JAY LANDSTROM – FOOTBALL

Coach Landstrom comes to Mount Michael from Omaha Central High School where he led the Eagles football team for 5 seasons, from 2018-2022. Coach Landstrom is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from Northeast High School before attending and playing football at Hastings College. He has both his undergraduate degree and master’s degrees from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Prior to the head coaching position at Omaha Central, he had been part of their coaching staff since 2006. This past season he was the run game and special team’s coordinator at Papillion-LaVista High School. We are excited for the experience and knowledge that Coach Landstrom will bring to the Knights football program and we are looking forward to the 2024 football season!

JOHN GATHJE – CROSS COUNTRY

Coaching background: I coached cross country and track & field two years at Saint John ‘s Preparatory School in Collegeville, Minnesota, and one season as an assistant cross country coach at Holy Angels High School in Bloomington, Minnesota. I have been coaching at Mount Michael since 1991.

Coach Gathje attended high school at Lourdes High School in Rochester, Minnesota (1981); college at Saint John’s University in Minnesota (1985); and graduate School at Wayne State College (M.S. 2009)
Coach Gathje teaches all Freshmen English classes and non-AP English seniors.
Home Phone: (402) 964-9709; email: jgathje@mountmichael.org

JT CRONIN – SOCCER

Coach Cronin has been a part of the Mount Michael Community for over 13 years. Graduating in 2013 from Mount Michael, he went to play soccer for Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas and then finished his college career by playing at Bellevue University in Bellevue Nebraska where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and eventually a Master’s degree in Management of Information System.

Coach Cronin was an assistant coach for 8 years, club coach for various clubs in Nebraska, and referee for the state of Nebraska. If you have any questions about playing soccer at Mount Michael, or about the school in general, please reach out to Coach Cronin at jcronin@mountmichael.org.

TOM SWANSON – BASEBALL

Coach Swanson is a 2001 graduate of Mount Michael where he was a part of the American Legion baseball team for 5 years. While attending college at UNO, he was an assistant coach in the baseball program for three years before coaching one year at Omaha Benson, and eight years as the head coach of the Alliance, NE baseball program. Coach Swanson returned to Mount Michael in 2015 and has taught World History and European History while working as an assistant coach with the cross country and baseball teams.

CHASE PETERSEN – TENNIS

Coach Petersen played varsity for four years in high school and went on to play a year at Northwest Missouri University and later become the team captain at The University of Nebraska Omaha.

He has coached for 8 years and was the assistant at Skutt Catholic where his mother is head tennis coach. Together they coached 4 girls team state champions and two runner ups. They also coached three boys team state runner ups. Coach Petersen has coached at Mount Michael since 2014 and has coached two state champion teams.

RYAN SALSMAN – BASKETBALL

Coach Salsman is currently in his first season as the Knights Head Coach. Last season Coach Salsman was an assistant varsity basketball coach at Lincoln Pius X high school.

Coach Salsman was born and raised in York, NE attending York High then receiving his receiving his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Health Science from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. If you have any questions for Coach Salsman please feel free to reach out to him at rsalsman@mountmichael.org

BOB SULLIVAN – WRESTLING

Coach Sullivan came to Mount Michael in 2011 as the PE/Health teacher. He became the head wrestling coach in 2016. Prior to coming to Mount Michael, Bob taught PE/health and was assistant wresting coach in Pierre, SD. He received his Masters degree from the University of South Dakota in 2007. Bob is originally from Mitchell, SD were he graduated from Mitchell High School in 2000. If you have any questions about the wrestling program, contact Bob at bsullivan@mountmichael.org.

SCOTT BEARD – GOLF

Coach Beard had become the Head Golf Coach at Mount Michael in 2022. He currently works at Mutual of Omaha as a Supervisor. Previously he was a Class A PGA Professional and has worked at golf courses in OR, NY, ND, NE and CA. Coach Beard graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Golf Management. If you have any questions regarding the golf program at Mount Michael please reach out to him at sbeard@mountmichael.org.

DAVE CORMIER – BOWLING

Dave Cormier was the founding coach of the Mount Michael bowling team when it began as a club sport in the 2005-2006 school year. In twelve years competing in the Nebraska High School Bowling Federation, the Knights qualified for state six times and finished as Class B runners-up in 2013. Coach Cormier has been at Mount Michael for over twenty years as a residential dean, teacher, administrator, and Academic Decathlon coach. If you have any questions please feel free to reach him at dcormier@mountmichael.org

KELLIE HARRIS – SWIM & DIVE

Kellie Harris has been a swim team coach since Skutt Catholic and Mount Michael joined forces for the 2009-2010 season. Three of those years have been as an assistant, the rest as the head coach. During this time, team records have been broken, the boys have won the RCC Swimming and Diving meet 4 times, and they have earned about 11 state medals.

Harris grew up swimming for MOST and Omaha North before going on to swim at the NAIA national-level for Morningside College. She has her BS is Elementary Education with concentrations in Psychology and Coaching as well as her master’s in Educational Specialties from Creighton. By day, she’s an instructor and social media manager for the Sides Sisters Swim School, by night she bakes the cinnamon rolls and pies at Harold’s Koffee House. During the winter sports season, her early mornings are spent in dryland training, and her after school hours at practice at Montclair Community Center or a swim meet.

WALTER MERTZ and JOHN GATHJE – TRACK & FIELD

WALTER MERTZ

JOHN GATHJE

With any questions about Track and Field you can contact Walter Mertz at wmertz@mountmichael.org. John Gathje can be contacted at jgathje@mountmichael.org.