Interview with Tom Palumbo

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Flagler College

I first met Tom Palumbo in 2006 when he visited The United States Military Academy at West Point. I was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Army and Tom was the associate head strength and conditioning coach at The Ohio State University, a position he held until the Spring of 2012. As the director of strength and conditioning at Denison University, I had decided to intern for Tom at Ohio State in the summer of 2007. Tom's passion for getting his athletes better, his diligence and practical application of anecdotal research, his tenacious work ethic, and his unwavering integrity has made him one of the most respected coaches at the collegiate setting.

I have witnessed firsthand, Tom Palumbo coaching in the weight room, mentoring interns, and presenting at conferences. I asked Coach Palumbo to present at three consecutive central Ohio strength and conditioning clinics, as well as many other regional and national conferences. As an internship coordinator, I would schedule multiple professional development trips each year. These were integral to the learning process for our student coaches.

Tom has used his experiences from the University of Georgia, The Pittsburgh Pirates, and The Ohio State University to organize and institute Flagler College's first ever strength and conditioning program. In this interview from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Conference in Kansas City, Missouri last May, Tom and I discuss his journey and transition through the coaching field. He goes into detail about programming, internships, and his frustrations within the industry.