Head Coach Brian Willmer helped return MNU football to the top of the conference in 2014. In his first season with the Pioneers, Willmer led the team to a 9-2 record (8-1 HAAC), a Heart of America Athletic Conference title, and a national playoff appearance. He was also awarded the Region 3 American Football Coaches Association, Coach of the Year Award. Along with a winning record, he and his staff have worked hard to develop a culture of men who will lead from the front. "My vision is to see a new generation of men rise up and begin to lead in a way that impacts all their spheres of influence. The end result is to see these young men take the lessons they’ve learned in this program and apply them to their lives off of the field,” said Willmer.
The Pioneers were involved with the Defeat All Cancer game, volunteering at TLC Kids in Olathe, and helping weekly with the Upward Bound Ministry at College Church in Olathe.
Under Willmer’s leadership the Pioneers finished #19 nationally in offensive points scored (33.1), #7 nationally in scoring defense (18.2,) and #1 in the Heart of America Conference, #10 nationally in total defense (294.8 avg.) #5 nationally in turnover margin (+1.20) and #1 in the Heart of America Conference.
Willmer credits a large part of the success of 2014 to the support of the University and the coaching staff. The MNU football staff did an excellent job in 2014 developing a host of all conference players, along with junior Javon Taylor (HAAC Conference Player of the Year) and freshman kicker Cristian Casillas (1st team All-America).
Willmer began his coaching career at Azusa Pacific University. During his tenure from 1999-2013, he coached all defensive positions, coordinated special teams, directed football operations, and organized all of Azusa Pacific's football recruiting efforts.
Over the past decade plus, Willmer has personally coached NAIA All-America honorees Stephen Holte (LB, 2004 & 2005), who holds the school's single-season record for tackles, and Nate Farris (2003), who led the NAIA in punt returns in 2003. In 2012, he coached Tyler Thornton, who was APU's first All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference defensive back. He has helped lead Azusa Pacific to multiple playoff appearances including coaching twice in the NAIA semifinals, and he helped lead APU to its first NCAA Div. II GNAC League Championship.
A four-year letterman at UCLA (under former head coaches Terry Donohue and Bob Toledo) and captain of the 1997 team, Willmer established himself as the Bruins' top linebacker during his 1996 junior and 1997 senior seasons when he led the team in tackles both years. He was a two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 linebacker.
Willmer graduated from UCLA in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in political science and went on to earn a master's degree in higher education and organizational change from UCLA in 1998.
Brian lives in Olathe with his wife, Lindsay, and their children: Emma, Addie Joy, Titus, Gwenyth, and Nehemiah.
