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Damon Whitten embarks on his tenth season of leading the Lake Superior State men’s ice hockey program in 2023-24. Whitten has been dedicated to returning the program to prominence, leading the team to six Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) playoff appearances, including the program's first WCHA Championship in 2021. In addition, Whitten guided the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 years during the 2020-21 season as well as the first Great Lakes Invitational championship in program history. In his eight seasons at Lake Superior State, Whitten has led the program to a 126-176-30 overall record. 

Whitten, who was named the 10th head coach of Laker hockey on April 25, 2014, is highly respected among his collegiate hockey coaching peers and known for being an enthusiastic, tireless worker. Following the 2020-21 season, Whitten agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension, soldifying the program through the 2027-28 season. 

Whitten and his staff have been at the forefront of two of the most successful Laker hockey seasons in the last 25 years (2018-19 and 2020-21). The 2018-19 season marked Whitten's highest single-season win total behind the bench as the team compiled a 23-13-2 overall record and a 16-10-2 mark in WCHA competition. The 23 wins were the highest single season win total for the program since the 1995-96 season and the first time the team surpassed 20 wins in a season since the 2006-07 season. On an individual level, Whitten coached forward Diego Cuglietta, who finished the season as the national leader in goals scored with 25. The Lakers hosted a WCHA playoff series for the first time in team history and captured the program's WCHA playoff series win for the first time as the Lakers defeated the Bemidji State Beavers in the quarterfinals.

Under Whitten’s direction, the Lakers have had numerous student-athletes attain conference and national recognition. 16 Lakers have received All Conference honors, including one All-WCHA First Team (Diego Cuglietta, 2019), five All-WCHA Second Team (Mitch Hults, 2017; Max Humitz, 2020; Ashton Calder, 2021; Will Riedell, 2021; Mareks Mitens, 2021), two All-CCHA second team (Louis Boudon, 2022 ; Jacob Bengtsson, 2022), four All-WCHA Third Team (Gordon Defiel, 2016; Max Humitz, 2019; Anthony Nellis, 2019; Pete Veillette, 2021), three All-WCHA Rookie Team (Max Humitz, 2017; Ashton Calder, 2019; Louis Boudon, 2020), and one All-CCHA Rookie Team (Josh Nixon, 2022).

Academically, Whitten’s teams at Lake Superior State have excelled. His teams have consistently posted team GPAs above 3.4 and have had a strong presence on the WCHA’s academic teams. 45 student-athletes have earned WCHA Scholar Athlete status, 101 student-athletes have received WCHA All-Academic accolades, and 18 student-athletes received CCHA Scholar-Athlete Team honors. Since its inception in the 2017-18 season, 27 Lakers have been named AHCA All-American Scholars. 

In his most recent season, the Lakers finished with a 9-25-2 overall record and an 8-17-1 mark in CCHA play. However, despite the slow start to the year, the Lakers were able to get hot in the second half of the season with Whitten guiding the program to wins in five of its final seven games of the regular season. The Lakers would shock multiple opponents that had counted them out, stealing five points from eventual MacNaughton Cup runner-up Michigan Tech with a shootout victory in Houghton, Mich. and a 3-0 shutout at home. The Lakers were also able to come back from down 2-0 at Bemidji State, tying the game shorthanded in the final seconds before hitting the game-winner in overtime. Louis Boudon was named to the All-CCHA Second Team.

In 2022-23, Witten led the Lakers to an 18-18-1 overall record, including a 13-14 mark in the program's first season in the newly reestablished CCHA. He would guide the Lakers to a 1-0 statement win on Nov. 26 when the team upset then No. 1 ranked, and eventual national runner-up, Minnesota State. Louis Boudon and Jacob Bengtsson bother earned All-CCHA honors while Josh Nixon was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team.

In 2021-22, Whitten guided the Lakers to a historic season as the team finished the regular season second in the WCHA standings, won the program's first WCHA Championship, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years, posted the program's 1,000th all-time win, and ended the season with the program's highest win percentage in 25 years. The Lakers season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament as the team fell to the eventual national champion, UMass, in the opening round of the East Regional. Among the many strong individual performances during the 2020-21 season was Whitten's starting goaltender, Mareks Mitens, who finished as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award, which is awarded to the top goaltender in Division I hockey. 

The Lakers finished the 2019-20 season with a 14-23-4 overall record and a 11-14-4 WCHA record. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Lakers held the seventh place spot in the WCHA standings to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth time under Whitten’s watch. The season was highlighted by the Lakers game against the University of Alabama Huntsville on Feb. 15, 2020 as LSSU competed in the first NCAA Division I hockey game played in Canada since 2012 as the game took place at the GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Whitten was a major supporter of the initiative and has been an advocate for growing the game of hockey in both of the Twin Saults. Max Humitz was named to the All-WCHA Second Team while freshman forward Louis Boudon was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. 

In 2018-19, Whitten led the Lakers to their most successful season since he became head coach. The Lakers won the most games in a season for the program since 1995-96 as the team posted a 23-13-2 overall record and a 16-10-2 mark in WCHA competition. Additionally, the Lakers eclipsed 20 wins for the first time since the 2006-07 season, recorded the program’s longest winning streak since 1996-97 (seven games), swept Ferris State in a road series for the first time since 1993-94, swept Michigan Tech in a series for the first time since 1983-84, and won the first Great Lakes Invitational Championship in program history. On an individual level, Whitten coached forward Diego Cuglietta, who finished the season as the national leader in goals scored with 25. The Lakers would host a WCHA playoff series for the first time in program history and captured a WCHA playoff series win for the first time as the Lakers defeated the Bemidji State Beavers in the Quarterfinals. The Lakers spent 10 consecutive weeks during the season ranked in the USCHO Poll. The team’s historic season would come to an end in the WCHA Semifinals as the Lakers fell to Minnesota State. Following the season, Cuglietta received All-WCHA First Team recognition, Max Humitz and Anthony Nellis were named to the All-WCHA Third Team and freshman Ashton Calder was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team. 

In his tenure with the Lakers, the only season that the team did not qualify for the WCHA playoffs was in 2017-18. Whitten’s team finished the season with a 10-22-4 record and a 8-17-3 mark in conference play. 

The 2016-17 season saw Whitten guide the Lakers to a strong start as the team opened the season with a home sweep of Michigan State during Great Lake State Weekend and remained undefeated until Oct. 29, 2017 (5-1-0). Among the team’s most notable victories during the season was a win against No. 10 ranked Minnesota State at home which led to the Lakers earning a spot in the national rankings (No. 20) on Nov. 7, 2016 for the first time since Jan. 6, 2014. Lake State would finish the season with a 11-18-7 record and a 8-13-7 WCHA record, and extended the program’s playoff streak to three seasons. Whitten’s Lakers fell in the first round of the WCHA playoffs to Michigan Tech. Forward Mitch Hults was named to the All-WCHA Second Team while freshman forward Max Humitz was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team. 

Whitten’s Lakers nearly doubled their win total from the previous season in 2015-16 with a 14-22-5 record and a 11-15-5 mark in WCHA competition. For the second consecutive year, the Lakers would qualify for the WCHA playoffs and would face the Minnesota State Mavericks in the first round. The Lakers would force a decisive third game in the series but the Mavericks would eliminate the Lakers from postseason play. Lakers goalie Gordon Defiel was named to the All-WCHA Third Team. 

In his first season as the Lakers head coach, Whitten guided the team to a 8-28-2 overall record which included a 7-20-1 record in conference play. Some of the notable victories during the 2014-15 season included a road win against No. 6 ranked Bowling Green and a pair of wins at the Florida College Hockey Classic to clinch the tournament title. The team qualified for the WCHA playoffs but fell in the first round to Minnesota State.

In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Whitten has established himself as a dedicated and involved member of the LSSU campus community as well as the greater Sault Ste. Marie region. The eighth-year head coach has been devoted to an off-ice goal of increased community involvement, connection with the student body, and excellence in the classroom. 

In 2017, the Laker hockey team was awarded Community Partner of the Year by the United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula for their involvement in outreach events throughout the Sault Ste. Marie community. Whitten and the Lakers have remained active in the community through initiatives like Pink in the Rink/Check.Slash.Survive, the United Way’s Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Light the Lamp game. 

Whitten has been committed to creating relationships with alumni, fans, and current Lake State students in order to continue the proud tradition of Laker hockey. One of Whitten’s biggest initiatives since arriving at Lake State has been the implementation of Laker Legion, a student fan organization that aims to spread Laker pride from the stands of the Taffy Abel Arena to the campus and community. 

Prior to Lake Superior State, Whitten served as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech from 2010-14. At Michigan Tech, Whitten helped the Huskies implement a new forecheck, neutral zone defense and zone entries. He was responsible for in-game defensive matchups and academic performance, while also assisting with all facets of practice, game preparation and recruiting as a member of Head Coach Mel Pearson's staff. During his first season (2010-11) at MTU, the Huskies enjoyed their best start since 1972 and claimed a berth among the 2011-12 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five. 

Whitten spent two seasons (2008-10) as the director of hockey operations at his alma mater, Michigan State, working under two-time American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Spencer Penrose NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year and former LSSU great, Rick Comley. His responsibilities included video work, budget management, travel coordination, and booster/alumni relations. 

Before his most recent stint at Michigan State, Whitten was an assistant coach at Alaska Anchorage for two seasons (2006-08) on Dave Shyiak's staff after spending the two previous years (2004-06) as an assistant coach at Wayne State under Head Coach Bill Wilkinson.   

A 2001 graduate of Michigan State, Whitten played for the Spartans under legendary and U.S Hockey Hall of Fame coach Ron Mason from 1997-01.  He received a bachelor’s degree in communication from MSU and then earned a master’s in sports administration from Michigan State in 2005. He also served as a volunteer graduate assistant coach at MSU during the 2004-05 season.

While playing at MSU, the Spartans amassed an impressive 122-28-20 overall record to go along with three Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) regular-season titles, three CCHA playoff championships, and two NCAA Tournament Frozen Four appearances. Whitten was an assistant captain of a senior class that owns the Spartans’ all-time highest win percentage. During his final season, MSU led the nation in goals-against (1.36) and penalty killing (.911).

Whitten accumulated 75 career points (35-40-75) in 166 games at Michigan State as a left winger. A three-time academic All-Big Ten Conference At Large honoree, Whitten was also nominated twice for the NCAA Hockey Humanitarian Award.  As a senior at MSU, Whitten was named the recipient of the Blue Line President's Award as the top scholar-athlete in the senior class and was presented the Amo Bessone Award for outstanding athletic, scholastic, and community participation.

A native of Brighton, Mich., Whitten played two seasons of professional hockey in the ECHL.  He skated the 2001-02 season with the Greenville Grrrowl (S.C.) and helped the Grrrowl claim the ECHL's Kelly Cup championship title in 2001-02 by scoring 32 points (9-23-32) in 64 regular-season games and tallying five points (2-3-5) in 15 playoff appearances.  The following season (2002-03), Whitten competed for the Arkansas RiverBlades, located in North Little Rock, Ark., collecting 39 points (12-27--39) in 69 games. 

Whitten and his wife, Angie, live in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. with their son, Joey, and daughter, Flossie.