Talkin' Pitt by Pitt Sports Performance

This episode of Talkin’ Pitt features Erica Lowery, one of the fastest-rising young coaches in collegiate strength and conditioning. Erica shares her journey from being a Division I volleyball athlete at Texas A&M University and Liberty University to becoming a strength coach at the University of South Alabama, where she works with volleyball, soccer, and cross-country athletes.   Throughout t...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Coach Young sits down with Dr. Dillon Martinez to dive deep into the world of speed development, sprint mechanics, and coaching communication. From breaking down the myth that “speed can’t be taught” to discussing how coaches can create faster, more resilient athletes, this episode is packed with practical takeaways for strength coaches, sport coaches, and anyone i...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Devin sits down with LSU’s Coach AK to dive deep into the evolving landscape of strength and conditioning, challenging traditional norms and exploring innovative approaches to athlete development.   Coach AK shares why she’s currently most excited about implementing year-round isometrics, discussing how overcoming, yielding, and quasi-isometric methods can improve...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Coach Young breaks down 5 key lessons every young strength and conditioning coach should understand when starting their first internship. Whether you are currently in school, preparing for your first internship, or working through your early experiences in the profession, this episode offers practical insights on how to make the most of these foundational opportuni...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, I’m joined by Dr. Christian Carter, the Director of Olympic Sports Performance at James Madison University (JMU). Christian has been one of the most-requested guests by listeners, and this conversation delivers equal parts coaching philosophy, real talk, and practical lessons from nearly 13 years at JMU.   We start with Christian’s path into strength & conditio...

For the first time ever, this is a solo episode of Talkin’ Pitt.   As we kick off 2026, Devin Young is reflecting on 10 years in the strength & conditioning profession, from interning at U-Mass Lowell to running departments at the Division I and Division III levels, to now coaching softball and track & field at Pitt. In this episode, I break down five major lessons I’ve learned over the la...

In this special episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Devin sits down face-to-face in Baldwin for a Forever Panther conversation with Pitt softball legend Jess Bova, the first Pitt softball inductee to the Pitt Hall of Fame.   Jess takes us inside what it was really like being a student-athlete at Pitt in the early 2000s: the pressure, the schedule, the 12 hours of study hall, and the huge adjustment from high...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Josh Madole, Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of South Carolina, as he shares his journey from playing college baseball to leading strength programs for elite softball and golf athletes. In this episode, Josh opens up about:   His path from UNC Greensboro to UNC Charlotte and ultimately to South Carolina, including how working his tail o...

This week on Talkin’ Pitt, Devin sits down with Florida State Softball Strength & Conditioning Coach Bailey Victoria for an episode packed with connection, coaching insight, and real talk about athlete development in today’s era of travel ball, the transfer portal, and rapidly evolving sports tech.   Bailey shares how she’s built one of the most detailed, athlete-centered training environments...

Today on Talkin’ Pitt, Devin sits down with Kevin Deitz (University of Cincinnati) for a candid conversation about coaching with purpose and clarity. Kevin shares why he’s fallen back in love with learning (hello, early-morning reading blocks) and what he’s discovered since taking over the Bearcats’ internship program from recording Zoom lectures and “lab” videos (Perch setups, technique demos) to...

In this episode of Talking Pitt, Coach Young sits down with Austin Tomaz, Strength and Conditioning Coach for Carolina Ascent FC, part of the growing women’s professional soccer scene.   Austin shares his path from never playing organized soccer to carving out a niche in the sport’s high-performance world, discussing how curiosity, problem-solving, and data-driven systems shaped his coaching philo...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Devin sits down with Coach Lily Bernardi (UNC – Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning) to discuss culture, simplicity in programming, and what it truly takes to integrate with teams beyond the weight room. A former Division I lacrosse defender, Lily traces her path from Hofstra (GA) → Fordham → back to Hofstra → North Carolina and shares how returning to a previ...

This week on Talkin’ Pitt, we sat down with Rob Nelson, Assistant Athletic Performance Coach at Penn State, and let me just say this one goes deep.   We kicked things off by discussing what it means to be a “problem solver” in the strength and conditioning world, particularly in the context of constant roster turnover created by the transfer portal. Rob broke down how he builds individualized trai...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Coach Devin sits down with Coach Tessa Grossman, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for football at the University of Colorado Boulder. Tessa shares her inspiring journey from being told she wasn’t strong enough to play D1 softball to falling in love with the weight room, earning her stripes in the private sector, and carving her path in collegiate athleti...

In this week’s episode of Talkin' Pitt, Coach Young sits down with Coach Jessica Burke for one of the most open and real conversations we’ve had on the show. We delve into her journey from earning an economics degree to pursuing strength and conditioning, navigating imposter syndrome, the pressure of being "behind" in a competitive field, and why she ultimately chose to step away from collegiate a...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, Coach Young catches up with my good friend George Boulos, Director of basketball performance at James Madison University. We dive deep into his coaching journey from his Pittsburgh roots to bouncing between college and private sector roles, and how he found his way back to collegiate athletics. George shares insights on: 🔹 Managing high roster turnover in the tran...

This week on Talkin' Pitt, we sit down with Coach Dani Evans, currently in charge of women's lacrosse, volleyball, and field hockey at Liberty University. Danny shares her journey through the field of strength and conditioning, from discovering the profession late in college to working under some of the best in the game, like Mike Boyle, Jeff Oliver, and the crew at Pitt. We talk: Her non-linear p...

In this episode, Coach Devin sits down with one of the most engaging and thought-provoking voices in strength & conditioning—Joe Pedulla, Assistant Strength Coach at Oklahoma Softball and the mind behind Pedulla Performance. They delve deeply into Joe’s journey from kinesiology student to Big 12 strength coach, exploring how his transformation as a pitcher influenced his coaching philosophy an...

In this episode of Talkin’ Pitt, we welcome back Dr. Tim Suchomel for a deep dive into strength and conditioning, sports science, and the future of athletic performance. Now in Pittsburgh full-time, Tim shares insights on his transition into the academic world, the evolution of sports performance education, and how Pitt is expanding its impact through online programs and research-driven training m...

Welcome back to Talkin’ Pitt! In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Cockrill, Director of Volleyball Sports Performance at SMU, to explore the evolution of his coaching career and how he’s helping redefine strength and conditioning for volleyball at the collegiate level. Coach Cockrill has been instrumental in shaping SMU’s volleyball program as they transition into the ACC, and he’s not just...

In this episode of Talking Pit Podcast welcomes Coach John Bloom, an incredible strength and conditioning professional turned entrepreneur, to share his fascinating journey in coaching and his transition from collegiate athletics to building his own business. From his early days as an athlete mentored by a passionate strength coach to running teams as a college undergraduate, Coach Bloom reflects...

In this special episode of the Talkin' Pitt Podcast, we feature a fascinating segment from Panther Insider, where guest host Pat Bostick dives deep into the cutting-edge world of sports science at Pitt Athletics. Joining the conversation are Dr. Tim Suchomel, director of Pitt's Master of Sports Science program, and Stephanie Mock, assistant athletic director for sports performance. Together, they...

In this episode of Talking Pit, we sit down with Coach Eric Lichter of +2 University, one of the most innovative names in sports performance training. Known for his data-driven approach and extensive use of technology like the 1080 Sprint, Eric shares insights into how he built +2 University, his entrepreneurial mindset, and his philosophies on speed training. We dive deep into Eric’s journey from...

In this episode of Talkin Pitt, we dive into the career journey of Coach KJ, a dedicated strength and conditioning coach at the University of Oregon and a former athlete at UMBC. Join us as Coach KJ shares her path from college athlete to coach, with key stops at Pitt, Colorado, and Florida State, eventually landing her role at Oregon where she works with women’s basketball and softball. We discus...

In this episode of Talking Pitt, we sit down with Rebekah Gold, a strength and conditioning coach with an incredible career journey. From starting out in the weight room during her high school days to working with college athletes and now high schoolers, Rebecca shares her insights and experiences along the way. We discuss her transition from a full-time coaching role to becoming a leadership and...