Columbia, SC – July 10, 2024 – The Columbia Infantry are pleased to announce the hiring of Head Coach John Ambrefe. The Infantry’s previous coach Darren McCormick has accepted a position as Assistant Coach with the NCDC’s Casper Warbirds, and the Infantry wish him well on his journey with Casper this upcoming season.
John Ambrefe comes to the Columbia Infantry with an extensive background in hockey. His past experiences include:
- 2011-12: Head Coach, Palm Beach Hawks, EJHL South – Ambrefe helped the Hawks to a 20-win season and a playoff berth for the third year in a row.
- 2012-13: Head Coach, Philadelphia Jackals. Team record was 35-10-2. From this team’s roster John had 7 players advance to college hockey.
- 2015-2017: General Manager, Head Coach and Minor Owner/Operator of the WSHL Casper Coyotes – In the three years at the helm, Casper made it to the playoffs every year. In three short years the team’s record is an impressive 101-42-12.
- 2018-19: General Manager and Head Coach of the Casper Bobcats (previously known as the Casper Coyotes).
Columbia Infantry Co-Owners Greg and Shannon Albers had this to say about the hiring of Coach Ambrefe:
“While we know that with change comes uncertainty, we have no doubt that Coach Ambrefe will be a huge asset to our organization. One thing that the Columbia Infantry lacked the first two seasons was a culture that could be adopted and supported by players and staff alike. When we acquired the Infantry, we knew immediately things that were going to be our core focus. We knew that bringing on the right coaches and staff to develop players, making education a focal point, and making connections to give our players more opportunities had to be at the forefront. And we are continuing to make headway with all these things. Why would anyone choose to play in Columbia with their past record? My question would be, why wouldn’t you choose to come play in Columbia Not only has the ownership changed hands, but we have brought on coaches dedicated to helping our players succeed. We look forward to the upcoming 2024-2025 season.”
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Shannon Albers (shannon@columbiainfantry.com) and Greg Albers (greg@columbiainfantry.com).
