Lanier Coleman coaches from a simple truth: intent drives intensity. Now in his role as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the National Football League (NFL) Jacksonville Jaguars, Coleman brings the same determination he embodied as a collegiate defensive lineman. He shares how early adversity shaped his standards, teaching him to lead with discipline, cultivate deeper relationships, and “build a fire” in every athlete he coaches. During his coaching tenure at Florida State University, mental and emotional endurance became cornerstones of team development — these are lessons he now carries into professional football. Coleman describes the shift from building collegiate foundations to coaching with precision at the NFL level, where he fine-tunes elite qualities to manage injury risk. He also stresses the importance of unified performance staffs to support athletes through this fast-paced and demanding sport. Gain inspiration to strengthen daily purpose, be a spark in your facility, and support athlete readiness across high-performance environments.
Reach out to Lanier via Instagram: @l_coleman98 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.
Part 2 of this series on allostatic load theory will focus on how monitoring personnel holistically can contribute to a well-rounded health and performance model supporting the tactical athletes.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceProgram designTesting and Evaluation
In this episode with Associate Head Coach of Athletic Performance, Anna Craig, you will learn how “Annual Strategic Planning” improves the professionalism and unity of the University of Texas (UT) Olympic Strength and Conditioning Department. Craig shares her coaching philosophy and talks about the role of mentors during her tenure at UT with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon. This episode stresses the importance of building autonomy in student-athletes and having humility to effectively manage staff dynamics within collegiate strength and conditioning. Learn about how Craig’s off-campus work, coaching in the private sector, allows her to grow professionally. Tune in for some useful tips on staff and facility management.
Connect with Anna on Instagram at: @annaecraig or by email at: anna.craig@utexas.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
During 2018 TSAC Annual Training, the NSCA’s own Tactical Strength and Conditioning Program Manager, Nate Palin, discusses his personal and professional take on running in the military setting. Here Palin identifies the pros, risks, and shortcomings associated with run-centric physical training for special operations forces, as well as discusses more safe and efficient strength and conditioning alternatives to running-based fitness programs for these tactical operators.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and Evaluation
In this video from the NSCA's 2014 Coaches Conference, Coach Donnell Boucher, CSCS, talks about training strength and conditioning at the Citadel Military College of South Carolina, and shares practical information that can be implemented at any school, in any environment.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
This article looks to explain why law enforcement recruits have higher incidences of lower extremity bone stress responses and stress fractures. It also explores injury mitigation pathways to increase the graduation rates among law enforcement academies.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or Disease
This episode unites strength and conditioning perspectives across three continents. David Joyce and Dan Lewindon, the co-editors of High-Performance Training for Sports, discuss their new book, including the high-caliber list of expert contributors from around the world. Discussion centers on the expansion of performance environments to include new perspectives, and the increased need for professional collaboration to deliver maximally effective training programs. Learn about “Zombie Killers,” as Joyce and Lewindon share with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, in an episode that provides insight into everyday coaching practices.
Find David on Twitter: @DavidGJoyce | Find Dan on Twitter: @DanLewindon | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
The primary focus of this article is to provide personal trainers with an evidence- and practice-based approach to exercise selection and implementation in those with low back pain.
Personal trainersExercise TechniqueProgram designClient Consultation|Assessment
This article provides considerations for preparing firefighters
for the physical and psychological demands of their job, including pre-operational work specific training during their rest times.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceProgram designSafetyProfessional Development
Hear from the 2023 NSCA Assistant College Coach of the Year, Gary Calcagno, from Oklahoma State University. In this episode, Calcagno shares highlights from a more than 30-year strength and conditioning career and how being resourceful as a once aspiring coach prepared him for lasting professional success with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon. Calcagno also discusses his long history with the NSCA, recent areas of progress across the profession, and the role of quality leadership in managing a successful strength and conditioning program.
You can reach Gary by email at gary.calcagno@okstate.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs