The Miami University (OH) RedHawks will have a familiar name back on staff this fall, as Jimmy Spratt returns to Oxford in the role of Assistant to the Head Coach. A former Bowling Green State Falcon goaltender who previously worked at Miami from 2019 to 2022, Spratt brings a wide-ranging coaching background and will be important for the RedHawks’ goaltenders’ development in his new position.
I had the chance to catch up with him last week before fall training begins soon. Spratt right away mentioned his excitement about this new opportunity.
“I think just wanting to be back in college hockey first and foremost. That’s where I wanted to be,” Spratt said. “I had worked at Miami before and liked my time there. Obviously, results didn’t go very well or as planned, but with the new staff in place, it looks like things are moving in the right direction. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
A Voice for the Goalies
Spratt clarified that while his role does not involve recruiting, he will be a voice for the team’s netminders.
“I’ve played the position, I’ve coached the position for a long time, and I’ll be there as a soundboard if they need anything,” he said. “It’s just about having someone on staff who understands the position.”
That is especially important as Miami enters the season with three new goaltenders, with the potential of a fourth joining the group as well, Spratt said.
Spratt Talks the New Goaltenders
The incoming trio consists of Shika Gadzhiev (Muskegon Lumberjacks), Matteo Drobac (Western University), and Ben Motew (Corpus Christi IceRays).
Related: David Deputy & Shika Gadzhiev Talk Joining Miami Hockey
He spoke about the strengths of all three netminders.
“Gadzhiev is athletic, smart, competitive, and has a championship pedigree after winning in Muskegon,” Spratt said.
“Drobac looks calm and technical.”
“Motew is also a technical goalie, maybe a little undersized, but very sound, positional, and not all over the place.”
Spratt later explained that Drobac’s time in Canadian university hockey adds a unique area of experience coming to Miami, one that a player hasn’t experienced before, with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)/USports ban now lifted.
“It is definitely a step up to the NCHC,” he said. “But you’ll see a lot of kids like that now because of the eligibility rule changes. Drobac’s played at different levels, and it will be another good step in his development.”
He added that NHL development camps also play a big role in growth, with Drobac having attended the Nashville Predators camp this summer.
“It can certainly motivate you because you are there with draft picks and guys who are kind of part of an organization,” Spratt said. “You can see where you stack up against those guys. It is motivating knowing that you were passed up as a draft pick, but when you are on the ice competing with them, you kind of see where you need to get to. Maybe you are already there, and it is just about having that confidence.
“All of these kids have aspirations of playing professional hockey, so I think development camps are a good experience. Drobac was in Nashville with former Miami goalie coach Mitch Korn, who is basically the guru of goalie coaching, so it is good to get feedback from him as well.”
Spratt’s Recent Coaching Experience
Spratt is also coming off a year of growth in his own career, serving last season as an assistant with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
“Last year, for me personally, was a big step in my coaching development,” Spratt said. “Always in past roles, it’s kind of just been helping with recruiting and coaching the goalies, but last year I was running the D, and I ran the penalty kill as well. So, I had a lot more involvement from a coaching standpoint. That was a step I needed just to grow as a coach.”
Spratt spent the 2023–24 season as an assistant at Northern Michigan University, working with the Wildcat goaltenders and supporting all other responsibilities, including recruiting. The year before, he served as an assistant and goalie coach for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.
During his first time around at Miami as the Director of Hockey Operations, he managed travel plans and video analysis while being a voice for the goaltenders, a role he had also held for five years prior (2014 to 2019) at his alma mater, Bowling Green.
During his first time in Oxford, former RedHawk netminder Ludvig Persson, now excelling in Sweden’s top professional league, the SHL, earned recognition on the NCHC All-Conference Second Team and NCHC All-Rookie Team in the 2020-21 season and continues to put up impressive numbers in his home country.
Spratt’s Career
Before his time as a coach, Spratt played at Bowling Green State University after being selected by the Calgary Flames in the seventh round (213th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
His four seasons included a freshman season with 16 appearances (4.35 goals-against-average, .855 save percentage), a sophomore season with 31 games (3.64 GAA, .886 SV%), a junior season with 19 games (3.08 GAA, .885 SV%), and a senior season where he started 34 games (3.04 GAA, .891 SV%).
By the end of his career as a Falcon, he totaled 2,441 saves in 100 NCAA games played.
Spratt later played four seasons professionally. Most of that time came in the ECHL, where he suited up for the Toledo Walleye, Las Vegas Wranglers, Victoria Salmon Kings, Idaho Steelheads, and Utah Grizzlies. He also had a short period in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Texas Stars during the 2011–12 season, posting a 2.02 GAA and .909 SV% over two games.
Looking Ahead
Now back in Oxford, Spratt is excited about what is ahead for the RedHawks with a rebuilt team and recruiting pipeline.
“Looking at the roster as a whole, there are already four NHL draft picks, with possibly a fifth on the way,” Spratt said. “It is starting to look more and more like an NCHC roster should. I’m just excited to get going.”
