Bio

Coach Dan Phelps comes to Schoolcraft College with 24 years of coaching experience that includes 10 seasons at the high school level, 2 at the junior hockey level, 6 seasons coaching multiple ages at the Tier I AAA level in Detroit, and 6 seasons as the ACHA DI Head Coach, and ACHA Hockey Director, at Adrian College from 2008-2014. While at Adrian College, the program flourished under his direction, winning 3 GLCHL regular season championships, 2 GLCHL playoff championships, and making 4 consecutive trips to the ACHA DI National Tournament. During his tenure, he compiled a record of 165 wins/65 losses in his six seasons. In addition to his duties at Adrian College, Phelps was the assistant coach with the U.S. National University Team that traveled to Turkey in 2011 for the World University Games (WUG), where the team finished sixth overall. In 2013, he held the same position as the National University team traveled to Trentino, Italy for the 2013 WUG tournament in December, and experienced a 4^th place finish losing the bronze medal game to Russia. He made his final appearance on the WUG men’s coaching staff in 2015 when the team travelled to Grenada, Spain. Phelps was also instrumental in bringing the 2010 and 2011 ACHA Division 1 All-Star Game to Arrington Ice Arena on the campus of Adrian College. He also compiled an extensive list of multitudes ACHA All-Academic selections, and 2 ACHA All-American selections. On his side, he was selected the GLCHL Coach-of–the-Year in both 2011 and 2013, while also being honored by his peers as ACHA Men’s Division I National Coach-of-Year in 2011.

Phelps has been involved heavily in the development of numerous youth hockey players in the state of Michigan. He has served in an assistant coaching position the past 4 seasons with the Compuware Tier I AAA program, 2 at the 16U boy’s level, and 2 with the boy’s Pee Wee Major/Minor bantam program. From 2018-2020, he held the same position with the Victory Honda 16U midget program. From 2006-2008, he was the head coach and manager for the Michigan Ice Dogs Junior A Hockey Club of the Central States Hockey League (CSHL). Phelps' longest tenured position came at Novi High School as the head coach from 1998-2006. He helped establish the first ice hockey program in school history and advanced it to one of the top five high school hockey programs in the state of Michigan. His teams were conference leaders from 2000-2002 and won five regional championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006). Novi advanced to the state tournament semifinals in 2000, 2001 and 2003.

Coach Phelps played collegiate ice hockey for one season at the NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point and concluded his career at Eastern Michigan University as a member of their ACHA DI hockey program. He was named team captain all three years and team MVP twice. In addition, he was named First Team All-Defense three times and led the team in scoring for one season. Prior to college, he played junior hockey for the Sarnia Bees and Chatham Maroons of the Western Ontario Junior B League, and the Detroit Falcons of the NAHL Junior A League. He began his junior hockey career in the 83-84 season with the Paddock Pools Saints of the GLJHL. Phelps graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Dan is employed with the City of Farmington Hills as the Ice Arena Manager.