Season: 2025-26 DII
JD Duenwald
Accolades:
2023-24: Team- Rookie of the year
Ryan Urban
The 2025-26 season will be Assistant Coach Ryan Urban’s fourth with the Razorback Hockey Program. During his second year with the program, he helped guide the team to their fifth consecutive Nationals Appearance. Coach Urban lead’s the forward group and is in charge of overseeing the teams power play success. He is from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, where he played hockey growing up.
Coach Urban played club hockey for the Penn State University Ice Lions while getting a degree in Chemical Engineering. During his five-year career, Coach Urban helped the team to make nationals 4 out of his 5 years. The Ice Lions also won multiple Mid Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association championships during his playing career. In his final year playing at Penn State, Coach Urban served as captain, and was able to win his final collegiate game at the national tournament in his hometown rink. Unfortunately, the team fell short due to a tie breaker and did not advance to the semi-finals that year. Additionally, Coach Urban was selected to the ACHA DII Tournament team to represent the league in international competition. The Select Team competed in Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany.
Prior to college, Coach Urban played for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers at the AAA level, and eventually for the West Chester Quakers at the AA level, in which he captained his U18 team for two consecutive years. His U18 team made the national tournament twice. Coach Urban also played varsity for his high school all four years and captained the team his senior year. As a forward, Coach Urban was able to lead his high school league in points multiple years, as well as win the honor of Player of the Year. Coach Urban helped lead his team to a Flyers Cup Championship, and he was selected to the Flyers cup tournament team his junior and senior years.
Outside of Hockey, Coach Urban loves to golf, play tennis, and spend time out with his wife Lauren, daughter Olivia, and his dog Molly.
Ethan Rogers
Career Accolades:
2022-23: Team Rookie of the Year
Keller Sims
Head Coach Keller Sims returns to the Razorback Hockey Coaching Staff for his ninth season behind the bench as head coach. 2025-26 will mark his third season serving in the role of Director of Hockey Operations. Coach Sims will also serve as the MACHA Gold Commisioner starting in the 2025-26 season. Hailing from Wichita Falls Texas, Coach Sims enjoyed a successful hockey career in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he would finish his career playing three seasons in the Texas Brahmas system before enrolling at the University of Arkansas.
Since taking over coaching duties in the 2017-18 season, Coach Sims has helped lead the Hogs on a unprecedented run of success, including six nationals appearances in seven years. Coach Sims helped lead the team to the programs best finish, National Runner Up in 2021, in addition to the programs first two Frozen Four appearances. In 2024-25 Coach Sims helped lead the Hogs to Central Regional Appearance in their first year of competition at the Division II level. In addition to their national success, Coach Sims’ Razorbacks have also had tremendous success at the conference level: 2017-18 SECHC Champions, 2019-20 Pacific Region #1 Seed, 2021-22 MACHA South Division Champions, 2021-22 MACHA Conference Regular Season Champions, 2021-22 MACHA Conference Tournament Champions, 2022-23 MACHA Conference Tournament Runner Up, 2024-25 MACHA Tournament Champions.
As a result of leading his team to a 29-3-2 record and conference title, Coach Sims was rewarded with the highest honors from his peers, the 2023 ACHA National Coach of the Year. In addition, Coach Sims was named 2023 MACHA Silver coach of the year. He was named MACHA Gold Coach of the year after leading his team to a MACHA Championship and Regional appearance in 2024-25. As of the completion of the 2024-25 season, Coach Sims boasts a regular and post season record of 184-50-3 (77.64%), including a record of 12-3-3 in the national tournament.
Coach Sims holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in kinesiology from the University of Arkansas (’13) and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (’19). Away from the rink, Coach Sims is a licensed Physical Therapist in the state of Arkansas and has a passion for helping individuals who are affected with strokes and amputations, serving on the amputee and stroke recovery programs at Encompass Heath and Rehab Fayetteville. Due to his contributions to Razorback Hockey and his work as a physical therapist, Coach Sims was named to the NWA Business Journal’s 40 under 40 class of 2025. Away from the rink, Coach Sims enjoys to spend time with his wife Cailtyn, and their children Nash, Parker, and Kennedy.
