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USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Coombs Named Heal Coach of NAHL's Killer Bees

June 11, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa - Joe Coombs has been a staple behind the bench in Dubuque since 2005. His success in the Key City has caught the eye of the hockey world and presented a new opportunity away from home. Coombs has been named the Head Coach of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the NAHL and will take over the franchise that recently moved from Wenatchee, Washington.

"I'm incredibly thankful to all of the people over the last eight years that have helped me to grow as a coach and helped my family to grow as members of the Dubuque community," said Coombs. "In particular I'd like to thank Doc Field, Brad Kwong, Ted Scherr, and all of the people behind the scenes that I've worked with to lead to this new opportunity."

Coombs' new opportunity will make him the first head coach of Rio Grande Valley's NAHL team. A team under the same named played professionally in Texas from 2003-2012 in the Central Hockey League. The NAHL is Tier-II Junior A hockey and considered one step down from the USHL. Members of the 2012-2013 Fighting Saints including Frankie DiChiara, Mike Szmatula, Evan Janssen, and Brandon Carlson all previously played in the NAHL before advancing to Dubuque. The Rio Grande Valley team was previously the Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL and announced a move to Texas in May.

Coombs' time in Dubuque brought multiple championships to the Key City. A fan favorite, Coombs enjoyed an extremely successful tenure as the Head Coach of the Dubuque Thunderbirds Tier-III junior team from 2005-2010. In his time with the Thunderbirds, Coombs led the Thunderbirds to a regular season record of 151-23-4-5 and three CSHL Hurster Cup Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

With the return of the Fighting Saints and the USHL to Dubuque in 2010, Coombs remained in Dubuque and was named the club's Associate Head Coach and proved to be a key member of Head Coach and General Manager Jim Montgomery's staff. Coombs success continued as over the past three seasons he has won a pair of Clark Cups, leading the Fighting Saints to the post-season title in 2011 and 2013, as well as helping the Fighting Saints claim the 2012-2013 Anderson Cup Championship. Over the last eight years, Dubuque became a home for Coombs and his family--wife Shannon, daughters Regan and Rylan, and son Ritter. However, the opportunity to be a head coach at a high level is one that will take Coombs and his family south.

"We're very happy for Joe and pleased that he's taking on a new challenge that will be fantastic for his coaching career," said Brad Kwong, Managing Partner of Northern Lights Hockey, LLC. "Talented people get opportunities and Joe moving on is an unfortunate by-product of the success we have had in Dubuque. Personally, I will miss Joe and his family and the Fighting Saints will miss what he brought to our program. But just as we've moved onwards following the departure of other great contributors, so too will we again by finding the next coach that will focus continually on making the Fighting Saints better."

Coombs, who has been coaching since 2001 after a professional playing career, is already hard at work with Rio Grande Valley after formally accepting the position last week. Despite still being in Dubuque helping with the Fighting Saints Tryout Camp, Coombs was in control of the Killer Bees selections in the NAHL Draft last Tuesday.

Coombs departure leaves the Fighting Saints with big shoes to fill, and means Dubuque has now seen a complete coaching turnover since the club's return to the USHL in 2010. Original Assistant Coach Bobby Kinsella is now a scout with the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and Jim Montgomery is now the Head Coach at the University of Denver. New Head Coach and General Manager Matt Shaw is entering his first season behind the Dubuque bench and will have returning Assistant Coach and Director of Scouting Mike Field, who enters his second season in Dubuque, by his side. A coaching search for a replacement for Coombs will take place.

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