What you need to know about our new Head Coach Chuck Weber

The Heartlanders made a spetacular hire for Head Coach and General Manager Tuesday, bringing in proven winner Chuck Weber to lead the team.

The move is an essential one for the growing franchise; Iowa is coming off the team's best season ever, which included a run to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time. Additionally, in the community and in the stands, the Heartlanders have made amazing strides; four of the top-ten attended games in team history came in a few-month span this past season. 

"Michael Devlin our owner and Matt Getz our President have done a tremendous job and we all share a thirst of bringing this team to the next level," Weber said. "I'm excited to build upon the job our team did last season. The team had an unbelievable locker room last season and I want to build on the same foundation and culture that the team established."

As we look to the 2025-26 season, here's what you need to know about Coach Weber. 

Championship Pedigree As A Head Coach

Weber is one of the most-decorated coaches in ECHL history as a two-time Kelly Cup Champion (2008, 2010) and former ECHL Coach of the Year with Cincinnati. He is one five ECHL head coaches to win multiple Kelly Cups and one of seven to win 45 or more Kelly Cup Playoff games. 

"The end goal is always to win Kelly Cups, but you have to embrace it day by day," Weber explained. "'Be where your feet are', is a term I always use. We're going to expand on players being where our feet are in eastern Iowa. I had two parameters when I decided to move back into pro hockey, which is work with great people and have a desire to win."

Community-Minded Approach

Weber has been known as a program builder that embraces his hockey team being out in the community. This will be key for the Heartlanders, who have made amazing strides in the growth of youth hockey as well as getting the team active with non-profits, schools and other organizations doing good in the area. 

As an example of this, Weber worked for the Cincinnati Cyclones from 2006-10, the first few years of the club being back in the ECHL after stints in other leagues. Not only did the team win a pair of Kelly Cups, but the Cyclones' average attendance more than doubled in his years with the team. 

"I think growing our community efforts is so key [here in Iowa]," Weber said. "The youth hockey here has gotten bigger. We need to continue our grass roots efforts. Me and our players are going to be active, getting out to schools and getting out to various community groups. We want the kids to be able to look up to these players as role models. You're going to see a group that's going to embrace being in eastern Iowa and our fans will grab on to us."

AHL Coaching Experience

Weber's journeys include three seasons as an AHL Head Coach with Rochester and San Antonio. Additionally, the New York state native has three years of experience as an AHL assistant coach. 

With the Heartlanders, Weber will work daily with the team's NHL parent club the Minnesota Wild and AHL affiliate the Iowa Wild. Last season, the Heartlanders advanced 14 players to the Iowa Wild, the most in any single season in team history.

"I enjoy the process of coaching," Weber said in his introductory press conference, recounting some of the players he's coached over 20+ years that have made it to the NHL. "As proud as I am of all the people I've coached that have gone on to the NHL, I'm more proud of the fact that these guys have become great fathers and sons along the way."

Tea, Crumpets, Gold Medals 

Weber's path includes recent Gold Medals in 2023 and 2025 working as an assistant coach for Great Britain's national team. He has been an assistant coach for Great Britain the last three seasons, helping the team advance up divisions with the goal of making the Olympics.

NCAA knowledge

Weber spent the last seven seasons as assistant coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Though the landscape of college hockey and major junior hockey has changed since Weber's last stint in the ECHL in 2017-18 with Atlanta, the NCAA continues to be a major feeder to the ECHL. 

Iowa had 19 players with NCAA experience on the team's 24-man Kelly Cup Playoffs roster. 

"I enjoy the daily grind of the ECHL. Nothing comes easy. I've had to forge my own way. It's been a heck of a journey so far and I'm excited for what the future holds."

Make sure you’re here: The Heartlanders 2025-26 schedule is here and the team is planning theme nights and a promotional schedule for the 2025-26 season, with details announced this summer. We will be offering a variety of ticket plans and corporate partnership opportunities.

The Heartlanders open the team’s fifth season at Xtream Arena on Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Tulsa. Call 319-569-4625 or visit iowaheartlanders.com/tickets/ticket-plans to learn more about ticket package options or group ticket pricing for company outings, birthday parties or community groups of 10 or more.

Be the first to score the best seats, exclusive ticket availability, and unforgettable in-game experiences—join the 2025-26 Iowa Heartlanders Season Waitlist now and get notified the moment tickets go on sale: https://bit.ly/2526heartlanderswaitlist

For Corporate Partnerships call 319-855-1775 or info@iowaheartlanders.com. Align your business with the excitement of the Heartlanders coming off their best season yet. Partnerships can range from in-arena signage, such as dasherboards and video board advertisements, to digital and social media collaborations, reaching over 20,000 followers. Our team is eager to work with businesses to create tailored corporate partnership packages that meet specific marketing and business objectives.