Episode 87: Anthony Noreen. After a little break, the prohockeypod returned this week with Miami of Ohio Head Coach Anthony Noreen. Anthony has been a journey man who coached 16 years in various leagues before getting this NCAA Division 1 job. He grew up in the Chicago area and was immediately integrated into hockey from his father. Anthony would go through Junior hockey before heading off to D3 Wisconsin Stevens-Point. He talked about how he went on a visit with a teammate and fell in love with the set up right away. He knew this is where he wanted to be. After 4 years of playing, Anthony would stay at this University as a Graduate Assistant Coach. He took on a lot of roles and was “thrown into the fire” right away, while not earning any salary. After Wisconsin, Anthony would get a job in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. Over 5 seasons, he would help get the club on the right path and also win Coach of the Year in 14/15. A pro coaching opportunity would come available with the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL (who were affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs). Anthony talked about his 2 years there and how he learned a lot observing from affiliated coaches. He would then return to the USHL, this time with the Tri-City Storm, where he would spend 7 seasons as HC and GM. During this time, he would win Coach of the Year 2 more times, as well as win a Gold Medal with Team USA U19 in 2018/2019. Finally after so many years of grinding and building his resume, Anthony received the Head Coaching job at Miami of Ohio University. He talked about how it was a dream come true and how he had been there previously years before which solidified his desire to coach there one day. We talked about his journey, the campus, set up and how he likes to build his teams. He is very excited about the future/potential at Miami of Ohio and it was clear how true his passion is. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 86: Marc Langbein. It was good to finally have on an agent who I see around the rinks a lot here in Germany, Marc Langbein. Marc grew up in the Bietigheim area in Germany and so began his passion for hockey. Marc cofounded Win-Win Sports Agency back in 2018. On this episode, we talked a lot about the agency business, some things Marc has learned along the way, and as well as the types of clients they look to attract at Win-Win. For me, it was nice to have a look into Marc’s life and the philosophy they have within the agency. Marc talked about the grind of starting out and how the company has grown over the years. He also touched on a personal achievement from the company when one of their athletes was drafted in the 4th round to the NHL in 2024. Small victories like this are part of the reasons agents like Marc have a passion for their job. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 85: Damon Whitten. Lake Superior State University HC Damon Whitten joined the prohockeypod this week. He started his hockey career as a goalie and played until he was in his Junior year of highschool before switching to forward. It seemed to be an easy transition as Damon would go on to play tier 2 junior hockey in multiple leagues before heading off to Michigan State University. He would spend 4 years there playing alongside the likes of goalie Ryan Miller and forward Shawn Horcoff, both who went on to have respectable NHL careers. After school, Damon spent 2 years in the ECHL where he won a Kelly Cup with the Greenville Grrrowl. After this, Damon would make the switch to coaching and spend 2 years at Wayne State University. Damon then moved to Univ. Of Alaska-Anchorage where I was very eager to talk to him about his living experiences. He joked about seeing a lot of wild life but enjoyed his time there. Damon would then get a chance back at Michigan State as Director of Hockey Operations. I picked his brain about his day to day responsibilities and how he felt it was a very importance experience for his coaching career. Damon went on to Michigan Tech for 4 years, coaching a buddy of mine, before getting his first HC job at Lake Superior, where he has been stationed for the past 11 seasons. This episode is full of great helpful experiences as well as advice for any young coaches out there. Happy Damon had the time to share them with me. Hope you enjoy!