Fresh off 2022 USHL championship, Strand hired as new assistant coach at Ohio State

Luke Strand guided the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers to a league championship in 2022 (photo: Sioux City Musketeers/USHL).

Luke Strand has been named an assistant coach for the Ohio State men’s hockey team.

Most recently, Strand was with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, where he led the team to the 2022 Clark Cup title.

“We are excited about the addition of Luke Strand to the staff,” Buckeyes head coach Steve Rohlik said in a statement. “He has an elite hockey mind and brings a work ethic and passion that will resonate throughout our entire program. Both Luke and Coach (JB) Bittner have the ability to communicate and develop players, and that is such an important quality at this level.”

Strand’s hockey experience includes a season at Wisconsin, coaching alongside Bittner, as well as stops at St. Norbert, where he started his coaching career, and his alma mater, Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

“Thank you to the leadership at The Ohio State for the opportunity to join their hockey staff led by Steve Rohlik and JB Bittner,” Strand said. “I look forward to continuing to grow the Buckeye hockey program to new heights. I love how Ohio State holds athletics and academics to high standards while striving to make the student-athletes even better people. I cannot wait to get started. My time in Sioux City has been very beneficial to teaching young men life and hockey and I now look forward to this new chapter.”

During his four-year career at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Strand was part of both the hockey and baseball programs.