Editor’s Note: This story is reprinted with permission from Christendom College, where it appeared in Instaurare, the official magazine of Christendom College.

Basketball has been a part of Jeremy ’16 and Mary (Barbale) ’15 Minick’s lives since they were kids.

As students, they competed on Christendom’s Thomas S. Vander Woude Court, playing varsity basketball for the college.

It was also on this court that the two first met, beginning a romance that eventually led to marriage. Fittingly, the two keep returning back to this court that has so defined their lives, with both now serving the college community as head coaches.

What leads them back to this basketball court, again and again? A desire to give back — and to continue leading student-athletes to Christ.

Both Jeremy and Mary played basketball growing up and wanted to keep playing it in college, but also sought more from their college education than just sports. Jeremy, who hails from Asheville, North Carolina, watched his three older siblings go to Christendom and wanted to follow suit. In the case of Mary, she found out about Christendom from The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College [Editor’s note: Christendom is also in the Register’s annual guide] and saw it as the perfect place to study.

Both ultimately chose the school and made the varsity basketball teams, leading to hours spent in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium practicing and competing. It was during those long hours that the two first crossed paths. The rest, as they say, is history.

After they graduated and got married, Jeremy received a call from the college’s Athletics Department. Would he consider returning to coach the team? His decision was not a hard one. A year later, an opening occurred for the women’s basketball team as well. Mary received a call, and quickly accepted. Only a few years removed from graduation, both Jeremy and Mary were back on the court where they first met, eager to make a difference in the lives of Christendom student-athletes as head coaches for men’s and women’s basketball.

“Sports have been a huge part of our lives, and coaches have had a major influence in both of our lives,” says Jeremy. “When you receive so much, you feel called to give back. So that’s exactly what we decided to do.”

Being a coach is not an easy job. A coach must work diligently with each player to help guide them into becoming the best version of themselves, all while helping form a cohesive, winning team. Hard decisions must be made along the way for the best of every player and the team as a whole. The Minicks do not take this responsibility lightly, pouring hours into their coaching jobs, all while raising a family and working another full-time job as well. Why do they do it? Because they care deeply about impacting student-athletes for the better.

“Put simply, our goal is to help them become better men and women after the season than they were before,” says Mary. “We challenge them to be committed to basketball, so they understand the power of commitment. We challenge them to be fierce competitors, so they understand what it takes to compete and win.”

While coaching basketball is a huge time commitment, they both enjoy it immensely. In the case of Mary, she enjoys seeing her players transform into the best versions of themselves while at Christendom. She challenges them to take ownership of their schedules, time management, and commitments at Christendom, both on and off the court, resulting in incredible growth.

“I like being part of this transition for them from being kids to becoming women,” says Mary.

For Jeremy, he enjoys the growth that comes — for both the players and himself — from leading by example. He commits to the same strength training that his players do and puts in the same number of hours studying film of opponents.

“I don’t ask my players to do things I’m not willing to do,” says Jeremy. “I love coaching basketball because I use it as a vehicle for the growth of my players and myself.”

The results since the Minicks were named the coaches for the men’s and women’s basketball teams speak for themselves.

From the moment Jeremy took over, the men’s team saw instant improvement, with winning records coming in three of the next seven seasons. This year was one of the strongest yet, with the team winning the Eastern States Athletic Conference Championship and Jeremy being named “Coach of the Year.” His impact can be seen especially amongst individual players as well, with John Paul Vander Woude completing one of the best four-year runs for a Christendom student-athlete under Jeremy’s watchful eye.

For the women’s basketball team, Mary has experienced immense success as well.

Last year, Mary coached the team to the best record in program history, with the women going 20-6 and earning a first-ever trip to the USCAA National Championship Tournament. For that 2022–23 season, Mary was also named the New South Athletic Conference “Coach of the Year.” Rather than sit on her laurels, Mary worked even harder with the team the following season, building on everything they had learned. The result? The first women’s basketball national championship in school history. The team set another regular season record, going 23-5, won their conference championship, and then went on to upset the top three seeds in the USCAA DII National Championship Tournament to win their first national title. For all this, Mary was once again named “Coach of the Year.”

Under Mary’s leadership, the team came together in a remarkable way, showing resiliency, determination, and immense talent on the basketball court. Players, like Catherine Thomas, have thrived under her leadership, with Thomas earning tournament MVP honors this year and setting tournament records in single-game points scored and three-pointers made.

All of this great success is certainly an achievement. But, for the Minicks, it would also be meaningless without the shared faith that lies at the center of being a Christendom student-athlete. It’s not simply about athletic success for them — it’s about helping their players become better people, and better athletes, through Christ.

“The difference of Christendom Athletics boils down to the people,” says Jeremy. “The players share the same faith and the same values. A passion for athletics sits on top of a passion for Catholicism.”

Jeremy and Mary are in a unique position in the head coaching landscape, being both married and serving as the coaches for a college’s basketball teams. They see this as a gift, providing them the opportunity to not only lead their teams, but be a witness for them as well.

“Our marriage is a powerful witness,” says Mary. “Our family is a powerful witness. Our love and our life is a powerful witness. It’s about so much more than basketball. Our children are cared for daily by the gym staff and players. Our family is recognized by opponents at away games. Our children cheer alongside the incredible ‘Christendom Crazies’ — the best fans in the country. We’re a basketball family.”

When the women’s basketball team won the national championship in March, there on the court, celebrating with the team, was the entire Minick family.

This one family has changed Christendom basketball for the better since arriving at the college as students 14 years ago. Even more so, however, Christendom basketball has changed them for the better, giving them the opportunity to grow as individuals, as a married couple, and as a family.

“We want to thank everyone who has supported Christendom Athletics,” say the Minicks. “We especially want to thank those who have supported Christendom basketball. The journey has been made richer because of you.”

Zach Smith is director of communications at Christendom College.