Monday’s introductory press conference Adam Nightingale as the eighth head coach of the Spartan hockey program will have both an audio and video feed. The press conference begins at 3 p.m. ET.
Adam Nightingale Press conference: Watch live | Listen live
Nightingale is a Spartan alumnus with hockey experience at the international, professional, collegiate and youth levels. He comes to MSU after two seasons as head coach of the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and brings four years of NHL experience, including as an assistant coach for the Reds. Detroit Wings in 2019-20. Known for his exceptional player development and recruiting connections, Nightingale served as alternate captain for two years as a Spartan student-athlete.
For the past two seasons, Nightingale served as head coach for the USNTDP. He guided his current team to a silver medal at the U.S. Men’s Under-18 World Championships last week. His U-18 side played 15 games against Division I competition throughout the 2021-22 campaign, going 8-7 and recorded three more wins against Division III schools. His list has 22 commitments in Division I.
Nightingale has now supported seven U.S. teams internationally, which includes his head coaching duties this season and as coach of the 2021 U.S. Men’s World Championship bronze-medal team. Previously, he was video coach for the United States Men’s National Team for three consecutive years (2017-19), including for the bronze medal-winning team in 2018. He was also the video coach for the United States Junior National Team United in 2015.
Prior to his stint with the USNTDP, the native of Cheboygan, Michigan spent four seasons on the NHL staff. From 2017 to 2020, he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization. As an assistant coach in 2019-20, he was responsible for player development, pre-scouting of opponents and penalty kill execution. He worked as a video coach during his first two years in Detroit, a role he also held for the Buffalo Sabers in 2016-17.
Prior to joining the professional ranks, Nightingale served as the head coach of Shattuck-St. Mary’s 14U (Bantam) Team in Faribault, Minnesota for two seasons (2014-16), leading the team to a national championship in 2016 as well as two years (2008-10) as the team’s head coach Midget AA from Shattuck.
Between his stints at Shattuck, Nightingale was the director of hockey operations at Michigan State, serving at his alma mater overseeing all team video as well as team travel.
While he began his college career at Lake Superior State (2000-02), the final two seasons of Nightingale’s college playing career were at Michigan State (2003-05). In a total of 118 games, he totaled 37 points (18g-19a). At MSU, he served as alternate captain for two seasons and won the Spartan Fitness Award in 2004. Nightingale then played four seasons in the ECHL with the Gwinnett Gladiators, Greenville Grrrowl and Charlotte Checkers.
Nightingale’s family includes his wife, Kristin, and three children, Trevor, Emmerson and Keeton. His older brother, Jason, is the assistant director of amateur scouting for the Buffalo Sabers, while his younger brother, Jared, is also a Spartan alum and is currently an assistant coach for the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs.