After leading the Muskegon Lumberjacks to their first Clark Cup Championship in franchise history, head coach Parker Burgess stepped down after 2-1/2 years behind the bench. On Monday, the club named his replacement.
Colten St. Clair becomes the seventh head coach in Lumberjacks history. He joined the organization in February as an Associate Head Coach, helping the team to the Cup.
A native of Gilbert, AZ, St. Clair joined the Muskegon coaching staff with 16 games left in the 2024-25 season and saw the team finish 12-3-1-0 through the stretch. In the post-season, St. Clair and the Jacks went 11-2-1 on the way to the Clark Cup title.
“We are very excited to announce Colten as our next head coach,” Lumberjacks President Steve Lowe said in a statement. “We are very confident he will continue with our development model, empowering players to become better players and men while balancing the level of competition we are accustomed to.”
Previously in the USHL, St. Clair spent three seasons playing with the Fargo Force between 2008 and 2011. His time in Fargo included three runs to the Clark Cup Playoffs and a pair of appearances in the Finals in 2009 and 2010.
As a coach, St. Clair returned to the USHL in 2021-22 as an Associate Head Coach for the Sioux City Musketeers, helping them to a Clark Cup Championship.
Following his two years in Sioux City, he moved to Minnesota, becoming the head coach for the MN Wilderness of the NAHL.
The 2024-25 season saw St. Clair on two different benches in the USHL. Four games into the campaign, he took over the head coaching role for the Omaha Lancers and led the team to a 6-10-2-0 record in 18 games before parting ways with the organization. Overall, Omaha finished with a 7-48-6-1 record.
In February, he joined the Muskegon staff, winning his second Clark Cup title as an Associate Head Coach.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Pete Herms, Steve Lowe, Jimmy McGroarty, and the entire Muskegon Lumberjacks organization for believing in me to lead this team as the next head coach,” St. Clair said. “I would also like to thank Parker Burgess for showing me the way about what makes Muskegon so special. It’s an honor to be entrusted with carrying forward the winning culture that has been built here, one driven by passion, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Together, we will continue to develop leaders of men, fostering a team-first mentality and being relentless in our pursuit of growth – both on and off the ice.”
Along with winning, culture is also important to St. Clair.
“Our success isn’t just measured in victories, but in the strength of the culture built here, and the standards we set,” he added. “I am honored and excited to work with the organization and players that I care deeply about.”
St. Clair’s duties as head coach start immediately, with Main Camps I & II approaching in the next few weeks.