Brett Olson's most inspiring moment as a Waterloo Black Hawk forward didn't involve a big goal, or even find a place in the box score. With the team leading but shorthanded in the late minutes, Olson tied up the puck along the corner boards as the opposing team hacked and pried and chopped away for most of a minute. When Olson finally skated back to the bench as the Hawks returned to full strength, Young Arena came to full volume during a standing ovation.
Now 20 years after his first season on the ice in Waterloo – and after spending the last four years on the Hawks' staff – Olson is the Black Hawks' new head coach, the team announced Tuesday. This fall, he will become the first former Waterloo player to lead the organization since Scott Murphy in 1982/83.
"I am excited and grateful for this opportunity. This is the greatest place to play in junior hockey with the atmosphere and the history and the culture around Waterloo hockey," Olson said. "The Black Hawks set very high standards, and those who have been here take a lot of pride in having worn a Waterloo jersey. The players coming in are going to be part of a great tradition, and it will be amazing to be part of that with them."
Today's announcement comes exactly 11 months after Olson was promoted to associate head coach. At the time, Black Hawks Managing Partner Eric Petersen highlighted Olson's bright future. Tuesday, Petersen noted both the future and the past as he reflected on Olson's new role.
"Brett brings continuity with some of our brightest successes from the past two decades," Petersen said. "He understands better than almost anyone the foundation this organization is built on. His experiences as a player during, and after, his time on the ice in Waterloo make him a voice of both experience and continuity. As we build toward a new season this fall and into the future, the Black Hawks could not be in better hands."
Olson says his own experiences in the USHL were crucial to the later years he spent in college and pro hockey.
"Being able to influence our players and teach the fundamentals and habits which will lead to success is a great opportunity," said Olson. "This was a pivotal point in my playing career, and one of the most fun, most rewarding parts of coaching during the last four years has been seeing players grow throughout the season, both as athletes and people. Getting the chance to do it in Waterloo makes it even more special."
Olson has enjoyed his return to the Cedar Valley, raising two young children with his wife, Melissa. Since arriving ahead of the 2022/23 season, the Black Hawks own a 125-106-17 regular season record with Olson on the bench as an assistant or associate head coach. Under Head Coach Matt Smaby, Olson helped lead the Black Hawks to the 2025 Clark Cup Final, Waterloo's first appearance in the Championship series since 2014. During the last four seasons, Olson has worked with talented forwards including ascending University of Michigan Captain Garrett Schifsky, Chicago Blackhawks draft pick John Mustard, and 2026 NCAA champion Brendan McMorrow.
Olson was only a few months removed from his last game as a Black Hawk when his career trajectory began arcing toward today's announcement. During the summer of 2008, he worked with aspiring Waterloo players during the team's summer tryout camps. He would return during many of the years which followed, and then expand his skills further by founding what would become Olson Hockey Development, which has hosted youth camps in both Waterloo and Olson's hometown of Superior, Wisconsin. Besides firsthand player development experience, this entrepreneurial venture also yielded key off-ice management and supervisory opportunities.
Enthusiasm for helping young players reach their potential started with Olson's own hockey journey. Through his high school career, Olson was also a promising baseball player. Hockey became his sole focus only as he advanced to the United States Hockey League. In the fall of 2005, he did not stick with the Sioux City Musketeers, but scrapped to earn a roster spot in Waterloo as the winter continued. Making his Hawks' debut Thanksgiving week, Olson appeared in 44 games and recorded 14 points (nine goals, five assists).
The Black Hawks missed the 2006 Clark Cup playoffs, but roared back in 2006/07 to win the Anderson Cup with a then club-best 39-17-4 record. Olson made progress that season, boosting his offense to 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists), while making greater intangible contributions on penalty killing duty and in other areas. He was Waterloo's fifth-leading scorer during the postseason which followed, helping the Hawks to the Clark Cup Final and a runner-up finish against the Sioux Falls Stampede. In the nine playoff games that spring, Olson had three goals and four assists.
Despite an injury which kept him off the ice until mid-November in 2007, Olson led the Hawks back to the Clark Cup Final in the spring of 2008. He served as the team's captain in 2007/08 and ranked third in scoring (54 points, 17 goals, 37 assists). It was a breakout year, even though Olson was limited to 49 appearances. He was selected to play in the 2008 USHL All-Star Game and recorded a shootout conversion which helped the East Division to a 6-5 victory. During the playoffs, Olson had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 11 games to rank second on the team and tie for fifth leaguewide. His overtime winner gave the Hawks the opening game of the Final series, but the Omaha Lancers rallied to win the best-of-five set in overtime during the winner-take-all fifth game.
Olson continued to shine during the next four years at Michigan Tech. His offensive numbers ballooned: he finished second in team scoring as a freshman, then led the squad as a sophomore and a senior (Olson missed more than half of his junior year due to injury). All totaled, his NCAA career included 42 goals and 51 assists in 127 games. As a senior captain, Olson helped the Huskies to their second-highest win total in a 14-season span.
Development at the junior and college levels made Olson a professional hockey prospect by the time he graduated. He initially signed an American Hockey League contract for the 2012/13 season. Olson's play with the Abbotsford Heat eventually led to two seasons under contract with the Florida Panthers. During four AHL campaigns, Olson played in 288 regular season contests with 133 points (52 goals, 81 assists) and a +21 plus/minus differential.
Beginning in the fall of 2016, Olson broadened his experience with six seasons in European professional hockey, first in Austria, then in Germany. In all, he played in over 500 regular season games across 10 years as a pro in North America and Europe.
