Iowa Heartlanders Extend Head Coach And General Manager Derek Damon

The Iowa Heartlanders have signed head coach and general manager Derek Damon to a multi-year contract extension

The Iowa Heartlanders have signed head coach and general manager Derek Damon to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced on Friday.

Damon, 43, will be entering his third season in this role during the 2024-25 season. He was appointed as the second head coach in Heartlanders history before the 2022-23 season. In two seasons thus far, he has led the team to a 49-73-19-3 record.

“I’m thrilled to sign this extension with the Heartlanders,” Damon said. “This community holds a special place in my family’s heart and it’s been an honor to become a part of eastern Iowa since we moved here before our inaugural season. As a team, we have unfinished business in year four and are looking forward to taking the next step and reaching the Kelly Cup Playoffs.”

“Derek has been an important piece of the Heartlanders’ growth and it was essential we brought him back on a multi-year extension to remain one of the faces of our organization,” said Heartlanders owner Michael Devlin. “Derek’s impact behind the bench and as a community ambassador has made him an invaluable asset to the long-term success of our team. We are headed in a strong direction organizationally, and having Derek as our Head Coach solidifies that our on-ice product will take the next steps to becoming a perennial winner.” 

Before getting into coaching, Damon played professionally in the AHL, ECHL, and the European circuit after his successful stint as a standout player at the University of Maine. 

Damon retired from playing hockey after the 2019-20 season and joined the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks as an assistant coach and director of player development during the 2020-21 season. 

He was named an assistant coach for Iowa's inaugural season in 2021-22.

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