Adam Nightingale bolsters the Spartan bench with a seasoned recruiter and developer whose decades of professional playing and coaching experience will be vital during this roster overhaul.
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
That quote from Oprah Winfrey feels fitting for Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale, who recently added Andy Contois to his staff as an assistant coach.
Contois, who was born and raised in Marquette, has been around hockey his entire life. His playing career spanned from 1999-2015 across a wide range of teams and leagues, giving him decades of experience that he now brings behind the bench.
At the collegiate level, Contois began his career at Lake Superior State University, where he played nine games before transferring to Northern Michigan University. During his four seasons with the Wildcats from 2001-05, he totaled 43 goals and developed into a productive offensive player.
Following college, Contois spent four years in the ECHL and earned an invitation to the ECHL All-Star Game in 2008. He later spent time in the AHL before returning to the ECHL, while also continuing his professional career in the EHL, Denmark, the EIHL, and several other leagues. No matter where the game took him, Contois continued chasing the sport he loved.
After eventually hanging up the skates, Contois began the next chapter of his hockey journey: coaching and developing the next generation of players.
Contois has now spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach from 2015-2026, steadily building an impressive résumé along the way.
He began with the Brookings Blizzard in the NAHL before moving to the Central Illinois Flying Aces for a two-year stint in the USHL. From there, he spent two seasons with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, followed by three years with the Youngstown Phantoms. Most recently, Contois spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University.
Now, the lights get even brighter.
Contois remains in the CCHA but heads south from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to East Lansing to join Nightingale and the Spartans coaching staff.
The addition gives Michigan State another experienced hockey mind at a critical time for the program. Contois brings an immense amount of knowledge to the Spartans, both from his playing days and from more than a decade spent coaching at multiple levels of the game. Few people spend as much time around hockey as he has, and that experience should prove valuable in developing Michigan State’s younger talent.
The Spartans are also entering an important offseason after losing several players to NHL opportunities, which is often the reality that comes with sustained success. When programs string together multiple strong seasons, NHL organizations take notice. Teams begin calling up their young prospects who have been waiting in the wings, hoping to bring home future stars.
Because of that, Michigan State is going through a bit of an overhaul heading into next season. As the Spartans navigate roster changes and continue trying to compete at a championship level, adding another respected voice to the coaching staff becomes even more important.
That is where Contois could make a major impact.
His role will be helping turn talented young players like Ryker Lee and Tommi Mannisto from promising prospects into complete hockey players ready for the next level.
Michigan State has already shown what the program can become under Nightingale. The recent success of Porter Martone and other Spartans players has only strengthened the national perception of the program. Development matters in college hockey, and Michigan State is quickly building a reputation as a place where players — and now coaches — can elevate their careers.
That success is becoming a walking billboard for the Spartans program.
Coaches understand that if they come to Michigan State, good things can happen in their future. With the addition of Contois, the Spartans are hoping the upward momentum continues.