Speed in American football is about far more than running a fast 40-yard dash. It is the ability to create space, close space, accelerate, decelerate, change direction and repeatedly produce high-speed actions under the demands of the game.
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Matt Gebert, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Ole Miss Football, to explore how speed is developed within an elite college football programme.
Matt explains how Ole Miss structures speed training across the week, from acceleration and change of direction to maximum velocity, curved sprinting and conditioning. He also breaks down how the physical demands change between position groups and why offensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs require different training priorities.
The conversation explores the five key qualities Matt uses to assess speed development and how tools including Catapult GPS and the 1080 Sprint can help coaches understand an athlete’s strengths, weaknesses and potential performance limiters.
However, collecting more data does not automatically lead to better decisions. Matt explains why sports science technology must be accurate, efficient and actionable, particularly when working with a squad of around 120 athletes within strict time restrictions.
Richard and Matt also discuss the balance between pushing athletes hard and protecting player availability, the value of wellness monitoring, the importance of sleep and why technology should help practitioners ask better questions rather than replace coaching judgement.
Matt also reflects on how his coaching philosophy has changed during more than a decade in college football, including moving away from one-size-fits-all programming and learning to coach athletes differently, both physically and psychologically.
In this episode you will learn
- Why speed in team sport is ultimately about creating and closing space
- How Ole Miss structures acceleration, maximum velocity, change of direction and conditioning work
- Why different football positions require different speed and strength qualities
- The five physical qualities Matt assesses within speed development
- How Catapult GPS and the 1080 Sprint are used to profile athletes
- Why maximum velocity is particularly important for wide receivers and defensive backs
- How to identify and improve an athlete’s performance limiters
- The difference between using sports technology and practising sports science
- The three questions Matt asks before introducing new technology
- How external and internal training loads can inform programme decisions
- Why wellness questionnaires can start important conversations with athletes
- The relationship between training load, recovery and player availability
- Why sleep may be the most overlooked performance metric
- How Matt’s approach to individualising training and communication has evolved
- Why acceleration should be a priority for young athletes in almost every sport
About Matt Gebert
Matt Gebert is a Strength and Conditioning Coach with Ole Miss Football, where he leads speed development work within the programme’s performance team.
Matt has worked in college football for approximately 13 years and is currently completing a PhD focused on speed development. His work covers linear speed, multidirectional movement, acceleration, maximum velocity, deceleration, curved sprinting and conditioning for team-sport athletes.
Alongside his coaching and research, Matt regularly shares practical information about speed development and the use of sports science within high-performance environments. He is also preparing a forthcoming book focused on speed development for team-sport athletes.
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