Mark Carlson

Mark Carlson (born February 5, 1969) is the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders President, Head Coach and General Manager. In 2016, he became the second United States Hockey League (USHL) coach to reach 1,000 games.

Early life and education Carlson was born in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. He played for the UMass Lowell River Hawks men's ice hockey. Carlson recorded his first collegiate goal on February 1, 1992, against the Wildcats.

Coaching career

College After graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing, he assumed the role of assistant coach for the 1995–96 season. In 1999, Carlson was offered a job at Colorado College, but committed to continue working alongside Bruce Crowder at UMass-Lowell.

USHL On July 7, 1999, Carlson was named the head coach of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL). During the team's inaugural season in Cedar Rapids, they had no home arena and practiced at Coral Ridge Mall. The team played their first game on September 24, 1999. He signed a three-year extension at the end of the season. As a result, he was the recipient of the 2005 USHL Coach of the Year.

In 2009, Carlson was re-signed to a 10-year contract courtesy of Newco Riders, LLC., which also included ownership of the team. He was also selected to coach the 2009 U.S. Junior Select Team at the World Junior A Challenge. Carlson achieved a personal milestone as well by becoming the sixth coach in USHL history to reach 400 wins. After that season, Carlson was offered a coaching position at the University of Massachusetts, which he declined.

During the 2015–16 season, Carlson became the second USHL coach to reach 1,000 games. After the RoughRiders clinched the Anderson Cup, he was named USHL Coach of the Year. Carlson continued his success with the RoughRiders and eventually became the first coach in the USHL to record 600 career wins with one team.

Awards and recognitions In January 2019, Carlson was nominated for the inaugural Darcy Haugan Memorial Award, named after Humboldt Broncos coach.

Personal life Carlson is married to Tammy and they have two sons together.