Football
Oct 4 (Sat)
10:00 am MT
- Title:
- Director of Speed - Strength & Conditioning
- Phone:
- 719-333-0323
Matt McGettigan is in his 19th season as the strength and conditioning coach for the Falcon football team.
Widely considered one of the best in the country, McGettigan helped transform the Falcon program. Prior to his coming to the Academy, the Falcons had posted a 12-24 record over the second half of the season from 2001-06. Since his arrival, the Falcons have won over 75 percent of their games over the second half of the season. Air Force is 24-9 the last four seasons over the last half of the season, including five straight bowl wins, including three straight over Power 5 programs. Air Force closed the 2024 season with a four-game winning streak. The four-game streak is the fourth-longest active streak nationally entering 2025. In addition to being in better physical shape, the Falcons have seen fewer significant injuries.
McGettigan has played a key factor in some of the more remarkable physical accomplishments since coming to the Academy. All-American fullback Brad Roberts played 30 career games, never missing one due to injury. Roberts set the program record for career carries with 707, while posting the two-highest carry seasons in Air Force history. He rushed for 1,352 yards on 298 carries in 2021, then topped both marks with school records of 345 carries for 1,728 yards last season.
His work with 2007 All-American Chad Hall, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound do-everything runner who averaged over 32 touches per game over the last seven weeks of the 2007 season, is also impressive. Hall went on the play in the National Football League for several seasons.
McGettigan also helped develop Ben Garland, who played nine seasons in the NLF, most recently for the San Francisco 49ers. Garland was a defensive lineman in college and has played both offense and defense in the NFL. Garland has been a part of three Super Bowl teams, including the 54th edition with San Francisco. McGettigan worked close with long snapper Austin Cutting, who was a rookie with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. He was the team’s starting long snapper for two seasons.
McGettigan received the ultimate affirmation of excellence when he earned recognition as the 2001 National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. The award underscored the respect McGettigan has from his peers.
McGettigan joined the Iowa State staff in 1996 with head coach Dan McCarney. He spent 11 years with the Cyclones before coming to Air Force in the summer of 2007.
Prior to his stint in Ames, he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Notre Dame from 1991-95. Before his work with the Fighting Irish, McGettigan served as the strength and conditioning coordinator for Wisconsin-Platteville from 1987-90.
McGettigan completed his undergraduate work in physical education at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, in 1987, where he was a three-year starter on the football team. He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In January 1989, McGettigan received his certification as strength and conditioning specialist. He earned his master’s degree in 1989 from Wisconsin-Platteville.
A native of Darlington, Wis., McGettigan is married to the former Darla Hook of Charles City, Iowa. They have two children, Mariah and Colin.
