Dan Muse and Adam Nightingale have been named the 14th and 15th head coaches in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history.
Muse and Nightingale will begin their duties immediately and fill the vacancies left by former NTDP head coaches Seth Appert (Rochester Americans) and John Wroblewski (Ontario Reign), who both recently accepted head coaching positions in the AHL.
Muse brings 15 years of coaching experience to the NTDP and was an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators for the past three seasons.
During his playing days, Muse skated for Stonehill from 2001 to 2005, compiling five goals and 11 points in 61 games.
Nightingale has spent the last three years with the Detroit Red Wings, serving most recently as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 campaign.
“We are very excited to bring in two coaches of this caliber,” said Scott Monaghan, senior director of operations for the NTDP. “Both Dan and Adam have great experience and success as head coaches working with the developmental age levels and have progressed to working at the highest level on NHL benches. We are fortunate to have these two leading the development of our young men at the NTDP.”
Prior to joining the Predators in 2017, Muse served as head coach of the USHL’s Chicago Steel for two seasons, where he led the team to a Clark Cup championship in 2017. Previously, he was part of NCAA Division I coaching staffs at Yale (2009-2015), where he helped the Bulldogs to the 2013 NCCA title, and Sacred Heart (2008-09). He was also was an assistant coach at Williams (2007-08) after beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Milton Academy in 2005.
“I am humbled to have the opportunity to coach at the National Team Development Program,” said Muse. “The opportunity to combine development, at the individual and team levels, along with representing this country is a huge honor. I am very grateful to everyone at USA Hockey that was involved in this process. I am extremely excited to begin working together with these players and with this staff.”
During his first two years in Detroit, Nightingale worked as a video coach and held the same role for the Buffalo Sabres during the 2016-17 season.
“I am extremely thankful to Scott Monaghan, the NTDP staff and USA Hockey for this unique opportunity,” said Nightingale. “I’ve been fortunate to have been coached and mentored by some great people and look forward to getting a chance to do the same with our nation’s top players.”
Before joining the Sabres staff, Nightingale served as head coach for Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U team in Minnesota for two seasons (2014-16), leading the team to a national championship in 2016.
Nightingale’s experience also includes four seasons (2010-14) as director of hockey operations for his alma mater, Michigan State, and two years (2008-10) as head coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Midget AA squad.
Nightingale’s playing career spanned two seasons each at Lake Superior State University (2000-02) and Michigan State (2003-05), where he totaled 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in a combined 118 games and served as alternate captain for two seasons.
In addition, David Lassonde has been named USA Hockey’s director of goaltending.
“We are thrilled to have David join our staff,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey, in a news release. “He brings significant expertise through his varied experiences and we look forward to the positive impact he’ll make in our overall efforts to advance goaltending in our country.”
Over his 32-year NCAA Division I coaching career that has included stops at Dartmouth, Denver, New Hampshire, Miami and Wisconsin, Lassonde’s resume includes 20 trips to the NCAA tournament with five appearances in the Frozen Four, three conference tournament titles and six regular-season championships.
