Oklahoma State University Strength and Conditioning for Wrestling
Gary Calcagno is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Oklahoma State University where he has been for the past 12 years. Gary assists Rob Glass, Assistant Athletic Director of Strength and Conditioning, with Football, and Coach Calcagno is responsible for the strength and conditioning of Oklahoma State Wrestling. Since taking over the strength program for John Smith, head wrestling coach at OSU, the wrestling team has won 4 NCAA team National Championships, 15 NCAA individual National Championships, 9 Big 12 team Conference Championships, 47 Big 12 individual Conference Championships, 3 NWCA National Duals Championships, 1 Danny Hodge Award, 3 Big 12 Conference Outstanding Wrestler Awards, 1 National Duals Outstanding Wrestler Award, and has had 57 All-American selections. In addition, three Freestyle wrestling team members for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, two Freestyle wrestling team members for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and one Freestyle wrestling team member for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, are former Oklahoma State wrestlers. Out of those Olympic wrestlers, Jamill Kelly won silver in 2004 and Coleman Scott won bronze in 2012. Before coming to OSU, Gary spent 6 seasons at Washington State University as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. At WSU, Gary assisted with Football and was in charge of training Men’s Basketball, Volleyball and Baseball. Gary graduated from the University of Tulsa with his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, while serving as the Student Assistant and Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. During the spring and summer of 2000, Gary served as a Strength and Conditioning Intern with the Dallas Cowboys for Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Joe Juraszek. Calcagno’s coaching career has allowed him to be associated with 13 bowl teams- including, OSU’s Fiesta Bowl Championship team and WSU’s 1998 Rose Bowl team. The OSU Women’s Golf Team won three Big 12 Conference Championships and enjoyed an NCAA runner-up finish in 2004. The TU Men’s Basketball and WSU Volleyball Teams made numerous NCAA tournament appearances, including TU basketball’s run to the Sweet Sixteen in 1994 and WSU volleyball’s run to the Elite Eight in 1996. Coach Calcagno has also had the opportunity to work with nine NFL First Round Draft Picks and one Major League Baseball First Round Draft Pick. In May of 2008, Gary was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach, the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession, by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and he is a certified Level I, Level II and Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.
