Training Air Force Special Operations
Podcast

Today I sat down withNick O’Brien, who is a Tactical Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Air Force Special Operations.

Nick began working with AFSOC in 2025 after previously serving as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of North Florida since 2023. Prior to UNF, he spent the previous two years as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Jacksonville University. Before JU, he served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Fresno State University from 2016-2021, at Loyola University Maryland from 2014-2016, and as a Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Salisbury University from 2012-2014. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Salisbury University, as a volunteer assistant coach (2009-2012), while also completing internships at American University (2015), San Diego State University (2014), Loyola University Maryland (2013), and Georgetown University (2011).

A native of Oceanside, CA, Nick earned his Master’s degree in Applied Health Physiology with a concentration in strength and conditioning in 2014 and his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Athletic Coaching in 2012 from Salisbury University.

A member of the CSCCa and NSCA, he currently holds the SCCC, CSCS, TSAC-F, H2F-I, CF-L1, FMS, USAW-L1 and USAPL-CC professional certifications. In addition to his coaching experience, Nick is a national-level strongman competitor and Highland games athlete. He is a committee member serving on the NSCA Strongman Special Interest Group, a contributing author to Samson Equipment’s article/blog posts, and the Host of "The Strength Game" Podcast. He enjoys outdoor activities, training and competing, longboarding, travelling, and spending time with friends and family. Nick is also a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and currently resides in Destin, FL.

Some of my favourite conversations start with someone I've never met, where we hit record and realize halfway through the preamble that we share half a network. That's exactly how this one went. Nick O'Brien has coached since 2009, bounced through eight different schools on the collegiate side, and now works with Air Force Special Operations doing tactical strength and conditioning. We get into why he walked away from the college world, what it actually takes to train operators who might not even be required to show up, and why discipline has nothing to do with how you feel that day. If you've ever felt jaded by the grind of this profession, or you're a young coach trying to figure out the path, this one's for you.

Key Quote

"A lot of people are disciplined, but they're disciplined when it's convenient, or when they're in the same state of mind they were in when they made those promises."— Nick O'Brien

Five Core Themes

1. Collect mentors, including the bad ones. Nick's advice for young coaches is to seek out many mentors across many settings rather than becoming a mini-version of one person. Some of his most valuable lessons came from people he'd never put on a reference list, because watching them get things wrong showed him exactly what not to do.

2. The collegiate-to-tactical transition. After years of being overlooked, moved around, and burned out by the politics of college athletics, Nick found a fit blending his military upbringing with his coaching in the AFSOC space. It's a path more Olympic-side coaches are taking, and he's honest about both why he left and what he still misses.

3. You're a resource, not a requirement. Unlike in college, many of Nick's airmen aren't required to train with him. That changes everything. He has to pitch his program every time leadership turns over, meet people around brutal shift schedules, and earn buy-in rather than assume attendance.

4. Build people who don't need you. Whether it's a deploying airman or a freshman heading home for summer, Nick coaches toward self-sufficiency. He wants them grounded enough in principles to write and run their own program when he's not there.

5. Discipline is state-independent. His billboard message is "discipline is everything," but his real insight is the qualifier: most people are only disciplined when it's convenient or when they feel the way they did when they set the goal. The skill is honouring the promise regardless of your emotional state.

Main Take-Home Message

The thread running through Nick's whole career is adaptability built on a deep toolbox. Eight schools, multiple sports, strongman, Highland Games, and now special operations gave him the range to meet any population exactly where they are. The lesson for coaches at any stage: don't marry yourself to one philosophy, one mentor, or one setting. Stay disciplined when it's inconvenient, learn from everyone in front of you, and build athletes capable of carrying the work forward on their own.

Find Nick

Website:https://coachobrien.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/_n_ob/

Twitter/X:https://x.com/_N_OB

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachnobrien/

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@coachNobrien

Podcast:https://thestrengthgame.buzzsprout.com/

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