Watertown, SD — After two seasons behind the bench with the Watertown Shamrocks, Assistant Coach Griff Jeszka will be leaving the organization to join Princeton Universities Men’s Hockey staff as the Director of Hockey Operations.
“The last two years in Watertown have been an amazing experience for me. What I thought would be a challenge to get the organization up and running, soon became a well-oiled machine thanks to the hard work of many special people. I want to thank my coworkers, especially Casey Kirley, Anne Hanson, Ryan Bisgard, Blake Theisen, and Sam Cappadora for spending the last two years working everyday with high energy and hard work ethic. Thank you to Vince and Patty Foley and Mark Gulbrandson for the constant support and enthusiasm to make this the best organization in the league.”
The Muskego, Wisconsin native joined the Shamrocks in the spring of 2024 ahead of their inaugural season as the first member of Head Coach and General Manager Casey Kirley’s staff. During his time in Watertown, he helped the Shamrocks turn a slow start into a 14-11-0-4 second half finish in their opening season and clinched the organizations first playoff berth in the 2025-26 season with a 31-23-3-2 record.
“We thank Griff for his hard work and dedication to Shamrock’s hockey these past two seasons,” Shamrocks Head Coach and General Manager Casey Kirley said. “He was instrumental in the growth of our team. We wish him the best of luck in his new role at Princeton University.”
“I whole-heartedly want to thank the community,” Jeszka added. “I felt welcomed here from day one, and it didn’t take long to realize that Watertown is truly a special place. Over the two years here, I’ve met so many amazing people and families that supported our program. I appreciate you and will miss you all dearly. Lastly, I want to thank the players. It was an incredible experience to get to know every one of you and seeing you grow as men and hockey players. I will keep an eye on all of you through the years. I am very proud to say that I was a coach of the Watertown Shamrocks.”
The Shamrocks organization would like to thank Jeszka for his time with the Watertown Shamrocks organization and wish him the best of luck as he continues his career at the next level.
An announcement regarding the hiring of another assistant coach will be made later this week.