Mentor High teacher and coach Jordan Wilcox receives the VFW District 7 Teacher of the Year Award from veteran Bob Zonneville. (Courtesy of Jordan Wilcox)
Mentor High School physical education teacher Jordan Wilcox has had plenty of influences in his life.
From family to teachers to school administration and coaches, the 37-year-old Mentor resident and father of two has learned over the years how to relate to students and get students to give him everything they have — mentally and physically.
Those influences in his life have helped him influence possibly generations of others, and as a result, Wilcox was recently named the VFW District 7 Teacher of the Year.

The award is given out by each VFW Post yearly. It is given to teachers who promote citizenship education in the classroom, as well as those who show dedication to teaching and the growth of their students.
Wilcox was nominated by Mentor High Unit Principal Chad Russo, who is an Army veteran and has a strong tie to the veterans in the community. Russo is constantly supporting different military initiatives within Mentor High and felt that Wilcox was worthy of this award.
“I still don’t truly feel like I deserved something like that but I am honored that he thought I did,” Wilcox said of the honor. “I didn’t know anything about it until the day I was presented with the award.”
Mentor High football coach Matt Gray pulled him out of the last-period Conditioning class and drove him to the school for the staff meeting. He doesn’t typically attend many of the staff meetings because he’s coaching at those times, so he knew something was up.
Wilcox walked in to find his family and 99-year-old World War II veteran Bob Zonneville sitting at a table waiting for him. Zonneville presented him with the award in front of all the teachers and administrators in the high school.
“I was initially shocked because I didn’t know I had even been nominated,” Wilcox said. “I’ve heard Mr. Zonneville speak on several occasions and have seen him in the community many times and have great respect for him as a person. So to have him present the award was extremely humbling.
“After having a little time to reflect on the award, it means even more to me,” Wilcox added. “No one in this country has greater, grit, resilience or discipline than our veterans. And no one makes more sacrifices in the name of others. So, to receive an award for trying to instill those characteristics in our young people is very meaningful.”
Wilcox is a physical education teacher, assistant head coach and strength coach for Mentor’s football team as well as strength coach for the Cardinals track teams over the past seven years.
Wilcox teaches PE9 (lifetime fitness) and Conditioning (strength and conditioning course geared toward athletic development) for student-athletes. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA and a National High School Strength Coaches Association member.
He started as a long-term substitute at Mentor High in 2010 while coaching football at Kirtland High. Coach Steve Trivisonno hired Wilcox on his staff in 2011 and eventually earned a full-time teaching spot in 2013. He remained on staff when Gray took over from Trivisonno and he made Wilcox his assistant head coach out of respect for his role as strength coach and the year-round commitment it entails.
“I think my work with our conditioning classes is the foundation for this award,” Wilcox said. “And those classes wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Coach Triv’s vision in the early 2000’s. I dreamed of having the chance to teach strength and conditioning in a public school setting and that’s what I do every day.”
Trivisonno, who finished his coaching career at Mentor with a 209-70 record, including 19 playoff appearances, five regional championships and five trips to the state finals, said it didn’t take long to realize Wilcox had the drive and talent to take the PE9 class to another level.
“I could tell early on when he was right out of college he was really good dealing with kids and this class was important to the entire student body, not just football,” Trivisonno said. “You could see his devotion and he was there at 6:30 a.m. and there after school at 4 p.m. for all sports and all students. He worked his tail off. Male, female, baseball, wrestling, volleyball, soccer, football, track, whatever the sport, he was making kids get faster and stronger and better.
“I can not say enough good things about Jordan,” Trivisonno added. “I am so glad he took over that class and has kept it going, and he is very deserving of the honor he received. Everyone responds to him and recognizes what he brings to the entire school.”
Wilcox said with the support of school administration, most recently principal Jason Crowe, the strength and conditioning program has continued to grow over the last 10 years and their resources are some of the best in the country.
Wilcox added that Athletic Director Jeff Cassella is a big supporter of the classes and has shown a lot of trust, and the administration and board of education played a critical role in the creation of a new 5,000-square-foot state-of-the-art weight room. Wilcox was given the chance to help in the committee that designed and equipped that room.
“I have the opportunity to work with hundreds of students and student-athletes each year,” Wilcox said. “I have a blast running around like a madman all day motivating, teaching and being inspired by the most disciplined and relentlessly hard-working kids you could imagine.
“Without those kids and their accountability and drive, there’s no way this award would happen,” he added. “I love watching how these kids buy into the process and dedicate themselves to our purpose and to one another. It’s not a job, it’s fun.”
Fun was a description that Russo whole-heartedly seconded when describing Wilcox’s prowess as a teacher, as well as his dedication and respect for the military as reasons for the nomination.
“Jordan is fun to be around, and that is along with so many other attributes makes him a great teacher,” Russo said. “Whether he is putting someone through a tough workout or an important learning session, he is fun. It isn’t just about football, all students benefit from his class and his enthusiasm to make every kid better at whatever they do.”
Wilcox stressed the influence of his father, who was a physical education teacher, football coach, tennis coach and basketball referee for over 30 years. Watching the time he put into his student-athletes and the way he made people feel comfortable and cared about taught his son a lot.
“Growing up I spent a ton of time in the locker room and around the teams he coached,” Wilcox said. “I got to watch and learn from a ton of great coaches. I also had the chance to see first-hand what good and bad leadership looked like. I got to see good team chemistry and bad team chemistry.”
“I took so much from seeing how confidence, toughness, discipline, and fearlessness were cultivated in a team setting,” he added. “I learned a lot about how to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with others. I learned about the time and sacrifice it takes to do things the right way.”