Mike Bond arrived at UW-Stout as a football recruit, but the university soon became the place where he discovered his purpose. Motivated by helping others and drawn to the people-centered work he saw in the vocational rehabilitation program, he switched majors early in his first year and found mentors who shaped the leader he is today. Faculty like John Klem and Julie Bates-Maves challenged and supported him, and community partners and coaches saw potential that he was still learning to see in himself. “I would not be the guy that I am now,” Mike said, crediting those experiences for grounding him and giving him the foundation that guides his life.
Today Mike serves as an assistant football coach and instructor at Concordia University, St. Paul where he brings that same intentionality to the student-athletes he works with. Mike carries the lessons and values he learned at Stout with him in all he does, both personally and professionally. These values -- leading with empathy, building trust and investing in others -- shape the way he supports and mentors students. His background in counseling helps him support players through pressures on and off the field by facilitating open conversation, developing check-in and support groups and bringing classroom insights into his coaching.
Mike’s path has also been shaped by the opportunities Stout opened for him, including a rare internship with the Kansas City Chiefs made possible through UW-Stout staff members Duey Naatz and Erin Sullivan who believed in his potential. In Kansas City he saw greatness up close.
“Being in a meeting room with Andy Reid leading it, you don’t want to disappoint him because he’s so likable and holds guys accountable in a loving way,” Mike said. “Seeing how Dave Merritt, who has won five Super Bowls and coached in the NFL for 20-30 years, still connects with the younger generation of athletes showed me the kind of coach I want to be.”
Watching veterans like Trent McDuffie, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce push just as hard as the rookies to prove themselves showed him what true excellence looks like and strengthened his drive to coach at a higher standard.
For Mike, being #StoutProud means honoring the care poured into him by pouring into others. His work builds on the foundation that began in Menomonie and now reaches student-athletes far and wide.
