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Stepan steps down as Steel coach

NEW ULM — Zach Stepan, who has been the head coach for the New Ulm Steel NA3HL team for the past two seasons and had just been named Coach/General Manager of the Steel at the end of last season, resigned from that position at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Stepan has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Aberdeen Wings of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Stepan said that he will remain with the Steel for the next three to four weeks to help with the transition. His job with Aberdeen begins September 1.

He said that he did not look for a change but that this job opportunity came out of the blue late last week.

“The Aberdeen head coach and assistant coach were hired by Fargo last Wednesday so I received a call over this past weekend [from Aberdeen] asking if I was interested,” Stepan said. “We talked if through and they fired me a salary Tuesday night and it was something that I could not turn down. One, being an assistant coach in the NAHL and second it was more money.”

Ironically Aberdeen is in the same league as the Chippewa Steel, the parent NAHL team of the New Ulm Steel.

Like players who play in the NA3HL and want to advance to the NAHL and college hockey, Stepan said that it was a hard choice but one that he needed to accept as he advances his coaching career.

“We have worked hard this summer here in New Ulm with [new owner] Kelly Kasik and I think that we have built a lot of good things,” he said. “But from a career advancement standpoint I had to take it.”

Stepan said that his resigning should not affect the status of the incoming players to the Steel.

“I have reached out to all of them and I will make phone contact with all of them in the next few days. Myself and Curtis Doell [former Mankato West head boys hockey coach and first-year Steel assistant coach] recruited them and they know Curtis so that will help.”

Stepan said that he is not sure if Kasik and assistant General Manger Eric Gramentz will hire a coach/general manager or two separate people.

Gramentz said that they will likely be naming a new Steel head coach in the next week or so and did say that Doell is a candidate for that position.

The Steel is also in need of host families for incoming players and if you are interested, you can contact Gramentz at 507-217-1224.

Host families are paid $300 per month per player, which is standard in the NA3HL.

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