For Penn State Football's Strength Program, the End of an Era

As the Penn State football program continues to change under Matt Campbell, let's pause to reflect on an expected but still notable departure. Chuck Losey, who has been part of Penn State's training staff since 2014, is moving on to join James Franklin's staff at Virginia Tech.

Campbell has hired Reid Kagy as his director of strength and conditioning, according to the Penn State staff directory. Kagy spent three seasons as Campbell's head strength coach at Iowa State and has worked at Cincinnati, Boise State and Oregon. Like Campbell, he played football at Mount Union, winning a Division III national title in 2008.

But before welcoming Kagy's new strength program, it's important to recognize what Losey did for Penn State. He was the asistant director of performance enhancement to Dwight Galt III for 11 years of Franklin's teams at Vanderbilt and Penn State.

When Galt retired from Penn State in 2022, Losey took over as the director of performance enhancement. During his time at Penn State, Losey trained 27 Nittany Lions who were drafted in the top three rounds. The list includes first-round picks such as Abdul Carter, Tyler Warren, Olu Fashanu, Jahan Dotson, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh and Saquon Barkley.

Penn State football strength coach Chuck Losey shouts instructions during warmups at a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium. — Penn State football strength coach Chuck Losey shouts instructions during warmups before a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

A key success metric was the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, where 10 former Nittany Lions competed. Among them were Fashanu, first-round pick Chop Robinson and third-round picks Caeden Wallace and Adisa Isaac.

Players spent more time year-round with Losey and his staff than they did with the coaches, so Losey always had the best read on the team. During occasional sessions with the media, Losey offered some of the best insights into player development and progress.

But when Franklin was fired in October, Losey's time at Penn State hit the countdown clock. And that was by his own terms. This past summer, Losey was asked why he chose to work Vanderbilt (his alma mater) and why he stayed at Penn State.

"James Franklin is my guy," Losey said. "I don’t want to work for anybody else in this profession."

Losey went on to explain the reasons he and Franklin work so well together.

"I know what I’m going to get from him every day, he knows what he’s going to get from me every day," Losey said. "We have a strong relationship, we’re like-minded, we have the same goals. I don’t take that for granted. I have a ton of appreciation for that. I know what this profession has been, I have an idea where it is right now, I know what’s out there, and I’m just so appreciative to have the opportunity to come to work at a place like this every day.

"I've got an unbelievable situation here and I’m super appreciative of it."

Franklin hired nine Penn State staff members when he took over at Virginia Tech, primarily those involved in recruiting to get a plan in place for Signing Day. But Losey's departure to Blacksburg essentially was set in motion when Franklin took the job.

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.

More Penn State Football