Team Owner
Matt Leaf
Matt is entering his first season (2023-24) as Team Owner for the Great Falls Americans.
Contact Rob: Mattl.gfamericans@gmail.com l Phone: 719-330-0229
Head Coach/General Manager
Greg Sears
Greg is entering his sixth season (2023-24) as Head Coach/General Manager for the Great Falls Americans.
A Webster, Wisconsin native, Sears brings over 11 years of coaching experience to the Americans program. Sears served last season as the Head Coach for the Florida Eels Elite in the USPHL. During the 2016-17 season Sears was an Assistant Coach for the Yellowstone Quake. The Quake went 40-4-3 and won both the Frontier division regular season and playoff title.
Prior to the season with the Quake, Sears served as the Head Coach for the Atlanta Fire U18 AAA hockey program, and Assistant Hockey Director in Alpharetta, Georgia. Coach Sears spent the 2013-14 season as an Assistant Coach for the Coulee Region Chill of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
Along with experience in the NAHL and NA3HL, Sears has spent eight years as a Head Prep hockey coach in Wisconsin, spending four years at both Webster High School, and La Crosse Central High School. In addition Coach Sears has worked with Top Dog Hockey program out of Minneapolis, Minnesota for 12 years.
Contact Greg: gsears@gfamericans.com l Phone: 715-566-2811
Associate Coach
TBA
Contact TBA:
Goaltenders Coach
Trever Mellen
Trever Mellen is entering his third season (2023-24) as Goaltenders Coach for the Great Falls Americans.
The native of North Branch, Minnesota played two years (2019-21) with the Americans as one of their goaltenders on their roster. In two seasons with the team, he played in 52 games and finished with an overall record of 34-11-0-1 (including playoffs where he went 3-2-0-0) and was selected to play for Team Bauer on the 2021 Top Prospects Tournament where he played in two games and was credited with one victory. Mellen had a save percentage of 0.936 and 1,776 saves in 1,912 attempts.
Prior to his arrival in Great Falls, Montana, he played three years with the North Branch (MN) High School hockey team
Here are his awards with the GF Americans:
| Stars of the Week: 2019-2020 and 2020-21 Seasons (Weeks Ending) | |||||
| Star of the Week | Oct. 19, 2020 | ||||
| 2nd Star | Oct. 8, 2019 | Dec. 6, 2020 | |||
| Honorable Mention | Dec. 17, 2019 | Feb. 9, 2020 | Feb. 16, 2020 | Mar. 1, 2020 | Oct. 11, 2020 |
| Oct. 25, 2020 | Dec. 13, 2020 | Dec. 21, 2020 | Feb. 14, 2021 | Feb. 28, 2021 | |
| Stars of the Month (Goaltender of the Month): 2019-2020 and 2020-21 Seasons | |||||
| Honorable Mention | Feb. 2020 | Oct. 2020 | Mar. 2021 | ||
| League Awards: 2020-21 Season | |||||
| 2020-21 Goaltender of the Year (Frontier Division) | |||||
| 2020-21 All-Frontier Division Team | |||||
| 2020-21 All-NA3HL Third Team |
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Zac Hattan
Zac is entering his second season (2023-24) as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Great Falls Americans.
The native of Kalamazoo, Michigan played 18 games over two seasons with the Americans as one of their goaltenders on their roster. Zac finished his Great Falls career with an overall record of 5-8-2-0 (including playoffs where he played in two games and was credited with one loss)
Prior to his arrival in Great Falls, Montana, he made 15 appearances with the NA3HL’s New Ulm Steel (2019-21) and suited up for the Kalamazoo (MI) High School Blades (2016-19).
Here are his awards with the GF Americans:
| Stars of the Week: 2020-2021 Season (Weeks Ending) | |||||
| Honorable Mention | Dec. 20, 2020 | Mar. 28, 2021 | |||
| Stars of the Week: 2021-2022 Season (Weeks Ending) | |||||
| Honorable Mention | Dec. 12, 2021 | Nov. 7, 2021 | |||
Public Relations/Media Coordinator
Kevin Scott
Kevin Scott is entering his 10th season (2023-24) as Public Relations Coordinator for the Great Falls Americans for the 2019-20 season. Kevin is in charge of the distribution of information regarding the hockey team. His duties include writing game summaries after home and away games, creating press releases for news announcements regarding the Americans and updating the website with current information.
In January 2014, he created a FREE weekly Great Falls Americans E-Newletter for fans during the hockey season. He also assists the news media with information and keeps them informed on news and events. He previously worked for the team in 2012 as a Parking Attendant.
Kevin grew up in Sand Coulee, MT (just east of Great Falls) and attended Centerville High School where he graduated in 1997. After high school, he attended the University of Montana-Western located in the small town of Dillon, MT, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Communications in 2002.
He is currently working at Easter Seals-Goodwill and The Newberry in Great Falls and is a Confero Sports Foundation board member. He is also a active member of the Lincoln School Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
Previously, Kevin was the Sports Information Director at the University of Great Falls, and he was also the Marketing Coordinator for the University of Great Falls Athletic Association Lancer Booster Club.
In his spare time, Kevin enjoys attending a variety of sporting events including hockey, football, basketball and baseball.
Kevin and his wife, Alta live in Great Falls and have one daughter, Lily born in June 2015.
Contact Kevin: kevymt@live.com l Phone: 406-403-8146
Education Coordinator/Academic Advisor
Kandi Rasmussen
Kandi is entering her second season (2023-24) as Education Coordinator/Academic Advisor for the Great Falls Americans.
Contact Kandi: kandirasmussen13@gmail.com l Phone: 701-240-5963
Billet Coordinator
Patrick Holtzmann
Pat is entering his second season (2023-24) as Billeting Coordinator for the Great Falls Americans.
His is a native of Redford, Michigan and lifelong hockey fan of the Detroit Red Wings. Pat is a recently retired Chief Master Sergeant from the United States Air Force with over 30 years of active-duty service in Security Forces. He is also a retired Reserve Police Officer with the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota and served as an auxiliary Deputy Sheriff with St. Clair County, Illinois. He has been a resident of the Great Falls community since 2015.
Pat is married with five children, and five grandchildren (sixth on the way in 2022). He is an adult leader for the local Cub Scouts and a member of the Knights of Columbus, Air Force Sergeants Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and the Gates of the Mountains Association.
Contact Patrick: pjholtzmann@gmail.com l Phone: 701-610-3082
Alternate Billet Coordinator
Pam Jackson
Pam is entering her second season (2023-24) as Alternate Billet Coordinator of the Great Falls Americans.
Contact Pam: nanapsmokey@yahoo.com l Phone: 406-564-5599
HockeyTV Play-By-Play Announcer/”Voice of the Americans”
Justin Latham
Justin is entering his second season (2023-24) as HockeyTV Play-By-Play Announcer/”Voice of the Great Falls Americans”.
Contact Justin: latham1995@gmail.com l Phone: 000-000-0000
