Jon Rinderer arrived to McKendree University in the spring of 2013 to build the Bearcats' bass fishing program. Since that time, he has helped mold the McKendree program into one of the most successful and respected in the nation among colleges and universities at any level of bass fishing.
In the program's inaugural season of 2013-14, Rinderer guided McKendree to a 20th-place finish in the year’s final Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) School of the Year standings. Competing in only nine total events on the year, McKendree anglers collected 13 top 10 finishes. The Bearcats continued to build on that early success, moving up to eighth overall in the 2014-15 ACA School of the Year rankings. McKendree racked up 14 top 10 efforts during the 14-15 competitive season. During the 2015-16 season, The Bearcats held the top spot in the School of the Year rankings, marking the team's first appearance at No. 1. McKendree eventually closed the year ranked 4th overall. It was the highest finish in the brief history of the Bearcats' program. The team continued it’s winning ways during an incredible 2016-17 season. They reeled in 26 top ten finishes, 18 of which were top fives. They also won the Bassmaster Midwest Conference Regional and finished 5th overall in the ACA School of the Year Race. During the 2017-18 season, the Bearcats reeled in 27 top ten finishes, 16 of which were top fives, and finished with another top ten at 6th overall in the ACA School of the Year Race.
During the 2018-19 season, the Bearcats turned it up and held the top spot in the School of the Year rankings from December all the way to the end of May and were crowned the School of the Year Champions out of over 250 universities from across the country for the first time. During the 18-19 season, the Bearcats reeled in 43 top ten finishes, 29 of which were top fives, and had five first place finishes.
After winning the coveted School of the Year title in 2019, the team worked incredibly hard and went back-to-back winning the prestigious title again in 2020. The 2020 season included teams from 319 universities. In a season that was shortened by the coronavirus, they were able to amass 36 top ten finishes including 18 top fives and 4 wins. They won the Bassmaster Open on Smith Lake and finished the Bassmaster National Championship with two boats in the top ten. Their fourth place finish qualified two anglers to fish the Bassmaster bracket rounds. They also placed eighth at the MLF National Championship, and ninth at the Bass Pro Shops National Championship.
The 2021 season included all the postponed events from the spring of 2020’s pandemic year and all of the regular season events. After an extremely busy year, the team placed 2nd in the School of the Year competition with 32 top tens, 23 of which were top fives. They won the Bassmaster Wildcard, placed 7th in the MLF National Championship, and finished 4th in the Bassmaster National Championship which qualified two anglers to fish the Bassmaster bracket rounds. The McKendree anglers knocked out their competitors each day, and on the final day of the bracket rounds, it was McKendree vs. McKendree. In the end, McKendree’s Trevor McKinney won the bracket, barely edging out fellow teammate Blake Jackson, to win the incredible Toyota/Carhartt prize package, which included entries to all nine Bassmaster Opens, and a McKendree wrapped boat and truck for the year.
In 2022, the team placed 3rd in the School of the Year competition with 34 top ten finishes, 20 top five finishes, and 3 first place finishes. This 3rd place finish marks the eighth year in a row that McKendree has placed in the top 10 of this coveted race, and 4th year in a row that they placed in the top 3. The McKendree anglers placed 3rd in the MLF National Championship and placed 7th in the Bassmaster National Championship
The 2023 season saw the Bearcats earn 31 top-ten finishes. Of those, 19 were top fives with 13 in the top three and three first-place finishes. The team also qualified five teams for the Bassmaster National Championship where they brought home a 9th place finish. This makes this the fifth year in a row that the Bearcat team has placed a team in the final round of the Bassmaster National Championship. In the School of the Year race, the team finished fifth in the nation. This is the fifth year in a row that the team has finished in the top five.
Rinderer came to McKendree after building the Highland High School bass fishing team into one of the most successful squads in the state since the Illinois High School Association began sponsoring the activity in 2008-09. Since founding the Highland program in 2009, Rinderer has helped mold the Bulldogs’ program into a model of consistency in the state of Illinois. In each of his eleven years at the helm, Rinderer guided Highland to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state tournament, which is held at Carlyle Lake. In the spring of 2012, Highland captured it’s first state championship. In 2011, the Bulldogs had two boats that placed third and fourth, respectively, in the IHSA state event. In 2014 the team placed third, in 2015 the team placed second, and in 2016, the Bulldogs placed both second and third at the IHSA event, in 2019, the Bulldogs again captured the state championship, in 2020 the IHSA event was cancelled due to the pandemic, and in 2021, the Bulldogs placed fifth. In eight of the past twelve years of IHSA competition, Highland has won a sectional title on its way to state competition. And, in the twelve-year history of the IHSA State Finals, the team has had twelve top ten finishes, seven of which were top three.
“I’ve watched the sport boom at the high-school level and work its way into the college ranks,” said Rinderer. “A lot of college teams are club-organized and student-run groups. McKendree has started a unique program due to the kind of support that the University has given to this sport. We are able to offer a lot of things that other programs just do not offer. It is exciting for the students and exciting for me from a recruiting aspect. The support from the University has helped us build a very competitive program.”
An active member of the fishing community, Rinderer is a long-time competitor in several bass fishing circuits. Rinderer has registered numerous first-place finishes over the years, including events with the Bass World Sports Circuit, the USA Bassin’ Circuit, the Big Bass Trail Circuit, the Premier Tournament Circuit and the Gene Cailey’s Winter Circuit.
“I am really excited about McKendree’s program,” said Rinderer. “The sport of bass fishing has exploded onto the scene over the last several years, and many schools have recognized that growth. McKendree has definitely seen that potential and has created a program that is second to none. It’s program operates with the concept that all the anglers can participate in tournament situations. McKendree fishes in all three major collegiate circuits, the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Circuit, the Bassmaster Collegiate Circuit, and the MLF Collegiate Circuit. Our school also hosts invitational tournaments where schools from all over come to fish one of our local lakes.”
"My goal for the future is to continue to recruit quality anglers that have a true passion for competitive bass fishing along with the highest moral character," Rinderer continued. "Good work ethic and attention to detail are a must in order to build a program of consistency that is always in contention for a national championship. In our nine short years, we have won the coveted School of the Year title twice and have placed in the top 10 eight times. This title is one in which we strive to earn each year since it highlights the consistency of our program.”
