been the strength and conditioning coach at The Ohio State for the last 33 years. Marotti recalls the “old days” in the video stating, “It was turn the light on, lift weights, do some running, get bigger, faster, stronger and move on.”
We don’t know about you, but we’re pumped ESPN is giving more attention to the strength and conditioning coaches working long hours day-in and day-out behind the scenes.
Useful College Strength and Conditioning Content
- 10 Lessons Learned From a College Strength and Conditioning Coach
- 5 Life Skills for Strength Coaches
Feature image from ESPN YouTube channel.