The 2025–26 season marks Tad O’Had’s sixth year at the helm of the Kansas City Mavericks. In 2024–25, the Mavericks captured both the Western Conference and Mountain Division regular-season titles, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. Last season, O’Had became the winningest coach in both Mavericks franchise history and Kansas City professional hockey history, while also recording his 200th win as Kansas City’s head coach on April 12.

During his tenure, O’Had has guided the Mavericks to two Mountain Division Championships, one Brabham Cup as ECHL regular-season champions, an ECHL record 29 road wins, two Western Conference Finals appearances, and the franchise’s first-ever trip to the Kelly Cup Finals.

A native of Yakima, Washington, O’Had joined Kansas City after seven seasons with the Florida Everblades, serving three years as assistant coach and four years as associate head coach. He was a key member of Florida’s defensive success, recruiting efforts, penalty kill, and strength & conditioning programs. Behind the bench for nearly 500 regular-season games and 67 postseason contests, O’Had helped the Everblades to a .699 winning percentage, six playoff berths, five South Division titles, a 2017–18 Brabham Cup, two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, and a Kelly Cup Final appearance.

Before his time with the Everblades, O’Had served as head coach and general manager of the Florida Jr. Blades, steering the program to a 112-19-8 record, two USA Hockey Nationals appearances, multiple regular-season titles, and the 2017 USPHL National Championship.

Growing up in the Tri-Cities area of Washington, O’Had gravitated towards hockey. He played three years at Millbrook Prep School in New York, junior hockey in the Ontario Provincial Hockey League with the Port Huron Clippers, and collegiate hockey at Connecticut College, where he was team captain.

Off the ice, O’Had was a founding member of BlueStreak Sports Training. In 2009, he became Vice President of Hockey for Athletic Republic Headquarters, overseeing 167 training facilities across the USA, Canada, and Russia, earning the Dick Vraa Award for his contributions to the network. In 2017, he was recognized on Gulfshore Business Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 list, honoring influential leaders in Southwest Florida.

Brett Ferguson joins the Mavericks following his tenure as Head Coach of the Allen Americans (ECHL). Prior to his time in Allen, Ferguson spent 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks organization, including the past five years as the NHL club’s video coach. His earlier years with Anaheim were dedicated to player development at the AHL level, serving nine seasons with the Ducks' primary affiliates, most recently the San Diego Gulls.

From 2015 to 2019, Ferguson was an assistant coach with the Gulls, where he specialized in developing forwards and managing the team’s power play. During his time behind the bench, the Gulls reached the Calder Cup Playoffs three times (2016, 2017, 2019), advancing to the Pacific Division Final each year and the Western Conference Final in 2019. He also served as video coach with Anaheim’s AHL affiliates in Norfolk (2012–2015) and Syracuse (2010–2012).

Ferguson began his coaching career as an assistant with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) in 2009–10—the same organization with which he played his Junior A hockey. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 2009 and was a member of the Pacers’ baseball team.

Hockey excellence runs in the Ferguson family. Brett’s father, Bob Ferguson, is a two-time John Brophy Award recipient as ECHL Coach of the Year, earning the honor in consecutive seasons (1998–2000) with the Florida Everblades, and he never missed the playoffs during his 25-year head coaching career. Brett’s grandfather, Lorne Ferguson, played over 400 games in the NHL during the 1950s, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Brett now resides in Lee’s Summit with his wife Amanda and their three sons: Caleb, Aiden, and Reid.

Holden “PD” Melgoza is an accomplished hockey coach with over eight years of experience developing elite goaltenders and players across NCAA Division I and the USHL. A first-generation college student, Melgoza blends academic ambition with a deep passion for hockey instruction and mentorship. Most recently, he served as an Assistant Coach at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, where he oversaw defensive and penalty kill systems, provided pre-scout and in-game analytics, and led the program’s goaltending development. His contributions helped secure three USHL commits to UAF—the program’s first since 2014—and his detailed post-game analysis and scouting reports were integral to team strategy. Prior to that, Melgoza spent two seasons with the Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL), where he developed 2022 NHL Draft pick Emmett Croteau and led the team’s defense and penalty kill units. He also held coaching and development roles at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, managing non-traveling player development and serving as Director of Hockey Operations and Goaltending Coach. On the national stage, Melgoza serves as a USA Hockey Goaltending Development Coach and is currently the Pacific District Goaltending Coordinator and Chief. He has worked with elite programs including the NTDP, National Select Festival, and the Pacific and Alaska Districts. In 2024, he was the Goaltending and Video Coach for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping guide the team to a fourth-place finish.Melgoza is widely respected for his ability to connect with players on and off the ice, taking a holistic, person-first approach to development. He is highly proficient in video analysis platforms such as Sportscode, XO’s, and Sports Contract, and consistently delivers detailed, actionable scouting and game reports for staff. In the off-season, Melgoza continues to train NHL goaltenders including Jeremy Swayman, and collaborates with NHL goalie coaches Colin Zulianello (Seattle Kraken) and Thomas Speer (San Jose Sharks) in high-level summer training environments. A proud California native, PD was born and raised in Long Beach, CA.

Scott Herbster is a full-time skating and skill development coach with over ten years of experience. During the regular season, Scott collaborates with various youth and high school organizations, offering his expertise as a skating and skills coach. Additionally, he holds the position of Director of Skill Development for the University of Wisconsin-Superior (DIII) Men’s and Women’s teams. Scott has also spent time with the University Wisconsin- Madison Men’s team (DI). During the off season Scott operates his company Herbster Hockey Power Skating & Skills where he works with players from beginner to the NHL through week long camps and summer programs. 

Nick Potter enters his tenth season with the Mavericks and is widely regarded as one of the top athletic trainers in the ECHL. Throughout his tenure in Kansas City, he has earned some of the league’s highest honors, being named ECHL Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2018–19 and once again in 2024–25. He also served as the Athletic Trainer for the 2020 ECHL All-Star Classic. Potter has created specialized rehab programs for several players during his tenure in Kansas City, including Achilles’ tendon repair (Jesse Root, 2016), Shoulder Reconstruction (Andrew Courtney, 2017; Greg Betzold, 2020), and ACL Reconstruction (Rocco Carzo, 2018). Potter served as the President of the ECHL Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society Executive Committee and is a member of the ECHL Player Safety Committee, ensuring the highest quality of healthcare and medical advancements provided to players and teams. Potter is also the ECHL representative on the AHL Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society Executive Committee. Before joining the Mavericks staff, he spent eight seasons as an assistant athletic trainer for the Kansas City Chiefs. A 2005 Western Michigan University graduate, he spent his 2004 and 2005 summers as an athletic training intern for the Detroit Lions. Potter earned his master’s degree in sports management from Texas Tech, where he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the school’s football and golf teams. He is a certified athletic trainer and a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and Kansas City Athletic Trainers Society, in addition to his membership in PHATS. Potter lives in Shawnee, Kan., with his wife, Kaylee, stepson Brayden, and his sons Easton and Cash.

Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Bryan Collier grew up assisting the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, where his passion for hockey and equipment management began. At the age of 20, he landed his first equipment manager position with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL, where he spent one season. He then moved on to the Tri-City Americans (WHL) for another year before joining the Chicago Steel (USHL), where he had spent the past two seasons. During the off-season, Bryan enjoys returning to Seattle to spend his summers in his hometown.

Owner of Summit Nutrition, Jourdan Mercurio-Lewis, brings a wealth of nutrition and diet expertise to the Mavericks as Team Nutritionist. Jourdan's passion for nutrition stems from being a former collegiate athlete herself and seeing the correlation between what happens in the kitchen and athletic performance. Jourdan graduated with her Bachelors degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City in Health Science with an internship under the dietitian at Children’s Mercy. She continued her education by receiving her Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition at Logan University, where she was the valedictorian of her class. Alongside Mavericks and Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs athletes, Jourdan also works with a wide range of clientele needs including chronic illnesses, children/families planning and weight loss. Jourdan’s "anti-fad dieting" approach guides players off the ice to improved performance on the ice. This includes pre and post-workout nutrition tailored to each athlete's personal goals. “Nutrition is about creating a lifestyle, not a diet. Athlete or fan. The great can become greater and implementing proper nutrition allows that next step to happen.” -Jourdan Mercurio-Lewis

Sara Reichenbach begins her third season as the Mavericks Mental Performance Coach. She is the founder of A.C.E. Coaching (www.acecoachingllc.com), a performance coaching practice focused on achieving full-charge performance and self-growth. A native of Aylmer, Quebec, Canada, Reichenbach earned her MPM certification in mental skills and her Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Mercyhurst University following her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at St. Lawrence University. While at St. Lawrence, Reichenbach was part of the women’s hockey team. She helped her team appear in four ECAC hockey tournaments and two NCAA Frozen Fours. Reichenbach was a four-time ECAC All-Academic Team member. Following her time at St. Lawrence, Reichenbach played professional in Switzerland from 2004-05, earning herself a tryout with the Swiss National Team. Reichenbach coached on season at the North American Hockey Academy in the JWHL. Following her time at the NAHA, she was an assistant coach at Mercyhurst during the 2006-07 season. Reichenbach then had two stints as an assistant coach for the University of Maine’s women’s hockey team (2007-09, 2012-22). Between those stints, she was an assistant coach for three seasons (2009-12) at Dartmouth College.

A Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance specializing in sports surgery, complex and revision knee and shoulder surgery, and joint preservation.

Brian Bauer is in his fifth season as the Mavericks Housing Coordinator. "I do it for the players". Brian enjoys having everything in place and ready, so when the players arrive all they have to do is walk in and unpack. Brian is a life long hockey guy and has been a part of the Mavericks in some capacity for 15 years. Prior to coming in as Housing Coordinator, Brian served the community for 32 years as a Captain with the Raytown Fire Department, before retiring. Brian has a degree in Fire Science as well as a degree in Public Safety Administration.