Eight new faces will be behind benches in the USHL starting next season.
That represents more than 50 percent of the entire league.
Seven of those openings have been filled. The Sioux City Musketeers currently have an opening after Luke Strand was hired to be an assistant coach at Ohio State last week.
Let’s meet the new head coaches in the USHL …
Mike Leone was hired as the new head coach of the Green Bay Gamblers after he spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the U.S. NTDP.
Leone was hired to replace Pat Mikesch, who was with the team for 11 seasons (including the past eight seasons as head coach).
Leone, 34, played three seasons at Western Michigan (2010-13) and then played parts of five seasons professionally (mostly in the ECHL). He coached at Bowling Green for one season (2018-19) before he joined the NTDP.
“Mike Leone is an outstanding coach and he has earned the opportunity to be a head coach in the top junior league in the world,” said Scott Monaghan, assistant executive director of the NTDP. “We wish Mike all the best with Green Bay and thank him for his three seasons of work at the NTDP.”
Nick Oliver will get his first crack at a head-coaching job this upcoming season with the Fargo Force. Oliver has spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State.
Oliver, 31, has previous experience in the USHL as an assistant with Sioux Falls (2015-18) and he also played for the Force from 2008-11 before his four-year career at St. Cloud State.
“My family and I are humbled and honored for the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Fargo Force,” Oliver said. “This organization has always been a special place for me and I’m excited to call Fargo home. I can’t wait to connect with our players and get started.”
Oliver takes over for Scott Langer, who returned to the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings in a management role.
The Youngstown Phantoms hired Ryan Ward as its new head coach. Ward comes to Youngstown with experience in multiple leagues. For the last two seasons, Ward was the director of player development for the Tri-City Storm and also coached at the youth level for the Windy City Storm organization.
Ward was the head coach of the Selects Academy 15U team in 2019-20 and was an assistant in the OHL with Soo from 2016-18. Ward also has NHL experience, serving as a video coach for the New York Islanders from 2008-12 and the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16. He also was a video coach in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies and San Antonio Rampage.
“Ryan is a talented, young, up-and-coming hockey mind that wants to play a fast-paced, competitive, puck-possession style in Youngstown,” said Youngstown owner Murry N. Gunty. “When we opened our search, we knew that we wanted someone that was offensive-minded, creative, and passionate. We wanted someone that came from a coaching tree of successful people. Ryan has trained under the likes of Scott Gordon, Sheldon Keefe, Mike Babcock, and Anthony Noreen and has been involved with championship programs such as the Tri-City Storm, Soo Greyhounds, and the St. Louis Blues. He checked off all those boxes.”
The Dubuque Fighting Saints hired Kirk MacDonald to replace Greg Brown, who became the head coach at Boston College.
MacDonald, 38, had been with the Reading Royals (ECHL) since 2014. He was promoted to head coach of the Royals in 2017.
“The reputation of the Dubuque Fighting Saints speaks for itself—with how good the organization is, an outstanding ownership group led by Brad Kwong, Kalle Larsson’s work finding good players, and their winning tradition,” MacDonald said. “This is a thrilling new challenge to get to coach some of the best junior-aged players in the world. It’s truly an exciting endeavor.
“I am coming to a place where winning is expected every year. There’s a high standard for everybody in the organization,” MacDonald added. “To me, that’s the most exciting part of the challenge—to come in here and keep things going. We want to develop people and players. Help each player improve and advance their careers while also maintaining a championship mindset every day.”
The Madison Capitols had an opening when Tom Upton accepted a job as an assistant coach at UMass, but the team wasted no time in promoting Corey Leivermann to the role. Leivermann, 32, had been Madison’s associate head coach under Upton.
Leivermann was hired by Upton in July of 2020 after he spent three seasons in the NAHL with the Janesville Jets, starting as an assistant coach and then serving as a head coach and director of scouting.
“Corey has proven to be a great coach and leader with our players,” said Madison president Andrew Joudrey. “His attention to detail, commitment to our players and work ethic are contagious. He has shown a great connection with our players and deserves this opportunity. We believe Corey is the right choice to lead our organization moving forward.”
After a tumultuous year for the Omaha Lancers, the organization hopes for a return to normalcy now that David Wilkie is returning behind the bench. Omaha began last season with Chadd Cassidy behind the bench but he was let go early in the season and there were rumblings that the players were ready to walk out. The Lancers had three different head coaches at various points last season.
Wilkie was the head coach of the Lancers from 2017-21.
“The Omaha Lancers’ organization and its history are very important to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of it again,” he said. “This is a proud USHL franchise that should be a leader on and off the ice. We are all excited to work to get the franchise back to where it should be.”
Sioux Falls fired Marty Murray and hired Rob Rassey, who brought some normalcy back to the Lancers organization late last season and led the team to the semifinals.
Rassey, 37, was previously a scout for the Detroit Red Wings and was also an assistant coach at Harvard.
“He understands player development and what we are trying to accomplish here in Sioux Falls,” said Stampede GM Tony Gasparini. “We want to help grow players not only individually, but as a team, to get back into the playoffs and compete for our fourth Clark Cup title.”
