The Strength Game

Michelle Pifer is an Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning at Rutgers University where she works with the field hockey and women’s rowing programs. Pifer was promoted from her assistant strength coach role in 2023 and served in a similar capacity at the University of Pennsylvania from 2019-2021 before arriving at Rutgers. Pifer began her career as an intern coach at Bucknell University in 2014. From there she worked as a fitness specialist at Weston Fitness in North Wales, PA and also garnered experience as an intern at UPenn, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania as well as a return visit to Bucknell. Pifer was a wellness supervisor at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania from 2017-2018 before becoming an assistant strength coach for one year at Swarthmore College, arriving in 2018. Outside of coaching, Pifer herself is very active in her own right as an athlete. She is a multisport strength athlete having competed in both bodybuilding and powerlifting competitions over the course of her career. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Sport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comCerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Scott Leech is the Associate AD for Strength and Conditioning at the University of Rhode Island. In his current position he leads the training for Rams football, women’s Tennis and women’s Lacrosse in addition to overseeing all areas of the strength and conditioning department. First arriving to URI in 2020 as an assistant he has previously worked with the baseball, volleyball and women’s soccer teams before being elevated in 2021. Leech arrived by way of Merrimack College where he was an assistant coach from 2015-2020. First starting his career as a graduate assistant coach at Springfield College he also gained experience as intern with the strength and conditioning departments at Albany, Missouri and Brown. A former football player at Springfield College, Leech was a team captain his senior year, earning All-District honors. Following his collegiate athletic career, he continues to stay active and practice what he preaches training himself and consistently fine-tuning his athletes programs. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Sport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comCerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Scott Caulfied is the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Norwich University. Joining Vermont’s Military College in 2021, he is their first Director of Strength and Conditioning in university history. Caulfield has been in the strength and conditioning profession for nearly 30 years and has coached at nearly every level from the private sector, college, professional level and even NSCA Headquarters. Caulfield was the Coaching Education Manager and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the National Strength and Conditioning Association Headquarters in Colorado Springs for nearly 11 years. During that time he also served as the head strength coach for the Colorado College men’s hockey team from 2011-2015 and the women’s soccer team from 2011-2013. Much of Caulfield’s work with the NSCA was centered around training other coaches and interacting with the many different high school, collegiate, professional and international teams, coaches and tactical units that came the headquarters to train, learn and develop. Just prior to joining Norwich, he rejoined the Colorado College staff for his second stint as the director of strength and conditioning working with the schools two Division 1 programs, men’s hockey and women’s soccer. Caulfield is no stranger to Norwich, got his start training the then club Norwich University men’s rugby team from 2003-2006. He worked in the private sector as the Fitness Director for First In Fitness from 2001-2007, as well the American Basketball Associations’ Vermont Frost Heaves as their head strength coach and director of camps from 2006-2008 where they won back-to-back ABA Championship titles. From there he became the director of sports performance at River Valley Club and then serving as an assistant strength coach at Dartmouth College for five and four years respectively, before joining the NSCA staff.Caulfield is a respected speaker and lecturer, having lectured on the national and international circuit for over a decade. He has been an adjunct instructor at both Norwich University and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He is the current NSCA Vermont State Director in addition to serving previously from 2008-2011. Caulfield also holds the role of Vice President of the NSCA Foundation and was the former host of the NSCA Coaching Podcast for three seasons as well as been featured on numerous others. Caulfield is also a veteran, serving in the Navy from 1991-1995 where he was an Aircraft Director onboard the USS GUAM LPH-9. He is also an active firefighter and the true definition of a strength athlete, advocate, and enthusiast. He fell in love with training before the start of his coaching career and, Coach Caulfield, aka “Dr. Jacked,” continues to stay active in his spare time training, lifting and getting on the slopes as an avid skier. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Sport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comCerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Nick Cidado is an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston College. Cidado arrived at BC in 2018 where he began working as an intern before being promoted to graduate assistant coach in 2019 and then full-time assistant coach in 2020. Over his tenure at BC he’s assisted with all 31 Olympic sports teams and now leads the performance training for the Eagles women’s lacrosse, field hockey and men’s and women’s golf teams. In his current role, Cidado has reached the NCAA National Championship in 3 consecutive years with the lacrosse program, who won the title in 2021, and most recently won the ACC Championship in 2023. Cidado started his career in the private sector first as an intern coach at Evolution Sports Performance in Easton, Massachusetts in 2017. He was an assistant strength coach at MJP Strength and Conditioning in Boston as well as sports performance coach at Velocity Sports Performance in Norwood, Massachusetts from 2018-2019. He also gained experienced as intern at Harvard University in the fall of 2019. Cidado is also the author of “Sweat More During Peace, Bleed Less During War: Preparation Tactics That Generate Success.” A former football player at the Bridgewater State University, Cidado continues to stay active in his spare time training throughout the demanding collegiate athletics year-round season. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

John Grundy is the Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at the University of Missouri. Grundy joined the staff in 2023 and directly works with the Mizzou baseball, cheer and track and field sprinters. He spent the previous two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Memphis where he designed and implemented strength and conditioning programs for the baseball, women’s tennis, men’s soccer, rifle and track and field sprinters.. Prior to working at Memphis, Grundy was the head strength and conditioning coach at Marymount University from 2020-2021, where in addition to his coaching role, he was also the chair of the school’s return to sport committee. Grundy was a graduate assistant at George Washington University and held internship positions at American University, Newman University and Liberty, along with spending seven years in the private sector in various capacities at YMCA Greater Wichita and Central Virginia. He began his career at his alma mater, Randolph College, as a volunteer coach in 2014.Grundy is a former college lacrosse player at Randolph College and continues to train and progress in the weight room during his downtime.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Joe Kenn is the Vice President of Performance Education at Dynamic Fitness and Strength, where he leads the development and delivery of cutting-edge fitness and strength training programs and resources for athletes, coaches, and trainers. Coach Kenn has over 30 years of experience as a performance specialist and strength and conditioning coach. He has worked with athletes at all levels, from high school to professional, across various sports and disciplines. Coach Kenn has been a head coach at four major universities and an NFL team, a national, regional, and state level speaker, and the creator of the Tier System Strength Training and the Block Zero Concept. He began his career as an assistant athletic fitness director at Wake Forrest in 1991 before becoming a graduate assistant at Boise State University. He was later promoted to full-time assistant coach following his graduate assistantship and a year later became the head strength coach where he held that title from 1994-1999. Kenn spent two seasons as the as the director at the University of Utah before landing at Arizona State University as the head sports performance coach from 2001-2007. From there he spent two years leading the University of Louisville football program’s training before jumping to the NFL as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Carolina Panthers. He spent 2011-2020 with the Panthers before arriving at his current position working with Dynamic Fitness and Strength. In addition to working with high-level collegiate programs and professionals in the NFL, Coach Kenn has been the strength coach for Brian Shaw for two years on his quest for his 5th World’s Strongest Man title. Coach Kenn is a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach and boasts such awards as the, 2015 NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (Professional Football Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association, PFSCCA), 2013 National Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (NCSA) Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, 2000 NSCA Mountain West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and 1998 NSCA Big West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.He is the author of multiple books including, “The Coach’s Strength Training Playbook” and “Push, Jump, Punch: A Developmental Process for Teaching the Athlete to Power Clean” He is the owner of Big House Power, which is a subscriber-based website designed for educational and professional development for all levels of strength coaches.  Coach Kenn has been training long before he began coaching and continues to develop himself in the weight room as a strength athlete. A former two-year letterman for the Demon Deacons football team at Wake Forest University, he has also competed multiple times in powerlifting both in the raw and single-ply divisions. Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

DJ Melgar is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Hofstra University where he works with the Pride’s men’s soccer, wrestling, men’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s tennis programs. While in undergraduate at Hofstra he was the President of the “Exercise is Medicine Club” for three years from 2018-2021 prior to him beginning his coaching career as a intern with the strength and conditioning department in the spring of 2021. He was later elevated to a graduate assistant in the fall of 2021 and a full-time assistant coach in spring of 2022. Additionally, Melgar also spent time as a physical therapist aid and assistant at NYPT and Wellness from 2019-2020 where he aided physical therapists with patient rehabilitation treatment. Melgar is an avid lifter. This past summer he competed in his first powerlifting meet earning a total of 1,086lb in the 90kg weight class going 7/9 with more to come in the future.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Zach Even-Esh is a Sports Performance Coach, Life Coach, Business Consultant, gym owner, Speaker, Author, and Family Man.Zach Even-Esh is the Strength Coach & Founder of THE Underground Strength Gym. He established the gym in 2002 in his parent’s garage and backyard, and has seen it grown over the more than two decades he opened the doors to his facility. There are currently 2 Underground Strength Gym locations in NJ and over 1,000 Certified Underground Strength Coaches from around the world. Even-Esh is the current New Jersey State Director for the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) since 2021. Prior to making the full-time switch to coaching, he worked as a public school teacher for four years. He was the strength & conditioning coach for the Rutgers University Wrestling team from 2017-2018 as well as the Leigh University Wrestling team from 2014-2015. He was the marketing coordinator for Spartan Team from 2013-2014 and has consulted with countless coaches, gym owners and special operations military units throughout his career. He has also served as a consultant for adults in Corporate Health, Wellness & Leadership as well as a consultant for Military (Naval Special Warfare), LEO & First Responders. Coach Even-Esh began sharing his content on YouTube when YouTube first came out. In addition, to his large presence on-line he is also the host of the STRONG Life Podcast, Iron Roots podcast, NJ High School Strength Coach Podcast, former co-host of the Spartan Up Podcast and has been featured on multiple others as an expert guest. He is the author of three bestselling books including The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength & Conditioning which has been translated into numerous other languages. He has written countless E-books, training manuals and blogs for zachevenesh.com and the undergroundstrengthcoach.com. Strong Life is a fitting mantra, because Zach Even-Esh truly lives up to it. He is the epitome of an athlete and strength advocate and enthusiast who has been an avid lifter with dedicated time under the bar. He has had his hand in everything from bodybuilding, wrestling, training unconventionally with no-equipment in various New Jersey parks for sessions, powerlifting, strongman, you name it! He continues to test himself daily, train and find new ways to challenge himself and battle the barbell.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Nick O’Brien is a college strength and conditioning coach, national level Strongman competitor and Highland games athlete, as well as an Officer in the United States Army. In addition to his coaching and athletic experience, O’Brien is a committee member of the NSCA Strongman SIG, columnist for Samson Equipment, and the Host of “The Strength Game” Podcast. With more than 14 years of experience in coaching and competing, Nick has traveled the country as an athlete, consultant and coach.Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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

Connor Agnew is the Director of Basketball Performance at App State. Joining the App State staff in July 2022, Agnew works with the both the men’s and women’s basketball as well as women’s golf team. Most recently, he was a strength and conditioning coach at Texas Tech working primarily with the women’s basketball program for two years. Agnew began his career as a sports performance intern working with the University of Pennsylvania men’s and women’s basketball programs. He then spent time as an intern for the New York Jets during training camp for the 2018 season. Following his stint in the professional ranks, he spent time at the University of Tennessee first as an Olympic strength and conditioning intern before working as an intern with the football team and finally being elevated to a part-time assistant Olympic sports performance coach for the Volunteers. Additionally, Angew is the host of the Samson Strength Coach Collective Podcast. Agnew himself is a prime example of someone who practices what they preach. He was a member of the Powerlifting Team at Temple University while completing his undergraduate degree. He continues to train, nowadays focusing still on powerlifting but also blending jiu jitsu, and marathon running.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.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