Army West Point head hockey coach Zach McKelvie announced last week that they would be making an addition to the coaching staff, with Jared Bussard joining the program for the 2026-27 season as an assistant coach.
“Buzzy’s been great. He’s been on site for several weeks now, and he’s been a tremendous addition to our program,” said McKelvie.
This season with the Black Knights, Bussard will oversee “skill development” and play a key role in recruiting, while also supporting day-to-day operations at the facility.
Bussard arrives at West Point following a stint with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Last season, he ran a power play that helped boost the team’s offense to 3.79 goals per game—the league’s third-best scoring average, a 32% increase from the prior year, and the third-highest mark in franchise history.
He also contributed to the development of Hawke Huff, a Defenseman of the Year finalist and a 2026 5th-round draft pick of the Seattle Kraken. Bussard, along with his coaching duties, also supported all aspects of team operations, including scouting, recruiting, practice planning, video analysis, bench management, and skill development.
“You know, when we hired this position, I didn’t really know Buzzy beforehand. So didn’t know what he was going to bring to the table. He had a job description, and I’m quickly finding that he is capable of a lot. His knowledge of the game and his expertise are really, really high. He knows how to identify talent in the recruiting process, too. He’s been a great addition so far, and most importantly, he’s a great fit for the Academy. He lives the values that we want in our assistant coaches.”
Before his time in Cedar Rapids, Bussard served as an assistant and skills coach for the Des Moines Buccaneers during the 2024–25 season, as well as a development coach for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. In Des Moines, he directed a power-play unit that clicked at 22.3%—the franchise’s second-highest mark since 2005–06—while overseeing daily practice planning, video review, bench management, and player development.
This won’t be Bussard’s first collegiate stint. Buzzy previously spent two seasons at NCAA Division III Trine University, serving as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, skills coach, and video analyst. He now looks to draw on that experience under head coach Zach McKelvie, who is set to begin his second season as the head coach at Army.
Bussard and the Black Knights open the 2026-27 campaign at Tate Rink with an exhibition against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday, October 2nd, before hosting Union College on Saturday, October 3rd.
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