Dennis Janzen, Ph.D
Dr. Dennis Janzen
- Ph.D. in Applied Sport Psychology – Mental Training Consultant – from the University of Southern California
- Home: Lynden, Washington (born and raised in central and southern California)
- Six-Time National Championship Coach
- Four-Time National Coach of the Year
I have been graciously blessed to have an amazing career in competitive athletics that has spanned over 50 years! Seeing someone do something they had never thought possible is the ultimate joy. Many years ago, a wise person forever impressed upon me the simple, yet powerful life lesson, “Make the people around you better!” I’ve never forgotten that…and that has shaped how I work, lead, teach, and coach.
What really allows people to attempt to master difficult, challenging tasks when the risks of failure are strong? What keeps people persisting after they have experienced failure? How can a coach or leader create an environment in which the drive to succeed is greater than the fear of failure? These are very common challenges. I’ve been blessed to work with a wide range of athletes – from Olympians to young 10 year olds. My goal is to help each person have the best experiences possible in whatever they are seeking to do.
Dennis Janzen, Ph.D
Background & Qualifications
Dennis Janzen, Ph.D. is a highly successful university coach, athletics administrator, and elite mental performance coach. Dr. Janzen holds a Ph.D. in the Psychology of Sport from the University of Southern California and has been a frequent speaker at major clinics and conferences both in the U.S. and internationally. With an extensive academic and applied background in coaching and elite mental performance training, Dr. Janzen held a rank of full professor and was a long-time professor of sport psychology in both the graduate and undergraduate programs at Fresno Pacific University. At FPU, Dr. Janzen also taught graduate courses in personal leadership, history and philosophy, and athletics marketing and sponsorship. In 2001, Janzen was awarded the President’s Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Janzen is the founder and owner of Paragon Coaching Resources (https://www.coachingcourses.pro/) and Paragon Sports Performance Consulting (https://sportsconsulting.pro). Both reflect Dr. Janzen’s passion for helping people achieve excellence professionally and personally. Paragon Coaching Resources provides tremendous learning and professional development opportunities for sport coaches, athletics administrators, and educators – all for university credit! Paragon Sports Performance Consulting offers both the serious and recreational athlete reliable, useful and effective mental training consulting services – designed specifically for each person.
Dr. Janzen was the Director of Athletics at Fresno Pacific University from 2004 until 2013, being named the GSAC Athletics Director of the Year in 2009. Known as a highly effective fundraiser and program builder, he oversaw the development of new facilities for baseball, tennis, and track-soccer along with a major expansion of the Sports Medicine facilities. A cooperative effort with FPU Kinesiology, Student Life, and Athletics resulted in a major upgrade and expansion of a University Fitness Center. Janzen also introduced new sport programs for baseball, men’s and women’s swimming, water polo, and tennis.
Under Janzen’s leadership, FPU’s Learfield Sports Director’s Cup finishes improved from about 150th to an annual finish of 3rd to 6th nationally out of over 300 other university athletics programs. Most FPU teams annually became listed in their respective national poll. From 1995 – 2004, Janzen served as FPU’s first Director of Athletic Development raising millions for athletics improvements. From 1983 – 1991 and 1994 – 2010 Janzen was the head women’s volleyball coach at FPU building a program that would win six-national championships, win nearly 900 matches, and have a final ten-year win-loss record of 373 wins to only 18 losses! Janzen has also had coaching stints with the USA Men’s National Team, and the men’s volleyball programs at Penn State and U.S.C. From 2016 -2018 he served as a Head Women’s Coach for the USA Collegiate National Team. He most recently served as the Head Men’s and Women’s Coach for the Singapore National Teams (2018-19) leading the Men’s Team to their first earned Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games) berth in over 20 years!
Dr. Janzen has been inducted into the NAIA Coaches Hall of Fame, the Fresno Pacific University Athletics Hall of Fame, and twice (individual and team honors) into the prestigious Fresno County Sports Hall of Fame, a Sports Hall of Fame that ranks in the top 3% of all Sports Halls of Fame in the nation.
Contact Dr. Janzen at [email protected]
