General | 4/26/2025 12:00:00 PM

Rocky Russo (Lincoln Stars), Andy Brandt (Madison Capitols) Ryan Cruthers (Sioux Falls Stampede) and Evan Dixon (Dubuque Fighting Saints) have been named finalists for United States Hockey League (USHL) Coach of the Year, the league announced Saturday.
 
The award winner will be announced with the GM of the Year on Thursday, May 1.
 
Rocky Russo, Lincoln Stars
In his fourth season in Lincoln, Russo guided the Stars to their second Anderson Cup in team history with a 44-15-3-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL) record. In addition to setting a team record for wins in the regular season, the Youngstown, Ohio native steered his squad to a 32-point turnaround from 2023-24 when the Stars finished 27-30-3-2 and finished sixth in the Western Conference. Lincoln set the record for longest winning streak this season with 12 straight wins from Jan. 10 through Feb. 14.
 
Andy Brandt, Madison Capitols
As head coach and general manager, Brandt led the Capitols to a 39-17-5-1 record, marking a six-win and 12-point improvement from the previous season to secure home-ice advantage for the first round of the Clark Cup Playoffs. The Wausau, Wisconsin native helped Madison to an 11-game home-winning streak from Oct. 12 – Dec. 13 and led the Capitols to a 23-5-2-1 mark on home ice, the second-best home record in the league this season.
 
Ryan Cruthers, Sioux Falls Stampede
With Cruthers at the helm, Sioux Falls posted a 40-17-3-2 record, tied for the third-most points in the league (85). It marked a 12-win and 23-point improvement for the Stampede, which earned them a first-round bye in the Clark Cup Playoffs after finishing fifth in the conference last season. Returning to the USHL after coaching the Fayetteville Marksmen in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) last season, the Farmingdale, New York native helped the Herd go 21-6-3-1 on home ice and 19-11-0-1 on the road, registering the second-most wins among Western Conference teams in both categories.
 
Evan Dixon, Dubuque Fighting Saints
In his fourth season with the organization and first as head coach, Dixon led the Fighting Saints to a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference, missing the top seed by one point. Dubuque matched its win total from last season with a 41-18-1-2 record and .685 winning percentage, tied with Sioux Falls for third best in the league. The Novi, Michigan native led Dubuque to a 21-8-0-2 home record, tied for fourth best in the league.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.