Meet our Coaches
SimplyMTB Coaches are engaged in the art of teaching and connecting through the practice of helping our students discover the rhythm of mountain biking.
Sam Buckmiller
Head Coach and our Chief of Stoke!
Sam enjoys being an excellent mentor and coaching people of all ages. He has many other interests outside of riding which contribute to this enthusiasm. Sam also works as a music teacher, specifically teaching drums. His goal is to inspire achievement through the art of drumming and his definition of success is to do your best to be your best. He has raced at high levels in various two-wheeled disciplines such as BMX and Motocross. Sam maintains a busy teaching schedule both on bikes and in the drum studio. Sam served an LDS mission in Florida and focused his college and current studies on positive psychology and communications. He feels this greatly enhances his teaching and hopes to be able to effectively teach and inspire not only on a bike but also in life.
Dan Hall
Title or phrase…
I have been a ski instructor for 18 years and have always enjoyed sharing a love for the outdoors. When I started working as a ski instructor I had to find something to balance my seasons. That led me into the world of mountain biking and found it just as enjoyable. For the next several years my life was full of teaching skiing in the winters and working as a bike mechanic. Biking and skiing have taken me to a number of wonderful places over the years and I love sharing and teaching people ways to have fun experiences in the outdoors.
Marty Klingler
Title or phrase…
Bob Violano
Title or phrase…
Get ready to be amazed by my adventurous spirit and impressive teaching skills! With years of experience under my belt, I am a master of both the mountains and the classroom. As a former downhill mountain bike champion and expert snowboard instructor, I know how to conquer any slope and turn any learner into a pro. My passion for biking has taken me on thrilling journeys, from exploring Sardinia on my bike to embarking on epic bike packing adventures. When I’m not shredding the trails, I’m shaping young minds as a public school teacher with a decade of experience. Join me on my two-wheeled adventures and let’s ride to new heights.
Lia Westermann
Title or phrase…
Lia is a 7-time mountain bike national champion and enjoys all forms of bike racing, but mainly races enduro. She currently races in the Enduro World Cup and the Big Mountain Enduro series, and she loves seeing how coaching can quickly improve someone’s technical skills on the bike. Lia loves connecting with others through biking and creating confidence on the bike with fun and safe practice. She also loves reinforcing positive feedback and watching people get faster on the bike whether it’s on rock gardens, drops, gap jumps, or steep corners.
Lia grew up in Salt Lake City riding mountain bikes with her family and quickly fell in love with the outdoors and exploring on her bike at a young age. She started out racing cross country but switched to gravity racing in 2016 and started racing downhill, enduro, and dual slalom professionally in 2018. She loves inspiring others to ride their bikes and to gain confidence on the bike.
Mountain bike racing helps her push herself, conquer her fears, and most importantly have fun! She loves seeing what she can accomplish on the bike as a professional athlete and how she can progress over time, and wants to inspire others to do the same. She is also an engineer and loves the physics and technical aspects behind mountain biking.
When she is not mountain biking, Lia is usually enjoying the outdoors in some other way whether it’s alpine skiing, cross country skiing, road biking, camping, or hiking!
Seth Morris
Title or phrase…
Whether on a bike or a snowboard, Seth is addicted to progression and the sensation of railing a turn and flowing down a mountain. With almost 20 years of experience coaching and teaching, one of his favorite things is helping people enjoy the process and embrace a beginner mindset. Seth has developed a keen eye for the fundamentals and loves giving riders the confidence to push their own limits. When he’s not coaching you’ll probably catch him pedaling around Corner Canyon with a toddler on the Mac Ride or trying to get into a silly bonus line on his snowboard.
Jason Nguyen
Title or phrase…
Hey there! My name is Jason. I started mountain biking when I was 34 and thanks to SimplyMTB, I went from surviving to thriving and grew to really love the sport. I believe in steady, continuous growth. Small, consistent steps make learning fun and keep us progressing. Through my experience coaching competitive youth softball teams and software engineering teams, I’ve cultivated the ability to help others make nuanced changes to improve their skills. Now, as a PMBIA Level 2 certified instructor, I’m here to help you progress and love mountain biking too. My goal is to create an inviting and inclusive MTB community. Let’s explore, learn, and most importantly, have a blast on the trails!
Sean Murphy
Title or phrase…
I first started mountain biking after moving to Utah from Ohio at 12 years old. At first, I thought I could do it all by myself and learn using YouTube videos. My dad then forced me to take SimplyMTB lessons with Jamie and it was the best time I’ve ever had on a bike. After a few lessons with Jamie I asked her if I could help out with some clinics. Ever since then I have been the photographer and intern for SimplyMTB. I got my PMBIA level 1 certification once I was old enough so that I could start coaching.
When I’m not mountain biking I do many other sports. In the spring I play second base for my baseball team and run the 100m and do long jump for track and field. In the winter I ski and work in a ski shop. Mountain biking has taught me so much in life in general and has helped my mental approach to the other sports I enjoy.
Brynlee Bingham
Title or phrase…
Brynlee loves the Mountains and being outside. It doesn’t matter if it is biking, skiing, or snowboarding, she simply wants to be in the mountains , going down hills super fast. She is a hard-working athlete who enjoys teaching others her passions. She currently races with NICA and several other local race series. She finds as much joy in winning her races as watching those around her improve. Brynlee specifically loves to help beginners build the proper foundation to be confident on their bikes and have the time of their lives.
Brynlee reflects that mountain biking and skiing have taught her resilience and grit and that leaning into her fears can be so rewarding. What she appreciates the most is having fun and being a cheerleader for others, which she describes as “the best thing ever”.
Sophie Bath
Title or phrase…
Sophie has been biking for almost 15 years and coaching with SimplyMTB for 3 years. Over those 15 years she has learned how important the proper skills and techniques are while riding.
Sophie loves all kinds of riding from flowy jumps and drops to chunky red rock trails. She enjoys riding down the gnarliest trails in St. George with her family and friends. She uses the skills she has learned to improve her riding in both speed and technical precision. She is excited to use the things she has learned to help others go out and have a fun time on their bike!
Sophie is also currently studying at SUU, majoring in Outdoor Recreation In Parks and Tourism.
