Michael Berra Named Musketeers New Assistant Coach
Published on July 28, 2020 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Michael Berra has been hired as an assistant coach on the Sioux City Musketeers staff.
Berra has served as the Director of Coaching/Hockey Operations for the St. Louis AAA Blues since 2015. Berra has been on the AAA Blues' coaching staff for the past six years. He was named the U-16 Blues Head Coach prior to the start of the 2019-20 season.
"I'd like to thank Head Coach Luke Strand, Coach (Mark) Abalan, General Manager Andy Johnson and the Musketeer ownership group for this great opportunity," said Berra. "I'd also like to thank my wife Rachel and the St. Louis AAA Blues organization for their support throughout this process."
Berra also has a bit of knowledge of the Musketeers' program, serving as the organization's Central District scout for the past five years.
Berra's familiarity with the Musketeers' organization hasn't gone by un-noticed from several members of the Musketeers' hockey and business staff. "We are excited to add Michael to our staff," said Strand. "His experiences as a head coach, passion for developing players and his growth mindset makes him the perfect fit. Michael is familiar with our organization top down from scouting to on ice, which should make for a smooth transition."
Berra has worked with the USA Hockey National Festival for the past two seasons. He has also been the lead instructor for Synergy Hockey Skills where he has worked with high-end AAA, junior hockey and professional players.
Johnson, the Musketeers' general manager and director of scouting, said he feels Berra's scouting background with Sioux City's United States Hockey League team was an asset to the team in terms of understanding how those types of players fit into the Musketeers' style.
Johnson has also witnessed Berra's skills as a coach. "Michael has worn many hats in our organization and we're excited to bring him here in a full-time role as an assistant coach," said Johnson. "He's been an extremely valuable asset to our scouting staff and understands what we value in players. I've been fortunate to see him coach on the ice in practice as well as behind the bench during games. His passion for player development is going to be a tremendous asset for our organization going forward."
Musketeers' team owner and managing partner Lloyd Ney also cited Berra's scouting past as a value. "We're happy for Mike to get this opportunity to join the coaching staff in Sioux City," said Ney. "Over the last five years, he's steadily moved up in our organization with his scouting responsibilities, so we know he'll handle this next step really well."
Berra takes over the vacancy left behind on the Musketeers' coaching staff when Ryan Durocher accepted a position with Robert Morris University.
"I can't wait to get started and make a positive impact both on the ice with the team and off the ice in the community," said Berra.
United States Hockey League Stories from July 28, 2020
- Des Moines Buccaneers Promote Peter Mannino to Head Coach & General Manager - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Michael Berra Named Musketeers New Assistant Coach - Sioux City Musketeers
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