Inside Maumee Athletics

What does it take to get a high school football player in front of college coaches? On this episode of Inside Maumee Athletics, we sit down with Maumee Panthers head football coach Evan Karchner to talk about the program's first-ever college prospect showcase — and why he's been focused on creating these opportunities since day one. From the logistics of a 45-minute showcase to the realities of recruiting in the social media era, coach breaks it all down. He also reflects on watching former Panthers go on to play at the college level and shares honest advice for any player navigating the recruiting process. If you love Maumee football or have a kid with college football dreams, this one's for you.

Topics covered in this episode:

• The origin of the prospect showcase idea
• How Maumee partnered with Anthony Wayne to get access to their showcase day
• Why football recruiting is different from baseball, basketball and soccer — and why that makes events like this so important
• How recruiting has changed from the DVD-burning, letter-writing era to today's instant Google world
• The structure of Maumee's 45-minute showcase slot — jerseys, prospect sheets, one-on-ones and more
• Mega camps vs. smaller showcases — when each makes sense for a recruit
• Former Maumee players now playing college football: Carson Graetz (Findlay), Cody Wulf (Northwood), Ramsey Quinn (Trine), Pierce Simpson (Defiance), Colin O'Neill (Otterbeing) and Ryan Patterson and Jackson Schneider (Ohio Northern)
• Advice for families navigating the college recruiting process
• Why winning on Friday nights is still the best recruiting tool of all

Maumee graduate and new University of Toledo head football coach Mike Jacobs joins Inside Maumee Athletics for a wide-ranging conversation about coming home. Coach Jacobs opens up about what it means to lead a program in his own backyard, the culture he's building from day one and why 14 players followed him from Mercer to Toledo. He breaks down his definition of culture — "what you say, what you do, and what you allow" — and talks honestly about the challenges of NIL, the transfer portal and retaining players in today's landscape. Plus: spring practice updates, what he wants fans to see on game day and why he expects to win every single time his team takes the field.

Coming Home to Maumee Coach Jacobs on what it means to lead a program in his own backyard, with his mom's house seven miles from campus and his father having once coached there as an assistant. He talks about re-engaging with the community and watching his two sons experience northwest Ohio for the first time.

The Toledo Fan Base An honest observation about how deeply Toledo fans are invested — a pleasant surprise even for someone who grew up here.

The Blueprint: Never a Losing Season What's at the core of what Jacobs brings to every program? Discipline, commitment to the basics — running, blocking and tackling — and a culture where accountability is non-negotiable. He defines culture as "what you say, what you do, and what you allow."

The Cignetti Comparison and Bigger Goals The conversation touches on comparisons to Curt Cignetti's rise from lower-level football to national prominence — and what Jacobs thinks Toledo can accomplish at the Group of Five level, including getting into College Football Playoff conversations.

The Jump to a Group of Five Program What's actually different at Toledo versus Mercer? Jacobs talks about the expanded staff, the role of general managers and a personnel department — and admits that more than anything, it's just having more people in the building after years of doing everything himself.

Recruiting and the Family Culture Jacobs built a reputation at Mercer for ending official visits at his home with breakfast and family. He talks about how that mentality translates to a bigger program and why family connection is still an equalizer in recruiting.

The Toledo Brand What does Toledo mean to recruits? Jacobs points to nearly 80% winning percentage over the last decade, 16 active NFL players and a track record of developing players at the highest level as the program's calling card.

Blending the Roster: Mercer Transfers and Toledo Returners How do you integrate 14 players from your previous stop with 51 returning Rockets without creating division? Jacobs explains how his Mercer guys serve as a "megaphone in the locker room" — echoing the culture because they know it works.

NIL, the Portal and the New Landscape A candid take on how NIL and the transfer portal have changed college football. Jacobs talks about the challenge of retention, the outside voices in players' ears and why relationships are more important now than ever.

Spring Practice and the Spring Game Early impressions: competitive, high-tempo practices and a group that's bought in faster than expected. Jacobs previews the Spring Game at the Glass Bowl and what he's looking for as he heads into summer.

What Success Looks Like in Year 1 He won't share the team's internal goals, but he's clear: he expects to win every time Toledo takes the field. No exceptions.

Spring break is over — and the Maumee Panthers are back home with wins, stories and a little more chemistry than when they left. This week on Inside Maumee Athletics, we've got a two-for-one as Panthers baseball coach Todd Ery and softball coach Brian Jones both join the show fresh off their Myrtle Beach trips.

Coach Ery's baseball squad went 3-1, including a comeback from 4-nothing in the first inning — and a JV moment that might be the most legendary thing he's ever seen as a coach.

Coach Jones' softball team went 2-1 against programs from three different states and called it the best trip the program has had. Two coaches, two sports, one great week in South Carolina. Let's get into it.

Baseball with Coach Todd Ery:

• Panthers went 3-1, improving to 4-2 on the season
• First time in three Myrtle Beach trips that all games — varsity and JV — were played
• A comeback win from 4-0 down in the first inning
• The team motto driving this group: "Deny the circumstances"
• A JV comeback from 14-1 that ended with a walk-off in the final inning before time expired

Softball with Coach Brian Jones:

• Panthers went 2-1, improving to 4-3 overall
• Faced programs from Kentucky, South Carolina and New York
• How facing unfamiliar opponents prepares the team for postseason
• The intentional room pairing strategy — freshmen with seniors — to build chemistry
• Why this team's ability to lock in at game time stood out
• Jones calls it the best Myrtle Beach trip the program has had

Up next: Northern Buckeye Conference play for both programs.

🎙️ Inside Maumee Athletics — your home for Maumee Panthers athletics

Maumee Panthers baseball coach Todd Ery joins Inside Maumee Athletics for a pre-season conversation about what's driving the program's back-to-back 18-win seasons. Host Jeremy Schneider digs into the culture coach Ery has built around multi-sport athletes, a deep and experienced senior class and what it takes to compete at the top of the NBC year after year.

From the connection between Maumee Little League and the high school program to breaking down this year's northwest Ohio high school baseball landscape, this episode covers it all. If you're a Maumee High School athletics fan, a northwest Ohio sports follower or just someone who believes in high school baseball done right — this one's for you.

Inside Maumee Athletics is your home for Ohio high school baseball, northwest Ohio sports stories and the people who make Maumee athletics special. New episodes every week during the spring season.

Coach Brian Jones joins Inside Maumee Athletics to preview the 2025 Maumee softball season. With a standout senior class headlined by Taylor Smith, Hannah Ruiz and Autumn Gugger, the Panthers are hungry after a 17-12 campaign that left everyone wanting more.

Coach Jones opens up about the lessons he learned — and the ego he set aside — after putting too much pressure on his team last year. He shares how harder practices, a "one pitch, one inning, one game" mindset and a culture built across generations are driving Maumee heading into what could be a special season.

Plus: a big injury update on Smith and a look at the growing youth softball pipeline keeping Maumee strong for years to come.

In his second season at the helm, coach TJ Gillespie has guided Maumee boys basketball to a dramatic turnaround — doubling last year’s win total and bringing playoff basketball home.

But this conversation goes far beyond the scoreboard.

Coach Gillespie shares what defines a “TJ Gillespie team”: family first, relentless energy, accountability and daily commitment. He discusses how having a full year under his belt allowed the program to move beyond foundational teaching and into culture-building.

We dive into:

• The impact of mental health check-ins with players
• The importance of coaching consistency with assistants Tia Crape and Jim Richardson
• The leadership growth of Ben Kubicz and Will Kubicz
• Owen Kennedy’s transformation through relentless offseason work
• The progression of sophomore point guard Dom Poellnitz
• The unsung heroes whose practice roles fuel Friday night wins
• The midseason turning point that changed the team’s energy
• Learning from tough losses at Lake and Genoa
• What it means to host a playoff game in Maumee

This is a conversation about development, trust, culture and doing things the right way.

Panther fans — this is one you don’t want to miss.

Adversity didn’t break this team — it built them.

In this episode of Inside Maumee Athletics, host Jeremy Schneider sits down with Maumee girls basketball head coach Brad Kuron to break down a remarkable first season at the helm.

Coming into the year, the Panthers had to replace a First Team All-Ohio player in Lucy Porter. Then, early in the season, injuries sidelined team leader Taylor Smith and key contributor Lyric Pratt. For many programs, that would have been the turning point in the wrong direction.

Instead? Maumee finished 14–8 overall and 8–4 in conference play — good for third place.

Coach Kuron talks about:

• How players like Reign Hurt, Taryn Pyle, Myla Jordan and Miriam Findling stepped into expanded roles
• The leadership impact of injured players still showing up every day
• Why practice habits — not game nights — built this team’s success
• The moment he knew this group had “figured it out”
• What it means to be playing their best basketball at tournament time
• And the surprising postseason draw that sends Maumee two hours away to Celina despite earning a No. 2 seed

It’s a conversation about resilience, standards, accountability and a team that refuses to make excuses.

If you want to understand how culture wins games — this episode is for you.

In this episode, we sit down with Maumee wrestling head coach Pete Schlegel to reflect on his first year leading a program that means more to him than just wins and losses.

Pete talks about what it’s been like stepping into the head coaching role after years of success in the Maumee wrestling room as an athlete, and how that history shapes the way he leads today. We dive into his coaching philosophy, the challenges and rewards of taking over a program with high expectations, and how he balances tradition with building his own identity as a head coach.

From developing relationships with his athletes to setting long-term goals for the program, Pete shares what drives him—and where he wants Maumee wrestling to go next.

In the first episode of Season 2 of Inside Maumee Athletics, we sit down with Panthers football coach Evan Karchner. Maumee had a return to glory last year with eight wins and a home playoff game. That success has made the Panthers hungry for more! We talk with Evan about the differences between last year and this year's team, the players and units to watch out for in 2025, and how he feels about the job heading into his third season.

Stay up to date on Maumee athletics news all year by visiting insidemaumeeathletics.com.

Contact the show by emailing [email protected].

On this episode of Inside Maumee Athletics, we sit down Jim Shaw, a Big Ten football official and board member of the National Football Foundation. Jim has been a football official for 30 years, starting with high school games before moving on college football. We talk to Jim about becoming an official and why there is a shortage of officials today, what it's like to officiate at the highest level of college football, and some of his best memories. If you're a football fan, this is one interview you cannot miss!

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