BEMIDJI – When Jackson Keane inquired with Bemidji State coaches Tom Serratore and Travis Winter about the open assistant position, they told him about their Thanksgiving weekend tradition.
Keane, a former North Dakota forward, spent the previous two years as an assistant coach for the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League, the last of which he was the director of scouting.
However, when BSU assistant Andrew Magera – another former Force assistant – took a position with Lindenwood, a spot opened up for Keane to join the Beavers.
It means that Keane will be back at Ralph Engelstad Arena on Thanksgiving weekend. This time, he’ll be on the visitor’s bench.
“During this process, Tom mentioned the weekend in November when we play that home-and-home against UND,” Keane said. “I’m super excited, it’s obviously pretty close to home for me. Hopefully, my parents and some friends and family can come out to that one. It’s always cool to go back there, but it’ll be a little more fun now that I get to be competitive with it.”
Keane, 28, is still getting his feet wet as a coach.
After playing four years at UND, scoring five goals and nine assists in 72 games, he played in 49 ECHL games with the Orlando Solar Bears and the Wheeling Nailers. Even then, Keane knew he wanted to get into coaching.
He got his first gig with the Winnipeg Blues in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 2022, the same team he played for just four years before attending UND. He played in a pair of seasons with the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL, then another with the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League before enrolling at North Dakota in 2018.
UND forward Jackson Keane drives the puck past Alaska-Anchorage’s Jeremiah Luedtke (27) during a game in the 2018-19 season.
Grand Forks Herald file photo
“I went in a little older (to UND); I was 21,” Keane said. “I think I still had a lot of maturing to do. Going to North Dakota was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I got to meet a lot of my friends. It was also an eye-opener for me.”
Keane came to terms with the length of his playing career while he was in college. When it came to coaching, however, he sought advice from the UND brass.
“As a player, you figure out if you’re going to be playing for a long time or not,” Kean continued. “I didn’t think I’d have a super long (pro) career, and I told Brad Berry and Dane Jackson that someday, maybe down the line, I’d love to coach. It’s because of those guys that got me here. I want to do what they taught and help out in any way I can in Bemidji.”
Keane’s lone season behind the Winnipeg Blues bench was formidable. He joined the organization in November 2022, shortly after his playing career ended.
“I reached out to Alex Mandolidis, who was the coach there at the time,” Keane said. “He kind of let me do what I wanted. He let me run drills and be on the bench, and that was the best thing for me. He just threw me in there, and that was the easiest way to transition to coaching.”
After one season, Keane replaced Magera on Fargo’s coaching staff. He helped lead the Force to a historic run in 2023-24 that resulted in a Clark Cup.
One year later, Keane was named the director of scouting.
“The last two years, especially the first year, the team was on another level,” Keane said. “Seeing the talent and the players that come through, seeing them all have success in college now, too, it was great. It taught me a lot about the other side of coaching, the things you don’t think about as a player. It’s the travel, scouting, meals, practices. I learned so much about the game from the hockey operations side.”
Jackson Keane celebrates a highlight-reel goal against Alaska Anchorage during the 2018-19 season at North Dakota.
Grand Forks Herald file photo
Throughout his early coaching years, Keane has leaned on veterans. Along with the aforementioned Mandolidis, he picked the brains of Fargo front office personnel Cary Eades, Brett Skinner and Matt Cullen.
He aims to do the same at Bemidji State.
“Moving to college, it’s obviously a different landscape,” Keane said. “Having guys like Wints and Tom, it’s huge for my development, given everything they’ve done. They’ve been successful their whole career. Being able to learn from those guys will help me learn how to do things the right way.”
Since taking the BSU position. Keane has spoken with former Beavers about life in Bemidji, most notably Owen Sillinger. It’s helped him gauge BSU’s recruiting approach.
“Bemidji is about culture, and they’re based on hard work,” Keane said. “Being able to find the players that fit a culture and fit as a person is so important. We’re looking for the best players. The landscape now is so different than in years past.
“Andrew Magera did a really good job, and he helped me out a lot in Fargo. I think we have a similar eye in terms of players. You’re bringing in players that help you win on the ice and fit in your locker room. I can’t wait to start going to Western League games and over to Ontario, and to the USHL to find them. It’s cool to see the direction hockey is going.”
Keane’s hiring marks the fourth consecutive year BSU has replaced an exiting assistant coach. While it’s a role that has a lot of turnover, Keane isn’t thinking about his future prospects in the coaching realm just yet.
“Where I’m at, I’m just trying to take things one year at a time,” Keane said. “I’m trying to stay in the moment as much as I can and be where I am. When I was in Fargo, it was about doing a good job and developing as a coach. … That’s what I want to do at Bemidji. I want to take things one day at a time and learn as much as I can.
“Bemidji is a great spot for me to keep learning and developing, but I want to win, too. I just want to win. I want to be the best that I can be and help Bemidji win.”