Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M lock higher levels of physical capability that the body and mind are reluctant to give up without resistance. A strength coach's job is not only to design sci- ence-based programs to achieve those results, but also to push athletes safely beyond their perceived limits. For Kagy, that process starts with trust. "That's the most important thing," he said when he was introduced at Boise State. "[Athletes] should know why they're doing the things that they're doing. It shouldn't be blind faith all the time. There's a little bit of that, but they should have an idea of why they're do- ing the things they're doing. It all comes down to relationships. That's the most important thing." Early in his career, Kagy worked as a strength coach across multiple sports — football, baseball, swimming, track and field, men's soccer, women's golf. That multi-sport background informs a results-based approach to training that Kagy outlined during his time at Boise State. Student-athletes, he said, "didn't come here to lift weights. So, what are we really trying to accomplish? It's not that hard to get somebody strong … but it's more than just strength. Strength is really one piece of it. "These athletes have to be very robust and [possess] all the qualities that they have to express. We're talking about the power aspect of it. We're talking about the strength aspect, being explosive. But when it comes down to it, what are they asked to do in the field?" Additional insight into that practical, position-specific approach came from a 2024 Des Moines Register article, which noted that Kagy uses position-specific drills — powerlifting for linemen, speed drills for receivers and defensive backs, etc. That willingness to individualize training — despite working with a ros- ter of more than 100 athletes — is cen- tral to his philosophy. Asking defensive linemen, linebackers and wide receivers to complete identical drills would be counterproductive. "When it comes down to it, you put guys in groups as far as what a prac- tice demands," Kagy said. "Your DBs and wide receivers are going to be in a group where practices are going to be similar to what they're asked to do [on the field] — high-speed running, acceleration, deceleration, those types of things. "At the end of the day, our job is to prepare them for their sport." Prioritizing Sports Science Every major football program has invested heavily in sports technology over the past decade. From nutrition to player-level data, Penn State was at the forefront of individualized perfor- mance tracking under former strength coach Chuck Losey and Director of Sports Performance Science Andrew Nelson. That emphasis will continue under Campbell's staff. Kagy discussed Iowa State's use of GPS tracking technology during a media appearance two years ago. "It gives us an idea of what a prac- tice looks like," he said. "We are able to quantify our field work. We're able to look at yardage, high-speed running, accelerations, decelerations, change of direction. The coolest thing for us is the speeds. The old way of doing it is, 'OK let's go run a 40.' Now we're able to tell them how fast they're running in miles per hour, so it's that next step of 'how do I get better?'" "We have a radar gun, too, so not only can we get max velocity and speed and give that information to these guys, but we can tell how well they accelerate, their peak power, and put a diagram together to explain to these guys what they need to work on." Kagy also places a big emphasis on nutrition, recovery and sports psychol- ogy. "You can't think of things in silos," he said. "To think that the weight room stands alone from everything else in the building would be a misconception. Ev- erything is impacted by different areas. In the weight room, we really give them a chance to change. We really create that spark for the flame. The rooms outside of here — nutrition, recovery, mental health, all these things — that's the gas that ignites the flame and really brings about adaptation." Focusing On The Trenches When Campbell brought Kagy back in 2023, he was asked about the jump from the Mountain West to the Big 12. It's a question he'll likely face again as he steps into the Big Ten. His answer made one thing clear: Everything starts up front. "It's going to start in the trenches with the offensive line, the defensive line," Kagy said. "[It's a matter of ] building up those guys, continuing to give those guys confidence, and put- ting them in the best position possible to succeed. It's always going to start there. "We understand what the conference is. We understand some of the numbers and the stats that are put up in this con- ference, and we understand the things that we have to be successful at if we're going to be successful on Saturdays. It really does start there, at the base, in the trenches, with a lot of emphasis and focus on those guys." However, it's not just about raw strength. Players need to be able to use that strength in specific movement pat- terns if they're going to be effective on the field. "I've seen a lot of people who are able to bench press 400, 500 pounds, and they still get put on their back," Kagy said. "One of the most important things that we keep in mind is that numbers look good … but how does it translate to the field?" ■ "You can't think of things in silos. To think that the weight room stands alone from everything else in the building would be a misconception. Everything is impacted by different areas." K A G Y