Bloomington Bison | Hockey Operations

Phillip Barski

Head Coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations

Prior to joining the Bison, the 45-year-old Barski was the associate coach of the OHL’s Barrie Colts for the 2023-24 season. Prior to being promoted, he spent one year as an assistant coach of the Colts for the 2022-23 campaign. Barski guided the Colts to a record of 70-53-0-13 as well as back-to-back playoff berths.

He spent two years at the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits as an assistant coach from 2020-2022. There he guided the Swamp Rabbits to back-to-back playoff berths and a trip to the Patrick J. Kelly Cup semi-finals during his first season with the club. He led, as head coach of Podhale Nowy Targ in the Polska Hokej Liga, the top hockey league in Poland. Under his direction, the team finished third in the league with 87 standings points, qualified for the Polish Cup, and had a +87 goal differential.

Barski was an assistant coach of HC Bolzano, an Italian club playing in the EBEL, the top hockey league in Austria. In his first season with the club HC Bolzano won the EBEL Championship in the 2017-18 season. His first year of professional coaching came with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast where he served as the video coach during the 2016-17 campaign. A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Barski attended Bowling Green State University for two years (2000-02), then later transferred to the University of Calgary (2002-04). He played 38 games for the Dinos, scoring 27 points and earning academic all-Canadian accolades. Barski holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary and a Master of Education in Coaching Studies from the University of Victoria.

Jesse Messier

Assistant Coach

Messier had a long and successful playing career as a forward, which included four seasons in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves and the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. He served as a captain for two of those seasons. He then went on to play five years in USports, four as a captain, at York University. Messier turned pro in 2013 where he joined the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL after college and then played one full season for the Allen Americans where he won a Kelly Cup in 2015.

After retiring, he began his coaching career in 2015 where he was an assistant coach with the York University Lions for four seasons, winning a Queen's Cup as OUA champions in 2017. He then went on to be an assistant coach with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL from 2019 to 2023, winning a West division title during the 2019-20 campaign while also moving many players on to pro hockey. After his stop in Saginaw, Jesse took the head coaching position with the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the SIJHL. In his one and only season, the Fighting Walleye compiled a 39-9-1-0 record, winning the regular season championship.

Dan Larmer

Director of Player Scouting

Larmer joins the Bison from the 2023 OHL Champion Peterborough Petes. A graduate of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association (WSMHA), Dan's early achievements include winning an OMHA Bantam Championship. He advanced through his playing career with notable success, playing Jr.B for the Vaughan Raiders and earning a spot on the COJHL All-Star Team. He then played Jr.A for the St. Michael’s Buzzers, where he served as an Assistant Captain, before moving on to NCAA hockey with the Mercyhurst Lakers, from which he graduated with a B.A. in Business Management.

Dan began his coaching career with the WSMHA before moving to the Jr.A Stouffville Spirit of the OJHL as Head Coach and Assistant General Manager. In 2015, he joined the Peterborough Petes as a Regional Scout, a role he will continue to fulfill. During his tenure with the Petes, Dan was instrumental in achieving three banner-winning seasons: the 2017 OHL Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions, the 2023 OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Champions, and the 2023 OHL Champions.

Matt Borucki

Head Athletic Trainer

Borucki worked with the Toledo Walleye last season for his Immersion Internship through the Adrian College Athletic Training Program. He also worked with Madonna University men’s and women’s soccer teams as an Assistant Athletic Trainer before accepting his role with the Bison.

The Westland, Michigan native worked as a clinical student with a rotation at Toledo St. Francis high school hockey team in 2022-23 and with the Adrian College women’s NCAA D3 ice hockey team in 2021-22.

Borucki attended Adrian College and earned a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Pre-Athletic Training Degree in 2023 & Master of Science in Athletic Training Degree in 2024.

Josh Pentico

Head Equipment Manager

Pentico spent the two previous seasons as the Head Equipment Manager with the SPHL’s Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. In his first season, the team won the President’s Cup as league champions. In addition, Pentico worked with the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, as the Assistant Visiting Clubhouse Manager from 2019-2024.

The Des Moines, Iowa native was the Head Equipment Manager for the Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL) in 2021-22 where the team claimed the regular season championship.

Pentico also served as the Second Assistant Equipment Manager with the Iowa Wild (AHL) from 2019-2021.

Dylan Martin

Assistant Equipment Manager

Martin, originally from Evansville, Wisconsin, attended and played hockey for Robert Morris University Illinois (now part of Roosevelt University) and earned a master’s degree in Sports Administration and bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies.

His professional career has included stops at the University of New Mexico, Roosevelt University, Midwest Blackbirds and Southern Oregon Spartans and his experience includes coaching, management and team ownership.

Parsa Monsef

Video Coach

Monsef has a longstanding history of developing young hockey players and has had success behind the bench in both youth and collegiate organizations. The Toronto, Ontario, native joins the Bison after serving as Hockey Director for the AAA Windy City Storm, which has developed youth hockey players into professionals for parts of four decades. Monsef’s focuses have included individual video sessions to improve player development and has helped many athletes reach the U.S. National Team Development Program and NCAA Division-I levels.

Prior to the 2024-25 season, Monsef had coached teams at the 15U, 16U, Tier II junior, NCAA Division-III and ACHA Divion-II levels. During his time with the latter (St. Cloud State), he earned WCCHA Coach of the Year honors and led them to a Northwest Division title. He also brings junior hockey success in his repertoire, having captured NAHL and NA3HL regular season titles with the Lone Star Brahmas in 2019-20. He played at Hamline University from 2013 to 2017, and earned a master’s degree in Sports Psychology at St. Cloud State University with specialization in coaching and management.

Bob Buckland

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Buckland brings over 20 years of experience training athletes for various sports, including hockey, and most recently served as the head strength & conditioning coach for the Indy Fuel from 2015-2018 and 2021-2024. Currently, he is the president of High Octane Sports Academy and head strength and conditioning coach for the Fishers Freight indoor football team, Jr. Fuel Hockey and Indiana Elite Hockey.

At High Octane Sports Academy, Buckland also specializes in improving mental, visual, functional and physical aspects of athletes at all levels. The all-encompassing method of performance enhancement will be implemented into Bison players’ experience.

Chad Letterle

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Letterle is the lead strength coach at The Pit Strength and Conditioning and strength coach and assistant defensive-line coach for the Normal Community Ironmen. After a 22-year career in Fire Service, he received his certification and held gym ownership and coaching roles in Peoria before moving to Bloomington.