Gridiron Warrior Podcast - Michael Gragg

The Gridiron Warrior Podcast | Episode 1: Freshman Football Training with Coach Michael Gragg

Welcome to the first episode of The Gridiron Warrior Podcast. In this conversation, Coach Michael Gragg (Head Strength Coach, Harding University) breaks down his approach to training freshman football players, building developmental lifts, and running challenges that build toughness and unity.

If you’re a high school or small college coach, this episode gives you a blueprint for preparing your young athletes for the next level.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Episode Intro & Welcome

01:00 - Coach Gragg’s background & journey into S&C

03:40 - Why football and family drive his career

07:15 - Freshman onboarding: developmental lifts from Day 1

11:00 - High school vs. college prep: what should coaches focus on?

13:30 - Managing maturity and coachability in new athletes

16:00 - In-season strength programming for developmental players

20:50 - The Red Dog Challenge & building culture with competition

25:30 - Why “doing hard things” still matters in today’s training climate

27:40 - Handling egos, entitlement, and buy-in challenges

30:40 - Transitioning freshmen into the main group at semester’s end

34:00 - Final advice for high school coaches: keep it consistent, keep it simple