Lynn Rogers came to Cal State Fullerton as a student with aspirations of playing baseball. He picked up gymnastics in a classroom and the rest is history. The 1972 CSF graduate began coaching gymnastics at the Anaheim YMCA and with the Long Beach KIPS Club. Soon he launched the Titans’ program and ran it with his heart and soul for its first 24 years (1976 thru 1999), compiling an overall record of 246-115 (.681). He won the 1979 national championship (AIAW) and had three second-place (2 AIAW, 1 NCAA) and five third-place (3 AIAW, 2 NCAA) finishes. His Titans won 10 conference championships and nine regional championships and were regional runnersup four times. He was the national coach of the year in 1979 and a three-time Big West Conference coach of the year.

As co-coach for the inaugural 1976 season with Charlotte Wolfe, he earned a salary of $500 with a budget of $500 more. He proceeded to win his first 71 matches spanning from 1976 to 1980 and he didn’t lose a home meet until the 1983 season. 

Lynn and Bonnie Rogers invented Coach’s Oats in their home kitchen in 1992.

That winter, they decided to make a special holiday breakfast for their friends. Coach and Bonnie loved steel cut oatmeal, but it took too long to cook, and rolled oats turned mushy and pasty. So they did what Coach always taught his athletes to do: They went back to basics.

Coach and Bonnie experimented by grinding, sifting and cooking whole oats called groats. After a lot of hard work, they tried something new. They put the oats into the oven before grinding them and … magic! The oatmeal was textured, nutty and flavorful. It didn’t become soggy or pasty, and it took only a few minutes to cook.

The Rogers’ family and friends loved the oatmeal, which quickly earned the nickname Coach’s Oats, and before long, Coach and Bonnie were grinding oats all weekend just to fill their friends’ orders. One admiring friend introduced the oats to a representative from Roman Meal Milling Company, and in 1996 Coach patented their oatmeal and Roman Meal began milling Coach’s Oats.

Since those unassuming beginnings, Coach’s Oats has gained many fans throughout the United States and select international locations. Thanks to those fans, what started in the kitchen is now a healthy family owned business dedicated to making the best oatmeal ever.

In other words, the story of Coach’s Oats is simple: Oatmeal has been reinvented.