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32 // JUNE 2025 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM 2025 President's Awards Kelly Clymer has been a prominent figure in Texas hockey as a player, coach, and volunteer since he first took the ice as a child in 1968. Three years later, the Dallas Junior Hockey Association was formed, and C l y m e r p l a y e d t h e r e , a s w e l l a s f o r two seasons for Dallas Metro Hockey Association and Mid Cities Hockey Association. When he turned 19, he went to North Texas University and joined the hockey team for his last two years of college. After the conclusion of his playing career, the Dallas native began coaching inline hockey in Texas when his son was born, before transitioning back to the ice in 1999 as a coach with the Texas Aces Hockey Club. One year later, Clymer made the move to the Dallas Junior Hockey Association as an assistant coach. Over the course of the next 23 seasons, Clymer coached at every level for DJHA but spent most of his coaching career teaching players at the U18 level before retiring in 2023. In 2003, he joined the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program as a Coach Developer, where he led coaching clinics and educated the next generation of coaches, helping them attain USA Hockey certification. P Kelly Clymer Walter Yaciuk Award A two-time Spencer Penrose Coach of the Year award winner, Jeff Jackson's journey began in Roseville, Michigan. Upon graduation from Michigan State in 1979, Jackson spent two years coaching in the North American Hockey League before arriving at Lake Superior State in 1986 as an assistant coach. After four seasons, including an NCAA title in 1988, Jackson took the reigns as head coach in 1990. During his six-year tenure as head coach for the Lakers, Jackson's teams appeared in three national championship games, winning the title in 1992 and 1994. In 1996, an opportunity arose to influence the development and advancement of the game in the United States when he was named the inaugural head coach of the newly formed USA Hockey National Team Development program. During his four years with the NTDP, Jackson served as the head coach for the silver med- al-winning 1997 U.S. Junior National Team, the highest finish for a U.S. team at the time, as well as an assistant for the 1998 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Jackson next spent two seasons as the head coach of the Guelph Storm, and one season as assistant coach for the New York Islanders, before Notre Dame came calling in 2005. During a 20-year tenure behind the bench, the Fighting Irish made 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including four NCAA Frozen Fours and two national title game showings (2008/2018). Between Notre Dame and Lake Superior State, Jackson racked up 601 wins at the collegiate level and retired at the conclusion of the 2025 season with the ninth most wins in NCAA Division I Men's Hockey history. Jeff Jackson Distinguished Achievement Award JEFF JACKSON Click to read more on Jackson Click to read more on Clymer