USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Zach Badalamenti Takes NCAA Coaching Job

Published on July 19, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, IA - Dubuque Fighting Saints assistant coach Zach Badalamenti has joined the Colgate University men's hockey team (NCAA DI) coaching staff as an assistant. He will join a brand-new staff in upstate New York with the Colgate Raiders for the 2023-24 season.

"While we will miss Zach here in Dubuque, we are both proud and happy to see him join the coaching staff at Colgate," said General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Kalle Larsson. "Moving people on in their careers is in our DNA as a club. We are certain Zach will have tremendous success in the NCAA and impact the Colgate program and players in the same positive way he did with ours."

Badalamenti, 30, joined the Fighting Saints prior to the start of the 2022-23 season and played a major role in the Fighting Saints' success in that season. In his lone year with Dubuque, he helped lead the Fighting Saints to a 32-24-5-1 record and earn their first Clark Cup Playoff series win since 2019. He helped oversee a forward group that featured the league's fifth leading scorer and helped coordinate a powerplay unit that clicked at 33.3% in the postseason.

"I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to Kalle Larsson, Kirk MacDonald, Evan Dixon, the players, staff, and entire Dubuque organization for the past year," Badalamenti said of his time in Dubuque. "Dubuque is truly one of the premier junior organizations in North America, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow as a person and a coach this past season."

The Michigan native has accrued seven seasons behind the bench having spent three seasons with Trinity College (NCAA DIII) and three seasons before that with his alma-mater, the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (NCAA DIII). Badalamenti was a member of the Pointers coaching staff that made an NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 2016-17, and later won a National Championship in 2018-19. In that season, Badalamenti helped lead the Pointers to a program best mark of 29-0-2 that would stand as the program's first ever undefeated season.

As a player, Badalamenti was a product of the Little Caesars AAA program before spending four seasons playing junior hockey in the NAHL with four franchises. He finished his NAHL career with the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, where he was an assistant captain. He played two seasons of college hockey for the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in 2014-15 and 2015-16. However, during the 2015-16 season, he suffered a career-ending neck injury that led to his transition into coaching.

Colgate University is going through an overhaul on their men's hockey coaching staff after Don Vaughn announced his retirement after 30 seasons as the head coach of the program. Badalamenti will join new head coach Mike Harder's staff. Harder was named the head coach in June. The Raiders are coming off their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2014 on the heels of a 19-16-5 record and an ECAC Hockey tournament championship.

Fighting Saints head coach Kirk MacDonald echoed Larsson's sentiment, saying, "We will miss Zach in Dubuque, but we are thrilled for him to receive this opportunity at Colgate and look forward to seeing what he can do at the NCAA level."

A search for Badalamenti's replacement is ongoing.

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