Coach Magwood ready to pump up Iron Horses

When Philip Simmons High School recently hired Cory Magwood as its new strength and conditioning coach, the transaction didn’t make front-page headlines.

 

But, perhaps, it should have.

 

“Coach Magwood is the most important coach we have on staff,” said PSHS athletic director Dan Minkins, who oversees an athletic program that includes 17 head coaches. “He will see every one of our athletes. He will grow our athletes to the next level by implementing a strength and conditioning program. While we’ve had so much success in our short time of existence, we know that the addition of his position will only add to our prestigious athletic program and separate us from our competition even more.”

 

Magwood seems like the ideal man on campus to make the Iron Horses faster, stronger and even smarter about their bodies and lifestyle choices.

 

He grew up in the Summerville area, but moved from the Lowcountry in time to begin his high school career at Wade Hampton High School where he graduated in 2012. He matriculated to Furman University where he enjoyed a career that included All-America status as a 6-foot, 3-inches, 228-pound linebacker.

 

In 2016, he received an invitation to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie camp. He made it through the camp, OTAs and even a few preseason games before the two sides went their separate ways.

 

After that, his impressive résumé included a couple of seasons of playing football in Europe, including a stint with the Ingolstadt Dukes of the German Football League.

 

His professional career after football began with an internship at Georgia Tech. After that, he landed a position at Georgia Southern where he worked from 2019-21 and received a master’s degree.

 

Now, he’s back in the Lowcountry, ready to help a school that won eight region championships and three state championships in the just completed academic year.

 

“It’s great to be back closer to home,” said Magwood, who turned 27 in May. “It’s a new school, but they have had a tremendous amount of success without a strength and conditioning coach. Now, we will only get better.”

 

As strength and conditioning coach, Magwood will work with athletes to make sure they learn the proper techniques to get stronger and faster. He will help many athletes prepare for a career at the next level. But he will also make sure all student-athletes know how to stay in shape and make healthy decisions after they graduate from high school.

 

Growing up in the Summerville area meant that Magwood could have played for legendary Summerville coach John McKissick, who also coached Magwood’s father. But the move changed Magwood’s life in a positive way.

 

“I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t move,” Magwood said. “I moved two hours away to the middle of nowhere and played for a Class AA school. That meant I had to work hard all the time to get to the next level. I had to work hard even when no one was watching.”

 

Furman watched, and signed Magwood, who had a brilliant career in the Upstate. In his senior year, in 2016, Magwood led the Southern Conference with 118 tackles and was sixth in the FCS with 11.8 tackles per game. 

 

“We are excited that many of our student-athletes will see first-hand how the hard work that he will instill will help them to be successful competitors on and off the field,” Minkins said.