The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) currently has a unique phenomenon taking place within its athletic department. Former Green Bay athletes are returning to their alma mater and are taking on coaching roles for the teams they were part of. This phenomenon, which is blending past experiences of athletes with current leadership, highlights the deep connection between UWGB and its student-athletes. This, in turn, fosters a sense of pride and honor that is embedded within the Green Bay community. The university has a commitment to developing its athletes into potential future leaders who have the ability to coach the UWGB athletic teams.
UWGB has a long-valued relationship with its alumni and its athletic programs. For these former Phoenix athletes, returning to coach their programs is more than just a career move; it’s an opportunity for them to give back to the programs that deeply influenced them. Having the knowledge of what it means to represent the Phoenix is what sets these coaches apart, and it further creates an environment where current student-athletes can thrive while working under them.
Mike Kline, head coach of the cross country team, is one of Green Bay’s longest-serving student-athlete turned coaches. Kline graduated in 1987 and has been the head coach of the team from 1987 onwards. He carries a wealth of knowledge after being so involved in the program for so long. “I was offered the head coaching job my senior year, in the spring before my fall season. Our athletic director offered me the head coaching job, so I went from student-athlete to student-athlete-coach to the head coach for the last 38 years,” said Kline.
It’s clear that being the head coach of the cross country team is a job that Kline loves, and he takes great pride in coaching where he was once a student-athlete. “I consider myself very honored. I’m very lucky… I love what I do. I feel I have the best job in the world. I really enjoy what I do. Working with the student-athletes is priceless; our staff, the other coaches… I feel very blessed to be here,” shared Kline.
As a previous student-athlete, Kline can relate to his athletes more and understands the individuality of his team. “After practices, the good, hard practices, the quality, and the intense ones, I usually let the team run their cool down, and I cool down by myself. That way, if they want to complain or anything, they can… before I make a decision or say or do anything, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How would they feel? We all have our stories,” said Kline. Leading this program means so much to Kline, who would not want to change a thing, “It’s an honor. I’m very proud of it. I think Phoenix country is the only place to be… I can’t think of a better group of people to have on my team. It’s a blessing,” said Kline.
Sam Myers, head coach of the Nordic ski team, was a student-athlete on the team just a few years ago. Myers graduated in 2020 and took on the head coach position in 2021. Myers knew coaching was a career he wanted to pursue, and Green Bay was the perfect place for him to do that. “Since I was in high school, I was inspired by my club coach and wanted to be like him, so I had that in the back of my mind. Just so it happened, as I graduated, the position was open. While I was on the team, I’d learned of the additional administrative things and knew I could step into the role and do a good job,” said Myers.
Myers also acknowledges just how special it is to coach the program he once competed for, “I think that’s probably the most special part of coaching, knowing the history of the program and being part of that history, and then just like the passion I have gotten from being a student-athlete at Green Bay when you become a coach, you still have that passion,” shared Myers.
It is clear Myers really wanted to continue the culture the team had when he was a student-athlete onto the team now. “If you look into the culture of our team, that is really instilled because personally, my experiences at Green Bay, specifically times when we didn’t have a strong culture, that negativity impacted our team. That’s a big part of my coaching,” said Myers. He also noted the importance of having empathy for his team, “And then also just trying to be there for the student-athletes is a big part. When I was on the team, I had three different coaches, so I didn’t have that connection with every coach,” shared Myers. Myers further highlights how important it is for him to lead the Phoenix after he once competed as a Phoenix athlete, “It’s pretty special. I have a lot of passion. Just want to see us be successful. Ever since I was on the team, we’ve had goals of being a successful program and beating other college teams. That’s still true now as a coach and maybe even a little more of that drive to be successful as I’m in the coaching role,” said Myers.
Grace Morgan, assistant coach of the swim and dive team, was another student-athlete as recently as last year. Morgan graduated in the spring of 2024 and began in her position as assistant coach in the Fall of 2024. Morgan was provided with a unique opportunity to take on this coaching role, but it was not her original plan. “My coach asked if I would like to be the graduate assistant coach because he knew I was looking for a graduate program. In February or March this year, he let me know that there was an assistant position opening up, and he offered me that, and that allowed me to work here longer than just my two years as a student,” shared Morgan.
Morgan also recognizes just how much enjoyment she gets from coaching the team for which she once competed. “It’s so fun. So fun. It’s really cool; I get to see the program progress even further than what I could contribute as an athlete, and now the program is just getting faster and getting better each year, so being able to be a part of that is really great,” said Morgan.
Morgan further draws upon her time as a student-athlete to guide her in her coaching role for her team, “What I would want in a coach is how I try to approach how I coach others. While that doesn’t fit everybody, I try my best to accommodate that. Overall, I try to apply things that I felt my previous coaches may have lacked,” said Morgan. Whilst there were some initial adjustments for Morgan when she first stepped into the position, she has taken those challenges in her stride. “It was definitely an adjustment because I was teammates with a lot of the current student-athletes, so finding that balance has been interesting. Overall, besides that, learning that balance and learning to differentiate between being friends and being coach and athlete has been a huge lesson, and one that coaching this program has allowed me to take with me throughout my career,” shared Morgan.
Beyond Kline, Myers, and Morgan, UWGB boasts a few other coaches who are alumni, including Kayla Karius, head coach of the women’s basketball team, Allie Alexander, assistant coach of the women’s basketball team, and Shannon Coughlin, assistant coach of the volleyball team. Karius graduated in 2011 and has had a range of coaching roles since, with her most recent being head coach at South Dakota before she returned as head coach at Green Bay in the fall of 2024. Alexander graduated in 2018 and also had a range of coaching roles, with her most recent being assistant coach at Eastern Illinois, before she joined the coaching line-up alongside Karius in the fall of 2024. Coughlin graduated in 2022, and after serving as an assistant coach at Lawrence University, she returned to Phoenix to take on the coaching role in the fall of 2024.
These full-circle moments inspire the current student-athlete body to consider coaching as a potential career. For the UWGB community, having alumni return to the university in a coaching position just highlights the sense of pride and camaraderie the Phoenix has. As the athletic department continues to grow, the university looks forward to seeing the success of its athletic programs, led by those who know what it means to be a Phoenix.
