How do you build consistency across a coaching staff while giving each coach room to be themselves? On this episode of the Samson Strength Coach Collective, Connor sits down with Michael Silbernagel, manager of Sanford Sports Performance, to explore the everyday work of developing coaches and building culture. Michael traces his career from a graduate assistant position at the University of North Dakota in 2003 through Colorado State and nearly 13 years at the University of Mary. He shares how family priorities, a desire for broader impact, and the realization that he had become comfortable led him to pursue a new challenge at Sanford. Today, Silby oversees 13 strength and conditioning coaches and works alongside academy and return-to-play staff. Sanford’s approach reaches athletes through partner schools, regional performance facilities, sports academies, and remote programming. Across those environments, his goal is to create a consistent experience while encouraging coaches to bring their own personalities to their work. That balance requires ongoing development. Silby explains how weekly check-ins and quarterly video reflections help coaches evaluate their presence, teaching, standards, and programming decisions. By reviewing their own sessions before discussing them with others, coaches can take ownership of improvements and approach feedback as an opportunity to grow. He also introduces a simple exercise: choose three words that describe the coach you want to be, then ask others whether your actions reflect those qualities. It is a reminder that coaching identity depends on what people experience from you every day. The conversation closes with a challenge to practice the habits you ask of athletes, revisit lessons with the benefit of experience, and seek insight from people outside your professional circle. Key Takeaways: Growth requires an honest look at comfort. Recognizing that you have become comfortable can help you identify when you need a new challenge.Consistency can coexist with individuality. Shared terminology and expectations help athletes feel confident across locations while allowing coaches to remain authentic.Culture requires ongoing attention. Staff needs, relationships, and environments change, so culture must be actively maintained.Make reflection part of coach development. Recorded sessions and structured reviews help coaches connect their intentions with what happens on the floor.Define your coaching identity. Choose three qualities you want to embody, then seek honest feedback about whether others see them in your behavior.Experience changes how you learn. Revisiting a book, course, or familiar idea can reveal lessons you were not ready to recognize earlier.Model the standards you teach. Examine whether your own habits align with the advice you give athletes about sleep, recovery, and personal accountability.Quote: “Culture is dynamic, not static.” — Michael “Silby” Silbernagel
