Giving Back to Support Coaches Who Can Make a Difference

Jock and Linda Mutschler approach everything in their lives with dedication, focus, and commitment. University School of Milwaukee has been the fortunate recipient of their attention and support in a variety of areas across the school for many years.

Jock, who managed much of the parenting duties while their children, Jordan ’17, and Brodie ’19, were young, spent a lot of time volunteering at USM and quickly became a fixture on campus. Whether stocking food for USM’s Booster Club, volunteering in the libraries, serving on the Parents’ Association board, or coaching boys and girls varsity soccer, “there’s virtually nothing that I don’t see going on at the school,” he said. “I learned to appreciate and understand what a special place this is by being an active parent. And I was so impressed because everyone was so positive. They were just constantly doing things the right way, and I was really impressed to know that it was happening all the time, regardless of who was around.”

Linda, meanwhile, who worked as Merrill Lynch’s top-ranked wireless services analyst, has been just as dedicated to the school. She served as a member of the school’s Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2019, also serving on several board committees during that time, and was co-chair of the USM Fund from 2011 to 2013.

Jock and Linda approached their support of the school’s Our Common Bond campaign with a similar dedication. In 2019, they established the Mutschler Endowed Fund in support of USM coaches, to help the school invest in the right individuals to build successful athletic programs.

For Jock, who played soccer at Notre Dame and has been coaching for various USM soccer teams since 2012, supporting athletics through an endowed gift was a natural fit. “I think athletics, or really any extracurricular activities, are important because they expose a person to different influences. The more influences you have on you, the more you can learn. And if you get lucky and get something that’s really incredible, it can change your whole path.”

For more Jock and Linda, supporting USM’s endowment was important. “We like the mechanics of an endowment, how it is financially sustainable, because it gives you that solid foundation to go forward with authority,” said Jock. “It’s critical to have that financial security so that you can be bold with a forward-thinking vision and take chances knowing you have that backing. If you want to be progressing and be the best, you have to keep pushing yourself, and this helps USM to do that.”