When you picture an intense and animated coach yelling and pouring every ounce of emotion and energy into their athletes on the competition floor, you are imagining Justin Cotler.
- Never one to mince words, the founder, co-owner, and Head Coach of Underdogs Athletics in Las Vegas has been working with teams and individual CrossFit athletes for over 13 years.
And like so many coaches and athletes, Cotler came out of the 2024 CrossFit Games unsure of what the future would hold.
- In our conversation, Cotler described how it felt: “Once the Games were over, I told my athletes to take all the time they need and just give me a shout when they’re ready because they generally know when it’s time. And some need more time than others.”
“I just give them the autonomy to come back to me and say, ‘Hey, Coach, I’m ready to go,’” Cotler continued.
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Underdogs Athletics in 2025
After letting things shake out, the dust started to settle (slightly).
The majority of Cotler’s athletes at Underdogs Athletics plan to participate in the CrossFit season, and there is the possibility of competing in person much more than in years past, thanks to in-person CrossFit Games Qualifying Events and the World Fitness Tour.
Cotler understands how this fact makes his job as a coach even more important and difficult.
- “You have to be smart about how you plan, the schedule, and how you program,” Cotler said. “There’s going to be a lot more tapers and peaking – you’re going to have to play things very differently, which I’m cool with. I love the idea that the athletes are going to have more opportunities to compete!”
In addition to the competitions, there is a lot to consider when it comes to travel.
- Cotler elaborated: “You have the travel aspect, not just financially, but also physically. It is a lot to go to Rogue in Scotland, but then you will have the finals of the WFP in Copenhagen in December.”
With a new season structure, Cotler’s athletes will have to figure out what competitions mean the most to them. Once that is decided, the coaching team will do their best to guide the athletes in the direction that makes the most sense for them and their goals.
- “Everyone is going to prioritize specific things more than others, and ultimately, it’s not my job to tell my athletes this is what you’re going to do. It’s my job to guide them,” Cotler said.
The Team
Cotler has cultivated a great group of coaches around him to support the athletes at Underdogs.
Here is the current coaching squad:
- Casey Acree – A two-time Upper Extremity CrossFit Games Champion, Acree is the Head of Programming and writes the Elite Template Program.
- Colette Casey – Casey has been with Underdogs since 2021 and is a former podium Masters CrossFit Games. She is one of the camp’s busiest remote coaches.
- Brendan Snyder – Snyder works hands-on with Cotler at Underdog’s home base in Las Vegas as the Assistant Program Director.
The Athletes
Alex Gazan remains the center of the Underdogs Training Camp, and Cotler speaks with glowing praise when her name is mentioned.
- “Alex is mature beyond her years, and she is different. She is one of the younger athletes who has been around for the last five or six years who hasn’t gotten burnt out,” Cotler said. “I think a lot of that is that she doesn’t eat, breathe, and sleep just CrossFit. She has a lot more balance.”
The goal for Gazan is still to become the best in the world.
- “She’s 23, and I think she has a bright, long future, so we’re trying to do it the right way. Even if it takes us a couple more years to get there, she’ll be plenty young enough to be able to be in that position for several years,” he continued.
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Besides Gazan, Cotler stays busy with Sara Sigmundsdottir, Katelin Van Zyl, and Bronislaw Olenkowicz, just to name a few, who are all in different stages of their CrossFit careers.
Van Zyl is a mom to two children, which makes training even more complex. Olenkowicz has transitioned to success in Masters, coming in third in the 35-39-year-old division at the CrossFit Games last year.
- “I think for [Olenkowicz], he’s at the point in his career where it’s all fun now,” Cotler said. “He had such an amazing year, and I think a lot of that had to do with taking a ton of pressure off of himself. I think he is just loving competing at this point in his career, and we’ll continue to do so as long as his body feels good.”
Sigmundsdottir continues her comeback tour after her recent ACL injury and has so much respect from the crew at Underdogs.
- “We’re trying to resurrect her career, but Sara could retire tomorrow and still have had one of the greatest careers in the history of CrossFit,” Cotler said. “She’s a legend, but I think she wants to go out on her own terms. I think a healthy Sara is still a dangerous Sara, and I just don’t think we’ve been able to see it for the last few years.”
Another recent addition to the Underdogs roster is Manon Angonese, who was 35th at the 2023 CrossFit Games.
- Angonese posted on Instagram last Thursday, “Looks like that lone wolf decided to join a dog pack for 2025.”
Beyond the Individuals, Underdogs will assemble a team to take a run at the CrossFit Games.
Cotler has also started working with a teen athlete from New Zealand, Tahlia Vasaki. The 14-year-old sent Cotler a handwritten letter talking about how big a fan of Underdogs she is and how her goal is to be a CrossFit Games Champion one day.
Moving On
There have been many additions to the Underdogs camp, but one notable athlete has moved on — Ricky Garard. The two remain close, and Cotler is extremely proud of what they accomplished together.
- “We had an unbelievable run in three years together. We had two wins at TYR Wodapalooza, a podium finish at the Games, two top fives at Rogue, and three top fives at Dubai. Garard’s performance over the last few years has spoken for itself,” he said.
Cotler remarked that the real significance of their partnership went beyond the competition floor.
- “I think more important…is that we were able to help rehabilitate his career and reputation, which is 10 times more important than the performance in a competition,” he said. “I think he’s now become one of the most beloved athletes around, and the fact that that happened under my watch, and the fact that I was willing to take that chance when nobody else would at the beginning – I’m very proud of that.”
Heading into a season full of change, Cotler will stick to what got him and Underdogs here in the first place – the connection with the athlete.
- “It is important to understand that when an athlete, especially one at the highest level, chooses you to be their coach, they are putting what they hold the most dear, their career, which is so short-lived, in your hands,” he said. “And if you don’t connect on every single level, and if you don’t immediately have an emotional connection, then I don’t think you can bring everything out that you want to bring out as a coach.”
Cotler is aware this feeling may be unique, and other coaches may see the athlete/coach relationship as more of a business relationship, but he holds steadfast to his belief.
- “It’s an incredibly important decision, and I feel very privileged and fortunate. When an athlete chooses me, for however long that lasts, I always put my heart and soul into every person, and I try to make sure that I help them maximize their potential as an athlete and as an individual.”
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Featured Image: @underdogsathletics / Instagram
