On July 7, 2021, Scott Burt was introduced as the fourth Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations in Rapid City Rush history. In his first season as Rapid City's head coach, Burt guided the team to a record of 36-25-6-5, an ECHL-era franchise-best 83 points and the first Kelly Cup Playoff appearance for Rapid City since the 2014-15 season. The Rush advanced to the second round of the postseason by defeating the Allen Americans in five games, before falling to the Utah Grizzlies in six games. In June of 2022, he was promoted to Head Coach and General Manager He took over as Rapid City's coach following a season as the assistant coach of the division rival Idaho Steelheads. In his lone coaching season in Boise in 2019-20, he helped guide the Steelheads to a 36-18-3-4 record in 61 games prior to the season’s conclusion due to COVID-19. That year, Idaho was one of only seven teams in the entire ECHL to amass 20 or more wins on home ice. Prior to joining the Steelheads, Burt served six seasons in the major-junior level as the assistant coach of the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs. He helped the Chiefs to playoff appearances in five of his six seasons on the bench, advancing as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2019. Burt also helped develop young talent that advanced to play in the National Hockey League, including 2021 World Champion Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Los Angeles Kings), 2020 World Junior Champion and 2021 NHL All-Rookie selection Ty Smith (New Jersey Devils), and two-time World Junior Championship bronze medalist and AHL All-Star Kailer Yamamoto (Edmondton Oilers). His coaching career began with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces as an assistant coach for a pair of seasons from 2011 to 2013. There, the former Aces Captain made playoffs in both of his seasons on the bench, reaching the 2012 Western Conference Finals and 2013 Western Conference Semifinals. He also helped coach the Aces to a 2013 Brabham Cup Regular Season Championship with an ECHL-best 49-15-4-4 record and 106 standings points. A native of Mackenzie, British Columbia, Burt, 45, began the coaching phase of his career following 13 seasons as a forward in the WCHL, ECHL, and AHL. All but three seasons of his career were played in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies, and Alaska Aces, amassing career totals of 149 goals, 207 assists, 356 points, and 1,067 PIM in 586 games. As a player, Burt made the playoffs in all but two of his 13 seasons, played for his league championship on six different occasions, and twice was named the Captain of his team, rotating as Steelheads Captain in 2007 while also serving as Aces Captain from 2009 to 2011. Burt is a three-time Kelly Cup Champion, one of only six people with his name on the ECHL’s most coveted prize three times, winning titles with Idaho in 2004 and 2007, and in his final professional season with the Aces in 2011. Overall, in his 13-year playing career in the ECHL with the Toledo Storm, Wheeling Nailers, Alaska Aces, and Idaho Steelheads in both the ECHL and WCHL, Burt earned 203 goals, 259 assists, 461 points, and 1,266 PIM in 739 games. Prior to turning professional, he played in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Swift Current broncos, Edmonton Ice, and Red Deer Rebels, registering 172 points and 354 PIM in 254 games.

Peter Drikos joins the Rush for his first season behind the bench as assistant coach.

Drikos most recently served as the Cobourg Cougars (OJHL) head coach and general manger, capping off his eighth season of coaching Canadian juniors—five of them spent as head coach. 

After playing for his hometown AAA U18 team, Drikos began a four-year OPJHL career that spanned from 2003-07. In 2006, he helped lead the St. Michael’s Buzzers to their second consecutive OPJHL championship.

In 2008-09, Drikos dressed in Canada’s CIS league for Ryerson University and then began his professional playing career. 

Drikos' best season of hockey came in 2009-10 with the West Michigan Blizzard in the All-American Hockey League. That season, he logged five goals and 20 assists, tying him for third place on the team in the category. 

During the 2010-11 season, Drikos joined the FHL’s Akwesasne Warriors and won a Commissioner’s Cup title.

During the 2011-12 season, Drikos played earned him a three-game loan to the SPHL’s Mississippi RiverKings.

After a short hiatus from the game, the OJHL’s Toronto Patriots tabbed Drikos to be an assistant coach. After two seasons as an assistant (one with Toronto and one with the Orangeville Flyers), he was hired as the head coach of the Brampton Bombers, a post he would hold for two seasons. 

Drikos would also join the Milton Menace staff as an assistant for one season in 2019-20 before re-joining the Toronto Patriots staff as their head coach the following year. After two seasons in Toronto, Drikos accepted the general manager and head coach role in Cobourg.

Drikos is a native of Mississauga, Ontario, who officially arrived in Rapid City on September 12, 2023. 

Justin Ullom is in his second season with the Rush as the team's head athletic trainer and his first in professional hockey. He joined the team in September of 2022 and comes to Rapid City with experience at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Justin was an assistant athletic trainer at Lindenwood University and at Holmes Community College, the head athletic trainer at Regis Groff Fusion Athletics, a charter high school in Denver, Colorado, and also spent time as an intern trainer for the NFL's Denver Broncos. Justin is a native of Wildwood, Missouri. 

Anthony Camelio joins the Rush for his first season as the team's head equipment manager. 

Camelio, 24, from Rochester, N.Y. graduated with a degree in sports management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2020.

His father, Jeff, is the head equipment manager for the NHL's Seattle Kraken, and employed Anthony as a locker room attendant during the 2022-23 season. During his collegiate career, Camelio was the "kit man" for Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in their 2019-20 campaign. Through his childhood and teenage years, Camelio grew up around the Nashville Predators locker room where his father was an assistant equipment manager.

Anthony and his girlfriend, Kathryn, reside in Box Elder, S.D. with their dog Tilly. 

 

Dr. Dietrich is the Medical Director for the Rapid City Rush. He works with our medical team to evaluate, treat, and coordinate care for our players. Dr. Dietrich is a Huron, South Dakota native. He is a graduate of The University of South Dakota School of Medicine. He completed his residency and specialty training at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While at Mayo, Dr. Dietrich was elected chief resident. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pain Medicine, and Sports Medicine. He currently works at The Rehab Doctors with Drs. Lawlor, Vonderau, and Anderson. Dr. Dietrich is also the director of the Rapid City Concussion Project, a visiting physician at the United States Olympic Training Center, a Titleist Performance Institute Level 3 Certified Evaluator, and a team physician for the United States Ski Team. He was named the 137th President of the South Dakota State Medical Association, vice president of the Black Hills Medical Society, and co-chair of the ethics committee at Rapid City Regional Hospital. He was awarded the South Dakota State Medical Association's Outstanding Young Physician Award in 2009, and the Community Service Award in 2011. Dr Dietrich and his wife Angie have three children. In addition to his medical duties, Dr. Dietrich is active as a youth coach for Rushmore Hockey Association, Canyon Lake Little League, and Rushmore Soccer Club. The Rehab Doctors are at 1136 Jackson Blvd. Call 605-721-7246 for appointments. www.therehabdoctors.com