Coaches

As Head Coach of the Royals 18U team, Matt brings a wealth of baseball experience across all levels of the game – Professional, International, Collegiate, Elite-Travel, High School, Youth, and Specialized Training.

Coach Mills' coaching pathway began overseas, working for Baseball New Zealand as a National Team Pitching Coach (15U), National Team Head Coach (18U) and National Development Officer over a nearly four-year period (2009-2012) following the end of his playing career (youth – Team Ontario / college – Western University / international – West City Wildcats/Team New Zealand).

This international coaching experience also lead Coach Mills to an opportunity to join the Boston Red Sox Player Development staff during the Fall Instructional Period in 2011.

Since returning home to Ontario in 2012, Matt coached with both the Etobicoke Rangers and McMaster University prior to joining the Ontario Royals program full-time in the fall of 2014 as 16U Head Coach.

Matt has overseen an unprecedented period of growth with the organization growing from three teams in 2018-19 to a planned seven teams in 2026-27.

Coach Mills operates as the Hitting Coordinator for the Ontario Royals along with his Executive and Head Coach roles with the program. 

Matt has owned the Ontario Royals Baseball Club since August, 2018, and resides in Burlington, Ontario.

Coach Kovack joined the Ontario Royals coaching staff in 2021 as the 16u Head Coach as well as Head of College Placement and Recruiting Coordinator, and took over Program Pitching Coordinator duties early in 2022. In 2023/2024 Kovack transitioned to the 17u age level as Head Coach and took on his current role as Assistant General Manager.

Throughout his tenure with the Royals program, Kovack has helped send 60+ Royals players to US schools across all levels (NCAA D1/D2/D3, NAIA, NJCAA D1/D2/D3), and 20+ players to OUA/OCAA schools in Ontario with baseball commitments.

Jonathan played his youth baseball with the Etobicoke Rangers and accepted a scholarship to NCAA D2 Notre Dame College to play collegiately. Kovack spent 4 seasons at Notre Dame, eventually graduating with Bachelor Degrees in Sports Management & Finance, alongside associate degrees in Physical Education and Coaching before receiving his MBA. Coach Kovack joined the Notre Dame coaching staff as Graduate Assistant Coach and Pitching Coordinator.

Jonathan next accepted the roles of Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach/ Infield Coach at NCAA D3 John Carroll University from 2018-2020 before returning to Ontario as a result of Covid-19.

After returning home to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Jonathan coached in various roles with Bullettproof Baseball before joining the Royals full-time in 2021.

Jonathan brings a wide variety of knowledge and experience as a player and a baseball coach to the Royals program.

Coach Fernandez brings over a decade of elite baseball coaching experience to the Ontario Royals Baseball program. His technical expertise spans Catching, Defensive Strategies, and Hitting—areas where he has consistently developed athletes into smarter, more confident, and more competitive players.

Beyond the diamond, Zack is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist, High Performance Specialist, and Fascial Stretch Therapist. With more than ten years of hands‑on training experience, he understands exactly what it takes to help athletes unlock their full potential—physically, mentally, and competitively.

A multi‑sport athlete growing up, Zack competed at an elite level in both baseball and basketball. His work ethic and drive earned him a full athletic scholarship in Virginia, where he competed in both sports while completing a Degree in Health and Physical Education. He later returned to Canada to complete a post‑graduate degree in Exercise Science for Health and Performance.

Zack’s own development as an athlete and professional sparked a passion for helping others reach their goals. Whether an athlete is striving to elevate their game, build strength, improve movement quality, or transform their overall fitness, Coach Zack’s deep understanding of human performance and behaviour provides a clear path to meaningful, lasting results.

Coach O’Brien joined the Ontario Royals Baseball Club in fall of 2021 and has filled various roles with the organization including; 16U Assistant Coach, 15U Head Coach, and his current roles as Director of Player Development, Infield Coordinator, and 16U Head Coach.

Prior to joining the Ontario Royals, Tyler coached for 5+ years with Bullettproof Baseball in Welland, Ontario. During this time Coach O’Brien worked with teams from all age-levels (10U – 18U) as well as being program Pitching Coordinator.

Tyler is entering his 5 th season as a Royals Head Coach and brings a relentless passion to his work with our players.