VMI Strength & Conditioning:

The VMI Strength & Conditioning department plays an integral role to each team’s success on the athletic field.  Led by Director of Strength & Conditioning Jimmy Coale, the program helps each cadet-athlete realize their full potential while on Post.  The department is staffed by Coale, Associate Head Strength Coach Jimmy Whitten and Football Strength Training Coach Phil Sabatini, each of whom are CSCS certified as a strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

The program’s facilities have been upgraded of late, as a brand new, 3,400-square foot weight room was recently opened on the ground floor of Clarkson-McKenna Hall, the home of VMI Football.  The facility features the latest in strength and conditioning equipment and provides Keydet athletes a state-of-the-art facility to improve oneself physically.

The department also boasts the Charles S. Luck ’20 Memorial Weight Room, a 7,000-square foot facility on the second floor of Cocke Hall.  The facility contains over 15,000 pounds of free weights, 2,000 pounds of dumbbell weights, 70 pieces of free weight training equipment and 40 separate pieces of resistive training equipment.

Among the key acquisitions in the recent renovations were the addition and enlargement of the dumbbell training area, which almost tripled in size and now contains weights ranging from five to 140 pounds. Auto-spot benches were installed, among the newest and safest pieces of weight training equipment available on the market, as were new Olympic platforms with increased cushioning and padding for the weights. Four heavy-duty power racks, weighing 400 pounds each, were installed, and a number of back, leg, and neck machines were installed to complement existing equipment.

In addition, a pair of cardio rooms are also available for faculty and cadets alike within Cocke Hall, each of which include treadmills, stationary bikes and stair climbers.

“For a college setting, it’s probably one of the most functional settings I’ve ever been in. We went with top-of-the-line equipment across the board, and did not limit ourselves.”

      -Jimmy Coale, Director of Strength & Conditioning