
The Strength Game
The Strength Game is a weekly podcast dedicated to discussing all things physical culture with the coaches, athletes, iron enthusiasts, and experts deeply imbedded in the strength game on both sides of the profession; as coaches and as competitive athletes. Hosted by Nick O’Brien, each episode we discuss, rant and dive deep into all things related to strength and conditioning, high performance and training lifestyle. Join us in The Strength Game!
Latest episodes

Jul 1, 2025 • 1h 2min
#138 - Danny Strohm
Danny Strohm is the Director of Basketball Performance at Georgia Southern University. Strohm arrived in Statesboro in 2024 after spending the previous two years as the interim director of strength & conditioning at Southeast Missouri State University. He spent the 2021-2022 season as the director of basketball performance at the University of Northern Iowa. Strohm got his start coaching as an intern at Kansas State in 2018, followed by an internship at Sain Louis University in 2019 before becoming a graduate assistant sport performance coach position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He spent the 2019-2021 seasons at SIUE with a brief stop in the private sector at ProForce Sports Performance in Ohio, before accepting his first full-time role at UNI in 2021. Strohm is also the author of “High-Performance Hoops: A Complete Guide to Basketball Preparation & Performance.”A former College baseball player at Webster University. Strohm was selected as the Rawlings Gold Glove winner at second base while helping lead the Gorloks to the NCAA Division III College World Series. He continues to stay active himself in the weight room and trains throughout the crazy collegiate coaching season.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Jun 17, 2025 • 1h 21min
#137 - Shannon Boone
Shannon Boone is the Head Athletic Performance Coach for USA Women’s Volleyball National Team. She joined Team USA in summer 2025 after spending the previous five years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Florida State University. Joining FSU in 2020, she oversaw training for the volleyball and beach volleyball programs. Prior to joining the Seminoles, she served as assistant director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports at Georgia Southern, working with the men’s soccer, swimming & diving, softball, track & field and volleyball teams, in addition to overseeing all nutrition efforts for the Olympic sport student-athletes. Boone served as an assistant at the University of Connecticut for the 2018-2019 season, working directly with men’s & women’s swimming & diving, and tennis teams, as well as assisting with softball, track & field and volleyball. Before UConn, she was a graduate assistant coach at Mississippi State University from 2016-2018 in addition to spending time interning at both the University of Kentucky and Temple University.A former four-year college volleyball athlete, Boone competed in three Division III NCAA Tournaments including a 2013 run to the Elite Eight.. Following her collegiate career she continues to stay active and is an avid lifter and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking & backpacking with her husband and dog when she is not training in the weight room.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Jun 3, 2025 • 1h 42min
#136 - Connor Truhitte
Connor Truhitte is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Fitness Center Director at the University of Redlands. At Redlands Truhitte overseas the strength and conditioning department for all 21 sports in addition to the recreation fitness center on campus. He joined Redlands in 2021 after serving the previous year as an associate sports performance coach at Stanford University working with the football program. Truhitte got his start at Fresno State University in 2018 as an intern strength coach while additionally serving as the sports nutrition assistant before being promoted to graduate assistant strength coach from 2019-2020.An athlete in his own right, Truhitte is a former college football player at the University of La Verne. A defensive captain his senior season and two-time All-Conference honors player, he continues to train following his collegiate career, most recently stepping on the platform to compete in his first Olympic weightlifting competition.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

May 20, 2025 • 1h 1min
#135 - Rick Howard
Rick Howard is an Associate Professor in Applied Sports Science at West Chester University (PA), Sports Performance Coordinator, and Coaching Minor Advisor. Starting at West Chester University in 2014, he is also a visiting professor at Reykhavik University, Iceland and a Fellow of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Previously, Howard served as a teacher at Keilir Health Academy in Iceland from 2015-2023, fitness director at Wilmington Country Club in Philadelphia, PA from 2014-2020 and director of athletics at School District of Philadelphia from 2003-2011.Over the course of his career, Howard has taught K-8 health and physical education, coached middle school sports, and strength and conditioning for middle school, high school, and college. He is a founding member and past Chair of the NSCA Youth Special Interest Group and Chair of the NSCA State Provincial Director Committee, where he was the Mid-Atlantic Region Coordinator. He has been a lead instructor for CSCS exam prep since 2014 and currently sits on the NSCA strongman, special populations, educators and LTAD, Special Interest Group committees in addition to being a liaison to the high school state and provincial director program. He presents nationally and internationally on youth training, LTAD, and strongman, and has contributed several articles to peer-reviewed journals and blogs on the topics.Howard is a master’s strongman competitor and has been training and competing in the sport for over ten years. He is an avid lifter and enjoys walking his 2 dogs when he is not training in the weight room or teaching.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

May 6, 2025 • 1h 14min
#134 - Tanner Care
Tanner Care is the Director of Performance for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) as well as well as the Director of Performance for the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Care joined the BC Lions in summer 2025 and began working with the Bandits in early 2023. Previously, Care was the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Simon Fraser University from 2021-2025 after being promoted after initially serving two years as an assistant coach. Prior to SFU, he was the head strength and conditioning coach for the University of Ottawa rugby team from 2020-2021 in addition to performance coach at the Titan Performance Centre. He began his coaching career as a postgraduate intern at Elite Performance Academy in Ottawa from 2016-2017 before moving on to become an assistant strength coach for football at North Prep School from 2017-2020. In addition to his experience working in professional and collegiate sport, Care is passionate about providing value in the realm of continuing education, presenting for companies such as the NSCA and Hawkin Dynamics and several universities. He is also an advisory team member for the Canadian Strength & Conditioning Association (CSCA). A former collegiate football player at the University of Ottawa, Care continues to stay active himself in the weight room and trains in high frequency training model while balancing his dual coaching roles and their intensive season schedules. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Apr 22, 2025 • 1h 31min
#133 - John Bloom
John Bloom is the Founder and Head Strength Coach of Elevated Athlete Development LLC. Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Elevated Athlete Development offers coaching services for athletes and mentoring for coaches alike, and is committed to developing the whole athlete, fostering success in athletics and life. Bloom is the former Director of Sports Performance and head of men’s basketball at Oral Roberts University from 2023-2024. Prior to ORU he was the assistant strength coach for men’s basketball at Texas Tech University from 2022-2023. Bloom got his start as an assistant strength coach at Prince of Peace School in Carrollton, TX serving two stints in both 2015 and 2018 before interning at his alma mater, Abilene Christian University from 2017-2019. He was promoted to full-time assistant in 2019, serving in that position for two years before becoming the director of sports performance for men’s and women’s basketball at Weber State University from 2021-2022. Bloom is also the author of “Strength in Numbers: Insight from Top Coaches on How to Build Your Career, Handle Failure, and Achieve Long-Term Coaching Success.”A former football player at Abilene Christian University, Bloom continues to stay active in his spare time training and enjoys playing basketball, spikeball and pickleball when he’s not in the weight room. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Apr 8, 2025 • 1h 32min
#132 - Brandon Reyes
Brandon Reyes is an Assistant Football Strength & Conditioning Coach at Colorado University. Reyes came to Boulder in 2023 and in addition to his coaching responsibilities, he coordinates and oversees the sports science integration for the Buffs football program. He spent the previous season as an assistant director of football strength and conditioning at Purdue University and two seasons as the assistant strength coach at Army West Point working with the football program from 2020-2022. Reyes got his coaching start at the University of West Florida as an intern before being promoted to graduate assistant coach from 2018-2020. While at UWF, he was a part of the football team that won the 2019 Division II National Championship. He also garnered experience as the football strength and conditioning coach at Fort Walton Beach High School and Booker T. Washington High School in Florida.Reyes is a lifelong athlete, avid training enthusiast and former competitive Olympic weightlifter. He continues to remain deeply invested in his own training through primarily Olympic weightlifting all while using his own training to find the best approach to impact the student-athletes he works with and stay active himself. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Mar 25, 2025 • 1h 18min
#131 - Madison Peele
Madison Peele, Assistant Sports Performance Coach at USC, shares her inspiring journey from intern to a full-fledged coach. She discusses innovative training strategies tailored for different athletic programs, like water polo and beach volleyball. Peele emphasizes the importance of treating each year as a new beginning in training and building strong relationships with athletes. She also highlights the impact of social media in coaching and her aspirations to support nonprofits, all while balancing her own fitness goals.

Mar 11, 2025 • 58min
#130 - Conor Hughes
Conor Hughes is the Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach at Army West Point. Hughes is in his eighth overall season and sixth as the Head S&C Coach for the Black Knights being named to his current role in 2019 after serving two years as an assistant. He was the head strength and conditioning at the University at Albany for six seasons, where he directed training for the football and men’s basketball teams, prior to joining the Black Knights. Prior to Albany, Hughes was the head strength coach at Iona College in 2010 working with all 21 Division I sports. He began his career as intern on the football strength staff at Georgia Southern University in 2008. From there Hughes was a graduate assistant strength coach at the University at Albany from 2008-2009 before being promoted to full-time assistant before joining Iona. Hughes is a former college football player and was a four-year member of the Springfield College football team. Hughes is active himself and continues to train with his strength staff trains while balancing the rigors of the college football season. He is an avid lifter and enjoys being a dad and shooting guns when he is not training in the weight room. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Feb 25, 2025 • 1h 52min
#129 - Colin Kenyon
Colin Kenyon is the Associate Director of Football Strength and Conditioning at Tulane University. Kenyon came to the Green Wave in spring 2024 after spending the previous two seasons working as an assistant football strength coach at Troy University as well as two seasons in a similar role at the University of Illinois from 2021-2022. Prior to joining the Fighting Illini, he spent two seasons at Army West Point working with the football program, after interning with the Army Black Knights in both the summer of 2018 and summer 2019. Kenyon also garnered experience as an intern strength coach his junior and senior year at Merrimack College and during the summer of 2017 at Mike Boyle Strength. A former defensive lineman at Merrimack College, Kenyon continues to train and stay active himself while balancing the rigors of the collegiate coaching schedule. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show