Former SCSU coach Eric Rud named head coach of the Sioux Falls Stampede

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Rob Rassey was introduced as head coach of the Sioux Falls Stampede on July 28, and now a few weeks later he is heading to the University of Michigan to take over as an assistant for the Wolverine's program and Eric Rud is the new guy at the helm of the program.

"When you hire top-end people, you know there is always a risk you may lose them and the timing is not always ideal," said Stampede vice president of hockey operations and general manager Tony Gasparini in a press release issued by the organization.

With Rassey heading to Michigan, that made room for Eric Rud to step into the role of head coach.

"We couldn't be more ecstatic to welcome Eric Rud to the Stampede family," Gasparini said in the press release. "We are very fortunate to bring in someone with the wealth of hockey knowledge and experience that Eric has. We share the same vision for player development and goal of bringing a Clark Cup championship back to Sioux Falls."

Rud comes into this position with a wealth of hockey experience. He was an assistant coach for the St. Cloud State men's hockey team from 2005-2010 before joining Colorado College as an assistant from 2011-2014. In 2010-2011, Rud served as the head coach and general manager for the Green Bay Gamblers, a team that made it to the Clark Cup final that year. Rud also was the head coach of the St. Cloud State women's hockey team from 2014-19 and was an assistant for Miami from 2019 until being named the Stampede's head coach.

Rud, 49, played defense for Colorado College (1993-97) after playing two seasons of junior hockey for the Des Moines Bucaneers. He played his high school hockey for Simley (Minn.). Rud's son, Max, is a University of Minnesota recruit and will return for his second season with the Stampede in the fall. Rud's daughter, Gabbie, will be a sophomore forward for Cornell University in the fall.