New coaches making an impact

Athletic Department welcomes talented, energetic coaches to staff

By Tom Perry

Brittany Casto

Co-Head Coach — Cheerleading/Dance
Degrees: BS-Applied Physics (Marietta College); MA-Education (Wright State University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Growing up, I participated in track, cheerleading, and gymnastic through high school. I also participated in cheerleading at Marietta College.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I motivate my students by ensuring them their hard work leads to the results they desire. Athletes at the collegiate level participate in a sport because they enjoy it and want to continue to develop. Focusing on this aspect, encouraging your athletes through positive reinforcement allows them to continue that love of the sport and strive for higher levels.
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? My former gymnastics coach taught me that leadership begins by being the person you want your athletes to become. If you expect punctuality and strong communication skills, then you, as a coach, must meet all those requirements. In summary, never expect something from your athletes that you cannot or will not provide as a coach.
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Man! I feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain) would 100% be my go-to karaoke song; however, this girl does not sing.
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? The herbal life clubs are my favorite protein shakes; all of them are delicious. 

Andrea Deem

Assistant Coach — Cross Country/Track & Field
Degrees: MS-Sports Science (West Virginia University); BA-Sport Management (Marshall University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Cross Country, Basketball, Track & Field 
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I remind them to remember why they started. I also have them focus on the day and task at hand. Good days turn into good weeks, good weeks turn into good months and good months turn into great seasons. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? That it is not about the destination but the journey. Show up and work hard every day and good things will come. Always remember to have fun with it and the memories will be worth it.  
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Drops of Jupiter (Train)  
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Alani Energy Drinks  

Annie Devorak

Assistant Coach — Women’s Rowing
Degree: BA-English/Secondary Education (Marist College)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I ran cross country in elementary school, and track and basketball in middle school. I was a thrower (discus) on our high school track team, as well as rowing all four years of high school and college.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? Although all student athletes are motivated by different factors, I think an effective way to motivate them is to create a culture in which doing hard things is fun and physically and emotionally fulfilling. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? My previous coaches have taught me the value of strength, resilience, and grit. We win or lose races at practice; it all comes down to who is most willing to put in quality work consistently enough to benefit from the results. 
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? There is nothing I would rather do less than sing karaoke, but I would strongly encourage my friends to perform anything by Fleetwood Mac.  
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Strawberry banana protein smoothie or an Alani energy drink. 

Anthony Fairhurst

Assistant Coach — Men’s Basketball
Degrees: MA-Organizational Leadership (Mount Vernon Nazarene); BA-Sport Management (Baldwin Wallace University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Basketball, Baseball, and Football 
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? Build a relationship first so there is trust! From there, you must figure out how EACH INDIVIDUAL player needs coached. Once you key in on how they learn, you can push the right buttons and let them know someone is always hungry for their spot. Off the court, it is a little easier to motivate because without the grades, there is no basketball. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? There is NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL for you. Figure out a way to get it done.  
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Love on top (Beyoncé)  
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? My go to energy drink is Advocare Spark. My second choice is always Monster!  

Taylor Floyd

Assistant Coach — Women’s Soccer
Degree: BA-Sport Management (Ohio Wesleyan)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I am a big fan of motivational speeches. I always used to listen to them when I was a player so I think that they can be a huge help as far as getting you in the right mindset before a game. Having the right mentality going into a competition is one of the hardest things to do, but also can be the most rewarding. As far as off the field, I look to push them to do as well as they can in their academics and get involved in clubs and organizations that will help them to prepare for life after college.
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? A lot of my old coaches worked on creating a fun atmosphere at practices and I think that is the biggest thing that I have taken with me into coaching. You get so much more out of practices when the players enjoy being there and want to compete and push each other to the next level.
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) 
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Premier Protein Shakes (the strawberry flavor)

Terry Geiger

Assistant Coach — Football
Degrees: BA-Sport Management (Defiance College); MBA (Otterbein University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Growing up I played multiple sports, which included football, basketball, and baseball.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I motivate my student-athletes to work hard on and off the field by being extremely relatable with my players as I was just in their shoes about two years ago. I continue to push them to grow into leaders on and off the field. I can motivate the guys by first building a connection so when I correct them it isn’t taken the wrong way. They know I love them and will do anything to see them succeed. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? A former coach taught me that I should never leave a game or practice feeling like I didn’t give my all on the field because If I left with that feeling it meant I wasn’t pushing myself to be the best version of myself. When you don’t push yourself as hard as you can you will always leave a game or practice with regret. I now use this with my student-athletes so when they hang up their cleats, they won’t have any “what if’s” about their career.  
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? If I had to sing at a karaoke night, I would sing True Colors by Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.  
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? My favorite protein shake is Peanut Power Plus Strawberry from Smoothie King.  

Ian Gonzalez

Assistant Coach — Men’s Lacrosse
Degrees: MS-Health Science and Human Performance (University of the Cumberlands); MBA (Tennessee Wesleyan University); BA-Accounting and Finance (Tennessee Wesleyan University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I grew up playing baseball and basketball but played anything and everything in my neighborhood growing up.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I like to remind my guys that things in life are not given to them. That it is on your days off when people grow the most. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? My former head coach, Pete Campbell (Marietta alumnus), taught me that when things get tough you get tougher. Our mental limit is further than what we perceive, you just have to keep going because there is light at the end of that tunnel. 
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? I’m going with the basic ... Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond). 
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Right now, I am big on Celsius, the Peach Mango Green Tea to be specific.

Maguire Morris

Assistant Coach — Football
Degree: BA-Advertising & Public Relations (Marietta College)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I played football, baseball, and basketball growing up all the way through high school.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? The way I motivate my athletes on and off the field is to ask them what their end goal is and are you really doing what it takes to get you where you dream of being.  
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? My old head high school football coach once taught me the best ability is dependability and accountability. You can’t count on someone who isn’t going to show up or be on time. All those are things you can control like your effort. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t give the effort, you aren’t someone we can depend and count on, then that talent means nothing. Be on time to everything you do, show respect, and work hard and you will be successful.    
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? I try to avoid this because I might be the worst singer there is. But if I had to, I would sing Buy You a Drink by T-Pain.   
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? I must go with Celsius Peach Vibe as my favorite energy drink. 

John O’Donnell

Head Coach — Tennis
Degrees: MBA (Liberty University); BS-Management (University of Phoenix)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I participated in several sports growing up, but the ones I did the most were tennis and swimming.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? Positivity and consistency — the glass is always at least half full. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? Humor. It takes the edge off when things are down, and it keeps student-athletes loose when best efforts are most needed.
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Lyin’ Eyes (Eagles)
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? OWYN protein shakes

Lindsay Reho

Assistant Coach — Women’s Lacrosse
Degree: BS-Chemistry (Seton Hill University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I started playing lacrosse in the third grade and continued until my final year of college at Seton Hill in 2022. I was a competitive swimmer from the ages of 6 until 18 as well. Before I committed more of my time to both lacrosse and swimming, I tried soccer and basketball as well.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I like to jump in whenever I can when our team is doing conditioning, lifting, and even practice. I think working hard with our girls on the field is impactful as a coach, letting them know I would never ask them to do anything I was not able to do. Positive encouragement is also huge for me in all facets of our program.  
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? My college coach, Courtney Grove, always told the players that our bodies are more capable than our brain tells us we are, and that extra push was going to make us better athletes and young women. This is something that I remind our girls of every day and hope they take to heart like I did!    
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Redneck Woman (Gretchen Wilson)   
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? My favorite energy drink is the classic Red Bull, always shared with Coach (Malory) Nadrah.

Travis Schuba

Assistant Coach — Men’s Basketball
Degree: BA-Business Administration (Madonna University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Basketball, Baseball, Football.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? By being vocal and energetic. But most importantly, by building strong relationships with them so that I can hold them to a higher standard. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? How important coming together as a “team” really is. Giving up self-satisfaction or personal accolades for the betterment of the team is what really leads to winning championships. The memories made from these championships will last far longer than any personal accomplishment.
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? You Proof (Morgan Wallen)
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Mint Chocolate Chip with Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Sarah Snow

Co-Head Coach — Cheerleading/Dance
Degree: BA-International Business (Marietta College); MBA-(Ohio University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I played soccer, tennis, and did cheerleading. At Marietta College, I participated in all three of these as well.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I try to remind them that the hard practices lead to fun, confident, and polished performances. In cheerleading and dance, just like in life, if you get comfortable you stop growing, so we never want to get too comfortable with what we are doing. Student-athletes should push themselves on and off the field to reap the most benefits from their Marietta College experience. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? In high school, my soccer coach took the time to mentor me on and off the field. He taught me one of the most important leadership lessons and it was simply that a leader is nothing without the trust and respect of their team. You can want to be the best and work the hardest but if you don’t have a plan to take your teammates along with you and build a strong “we” then you could be Mia Hamm and still lose every game.   
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Easiest question of them all. My go-to karaoke song is and always will be Good-bye Earl by the Chicks.   
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Acai-Berry Mio Energy 

Brooks Spires

Assistant Coach — Men’s Rowing
Degree: BA-Management (Marietta College)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? I played a lot of different sports growing up, baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer but once I started rowing in high school that was that.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? I keep it light when we are on land. Lots of sarcasm and jokes to keep the mood light but on the water it's all business once the practice starts. The athletes know that there's time for play and time to work.
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? I had a former assistant coach explain to me once that if you are worrying about something out of your control it is just wasted energy. That made a world of difference in how I handle situations and control anxiety. I try to share that message with the student-athletes so they can do the same. 
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Underwater (Rüfüs Du Sol)
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? I’m mainly a coffee drinker, but a Red Bull always hits the spot.

Ben Suchomma

Head Coach — Men’s Lacrosse
Degree: BA-Sociology Applied Criminal Justice (Walsh University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Hockey and football. I didn't start playing lacrosse until my sophomore year in high school.
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? We created some core values for the team — values that relate to the players on and off the field. It is something that they will carry with them 40 years down the road. I believe if you want a team to perform at a higher level, you need to have a higher purpose in life. Unfortunately, lacrosse is only going to last you four years but the degree and what kind of person you are, will last you a lifetime. 
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? Outcomes are a byproduct of your identity and your process. Surrender the outcome and let your identity and process produce.   
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? All Star (Smash Mouth)   
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? Chocolate milk 

Karlee Ziliak

Assistant Coach — Women’s Basketball
Degree: BA-Psychology (Southern New Hampshire University) and a BA-Justice Studies (Southern New Hampshire University)

  1.  What sports did you play growing up? Growing up I played softball, soccer, and basketball.  
  2. How do you motivate your student-athletes to work hard on and off the field? One way I help motivate my student-athletes to work hard on and off the court is by sharing the experiences I went through.
  3. What did a former coach teach you that you use today with your student-athletes? A former coach once told me to have fun with basketball. I would put so much pressure on myself to be perfect when it is impossible to be absolutely perfect with basketball. That coach taught me that I can still have fun while being competitive and pushing myself. This is one thing that I use today with my student-athletes.  
  4. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Valerie (Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse)
  5. What is your favorite protein shake/energy drink? My favorite energy drink is coffee. 
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