Bert Bathiany enters his third season as the head football coach of the Moeller Crusaders. In his first year at the helm, he guided Big Moe to a 10-5 record, a GCL-South Championship (4-0), and a Regional Championship. Jordan Marshall was named GCL-South Play of the Year and Bathiany was named Coach of the Year.
In year two, the Moeller Fighting Crusaders posted a 14-2 record that included another GCL-South Championship (4-0), a Regional Championship, and a trip to the Division I state championship. This was the first appearance in the state championship game for the Crusaders since 2013. Matt Ponatoski was named GCL-South Player of the Year and Bathiany was named GCL Coach of the Year again while also being named Cincinnati Enquirer’s Division I Coach of the Year.
The Crusaders also took home GCL awards for Back of the Year (Ponatoski), Receiver of the Year (Jovan Love), Tight End of the Year (Cooper McCutchan), Defensive Lineman of the Year (Christian Harris), and Kicker of the Year (Jack Mallabar).
In 2024, Matt Ponatoski was named Ohio Mr. Football by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association after completing 69% of his passes for 4,217 yds 57 TDs and only 3 INTs. He also added 1 rushing TD in a playoff win vs. St. Xavier. Ponatoski is the 38th winner of the prestigious award and the second in a row for Big Moe after Running Back Jordan Marshall won the award in 2023. His 4,217 passing yards ranks 16th all-time in the state of Ohio for a single season.
Moeller became the third school ever to boast back-to-back Ohio Mr. Football winners and the first to ever have two different winners in consecutive years. The award is voted on by the Associated Press and goes to the best high school football player in the state of Ohio. Jordan Marshall and Matt Ponatoski are only the 4th and 5th Cincinnati natives, respectively, to win the prestigious award and the only winners ever at Moeller since the award began in 1987. Marshall and Ponatoski join the likes of Charles Woodson and Joe Burrow as recipients of this illustrious award. Marshall also broke the school record for career rushing yards as he surpassed Marcus Banks’ previous record of 4,098 yds.
Ponatoski was also named 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio, Division I Offensive Player of the Year, and the Southwest District Division I Offensive Player of the Year. He has broken nearly every passing record at Moeller including career and single season records for attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.
At the end of the 2024 season, multiple players earned all-state honors including JR QB Matt Ponatoski (1st TM), SR WR Jovan Love (1st TM), SR WR Matt Fogler (3rd TM), SR OL Titus Land (HM), JR DL Christian Harris (HM), and SR DL Jonah Hayes (HM).
During the 2023 season, multiple players earned All-State honors including JR WR Jovan Love (1st TM), SR RB Jordan Marshall (1st TM), SR LB Kyler Paul (1st TM), SR DB Karson Hobbs (2nd TM), SO QB Matt Ponatoski (3rd TM), SR DB Drew Robinson (3rd TM), SR P Ethan Page (3rd TM), and SR DL Jewett Hayes (HM).
As a sophomore Matt Ponatoski broke the school record for passing yards in a season after throwing 3,334 yds making him the first Moeller QB to throw for over 3,000 yds in a season.
Coach Bathiany comes to Moeller from Lexington Catholic High School where he was the head football coach for one season. During that season, he led the Knights to a 10-3 record which was the ?rst 10-win season since 2015 and a district championship which was the ?rst since 2016.
During the 2022 season, SR Max DeGraff (WR) earned all-state honors while accounting for 1,425 yds receiving (2nd in the state) and 21 TDs (2nd in the state). DeGraff broke school records for most receiving yards in a season (1,425), most receiving yards in a game (276), most receiving TDs in a game (5), and most FGs made in a career. Jr Jackson Wasik (QB) ended the 2022 campaign with 2,954 yds passing (4th in the state), 41 TDs (T-2nd in the state), and 70.2 completion % (4th in the state). Wasik also set the school record for most passing TDs in a single game (7).
Lexington Catholic also posted one of the best defenses in the state of Kentucky in 2022. The Knights gave up an average of 12.8 ppg which ranked 13th in the state and 1st in 4A. At the end of the year, eleven players from the 2022 Knights earned All-City recognition. Max DeGraff was named the District Player of the Year and Bathiany was named District Coach of the Year.
Before his time at Lexington Catholic, Bathiany spent three seasons guiding the Ti?n University defense as the defensive coordinator under Moeller Hall of Famer, Cris Reisert (2005).
In the Fall of 2021, Bathiany helped guide the Ti?n Dragons to the GMAC Conference Championship Game for a 3rd consecutive year. The Dragon’s defense was ranked #1 in the GMAC in points per game (20.4), yards per play (4.7), and defensive eff. (112.8). They were 2nd in total defense (330 ypg), yards per carry (3.5), passing defense (200.9) & sacks (23). Seven defensive players earned All-Conference in the GMAC in 2021 while Charlie Cleveland won Defensive Lineman of the Year for a 3rd consecutive year.
During the 2020-21 campaign, Bathiany's defense helped lead TU to their second consecutive GMAC title, while ranking as the #1 defense in the country in points per game (8.67). The TU defense led the GMAC in multiple statistical categories including scoring defense (8.67 ppg), total defense (208.8 ypg), yards per play (3.6 ypp), passing defense (109.0 ypg), pass defensive e?ciency (89.8), and ?rst downs allowed (12.0 pg). The TU defense capped the year off by placing nine members on the All-GMAC Team with ?ve earning 1st Team nods. All three starting linebackers made All-GMAC with Brandon Burks and Marshawn Mankins on 1st Team and Landon Hall making 2nd Team. Charlie Cleveland earned his second consecutive GMAC Defensive Lineman of the Year award.
During the 2019 campaign, Bathiany helped lead the Dragons to arguably the best season in program history. Ti?n ?nished the regular season 9-1 along with a perfect 7-0 mark in GMAC play to claim the conference title. The GMAC crown is just the third conference championship in program history, and ?rst as a member of Division II. As a result, the Dragons earned their ?rst-ever berth into the NCAA DII playoffs and came extremely close to upsetting the 2-seed in the region, Kutztown, on the road in the ?rst round.
The Dragons led the GMAC in Total Defense (352.6 ypg), Yards Per Play (5.0 ypp), Rush Defense (109.0 ypg), Rush Yards Per Carry (3.1 ypc), Pass Defense E?ciency (115.5), Interceptions (16), and were second in scoring defense (21.9 ppg). Charlie Cleveland and Carrington Contee were both 1st Team All-Conference selections while Cleveland went on to win the GMAC Defensive Lineman of the Year. Ti?n recorded one shutout during the season (52-0 at Walsh) and held opponents to seven points or less an additional three times (45-7 vs Alderson Broaddus, 59-6 at Kentucky Wesleyan, 55-6 vs Saint Anselm).
From 2013 to 2018, Bathiany served as the Director of Strength & Conditioning and linebackers coach for his alma mater, Denison University. After his ?rst two years he was promoted to the Defensive Coordinator role from 2015 to 2018. During that span, Denison rose to prominence in the North Coast Athletic Conference, winning 30 games (.731) including an NCAC Championship in 2018 (the school's 1st conference title since 1986) and advancing to the 2018 NCAA Division III Playoffs.
During the 2018 season, The Big Red broke eight single-season team records, led the NCAC in sacks (39), posted a 42-0 shutout of Allegheny, and beat No. 22 Wabash 34-10. In 2016, The Big Red reached new program heights by beating No. 14 Wittenberg and appeared in the AFCA and D3Football.com Top 25 for the ?rst time since 1985, ranking #22 on the way to an 8-2 record. During that 2016 season, the Big Red defense allowed only 18.1 points per game, ranked in the Top 30 nationally in total defense (295.7 ypg), and led the NCAC in passing defense (181.2 ypg). During his time at Denison, Bathiany coached 16 All-NCAC selections (5 1st Team members), two of the school's all-time leaders in sacks, the program's all-time Leader in tackles, and set the school record for sacks in a game twice (2016: 9 & 2017: 10).
From 2011 to 2013, Bathiany served as the defensive line coach and head strength and conditioning coach at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky where he helped the team earn 15 wins in the ?rst three seasons of varsity football at the college.
Prior to his promotion to defensive line coach and head strength and conditioning coach, Bathiany spent the 2010 season as Lindsey Wilson’s graduate assistant coach where he worked with the defensive line and was an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Bathiany graduated Cum Laude from Denison in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in physical education with a concentration in sports management. He received his Master’s in recreation and sports administration from Western Kentucky in 2012.
At Denison, Bathiany was a three-year starter at linebacker and safety for the Big Red football team. He was a second-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection in 2008 and was named the team’s defensive MVP that season. In three seasons at Denison, he recorded 132 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and four interceptions. Off the ?eld he spent one year as a Denison strength and conditioning intern, working closely with the football, basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball and lacrosse programs.
In addition to his time at Lindsey Wilson, Bathiany also spent the 2009 season as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Western Kentucky where he worked with the Hilltoppers’ football and men’s and women’s track and ?eld teams.
Bathiany is a certi?ed Level 1 Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting. A native of Fort Thomas, Ky., he is a 2005 graduate of Highlands High School where he was a team captain for the 2004 State Championship football team that ranked #22 in the USA. He and his wife, Haley have been married for 14 years and are the parents of four children: Bert VI (12), Sawyer (10), Aniston (7), & Georgia (4).
