Michigan State hockey’s Director of Hockey Operations Dan Sturges died unexpectedly this morning, according to a statement released by MSU Athletics. Sturges has worked with MSU hockey since August of 2019, returning to his alma mater.
"Dan Sturges was a beloved member of the Michigan State hockey family, and our entire community is stunned at this devastating news" MSU head coach Adam Nightingale said in the statement. "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."
Sturges was a student-athlete at Michigan State from 2005–09, arriving just after Adam Nightingale graduated. As a redshirt sophomore, he won an NCAA championship with the Spartans in 2007.
He was one of 19 members in his family to attend MSU, including his father and brother who also played hockey for the Spartans.
Sturges was involved in MSU off the ice, too. He worked with Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) and advocated for several community-service initiatives, co-founding the hockey team’s "Shoot for a Cure" campaign, raising money for children’s cancer.
Prior to his time at Michigan State, Sturges coached ACHA hockey at the University of Colorado from 2016–19. He began with the Division II team before being promoted to the Division I program in 2019. He led the Division II team to the league playoff title in 2018 and was named Big Mountain Hockey Conference Coach of the Year.
From 2017–19, Sturges also served as an assistant coach at Valor Christian High School, working under former MSU assistant and Denver head coach George Gwozdecky.
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