EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Michigan State\u2019s Director of Hockey Operations Dan Sturges passed away unexpectedly Monday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cDan Sturges was a beloved member of the Michigan State hockey family, and our entire community is stunned at this devastating news\u201d said Michigan State head hockey coach Adam Nightingale. \u201cHe was an adoring father and a devoted husband, and our hearts break for his wife Becky and their sons. As a player and later as a member of our staff, Dan loved being a Spartan and worked every day to make the program the best it possibly could be. His passion, dedication and impact will leave a lasting legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prayers of the Michigan State athletics family are with the Sturges family and the entire Spartan hockey program,\u201d said J Batt, Michigan State University Vice President and Director of Athletics. \u201cHe cared deeply about the student-athletes and staff in the hockey program, and built genuine relationships with people throughout the department. To lose him so suddenly is a shock to all. The department\u2019s top priority at this time will be providing supportive resources to members of the hockey program and athletic department as they grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sturges has worked with Michigan State hockey since returning to the program in 2019. A Spartan student-athlete from 2005-09, he was a member of the 2007 National Championship team. During that time, the Verona, Wisconsin, native was highly involved with Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) where he spearheaded several community service initiatives, including co-founding the hockey team\u2019s \u201cShoot for a Cure\u201d campaign. He is one of 19 members of his family to attend Michigan State, including his father (John) and brother (AJ) who were hockey letterwinners.<\/p>\n
Before returning to MSU in 2019, Sturges was at the University of Colorado where he coached two of the school\u2019s ACHA programs. Sturges was head coach of Colorado\u2019s ACHA DII team for three seasons from 2016-19 before being elevated to the top job of the ACHA DI program in spring 2019. He was named the Big Mountain Hockey Conference Coach of the Year in 2018 while leading his team to the league\u2019s playoff title.Simultaneously with his head coaching duties at Colorado, Sturges also served as an assistant coach from 2017-19 at Valor Christian High School where he worked under former Spartan assistant and Denver head coach George Gwozdecky.<\/p>\n
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