Travelers Rest Coach Named South Carolina Strength Coach of the Year

Travelers Rest High School Strength and Conditioning Coach Robbie Cole has been named the National High School Strength Coaches Association’s South Carolina Strength Coach of the Year for the 2020-2021 school year. Candidates for this award are nominated by their fellow strength coaches and chosen by the awards committee at the NHSSCA.

Robbie is a Travelers Rest High School alumnus who graduated in 1992 before attending Furman University where he earned a B.A. in History ('96) and a Masters in Health and Exercise Science ('03). While at Furman he was a member of the Track Team. As a Paladin athlete Coach Cole was fortunate to train under fellow TRHS alumnus, Coach Joey Batson, then the Head Strength Coach at Furman (now at Clemson).

Coach Cole has 25 years of experience coaching high school strength training, track, and football in Greenville County. During that time, he has been the Head Strength Coach at several schools and holds a certification from the National Association of Speed and Explosion as a Certified Specialist in Speed & Explosion. In 2016 he became an Original Member of the National High School Strength Coaches Association.

During the last two years Coach Cole has led a fundraising and renovation effort at TRHS that has given the Devildogs one of the premier strength, speed, and agility facilities in the upstate. The Devildog “Human Performance Lab” now boasts all new equipment including turf for speed and agility work, iPads and laptops for data tracking, training software, velocity-based training devices that measure bar speed, electronic timing devices, and a nutrition table that feeds athletes after every workout. With this specialty equipment and technology Coach Cole is able to monitor athletes’ readiness and recover via surveys and a reactive strength index test that predicts central nervous system fatigue. The training program is then able to go a step beyond being sport-specific and becomes athlete-specific, giving each athlete what they individually need each day.

The National High School Strength Coaches Association, which was formed in 2016, has quickly become one of the largest coaching organizations in America. Coach Cole was an original member, joining and attending the National Conference in 2016. In 2019 he became a member of the NHSSCA South Carolina State Advisory Board. Since becoming involved in the NHSSCA Coach Cole has had the opportunity to connect with many great strength coaches at the high school, college, and professional level at events all over the southeast.

In 2018 Coach Cole hosted a Strength Coaches Professional Development Day at TRHS attended by over 50 coaches from 3 states. In 2019 he was fortunate to be chosen to attend an exclusive strength training conference at the home of Joe Kenn, head strength coach of the Carolina Panthers. This school year he was invited to speak at the NHSSCA Family Day Conference in Columbia, SC. On April 17th and 18th he will be a featured presenter at the NHSSCA’s Southeast Regional Conference at Dorman High School.

Quotes from colleagues and coaching peers

“Robbie’s influence has reached far beyond our school and community. He has become instrumental in our district, and even in our state, in helping other schools follow our model for upgrading and expanding their strength and conditioning facility and program. He has consulted with several schools not only in Greenville County, but throughout our state of South Carolina and in Georgia as well.”  - TRHS Principal, Danial Bruce

“Coach Cole met with me to find out my goals and desires for the basketball players in respect to how I wanted to see my players develop.  Next, he designed a program that addresses injury prevention, speed and agility, and sport specific strength elements.  Now, my players have daily routines that address these areas.  Our players have reaped the benefits of fewer injuries, more explosiveness, and more lasting strength and endurance over the course of our season.  In short, Coach Cole’s impact on the TRHS basketball program has been tremendous.”  - TRHS Boys Basketball Coach, Josh Mills

“Coach Cole has an incredibly strong understanding of what it takes to be an effective coach. He anticipates and coordinates our athletes’ needs as he develops their fitness and performance plans. We here at Travelers Rest are proud to have Coach Robbie Cole as a member of our staff.” - TRHS Football Coach, Ray Gould

“Coach Cole is a great ambassador for Greenville County Schools and Travelers Rest High School. Every aspect of the Strength Coaches Professional Day was professional, dynamic, relevant, and very informative. Coach Cole provided the platform for every high school coach in attendance the opportunity to vastly improve the athletic program at their school.” - Byrnes High School Strength Coach, Michael Srock

To schedule an interview with Robbie Cole please contact Principal Daniel Bruce or contact Coach Cole at the phone numbers and emails listed below: