Sioux Falls Stampede head coach Scott Owens announced on Thursday that he is retiring after 41 years as a coach at the junior and collegiate level. Owens, 64, had been with the Stampede since 2015.
Prior to Sioux Falls, Owens coached at Colorado College from 1999-2014 and he spent four seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers prior to taking the CC job. Owens is the winningest coach in Colorado College history with a 324-228-54 (.579) overall record.
“It has been an honor to serve as the Stampede head coach and general manager for the past five years,” said Owens in a statement. “My wife, Sally, and I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the ownership group, organization and community of Sioux Falls for making this a wonderful experience.
“We will cherish the relationships we have made and look back with fondness on the players, coaches and fans we have spent time with during our tenure. The PREMIER Center was a special place to coach in and I’ll take many good memories from that building. The 2018-19 Clark Cup run will remain one of my most favorite coaching experiences anywhere.
“It’s time to turn the page for both the organization and on our lives, but we will always follow and cheer for the Herd.”
Owens finishes his career with a 729-454-116 (.606) head coaching regular-season record between the Madison Capitols, Des Moines Buccaneers, Colorado College and Sioux Falls. He ranks eighth all-time in USHL wins with 405 in 693 career games, recently reaching the 400 milestone on January 31, 2020, and 52 career post-season wins with two Clark Cup championships.
The Madison, Wisconsin, native joined the Stampede on May 21, 2015 and spent the past five seasons as the head coach and general manager, managing the club to a 144-109-36 (.561) record. He most notably led the Stampede to a 39-16-7 record during the 2018-19 season and 11-1 post-season record en route to the third Clark Cup championship in team history.
“Scott is the consummate professional, a great coach, teacher and a dear friend. The best of the best,” said Stampede managing partner Brian Schoenborn. “He elevated our program on and off the ice and we are forever grateful for that. The job he did leading the Stampede was simply masterful – especially giving our fans and community our third Clark Cup championship last season, a championship so great we get to celebrate it for two years.
“We all owe Scott a sincere thank you for all he did for us and wish him and Sally all the best in their retirement. They are forever members of our Stampede family and we will miss them greatly.”
The team said that Owens would assist them in the upcoming USHL Draft and he would also play a key role in the coaching search to replace him.
