Kiero Small embraces "Winning Edge" mentality as one of few holdovers
While nearly the entire coaching staff turned over in December, Purdue players returned from Christmas break to a familiar face: strength and conditioning coach Kiero Small.
Small stands as one of the few holdovers from the previous regime. The roster turnover combined with a new coaching staff doesn’t stop Small from his “business as usual” approach.
“We want to be the fastest, strongest and most flexible when we’re playing people,” Small said. “Everything is a building block toward that.”
To start, as players migrated to West Lafayette to begin the spring semester, Small needed to get an idea of where each player stood. With so much roster turnover, Small and company entered with the goal of finding strengths, but more importantly, weaknesses, for each new Boilermaker.
Throughout the offseason, Small continuously builds each player physically and mentally, citing the need for them to be at their best during the season. Rather than generalizing with positive or negative feedback, Small looks at the micro level, specifying individual areas where players are succeeding or failing.
Preparation for the 2025 season began recently under Barry Odom‘s “Winning Edge” program. Although Small came to Purdue to work for Ryan Walters, he’s quickly embraced Odom’s philosophy.
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“It’s our Winning Edge program. I truly believe if this is our program, then the Winning Edge is a huge part of that,” Small said.
Like the rest of the offseason program, the Winning Edge centers around developing physical and mental toughness.
When a player’s time at Purdue comes to a close, though, it doesn’t necessarily mark the end of their time with Small. Some of Purdue’s NFL Draft hopefuls stayed in the West Lafayette area to train ahead of Wednesday’s Pro Day. During this, Small helped prepare each player for the drills they were asked to perform in front of scouts.
“When they’re here, we make sure they’re prepared to run those drills,” said Small. “We make sure they’re strong. We make sure they know exactly how the drill is set up, and we make sure the technique is perfect.”
