• story of coach's oats
• bonnie's story
• bonnie's smart play
• coach's fan club

The Story of Coach's Oats - A TEAM EFFORT

As the gymnastics coach at California State University Fullerton for 24 years, Coach Lynn Rogers knew a thing or two about persistence and excellence, with a National Championship, six Regional Championships, and 66 All-American Awards to prove it!

One winter, this persistent quest for the best paid off for Coach in a way he never expected when he and his wife Bonnie decided to make a special breakfast for their family and friends. Attempting to make homemade oatmeal that was better than the pasty, mushy oatmeal they were used to, they did what Coach always taught his athletes to do. They went back to basics.

In their home kitchen, Coach and Bonnie started with whole groats and ground them into a unique oatmeal. Their first attempts at cooking homemade oatmeal were less than successful. Undeterred, Coach and Bonnie persevered, experimenting with grinding, sifting, and cooking techniques until Coach tried something different. He put the oats into the oven before grinding them. Magic! The oatmeal was textured, nutty and flavorful.

The Rogers' family and friends loved the oatmeal, which quickly earned the nickname Coach's Oats, and before long Coach and Bonnie were grinding oats all weekend long just to fill their friends' orders. One of Coach's friends, Chris Kulberg, liked the oatmeal so much that he took it to a food expo where he met a representative from Roman Meal Milling. In 1995, Coach patented his oatmeal and Roman Meal began milling Coach's Oats.

Although Coach's Oats was sometimes a hard sell in the early days of the company (after all, oatmeal is oatmeal, right?), when people tried it, they instantly understood - Coach's Oats really is different. Now Coach's Oats can be found in restaurants in Southern California and in kitchens across the country. Coach has also branched out to create Coach's Oats Signature Cookies.