Minot, ND – The Minot Minotauros are proud to announce that Kyle Sharkey and Connor Mauro have been added to the coaching staff to fill the vacant Assistant Coach roles. Tauros Head Coach and General Manager Cody Campbell is excited about the hires saying “We are very excited to add Kyle and Connor to our staff. We had 50 plus applicants and went through a very thorough and detailed process and these two guys really rose to the top. We are excited to add these two new members to the Coaching Staff, Tauros organization, and Minot Community.”
Sharkey has ties to the NAHL having played for the Topeka Roadrunners (now the Amarillo Wranglers) from 2010 to 2013; he is still the franchise all-time leading scorer with 129 career points on 55 goals and 74 assists in 159 games. From there he went on to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he eventually became team captain and a National Champion. After college Sharkey played four seasons for the Huntsville Havoc where they won two SPHL Championships before his final season ended abruptly due to the covid shutdown.
Now as Sharkey begins his coaching career he says he chose Minot because “I knew that the Tauros have always been a great organization. I have played with guys that played here and heard great things. Organizations that stick around in the same spot for 10 plus years are doing something right and I believe that doesn’t happen unless you are all in.”
Mauro on the other hand has four years of experience behind the bench having spent his entire coaching career with NCAA DIII Anna Maria College. Prior to coaching he played junior hockey for the New England Huskies and advanced to NCAA DIII Franklin Pierce University. Mauro pointed to two reasons for coming to Minot, “I was looking for a new opportunity in my coaching career. It caught my interest because of the focus on player development and advancement.” He continued, “I was also familiar with Cody’s success as a coach from his time in the EHL.”
Campbell was effusive in his praise of both of his new Assistants:
“Kyle is a proven winner and leader as a player, he has been a captain at every level, he was Topeka’s all time leading scorer during their time in the NAHL. He won a National Championship at the D3 college level, and won back to back championship at the pro level in the SPHL. He has immense energy and a true passion for coaching and he is going to be a wonderful asset for our players.
Connor spent the last 4 seasons at the NCAA D3 level as an assistant coach. He spearheaded Anna Maria’s recruiting efforts and has an extensive recruiting network that he will be able to tap into to continue the Tauros success of bringing high caliber players to our organization. Connor is also well versed in the player development side of things and will be able to play a big role in the development of our players while they are here in Minot.”
The Tauros new Assistants both describe themselves as “players coach[es]” and hope their time in Minot helps them advance their careers as it has for previous Tauros Assistant Coaches. Through the Tauros eleven seasons the seven previous Assistant Coaches have gone on to become a Head Coach at either the junior or college level.
Both Mauro and Sharkey pointed to past coaches they have played for as people they will draw from. Mauro explained;
“One person who has been a huge mentor for me has been Dave McCauley. I began my coaching career four years ago with him as Anna Maria College was a brand-new program. He has been huge in my development and taught me a lot along the way. Another coach that I have always admired was Steve Jacobs. I played for him in juniors and he had a huge impact on my playing career. I really enjoyed his coaching style as he knew when to be hard on players but also was a player’s coach and had great relationships with his players.”
Similarly Sharkey pointed to some of his former coaches, including one who Tauro fans may remember, “I have learned a lot from the past coaches that I have played for like Scott Langer, Greg Vanover, Luc Trombetta, Glenn Detulleo, Chris Brooks, and Stu Stefan.”
Aside from former coaches both also were quick to thank their support systems for helping them pursue their passions. “I’d like to thank my wife and family for believing in me and picking up our life to chase this dream of coaching,” said Sharkey. Mauro echoed, “I would like to thank my parents and family for all of their support through my hockey career, both playing and now coaching.”
The duo will both arrive in Minot next week ahead of the league meetings at the Robertson Cup Final Four followed by the Minotauros Pre-Draft Camps. Stay tuned to gotauros.com and the Tauros socials for updates on the Tauros coaching staff and all other news through the off-season.