Strength and Conditioning Coach Questionnaire
Derek Alford – Garland High School
For EliteFTS


Notes: on conversation with Derek. They really focus on form and technique with the kids and do not uses box squats. They do not have the budget or space to incorporate them effectively. They do however use a pause squat at below parallel. The strength and conditioning program at Garland currently has 250 kids in the program with over 150 active in the summer months. Their weight room is 35x35 including 6 squat racks, 6 benches, 5 glute ham raises (GHR) and 2 Reverse Hyperextensions as well as an Olympic lifting patio of 15x20. Derek uses a hybrid of Joe Kenn’s tier system and Westside. Derek is also a huge believer in training the posterior chain and has found the GHR and Reverse Hyper to have a great carry over to the team 40 times. Derek also told us that Garland has been in the playoffs every year for the past 12 years and finished with a 10 – 3 record last year. His weight room goals for the current season are to have 11 athletes clean over 300 pounds, 22 squat over 405, 22 bench over 300 and 75 run 4.9 or faster in the 40. So far they are right on track for these goals and we wish Derek and Garland High School the best of luck for the upcoming season. 


Interview: 

1. What are your name, age and current position?
Derek Alford, 35, Offensive Coordinator/Strength Coach, Garland High School, Garland Texas

2. What kind of educational background do you have?
Bachelor of Science in Sport & Exercise Science & Minor in Mathematics 

3. What strength coach has had the most impact on you and why?
Joe Kenn, Glenn Pendlay, Christian Thibadeau, Their intelligence and ability to talk in layman’s terms! Their ability to explain what works best for football. 

4. Do you still compete in athletics?
Yes

5. What are the most common mistakes that you see strength coaches make?
Disregarding the Olympic lifts or not having any idea how to teach them correctly! Neglecting the posterior Chain!

6. What mistakes have you made as a strength coach?
Not understanding how to teach the Olympic lifts and their hybrids properly and applying advanced methods to high school kids. Glenn Pendlay trained a high school kid (Quarterback-6’ 190) for 4 years alternating 5x5, 6x3 & 8x1, doing only Squat, Front Squats, Cleans & Snatches, Hang Cleans & Snatches, Bench and Overhead Presses, and Core Work. After his senior year he Olympic Back Squatted 600 with no wraps, suits or drugs and power cleaned 395. He is currently the strongest football player at Rice University as a QB.

7. What tips and tricks can you share that have made your strength and conditioning program better? Don’t run before you can walk! Bands/Chains are great for advanced athletes who have already mastered technique, not novice high school . kids with no strength base.
Attitude & Expectations are everything, along with lots of hard work(Especially when dealing with novices)! 

8. What are the most glaring weaknesses you find in athletes?
Posterior chain strength and lack of knowledge of the proper way to perform the lifts!

9. Are there any exercises that you feel every athlete, regardless of sport, should do?
Squat, some form of explosive training and any Posterior Chain/Core exercises mentioned at EFS.


10. What is the biggest obstacle you have to face as a strength coach?
Too many athletes and too little time! We have 250+ football players everyday with only 50 minutes a day during the off season!

11. How do you deal with hesitant and/or stubborn coaches that don't agree with 
your program?
Tell them do it right or find another job!

12. What advice would you have for those wishing to become a strength coach at 
the collegiate level?
Read Joe Kenn’s book, read EliteFTS, read Supertraining, and surround yourself with people who are knowledgeable, passionate and like minded.

13. How do you explain your system/program to your athletes so that they 
understand what they are doing? Or do you do this at all?
We talk a lot about our best football players are our best power cleaners (it has had the highest correlation of all our tests)! How do you get a big clean???---get a big squat and work the hell out of your posterior chain/core!!! We try to teach a lot of technique instead of just yelling”go lower or get tougher”!