Staff Directory

Adam Nightingale

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
355-1639

MSU Accolades
2024, 2026 Big Ten Coach of the Year
2024, 2025, 2026 Big Ten Regular Season Champion
2024, 2025 Big Ten Tournament Champion
2024, 2025 Great Lakes Invitational Champion
Three NCAA Tournament Appearances (2024, 2025, 2026)
NCAA Regional Final (2024, 2026)
2024 Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year Finalist

Collegiate Playing Experience:
Lake Superior State 1999-2002
Michigan State 2003-05
   NCAA Qualifier (2004)
   Great Lakes Invitational Title (2004)
   Spartan Fitness Award (2004)

Previous Coaching Experience:
Head Coach, U.S. National Junior Team (2026)

Head Coach, USNTDP, 2020-22
    IIHF U-18 World Championship Silver Medal (2022)

Assistant Coach, Detroit Red Wings, 2019-20
Video Coach, Detroit Red Wings, 2017-19
Video Coach, Buffalo Sabres, 2016-17
Video Coach/Hockey Operations, Michigan State 2010-14

Head Coach, Shattuck-St. Mary’s
       Bantam, 2014-16
       Midget AA, 2008-10

Adam Nightingale returned to Michigan State as its eighth head in program history in May 2022. Player development has been a cornerstone of Nightingale's tenure as the program returns to the "Commitment to Excellence" that was preached by Ron Mason. In four seasons, Nightingale has produced 15 All-Big Ten selections, seven All-Americans, a Big Ten Player of the Year, two Big Ten Defensive Players of the Year, two Big Ten Goaltenders of the Year, a Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and a Mike Richter Award winner.

Entering his fifth season at the helm in 2026-27, Nightingale has guided Michigan State hockey to back-to-back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles, two conference tournament titles and a 95-44-11 overall record. His .670 career winning percentage ranks second in program history behind legendary head coach Ron Mason's .687. MSU's conference titles in 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 marked the first time in program history that Michigan State won three consecutive conference titles. The Spartans previously became the first school to win back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in the same seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25).

The Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2025-26, Nightingale led the Spartans to a 26-9-2 record, a third consecutive Big Ten regular season championship, a third consecutive NCAA Tournament and the 30th overall NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Michigan State received a No. 1 seed for the third consecutive season. Matt Basgall was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Trey Augustine earned Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors for a second straight season. Charlie Stramel and Porter Martone also earned All-Big Ten First Team honors while Daniel Russell was an honorable mention. Augustine, Martone and Stramel garnered CCM/AHCA All-America status, with Augustine and Martone named to the first team and Stramel as a second team honoree. Augustine became the first Spartan in program history to win the Mike Richter Award, presented annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey.

In 2024-25, Michigan State finished 26-7-4, making its second consecutive and 29th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, which ranks seventh all-time among NCAA Division I institutions. Michigan State received a No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season and was the No. 2 seeded team in the tournament overall. A total of four Spartans earned All-Big Ten honors, with Isaac Howard being named Player of the Year and Trey Augustine earning Goaltender of the Year. Augustine was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, which is prestented to the nation's top goaltender, and the Sullivan Award given to the nation's top amateur athlete. Howard became the third Spartan all-time to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and the fourth to win USA Hockey's Jim Johannson College Player of the Year award.

The 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year and Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year finalist guided the Spartans to Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles in 2023-24, the first for the program on both fronts. His squad finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 25-10-3 record (16-6-2 B1G), the most victories since 2007-08. Michigan State captured its first regular-season league title in 23 seasons and its first postseason tournament trophy since 2006, and advanced to the NCAA regional final. A total of six Spartans earned All-Big Ten postseason awards, and Artyom Levshunov was named an All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

In his first season at the helm in 2022-23, Nightingale led the Spartans to an 18-18-2 record which marked a six-win improvement from the prior season and the most wins by the program since 2011-12 (19-16-4). MSU advanced to the B1G Tournament semifinal for the first time in program history after a 2-1 series win over Notre Dame.

Nightingale’s coaching trajectory includes quality experience at every level of competitive hockey - international, professional, collegiate and youth. Whether at one of the top high school for developing young talent (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), collegiately at Michigan State, or as both a video and bench coach in the NHL, Nightingale has built a reputation of exceptional player development. At every step of his career, Nightingale has developed strong recruiting ties and professional relationships through all levels of hockey, helping him identify, coach and develop young talent to reach their goals both on the ice and for life beyond hockey.

Nightingale served as head coach at the US National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan from 2020-22. Guiding some of the top talent in world in the age group, he led his team to a silver medal at the U.S. Under-18 Men’s World Championships in 2022. His roster boasted 22 Division I commitments and seven players selected in the first round of the 2022 or 2023 NHL Drafts.

Nightingale has supported eight U.S. teams on the international stage, which includes his head coaching duties with the U18’s in 2022 and as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2025 U.S. Men’s World Championship Team. Previously, he was video coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team in three consecutive years (2017-19), including for the bronze medal-winning 2018 squad. He was also the video coach for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team.

Prior to his time with the USNTDP, the Cheboygan, Michigan, native spent four seasons on NHL staffs. From 2017-20, he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization. As an assistant coach in 2019-20, he was responsible for player development, pre-scouting opponents and running the penalty kill. He worked as the video coach for his first two years in Detroit, a role he also held for the Buffalo Sabres in 2016-17.

Before joining the pro ranks, Nightingale served as head coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s 14U (Bantam) Team in Faribault, Minnesota for two seasons (2014-16), leading the team to a national championship in 2016, and spent two years (2008-10) as the head coach of the Shattuck midget AA squad.

Between his stints at Shattuck, Nightingale was the director of hockey operations at Michigan State, serving at his alma mater overseeing all team video and travel.

While he began his collegiate career at Lake Superior State, (2000-02), the final two seasons of Nightingale’s collegiate playing career came at Michigan State (2003-05). Over a combined 118 games, he totaled 37 points (18g-19a). At MSU, he served as alternate captain for both of his playing seasons, and won the Spartan Fitness Award in 2004. Nightingale then went on to play parts of four seasons in the ECHL with the Gwinnett Gladiators, Greenville Grrrowl and Charlotte Checkers.

Nightingale’s older brother, Jason, is the Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting for the Buffalo Sabres, while his younger brother, Jared, is also a Spartan alumnus and is the head coach of the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL), an affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.