Christian Mentzer has been promoted to head coach for the upcoming fall season. Mentzer has been the team’s Strength and Conditioning Coach since 2019, and also led much of the team’s 2nd-side coaching. He’s a 2014 Michigan graduate (economics) and earned 1st-team All Big Ten honors in 2013 as a player.
Mentzer cares deeply about the next wave of Michigan Rugby players and is excited about the role. “Firstly, I want to thank Coach Trenary for his dedication to the club. Matt has made me a better player, coach, and human being. Simply put, Michigan Rugby would not be what it is today without his contributions.
“Thanks to the players, the coaches, the Michigan Rugby Foundation, and Olde Blue for your support. I’m honored to have the opportunity to give back to the club that has given so much to me over the years. Playing for Michigan Rugby was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in my life, and I’ll work as hard as possible to ensure the next generation of Michigan ruggers has the same experience.
“I hope to see many of you this upcoming season for some Soiled Meat and Sand on Friday nights. Go Blue.”
Previous head coach, Matt Trenary, will stay with the team in a volunteer assistant role, and focus on advancing the program’s Unrivaled vision as Director of Development.
Trenary remains confident in the team’s future, “Contributing to our team as head coach has been a great pleasure. I appreciate all of the support given to me and our players. Sharing in the development of our players provides great meaning to our coaches. I look forward to witnessing Coach Mentzer and our other young coaches further this development, and grow as coaches themselves.
“For the upcoming season I’ll be assisting in a volunteer role, and spending some regained time with my family. Long-term, my focus is on the continued growth of Michigan Rugby Unrivaled, our vision for programmatic growth within the university. I look forward to what we build together. Go Blue!”
Drew Vecchio, Zach Simkins, Nate Lyon, and Matt Kasten will continue to assist the team’s coaching in addition to newcomer CJ Stock.
