Miami names USHL, college hockey coaching veteran Nies as new assistant coach for RedHawks

David Nies previously coached with new Miami coach Anthony Noreen with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm (photo: Tri-City Storm).

Miami has announced the addition of David Nies as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the RedHawks.

Nies was most recently the assistant director of player personnel for USA Hockey’s NTDP.

“I am honored and humbled to be a part of Miami University,” said Nies in a statement. “I’d like to thank David Sayler and Brad Okel along with Anthony Noreen for awarding me this opportunity to build upon the rich tradition as well as embark on the next chapter of Miami hockey.”

Nies joined the NTDP in 2023 and was involved in all aspects of identifying, scouting and recruiting players in the 2008 and 2009 birth classes. He had previously served as an assistant coach under Noreen with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm from 2021 to 2023.

“I am thrilled to welcome David Nies to the Miami University hockey family,” Noreen said. “David is a tireless worker who has an extensive background in coaching, scouting, and recruiting.

“His experience at the NCAA level, in the USHL, and most recently as the assistant director of player personnel for the U.S. National Team Development Program will be a major asset for our program and Miami University moving forward.”

During Nies’ time at Tri-City, the Storm won the Anderson Cup in 2021-22, bolstered by the top-ranked penalty kill in the league. Nies oversaw the penalty kill and was responsible for defensemen development, in addition to assisting Noreen in all facets of team management.

Nies’ previous stop, also in the USHL, was with the Omaha Lancers, where he served as associate head coach and assistant general manager from 2018 to 2021. He has coached with Amarillo in the NAHL (2017-18) and been part of college coaching staffs at Merrimack (2016-17), Curry (2015-16), Ohio (2014-15) and Southern Maine (2013-14).

Nies has scouted and coached 33 NHL draft picks and 133 Division I college players since 2017. He has worked as an on-ice skills coach with NHL draft picks Jordan Harris, Sam Colangelo, Michael Kesselring and Alex Jefferies.

As a player at Southern Maine, Nies was an ECAC All-Academic honoree from 2010 to 2013 and served as the Huskies’ team captain from 2011 to 2013. He owns a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from USM and a Master’s in Sports Pedagogy from Ohio.

Miami will announce the remainder of its coaching staff in the coming weeks.