Omaha Lancers

Marc Fritsche, originally from Parma, Ohio, currently serves as the General Manager for the Omaha Lancers, bringing a wealth of experience to his role.

His journey in hockey includes coaching the Cleveland Barons' Midget 16U and 18U teams from 2000 to 2015, followed by a significant tenure as Hockey Director for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes from 2016 to 2024, where he managed and coached multiple teams.

Marc's scouting expertise spans various leagues, having worked with the Chicago Steel, Amarillo Bulls, Cowichan Valley Capitals, Lincoln Stars and the Omaha Lancers in the USHL, NAHL, and BCHL.

His strategic insights were further developed during his time as Assistant General Manager for the Lancers. Beyond his club roles, Marc has dedicated 15 years to USA Hockey's MidAm camps, contributed to Rocky Mountain district camps, served as Arizona Player Development Director, and has been a coach at USA Hockey National Camps on multiple occasions.

His leadership extends to governance, having served as a Board of Director for the T1EHL and a board member for the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association, alongside being the Executive Director of the Arizona Jr. Sun Devils hockey program.

With dual citizenship in the United States and Switzerland, Marc brings a unique perspective to his current position, combining passion, dedication, and a global view of the sport.

Rich Michalowski joined the Omaha Lancers at the start of the 2022-23 season, bringing with him extensive experience in scouting within the USHL. His career in the league began under the leadership of current St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery, as part of the scouting staff for the 2012-13 Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. After four seasons in Dubuque, he transitioned to the Green Bay Gamblers, where he spent six years as a scout before joining the Lancers. 

In the 2023-24 season, he was promoted to Director of Scouting, leading the team's efforts in identifying top talent. Throughout his USHL tenure, Michalowski has played a key role in scouting and drafting multiple players who have gone on to compete in the NHL. Before entering the USHL scouting ranks, he spent 14 years coaching high school hockey, a role he continues in today.

Ron E. Fogarty is the head coach of the Omaha Lancers. With over 25 years of coaching experience at the NCAA, professional, and international levels, he is a proven leader in player development and team success.    

Before coaching in the Austrian League for Asiago, he spent 10 seasons at Princeton University, transforming the program from last place to ECAC Champions and developing multiple NHL players. He also built Adrian College's hockey program from the ground up, earning three Conference Coach of the Year honors.    

Fogarty has held coaching roles at Bowling Green, Clarkson, and Colgate, recruited and coached NHL talent, and founded First Contact Hockey Camp to develop players worldwide. A former Colgate University player and ECHL/CHL pro, he now brings his expertise and winning mindset to the Omaha Lancers.  

 

Christian Graham is a highly respected figure in the hockey world, bringing decades of experience as a player, coach, and mentor. His hockey journey began at Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minnesota, where he served as Assistant Captain from 1992 to 1994. He continued his playing career at Lake Superior State University and later in the USHL with the St. Paul Vulcans, before returning to the collegiate level as Assistant Captain at the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 1997 to 1999—a role that highlighted both his leadership and passion for the game.

Following his playing days, Christian transitioned seamlessly into coaching. Since 2000, he has held various roles with the UNO Mavericks and several AAA and AA programs, earning a reputation for developing players both on and off the ice. Today, he serves as the Hockey Director for the Omaha Hockey Club, where he continues to shape the next generation of athletes.

In addition to his leadership in youth hockey, Christian is the founder and owner of NXT Level Hockey Academy in Omaha. His approach to coaching blends hands-on experience with a strong academic foundation—holding a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Marketing (1999) and an Executive MBA (2010), both from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He's also been a featured speaker at multiple USA Hockey coaching events and has led coaching symposiums focused on leadership, development, and growth within the sport. 

Christian Graham remains committed to elevating the game of hockey and inspiring the players and coaches who are part of its future.

Dave DeSander is in his first season as the goaltending coach of the Omaha Lancers. He brings eight seasons of junior hockey coaching experience and nine seasons of playing experience between junior hockey, college hockey and professional hockey. 

The Saginaw, Mich. native joins his second USHL team after spending seven seasons in the same role for the Muskegon Lumberjacks from 2017-24. In his time with Muskegon, DeSanders oversaw a goaltending corps that surrendered less than 200 goals three times. He helped coach Brandon Bussi to seven shutouts in 2018-19, tied for the fifth-most in single-season USHL history, and a spot on the All-USHL Third Team.

DeSanders played college hockey at Marian University before spending part of five seasons playing professional hockey across three different leagues. He began his coaching career in 2012 withe Flint Jr. Generals. He went on to work for the Michigan Warriors and Corpus Christi IceRyays of the NAHL and worked his way up to becoming the executive vice president of Future Pro USA.

Hart, a Lincoln, NE native,  is entering his sixth season with the Lancers.  Prior to the Omaha Lancers Hart spent the 3 seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL. He spent two years prior in upstate New York as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Elmira College (NCAA Division III). Prior to his time at Elmira College, Hart served as an Athletic Training Student Intern with the Omaha Lancers. 

Hart earned his bachelor's degree in athletic training from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and recently graduated with a master's of science degree in education from Elmira College.

Alex Zillig joins the Lancers as the Head Equipment Manager for his third season in 2025-26. He graduated from Bellevue University with a sports management degree in 2022. Zillig has always had a  passion for hockey, starting when he was young kid playing travel hockey.

His passions also includes golf, where he had a successful college career at Bellevue University. Zillig has been involved with the Lancers for most of his life as he was a volunteer water/stick boy  with the Lancers when he was just eight years old. As well as interned with the Lancers throughout his college days. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.

Mike is no stranger to the hockey community. His love for the game, players, coaches, and fans is incredible! Since 2017, he has been cooking and providing meal plans that ensure the players get the proper healthy nutrition and calories needed to recover from practices and games.

Mike served his country with the United States Army in the Gulf War. He is also retired from the Omaha Fire Department, where he was a firefighter and paramedic. Mike will tell you if you love what you're doing, you'll never work a day in your life.

Mike and his wife Colleen have three sons, two daughter in-laws, one granddaughter and many billet sons. They are blessed!

D'Arcy Cox, a native of London, Ontario, is entering his fourth season with the Omaha Lancers as a Canadian Scout.  

Before joining the Lancers, Cox spent four seasons as the Ontario Scout for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Since 2017, he has also served as the Head Scout and Video Coach for the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), contributing to the team's impressive winning percentage of over .760.

Cox brings a strong coaching background, having spent five seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Elgin Middlesex Canucks and the London Jr. Knights AAA Minor Hockey programs.  

Beyond hockey, Cox holds a Master of Science in Education from D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York, and is a certified teacher in both Ontario and New York State. He currently works as an occasional teacher in English and Physical Education within the Avon Maitland and Thames Valley District School Boards. His academic background also includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Sport Management from Brock University.  

With a wealth of experience in scouting, coaching, and player development, Cox plays a key role in identifying and evaluating top talent for the Lancers.  

Chris has been a scout for the Omaha Lancers since the 2022-2023 season, bringing nearly 20 years of coaching and talent evaluation experience to the organization. Before transitioning to scouting, he spent 18 seasons as the head coach of Suffolk University's men's ice hockey team, where he became the program's all-time wins leader.

His coaching accomplishments include being named ECAC Northeast Coach of the Year and earning recognition as a finalist for both the prestigious Edward Jeremiah Award, presented annually to the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year, and the USCHO.com Coach of the Year.

Beyond his success in collegiate coaching, Glionna has been deeply involved in player development through USA Hockey and Massachusetts Hockey. His extensive experience in identifying and developing talent has made him a valuable asset to the Omaha Lancers' scouting staff as he continues to help build a competitive roster.

Brad Clayton joined the Omaha Lancers as a Minnesota Scout in 2023, bringing extensive experience in player development and scouting. For the past seven years, he has served as the Director of Player Personnel for the Minot Minotauros (NAHL), while also spending the last 13 years as the Director of Scouting for the Granite City Lumberjacks (NA3HL).  

His background includes nine seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) as Head Scout and Director of Bantam Prospects, as well as three seasons with the Austin Bruins (NAHL) as Director of Player Personnel and Assistant Coach. From 2012-2015, Brad was the Director of Scouting for the Janesville Jets (NAHL). He also worked with FHIT Hockey in Blaine, MN, serving as Director of Scouting and Guidance from 2015-2017.  

In addition to his scouting roles, Brad has a strong coaching background. He led Team Rangers to a championship in the inaugural Bantam Elite League season and currently coaches District 12 in the Minnesota 15's High Performance program. He also coaches the Minnesota Blue Ox U16 team in the Minnesota Tier 1 League. 

Brad, his wife Amber, and their son Dylan reside in Northern Minnesota.

A Parma, Ohio native, Ryan Steigmeier developed his passion for hockey early, leading him to compete at elite levels with the Cleveland Americans, Michigan Nationals, and Detroit Little Caesars. He later returned home to play for the Cleveland Barons Midget Minor team, finishing his junior career in Cleveland.  

Now a key part of the Cleveland Barons' coaching staff, Ryan is dedicated to developing young players and fostering a deep understanding of the game. For the 2025-26 season, he will serve as the Associate Head Coach for the Barons' 2009 team. Off the ice, Ryan enjoys life with his wife, three billet players, and their Bernedoodle.