Ferris State Hockey Head Coach Brett Riley Finalizes Coaching Staff With Three Appointments

Big Rapids, Mich. - New Ferris State University men's ice hockey head coach Brett Riley has finalized his coaching staff with the appointment of three well-respected individuals who have joined the FSU program.

Riley, who was tabbed as the Bulldogs' sixth head coach in 50 years of collegiate ice hockey, has tabbed Zack Cisek as the program's associate coach and hired Bulldog alum Justin DeMartino along with Gehrig Sarosy as assistant coaches.

"I'm excited to have all three of these guys on board and believe they are the best fit for our program and what we are trying to achieve," said Riley. "Each of the three are outstanding additions and bring a variety of skills and abilities that will have a major impact for us moving forward. They'll be excellent working with our student-athletes on a daily basis both on and off the ice.

"They will be great mentors, leaders and ambassadors and exemplify the passion for the game and the energy we need to continue to build our program in all areas," he added.

Cisek most recently spent the past three seasons coaching in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) at Miami (Ohio), where he was involved in virtually every facet of the program. He previously served as the associate head coach at Lake Superior State as an integral part of building the Lakers' program in the CCHA. Cisek played collegiately at Michigan State and originally began his coaching career at Miami before serving as a volunteer assistant at Notre Dame prior to his LSSU tenure.

DeMartino returns to the Bulldog program after playing at FSU from 2010-14. He was a member of the Bulldogs' 2012 NCAA Frozen Four team and began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant for the Bulldogs. He has also coached in the American Hockey League, the United States Hockey League and the North American Hockey league. Most recently, he coached the Fox Motors U-18 team following a stint as the video coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.

Finally, Sarosy rejoins Riley at Ferris State after serving on his staff at Long Island University the past four seasons. He was a key part of LIU's overall growth and served as the director of hockey operations and video coach. Prior to joining the Sharks, he held the video coach position for men's ice hockey at Ohio University from 2019-21. Sarosy is a graduate of Ohio University.

Riley, who has served as the head coach at NCAA Division I Long Island University since 2020, follows legendary head coach Bob Daniels, who retired this year following 33 season at the Bulldog helm.

A third-generation hockey coach with a proven track record of leadership and passion for developing young talent, Riley led Long Island to the Sharks' winningest season in program history this past campaign, finishing the 2024-25 season with a 20-12-2 overall record while compiling the nation's best home mark with a 14-1 record at the Norewell Health Ice Center. He was named the NCAA Independent Hockey Coach of the Year.

The Bulldogs will begin the 2025-26 slate with a highly-competitive regular season schedule in October in the debut season under Riley.