Carlson Credits Community for Milestone
February 13, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release
Mark Carlson first visited Cedar Rapids in 1999 with plenty of intrigue and familiarity with the USHL, but there was still some unknown about the franchise - which was set to relocate from Mason City, Iowa.
There was no arena in place at the time, but the organization presented a plan that Carlson, who was an assistant at Northeastern, was excited to be a part of.
He accepted the job and led the franchise through its inaugural 1999-00 season, and he's remained the club's only head coach and general manager to this day.
Carlson has been a constant face in the Cedar Rapids community and behind the RoughRiders bench, and 26 years later, he's still going strong.
"There's just so many great people here and they really take pride in what they do, and it's all about the people," Carlson said. "Both in the organization and in the Cedar Rapids community. That's something I could tell the first day I came to visit and interview, and you need that in order to be a successful junior franchise.
"I've been able to work with so many great people and when I look back at Mr. and Mrs. Johnson originally bringing the RoughRiders to Cedar Rapids and the last 15 years being able to work with Mr. and Mrs. Sdao, it's been tremendous. All the support they've given our team, our community and our arena - It's just really, really special."
Carlson will coach his 1,476 and 1,477th regular-season games this weekend, which will tie and break the USHL record - which is currently held by PK O'Handley (1,476). Carlson is also closing in on the league's all-time win record, as his 767 wins are just 11 behind O'Handley (778).
Carlson will always be the first person to deflect the credit to his players and other members of the organization, and it's never about him. But Saturday night, the spotlight will be on 'Carly' as he'll be recognized for his time behind the bench.
"I see it first-hand every day of the week - He puts his heart and soul into his players and the organization," said Tammy Carlson, who doubles as Mark's wife and the team's Director of Sales & Operations. "Whether it's loyalty, work ethic, life lessons - I just feel like this is Mark's calling. And he feels like he's not doing his job if he's not putting kids in a position to succeed or getting the best out of them.
"We live and die with the team and we both work seven days a week. At times it can be stressful, but I know he enjoys the job and we're each other's biggest supporters, and it's really special seeing the impact he's had."
"It's a hard league and he's done it for a long time and survived ups and downs," O'Handley added. "Most don't understand how much goes into it so good for Mark and his family. It's great his organization and owner and the league are celebrating him. He's a good man I think and he works hard at it, so I'm happy for him to reach this milestone."
However, the milestone hasn't happened overnight.
The early years certainly featured some growing pains and Carlson's hard-nosed coaching style can be an acquired taste for some. Yet he's always coached with his player's best interests in mind, both on and off the ice.
His teams have often reflected his persona on the ice and Cedar Rapids has made the playoffs in 18 of his previous 25 seasons. Cedar Rapids did not play during the 2020-21 season (Derecho damage) and one of those 25 seasons (2019-20) saw the playoffs nixed by COVID-19 too.
At the same time, his focus goes beyond wins and losses.
"Our organization has made it a point to get involved and entrenched in the community, and we've been blessed by great ownership and so many good people," Carlson said. "But I'd say the biggest thing has been getting the opportunity to work with young athletes anywhere between 15 and 20 years old.
"It's a really special opportunity and not only have I been able to work with them as hockey players, but also as people, and hopefully make an impact on their life. Because we want to see all the kids develop as young men and be successful. Then to have Tammy involved too over the years, it's been pretty special, and it's just a special organization."
Carlson added that Tammy is the 'rockstar' of the organization and he's 'beyond lucky' to have her in his life, both personally and with the team.
The two first met in Cedar Rapids and she's remained a key member of the organization, oftentimes behind the scenes. Whether that's been the day-to-day office operations or helping organize toy drives, dinners and or cookie drop-offs at local police and fire departments, among other responsibilities.
However, she's taken on a full-time role the past five seasons, handling community outreach, corporate sales, season ticket sales and marketing.
Both value the people of the organization and have tried to create a family feel, and Tammy's primary focus is connecting with the Cedar Rapids community - which has also been a key part of the RoughRiders' success.
"We're in for the players and the people, and that's always been the case from ownership down. We all have the same vision," she said. "Obviously we want to see the team win and have success on the ice, but off the ice is just as important. I think we've worked really hard to develop kids as human beings, and we want them to adopt our community as their own.
"The community is so important to us and having their support has always been so important to what we're trying to accomplish. It's not what you got, it's what you give, and that's a mindset we try to live by."
Her husband echoed that sentiment.
"We try to get out with the less fortunate and just get involved in the community, and that's a big part of the junior hockey experience," Carlson said. "We're always striving to improve all the time, both on the ice and in the community, and when you think about spending 25-plus years here, you need a lot of people to come together.
"We've been pretty consistent and competitive, and I think our community has done a tremendous job of embracing our organization."
Much of that consistency starts with Carlson, who has been named the USHL Coach of the Year three times, led the RoughRiders to three Anderson Cups and won a Clark Cup in 2005. He's about to add another accolade to his resume for the USHL's most games behind the bench, and the win record is within reach too.
While Carlson admittedly could do without the spotlight, this weekend's recognition has been earned, and there's a reason he's remained a fixture with the organization.
"I'm just thankful for all the people that have helped me along the way and played a role in getting our organization to where it is today," Carlson said. "It's really not about me at all but more importantly, I think it's a great celebration of our organization and a reflection of all the people over all the years that have helped us. I'm really proud of what all we've been able to accomplish."
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