Saints Look to Bolster Squad with New Development Coach

According to a press release from the organization, the Dubuque Fighting Saints hare proud to announce the addition of Jared Bussard to the organization as a Development Coach. The addition of Bussard and the position to the Fighting Saints staff is an effort to take player development to the next level and is an investment back into the Saints players.

"After analyzing how to further establish our club as the premier development organization in junior hockey, we identified a need to add a full-time designated coach to work with our players individually. We specified exactly what we were looking for and did an extensive search. Adding Jared as our Development Coach is an investment in our players and prospects. Our goal is the maximize the development of every Fighting Saint player and prospect, and by adding this position we will further elevate the player experience in Dubuque."

-Kalle Larsson, General Manger and President of Hockey Operations

Player development in hockey is the process of bringing in new players and developing them into higher level hockey players that can compete at the next level and advance in their hockey playing careers. Hockey player development can focus on skill development, improving hockey intelligence, grit, leadership, locker room presence, and much more.

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Bussard joins the Fighting Saints with an expansive resume having worked most notably with Total Package Hockey (TPH) as a Player Development Coach and doing extensive work with NAR Hockey, which is run by University of Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato.

"Jared is a student of the game with a passion for developing players. He's a self-starter, hungry to be the best version of himself. I'm looking forward to watching his work with a top-notch organization like Dubuque."

-Brandon Naurato, University of Michigan Head coach

In addition, Bussard has experience coaching at the NCAA Division III level with Trine University and has worked in other developmental leagues, including the NAHL and USPHL.

"I am extremely honored to be joining the staff and community in Dubuque. I look forward to leveraging my experience from TPH, Trine University, and NAR Hockey to take player development in Dubuque to the next level. It's a blessing to have the opportunity to work alongside Kalle, Kirk, and Evan on a daily basis. I can't wait to get started building relationships and working with the players & staff this coming Fall!"

-Jared Bussard, Saints new Development Coach

Bussard will spend most of his time working individually with players and prospects. Daily, he will take players through video breakdowns, work on specific skill areas, and metrically measure each player's progress and improvements in key areas. Basically, what players need to learn, and when and how they need to learn it.

"Jared separated himself with his knowledge and background in development, and by demonstrating his ideas how to improve our players and creating metrics to measure improvement and progress. To ensure best possible development for our players, it was important for us that the person hired for this role would relocate to Dubuque and spend time with the players daily."

-Kalle Larsson, General Manger and President of Hockey Operations

Bussard joins the Fighting Saints coaching staff as the second addition this offseason, joining Alex Kromm who was just hired as an Assistant Coach last week.

"Evan and I are excited to have Jared join the organization. Adding him to our coaching staff will allow us to add another layer to player development and continue to enhance the player experience here in Dubuque."

-Kirk McDonald, Fighting Saints Head Coach

The Saints pre-season kicks off September 8th at Dubuque Ice Arena against the green Bay Gamblers. The first game of the Saints 2023/24 season is September 29th against the Waterloo Blackhawks in our house.