Burgess contract extended by Jets; Named Asst GM
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Janesville Jets head coach Parker Burgess.
The Janesville Jets, proud members of the North American Hockey League, have extended the contract of head coach Parker Burgess and promoted him to Assistant General Manager. General Manager Joe Dibble and assistant coach Ryan Black will also return next season.
“My partners and I are excited about the progress the Jets have made under Coach Burgess and look forward to his continued leadership with the team,” said Jets President and NAHL Board Chairman Bill McCoshen. “Coach Burgess has done an incredible job building the right culture and developing our players for the next level. No team was hotter than the Jets in the second half of last season, and we think we can build on that success right away this season.”
Burgess joined the Jets in 2020 and guided the team to the Midwest Division championship. His successful opening year earned him the Midwest Division Coach of the Year award in his first season. This past season, the Jets finished nine games over .500, with an 11-game win streak the high point of the year. In his two seasons as head coach with the Jets, Burgess owns a 66-41-4-1 record.
“We are very excited to have Parker and his family staying put in Janesville,” said Jets General Manager Joe Dibble. “Parker has a lot of strengths as a head coach, but I always go to his ability to be a communicator. He is upfront and honest with every player. He builds a true and honest relationship with every guy. They trust him with their development path and their hockey futures.”
Dibble rejoined the Jets program as General Manager in January 2019 and is the winningest coach in Jets history with a 181-91-28 career record in five seasons as Head Coach & General Manager from 2012 to 2017.
“Unequivocally, Parker is the best person for the job,” Dibble said. “He is a great leader, spokesperson, and ambassador for our organization. We are lucky to have him as our Head coach and assistant GM, and I very much look forward to our continued partnership.”
“On behalf of myself and my family, we’re beyond grateful to our ownership group Bill McCoshen, Tim Berry, and Joe Pavelski, for their continued support, trust, and confidence in myself and our staff to represent Janesville, the Jets organization, and the players that we’re able to coach,” said Head Coach and Assistant General Manager Parker Burgess. “Janesville is a truly special place in junior hockey. The commitment from the organization to our players and their development and advancement is second to none in the North American Hockey League. I’m very excited to build off the past two years, the success we’ve had moving players on, the wins and culture we’ve built, and taking steps forward next year and into the future. We not only want to continue our commitment to the development and advancement of our players but also bring a Robertson Cup to Janesville. It’s something our ownership group and the community are very hungry for, and I can assure everyone that our staff and myself have that same passion and drive to bring a Robertson Cup to Janesville.”
The Jets have made the playoffs in nine of their 13 seasons in the NAHL, with two trips to the semi-finals (2015, 2017) their furthest advancements.
“I’m honored to get the title of Assistant General Manager,” continued Burgess. “To have the opportunity to work with, in my opinion, the best General Manager in the league in Joe Dibble. He’s been a tremendous mentor to me and helped me grow as a coach and have a responsibility in the player procurement side of things and the management side of things. I’m sincerely appreciative to Joe [Dibble] and all he’s done for the Jets organization and me.”
“We’re very excited about the group we have coming back and the players we’ve tendered, drafted, and identified as free agents that we think will help us build the roster that will compete for the Robertson Cup this year,” said Burgess. “Honestly, I couldn’t be in a better spot. We love it in Janesville, working for the Jets organization, and I’m excited to have another year with Assistant Coach Ryan Black. He [Ryan Black] took tremendous strides as a young, up-and-coming coach. His connection with our players, experience, passion, and knowledge of the game is instrumental to our success, and we’re excited to have him back as well. I can’t say thank you enough to the Jets staff, both in the office and at the rink, our rink staff, player and billet parents, season ticket holders, and fans for the tremendous support of our team, and I look forward to more greats years in Janesville.”
Parker Burgess will open his third season as head coach on September 22, 2022, against the Kenai River Brown Bears to kick off Janesville’s 14th season in the NAHL.