U.S. U-18 head coach Matt Gegenheimer prepares his squad during today's hotel walkthrough. (Photos via Mike Fender)

Whether at the annual International Bowl or various USA Football regional development camps, players learn from some of the best football coaches in the United States.

The coaches also get the opportunity to do the same, especially on this week’s U.S. U-18 National Team, which faces Team Canada on Wednesday as part of International Bowl IX at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“This is an amazing group of coaches,” U-18 National Team head coach Matt Gegenheimer said. “I’ve been fortunate to coach with most of them at last year’s U-18 game, and lot of them were on the staff that went to China for the World Games. With the new guys, too, the dynamics are great, a really tight-knit group that’s very invested in this U-18 game.”

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Gegenheimer, of Prior Lakes (Minnesota) High School, started as a master trainer with USA Football four years ago, and has coached in multiple development games and the past two International Bowls.

“Part of the U.S. National Team is being exposed to some of the top players in the country, but also the top coaches,” Gegenheimer said. “For me, this is the best professional development I can get. Every single event I do, I learn more and more, a huge bonus.”

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Gegenheimer’s staff features some well-known names in the trade:

Bill Laveroni – Offensive line coach

In his more than 40 years of experience, Laveroni spent six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where he helped groom Pro Bowlers Walter Jones, Steve Hutchison and Robbie Tobeck. He also had collegiate stops at California, San Francisco, Utah State, San Jose State, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Sacramento State.

Bill Bradley – Safeties coach

Bradley was a two-time All-Pro defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles, one of three NFL teams on which he played. Bradley was a seventh-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in the 1965 Major League Baseball draft, but turned them down to play football at the University of Texas. He’s coached in the United States Football League, Canadian Football League, NFL, United Football League and NCAA Division I.

Fred Biletnikoff Jr. – Wide receivers coach

Biletnikoff – son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer and Oakland Raiders great – has coached with more than 20 pro, college and high school teams, currently at Squaw Valley Academy (California). He also served as general manager of the Central Valley Coyotes of the Arena 2 Football League, and on the league’s board of directors.

The staff also includes defensive coordinator/line coach Bill Williams for Holdenville (Oklahoma) High School, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mark Solis of Olentangy (Ohio) High School, linebackers coach Tom Menke of Prior Lake High School, defensive backs/cornerbacks coach Lamont “Bup” Robinson of Washington Township (New Jersey) High School and running backs coach David “Pookie” Blevins of Locust Grove (Oklahoma) High School.

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“This group is real special to me,” USA Football U.S. National Team Senior Manager Aaron Ingram said. “There’s a couple of my former mentors, a former roommate whose dad’s in the Hall of Fame, the guy who taught me about O-line protection, a former NFL player with 35 years in coaching, four regional directors for us and a couple new guys. I’m expecting some good things.”

Gegenheimer was named U-18 coach just prior to the start of his high school season. Along with staff assembly, he planned the playbook and coaches’ handbook. By mid-December, the complete framework was in place.

“For the players, in this situation, I always feel less is more,” Gegenheimer said. “Here, you get a lot of good football players. Terminology might be different, but it’s stuff they’ve done back home, and they learn really quick. Then it’s just refining what we do, keep it simple and let them play fast.”