Jesse Mermuys - Orlando Magic Assistant Coach on Using Joy to Improve Your Culture, Chasing Individual Goals to Create Team Success, How Tech is Shaping the Future of Youth Sports, and More.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[2:45] The Lasting Impact of Coaches
[6:30] Building Culture with New Teams & Institutions
[10:30] The Secret to Successful Recruiting 
[15:15] How to Increase Retention
[24:00] Core Values and Coaching Philosophies
[30:00] Communicating with Gen Z & Digital Natives
[36:00] Health & Wellness at Rutgers

Today to be joined by coach Caitlin Schweihofer. Coach Caitlin is the head volleyball coach at Rutgers University. During her first two years, the Scarlet Knights established themselves as a program on the rise in the Big Ten, including four team members being named to All-Big Ten teams. The team also set 11 program records for Rutgers volleyball. Before her time at Rutgers, coach Katelyn led the program at Northeastern University and La Salle, where she earned the 2018 Atlantic Coach of the Year honors.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has more than 15 years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes.

His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he could have an impact on their lives beyond the basketball court. More recently, Jason founded OWN IT to be a platform that makes coaches' lives easier and helps them use technology to have a bigger impact on the lives of their athletes.

Keep up with Coach Forward on social media: Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram. 

Enjoying Coach Forward Podcast? Consider subscribing or leaving us a review! 

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[6:45] Why Athletes Don't Seek Help
[10:30] Tools for Coaches
[14:00] Mental Health Awareness in Professional Sports
[20:15] Incorporating Mental Health into Culture
[24:00] The Look, Notice, Listen Framework
[31:00] External Mental Health Resources for Coaches
[36:00] More about Hone Athletics

Today I got to talk with Jessica Renney & Paula McQuaid who co-founded Hone Athletics.

Paula McQuaid was born and raised in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. While attending school she enjoyed playing soccer and rugby. Paula completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology form the University of PEI as well as Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. While conducting research based around mental health and distress in cancer patients in 2009 Paula went on to receive her Masters in Counselling from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington.

Ms. McQuaid’s past work experience includes working with youth and adults in both individual and group settings. More recently, she has taken particular interest in the athletic community with a focus on the mental well-being of athletes. Paula has also had the opportunity to work with Hockey Canada as a Mental Performance Consultant with the Women’s U-18 National Team, winning a bronze medal(2018), gold medal (2019) and silver medal (2020) at IIHF World Championships.
Paula is a Professional Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, a nation-wide accredited body that works to enhance mental health services provided to Canadians.

Jessica Renney was born in Trail, British Columbia and raised in Western Canada. Jessica attended the University of Lethbridge where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. Jessica later attended the University of Victoria and was awarded a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Since that time, Jessica has worked with both adults and youth dealing with substance misuse struggles and mental health concerns. More recently, she has specialized in the development of mental well-being within the athletic community.**

In addition to her education, Jessica brings a very unique personal experience to MindfulAthletics. Ms. Renney’s father coached in the NHL for 13 years. During that time she was encouraged to play many different sports and quickly learned the value of a competitive athletic environment (especially to a young person on the move!).**

Jessica is a Professional Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, a nation-wide accredited body that works to enhance mental health services provided to Canadians.**

HONE is an initiative of Mindful Athletics, an organization dedicated to supporting athletes’ mental health. Over the past five years, Mindful Athletics has worked with individual athletes, teams, associations, universities, and national level sporting organizations to provide psychoeducational workshops and help athletes identify and honour their mental health.

HONE was created when the psychotherapists behind Mindful Athletics realized they could expand their in-person mental health services into the digital space, and help even more athletes and teams accomplish better mental health and sports performance. Their unique, anonymous survey methods provide a simple way for athletes and coaches to co-create a better sporting environment.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level an

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[13:41] Leading By Listening
[15:57] Being Question-Oriented vs. Statement-Oriented
[25:07] Creating A Mission-Vision-Process Team
[28:59] Teaching Players To Lead
[34:30] When Oregon Baseball Ditched The Fancy Nike Gear
[37:46] When A Walk-On Called Out The Head Coach
[44:45] Player-Led Culture Sessions

Today I got to talk with Coach Mark Wasikowski, Head Coach of Oregon Baseball.

During his five-year tenure as a head coach, Mark Wasikowski has proven he can turn a program around in a hurry. In his first full season at Oregon, Wasikowski led the Ducks to a 12-win improvement over Oregon’s win total the season before he became UO's head coach.

The Oregon turnaround came on the heels of an even bigger improvement at Purdue, where he was a first-time head coach. The Boilermakers won 19 more games in Wasikowski’s first season at the helm than the team totaled the year before he took over the program.

Wasikowski also coached both teams to postseason appearances after significant playoff droughts at both Purdue and Oregon in year two as head coach. After coaching just 15 games in his first season at the helm of the Ducks because of COVID-19, Wasikowski led Oregon to a 39-win season and a spot as an NCAA Regional host in the 2021 season. The postseason appearance was Oregon’s first since the 2015 season.

At Purdue, Wasikowski led the Boilermakers to a 38-win campaign in 2018 and a spot in the NCAA Regionals two years after PU finished the season 10-44. It was Purdue’s first postseason appearance since 2012 and just its third in school history.

As an assistant or head coach, Wasikowski helped lead 16 of his 24 teams (omitting 2020 COVID-19 shortened season) to the postseason, including three Super Regional appearances and one trip to the CWS. In four stops as an assistant coach, Wasikowski helped each of the four teams advance to the postseason.

In addition to the two regional tournaments he led his teams to as a head coach, Wasikowski helped Oregon to four postseason appearances in his five seasons as an assistant on George Horton’s staff. At Arizona, the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament seven times in his 10 years on Andy Lopez’s staff in Tucson.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes.

His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[12:00] How To Deal With Disrespect
[20:38] Increasing Intensity During Warmups
[27:09] Helping Players Find Their Fit
[30:21] Building Culture In The NIL & Transfer Era
[34:32] Leaving Losses On The Field


Coach Boss was appointed the 16th head coach in Michigan State baseball history on July 1, 2008, and has quickly become one of the most successful coaches in the program’s 130-year history.

He has guided the Spartans to 30-win seasons in seven of the last 12 seasons, as well as the Big Ten regular-season championship in 2011 and the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

In just one season as head coach at Eastern Michigan in 2008, Boss made an immediate impact, guiding the Eagles to their second consecutive MAC West Division crown and first NCAA Regional appearance since 2003. The Eagles swept through the MAC Tournament, winning all four games by a combined 21 runs, to notch the school's fourth tournament title.

The conference title capped a remarkable turnaround, as Eastern Michigan - picked to finish fifth in the division - closed the season on a hot streak, claiming 25 of 40 games and earning a berth in the NCAA field.

He was selected the 2008 MAC Coach of the Year and made history by becoming just the second coach in league history to win the MAC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament in his first season. Overall, the Eagles finished the season 15-8 in conference play and 25-34 overall.

Boss is was stranger to postseason play prior to coming to East Lasing, having coached in six NCAA Tournaments. Prior to being named head coach at Eastern Michigan, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan from 2004-07, as the Wolverines made NCAA Regional appearances all three seasons. 

Coach Boss was a member of the staff that led the Wolverines to three straight 40-win campaigns, with a 42-19 record in 2005, a 43-21 mark in 2006 and a 42-19 finish in 2007. Michigan won the 2006 and 2007 Big Ten regular-season titles, and claimed an NCAA Regional title in 2007 by upsetting top-seeded Vanderbilt to advance to the school's first-ever Super Regional.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes.

His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[14:08] How Michigan St Football Focuses On "Mission-Critical" Standards
[17:23] The 3 Rules Of The Weight Room
[26:54] Keeping Similar Routines In-Season
[28:45] Supporting Players Under Pressure


Coach Novak is in his third year as the Head Coach of Strength & Conditioning for the Michigan State football program.

His offseason strength and conditioning program was one of the key reasons for Michigan State's school-record turnaround season in 2021 as the Spartans won 11 games and finished ranked in the top 10 of the national polls.

Coach Novak has extensive experience in the field of Strength & Conditioning, including head roles at IMG Academy and Central Michigan, and an assistant role for the Tennessee Titans .

Coach Novak a great teacher and motivator who takes an individualized approach to developing his players. He's also on the cutting edge of training and analytics.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes.

His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[08:33] Seeing A Decline In Competition
[11:02] Teaching Players to Earn What They Want
[16:27] How to Work With Underachieving Players
[19:51] Receiving Accountability From Players
[29:17] Investing In Mental Performance

Coach Sowders is the Director of Strength & Conditioning for Louisville Football.

He has spent the last 15 years in the field of strength & conditioning including stops along the way at University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, McNeese State and Gardner Webb.

Coach Sowders is passionate about relationships with his athletes and building a player-led culture.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes.

His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Lindsey is passionate about building culture and relationships with her athletes and finding their true motivation.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes. His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[04:19] Transitioning to a Bigger Program
[05:23] Spending Less Time on the Court
[14:20] Defining Team Roles
[19:43] The Four Pillars of Grand Canyon Culture
[29:07] Establishing "Benergy"

I’m excited to be joined today by Coach Molly Miller, Head Coach for Grand Canyon Women's Basketball. 

Holds a career winning percentage of .873, second-highest among active Division I women's basketball coaches.

Prior to Grand Canyon, Coach Miller was a two-time Division II Coach of the Year at Drury College. She ended her Drury career with the D-II national runner-up in 2019 and an undefeated, top-ranked 2020 team when the national tournament was canceled because of COVID. She amassed a 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university.

In 2020-21, GCU ranked second nationally for steals (13.4 per game) and turnover margin (plus-8.4 per game) while also coming in fourth for turnovers forced (23.3 per game) during her first season at the helm.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes. His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason is building the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[07:54] Moving Beyond a Culture on Paper
[13:34] Being Coach-Fed, Player-Led
[30:03] Setting Up Culture Summer School
[32:50] How to Run Meetings That Reinforce Culture
[39:25] Challenging Players With Core Values

I’m excited to be joined today by Coach Jim Schlossnagle, Head Baseball Coach at Texas A&M. 

In his first season at the helm of a new program, he lead the Aggies to the 2022 College World Series, winning A&M’s first games in Omaha since 1993 and earning the SEC Western Division title — the most competitive division in baseball.

Schlossnagle is just the fourth coach to win multiple College World Series games at different programs as the head coach.

Before arriving at Texas A&M, Schlossnagle spent 18 years at TCU. He guided the Horned Frogs to five College World Series, making their Omaha debut in 2010 and adding four consecutive CWS trips from 2014-17.

The Schlossnagle coaching tree has been extremely fruitful. Eight current NCAA Division I baseball coaches sharpened their craft under the tutelage of Schlossnagle.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes. His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason founded the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.

Coach Forward is an interview-style podcast hosted by Jason Mejeur (Coach J), accomplished Coach, Mentor, and Founder/CEO at OWN IT.

Highlights from the episode:

[04:15] - How to Create Your Coaching Network
[10:03] - How to Keep Your Athlete Relationships Strong
[13:50] - Eating Breakfast as a Team
[18:52] - Creating Off-Court Programs for Players
[28:49] - Pairing Players with Positive Mentors
[37:02] - What Coaches Will Face in the Next Five Years 

This week, I’m excited to be joined today by Coach Brian Eskildsen. Coach Eskildsen is a 13-year coaching veteran in NCAA Division I basketball, having spent his entire career working at high-level academic institutions that enjoyed success, including Rice, Stanford and Harvard.

Before starting at Georgia Tech, he helped lead Harvard to three Ivy League championships, a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and NIT berths in 2018 and 2019.

Coach Eskildsen is passionate about having an impact on his players both on and off the court and will share some very practical tools that could be used by coaches at any level.

About Jason Mejeur (Coach J)

Jason has 15+ years of experience coaching basketball at the college and high school level and has lived on the sidelines and in the locker rooms working to build teams and inspire athletes. His mission is to build authentic relationships with his players so that he can impact them beyond the basketball court.

More recently, Jason founded the OWN IT System to help bring data-driven sleep and health coaching to student-athletes and their teams.

Join the discussion with Coach Forward on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

Enjoying the podcast? Please leave us a review.