Program announces 2024-25 head coaches

March 13, 2024

The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets have announced its head coaching lineup for the 2024-25 season. The staff includes the new additions of Nate Handrahan (18U) and Josh Harrold (15O) to an already experienced professional staff.

"We are very fortunate to once again have such a highly accomplished staff in place for next season." said President Ed Gingher. "The strength of our program has always been in the people. This is high character group of leaders that is committed to the every day process of development and is focused on teaching and challenging our players to reach their potential both on and off the ice. This well connected staff will also play a big role in helping our players advance to the next levels of hockey."

In addition, the program would like to recognize the contributions of Darryl Noren and Pat Cannone as they will both move into different roles in 2024. Noren, who spent four seasons behind the bench, will be stepping away from coaching to focus on his other professional obligations and spend more time with his family. He led the 18U squad to a Mid-Am district championship and the National quarterfinals in 2020-21. Cannone will be taking a full-time position with Lakonic Sports Agency based in Kelowna, British Columbia. He was represented by Lakonic at the end of his playing career and will serve as a player representative, dedicated to guiding athletes throughout their hockey careers. Cannone will continue to reside in Columbus and serve the program as a skills coach and assistant with the 16U (2008) team.

2024-25 National Bound Head Coaches

18U (2006/07) - Nate Handrahan
Handrahan takes the reigns of the 18U team and brings over 25 years of experience at the elite levels of hockey, including spending time as a skills coach this past season for multiple teams in the program. His coaching resume includes 14 seasons at the Division I level of college hockey including five years as assistant coach at the Division I level with Niagara University (2001-2004) and Robert Morris University (2004-2006), as well as nine seasons as a head coach for the women's programs at Robert Morris (2006-2011) and Ohio State (2011-2015). From 2018-2020, Handrahan coached the Newark Generals to a high school state championship and a 3rd place finish at nationals. Most recently, Handrahan served as the head coach and general manager of the Columbus Mavericks (USPHL) from 2020-2023. He is also the owner and head coach of Hammer Hockey Development, which works to teach and develop the skill and sense for the the committed player to reach their potential.

As player, Handrahan was a standout defenseman and assistant captain for Niagara University (DI) where he was a two-time all-league player and helped lead the Purple Eagles to a pair of playoff championships in his 4-year career. Upon graduation, Handrahan played professionally for the Roanoke Express (ECHL).

16U (2008) - Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Tyutin will return as a head coach in the program after serving as an assistant coach with the 18U team in 2023-24. He had previously held the post as the head coach for 2007 birth year for three seasons at the 13U, 14U and 15O levels. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Tyutin played 872 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche over 14 seasons. He also served as a professional scout with the Blue Jackets in 2018-19.

A native of Izhevsk, Russia, Tyutin's accomplished resume includes an impressive amount of success in international play. A veteran of three Olympic Games, Tyutin helped lead Russia to a gold medal at the 2008 World Championship. He also won gold at the U20 World Junior Championship and U18 World Championship. Prior to turning pro, Fedor played one season with the Guelph Storm (OHL) where he played in the Memorial Cup and was named to the CHL's all-rookie team. He was a 2nd round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

16U Girls (2008/09) - Kerry Bowman
Kerry Bowman enters his third season as our program's girls hockey director and has played a integral role in the program's expansion. Next season, he will serve as the head coach of the 16U girls team for the third straight season. An accomplished player, teacher and coach with a well-rounded resume, Bowman came to Columbus after coaching the Washington Pride in the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) at the 19U and 16U levels from 2018-20. Prior to his time in Washington, DC, Bowman was the head coach for the AAA Sun County Panthers in the Ontario Hockey Federation from 2011-17 where he coached the 12U-15U levels. During this time, he also worked full-time as an educator, teaching French as a second language to students in grades 3-8. He has also served as a lead instructor with the CAN/AM Hockey group since 2001.

As a player, Bowman played Division I hockey at Mercyhurst College (DI) where he helped lead the Lakers to the Atlantic Hockey championship and NCAA Tournament in 2005. A two-time Atlantic Hockey Scholar Athlete, Kerry was the recipient of the Bill Smith Memorial Senior Award and served as team captain in 2008. Upon graduating with a bachelors degree in sports medicine, he went on to play two seasons professionally with the IHL's Port Huron Icehawks.

15O (2009) - Josh Harrold
Josh Harrold joins the program as its 15O head coach after spending the past five seasons as a head coach of the Cleveland Barons at the 15O and 16U levels. A native of Kirtland Hills, OH, Harrold brings a wealth of experience, including two years as an assistant coach here in Columbus with the USHL's Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets from 2006-08. He was also an assistant coach at the professional level with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) and junior level with the NAHL's Cleveland Barons and Alpena IceDiggers. Harrold has a significant amount of connections to help connect and guide players into the next levels of hockey.

Following a standout career at Miami University (DI), Harrold was signed to his first professional contract by current OBJ president Ed Gingher, who was the general manger of the Dayton Bombers (ECHL) at the time. Harrold would go on to play six seasons professionally, including more than 300 games in the AHL, IHL and ECHL. In 1994-95, he was named the NAHL defenseman of the year and a member of the league's first all-star team.

14U (2010) - Kyle Althen
Kyle Althen enters his fourth season as a head coach in the program. Althen was the head coach of the 2008 birth year for the past two seasons at the 14U and 15O levels. Prior to being a head coach, Althen served time as an assistant coach at the 15O level. Previously, he worked as the hockey director at the Battery Hockey Academy for 5 years and now owns Althen Hockey Development, which focuses on elite level training and development throughout the Midwest. Prior to moving to Columbus, Althen spent two seasons as the associate head coach and director of scouting for the Oswego Stampede (NA3HL). He also served as a scout for the Amarillo Bulls in the NAHL.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Althen played college hockey at the University of Akron (ACHA) where he was team president for all four seasons. Althen's junior career was spent with the Wooster Oilers and Central Wisconsin Saints of the GLJHL. In his final season, he captained the Oilers and tallied 63 points in 41 games. He played his high school hockey at Padua Franciscan in Parma.

14U Girls (2010/11) - Michael Darr
Michael Darr enters his second season as a head coach in the program after leading our 12U Girls team in its inaugural season in 2023-24. Darr has 18 years of coaching experience and has played an integral role in the growth of girls hockey since 2017. Previously, he has spent six seasons helping lead Central Ohio Girls Hockey where he helped develop the organization from beginner developmental programs to elite training camps during the spring and summer months. Furthermore, he helped the EYHA Lady Dragons program expand from one team to six teams at the 8U, 10U select, 12U select, 12U elite and 14U tier 2 levels. While with the Lady Dragons, he was a head coach or assistant coach and helped lead the team's progression of player development.

13O (2011) - Dan Cousineau
Dan Cousineau enters his 12th year coaching in the program and second season as head coach of the 2011 birth year. He has also spent six years as the head coach at the 14U level and two years with the Columbus Capitals at 18U. Dan has also served on the Columbus Amateur Hockey Association board and as the organizations travel hockey director for the last 4 years. Additionally, he has served as an assistant coach for the Easton Lady Dragons during his 20 years of hockey coaching. 

A native of Waterloo, ON, Canada, Dan played 4 years of varsity hockey at Ohio State and graduated with a degree in Marketing. He was named team captain his senior season. Following his college career, Cousineau played five years of professional hockey with the Columbus Chill, Indianapolis Ice, and San Diego Gulls. In 2002-03, he was part of the Gulls Tayler Cup championship team.

2024-25 Youth Head Coaches

12U (2012) - Todd Ehrie
Todd Ehrie returns for his 16th season coaching in the program and second consecutive year with the 2012 age group after a very successful 2023-24 campaign. With more than 30 years of coaching experience, he has been an integral part of the growth of our program and the entire Columbus hockey market. Next season will mark the 6th season as a head coach at the 12U level. In 2014, he led the 2001 birth year to a championship at the prestigious Quebec International PeeWee Tournament.

Ehrie has coached nearly every player that has come through the program at some point, highlighted by the 1997 team that included future NHLers Jack Roslovic, Kole Sherwood and Carson Meyer for several years. He has also spent time as an assistant coach at the 15O, 16U and 18U levels and was the head coach of the 2006 team at the 15O level.

12U Girls (2012/13) - Gino Ori
Gino Ori enters his first season as head coach in the program after serving as an assistant coach for the 12U Girls during its inaugural season in 2023-24. Ori has been instrumental in the growth of girls hockey in Central Ohio in recent years. From 2018-2022, he served as a head coach at EYHA and coached for the Central Ohio Girls Hockey program. In 2022-23, he led the EYHA Lady Dragons to a championship at the Silver Stick Tournament in St. Clair Shores, MI and a runner up finish in the International Silver Stick in Toronto.

A native of Niles, IL, Ori grew up playing AA hockey in the Chicago area. Following his youth career, he attended Miami University in Oxford, OH where he played four seasons for their club team, helping lead the team to the ACHA National Championship during his sophomore year. 

11U (2013) - James Nash
James Nash enters in his ninth season coaching in the program and sixth as a head coach. For the past three seasons, Nash has served as head coach at the 13U level. In all, he has more than 15 years of coaching experience and has spent considerable time as a professional skills coach working with elite players of all ages.

A native of Brampton, Ontario, Nash grew up playing AAA hockey in Toronto for the Mississauga Rebels of the GTHL (formerly MTHL). He also won an all-Ontario championship with the Brampton Maroons. Nash went on to play his junior hockey for the Mississauga Chargers (OPJHL) and college hockey for Humber College.

10U (2014) - Dale Jordan
Dale Jordan enters his 19th season with the program and will once again serve as head coach at the 10U level. As the program's hockey director, Dale assists with the oversight of the administrative aspect of the program and is responsible for managing teams in the 10U-12U age groups.

Dale has over 20 years of coaching experience at all different levels and has been a head coach in our program since 2007. Prior to joining the AAA Blue Jackets, he served as the varsity coach at St. Charles High School for 5 seasons from 2002-2006. During that time he also was a head coach for multiple bantam and pee wee AA travel teams at CCYHA. Jordan also spends time as a private hockey instructor and helps manage the program's camps, clinics and on-ice skills training sessions.

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Jordan played his junior hockey for the Columbus Crush and has playing experience at both the Junior A and Junior B levels.

Tryouts will occur between April 8-16, 2024. To learn more, visit our boys tryouts and girls tryouts pages.

If you are interested in applying for an assistant coaching position within the organization, please email us at info@aaabluejackets.com.

The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets program prides itself on being the premier youth hockey program in Ohio. With an every day mission to develop our student-athletes to reach their potential on and off of the ice, the program aims to provide a healthy and safe environment for the elite player to grow as a player, person and teammate through the great game of hockey.