Photo Courtesy of the Des Moines Buccaneers [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/85a582e9-d3fb-418b-9a6d-b352b6d7d83b.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Des Moines Buccaneers After joining the Des Moines Buccaneers as their new head coach and president of hockey operations, Derek Damon [https://thehockeynews.com/ushl/latest-news/buccaneers-welcome-derek-damon-as-new-head-coach-and-president-of-hockey-operations]is now going about the task of putting his staff together. On Friday, the club announced the hiring of Kevin Schmidt as the new Associate Head Coach and Director of Player Development. “I’m incredibly excited to be coming to the Buccaneers, becoming part of the community, and contributing to a storied franchise,” Schmidt said in a statement. “I want to thank Michael Devlin and the ownership group, our President Eric Grundfast, and Head Coach and President of Hockey Operations Derek Damon for the opportunity to join the Buccaneers family. I look forward to helping build a culture where our players can become the best versions of themselves, both on and off the ice. There’s a clear vision here for long-term success, and I’m excited to get to work and be part of something special.” Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Schmidt began coaching with the Iowa Heartlanders [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/game-day/komets-end-heartlanders-fairy-tale-season-move-on-to-division-finals]for the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach and goalie coach. He follows a similar path to Damon, having played parts of 15 professional seasons, most of them in Europe. Schmidt began his pro career in 2009-10 with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/nailers-young-guns-leading-the-charge]before heading overseas, where he spent 14 seasons. In Germany, Schmidt helped his teams reach the playoffs nine times over 11 years and recorded 113 points in 347 games in the top-tier DEL. He was named DEL2 Defenseman of the Year in 2021-22 with EC Bad Nauheim. Before going pro, Schmidt played four seasons of NCAA hockey [https://thehockeynews.com/ncaa/]at Bowling Green State University, serving as an alternate captain his senior year. In 2008-09, he led the team in assists and tied for third in points, ranking among the top CCHA defensemen. He appeared in more than 100 games during his NCAA career. “I’m thrilled to have Kevin Schmidt on board as Associate Head Coach and Director of Player Development with the Des Moines Buccaneers,” Damon said. “After a year of coaching together with the Iowa Heartlanders, I’ve seen firsthand the wealth of knowledge Kevin brings—especially on the defensive side of the game. I’m excited for him to get to work with the Buccaneers as we pursue our shared vision of restoring the Bucs to their winning culture.”
