ASAP PODCAST with the 2023 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Sports Performance Staff

When The University of Cincinnati Bearcats' Director of Football Sports Performance, Niko Palazeti, took on his new role in January 2023, he recognized an immediate need for his program and the Bearcats football squad: he needed a strength and conditioning performance staff. Palazeti had been a member of Coach Mickey Marotti's sports performance staff at Ohio State Football. Yet now, he found himself having to formulate a complete staff to complement new Head Football Coach Scott Satterfield's vision and mission. 

Coach Palazeti moved quickly, as time was ticking away and the Bearcats would soon be returning from the holiday break. The returning squad had not quite really met him yet and he needed a staff that could hit the ground running to prepare the team for the rapidly approaching spring football practices. Nobody occupied the small and cramped assistant strength & conditioning office. 
Palazeti made his first call to Columbus, Ohio. His fellow strength and conditioning partner, Coach Chris Friend, had been a strength intern at OSU Football and was later promoted as a full-time strength coach under the olympic sports strength training umbrella. Coach Friend was ALL-IN for Cincy and made the 90 minute trip with his sleeves rolled up and ready to go.

Next came Coach Brandon Garcia, who decided to depart Las Vegas, Nevada and UNLV to take on a fresh challenge of Big 12 Conference Football in Cincinnati. Garcia, a former football player at West Virginia State University, also had coaching stints at WVSU and Maryland Terrapins as well as some experience as a personal trainer down in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Next on board was Scottie Etherington who had gained some early coaching experience at Marshall University with some intern experience at Ohio State Football and also Maryland Football.

Finally, Robert "Robo" Williams was brought back into the fold. Robo had gained football playing experience at Miami University (Ohio) and also played a fifth year at Ohio Dominican where he completed his Masters Degree in Exercise Science, did an internship at Robert Morris University as well one back in his hometown at Cincinnati. He was an assistant at Toledo Rockets, Duke Blue Devils and at Army Football. 

This is an energetic, meticulous and hard working strength staff with some very good early on coaching experience that is sure to provide solid strength and conditioning knowledge and motivation for a very good and surging college football team. 

So, here's the ASAP~Athletic Strength And Power Podcast with all four members of Niko Palazeti's strength staff.