“It opened my eyes to a lot of things,” aded Miami of Ohio Head Coach Killan Mulkern, who attended the course in 2025. “At the same time, it actually validated me in a way that a lot of the stuff we are doing here in the US is actually on the right track. So a lot of us are doing the right things. It’s just, of course, with rugby you see all the pro athletes and the high-level players in New Zealand, and just the speed at which they do the exact same skills is just mind-blowing.”

Life-Changing Experience for US Coach at Crusaders Program in NZ

Overseeing the who plan is Grant Keenen, and he makes sure coaches feel comfortable in their journey.

“You feel at home,” said Bracken. “They want their people to feel like you’re home and in that I think they hit it out of the park.”

“Grant was the one who taught these little mini breakdowns; how to break down all those skills from top to bottom, not just looking at it at a broad view,” added Mulkern. “It was a good tool to have in my repertoire now as a coach, and even if it’s as a skills coach or a head coach, you learn ho to break down each individual skill and really learn to be in depth from a professional.”

There’s a standard, too.

“In that environment there’s that level of accountability, as well,” said Bracken. “If anyone is not doing what they’re supposed to, if anyone is not doing something the Crusader way, the ones who make them accountable are their peers. There’s no magic solution, the stuff they do at training that anyone else, but you add in the team-building and the culture-building allowed me to see how I can bring it to another level.”

Mulkern and Bracken both keep in contact with Keenan and the coaches they met at the coaching course. Keenan followed up the course with a visit to the Miami of Ohio training sessions (which you can have him do, also), and Bracken will be sending a group of San Diego State players to the Players Academy this coming summer.

“I got so much out of it,” said Bracken, “and I would love to go back.”

Learn More About the Crusaders Global Coaching Course Here>>