Jay Dobes is a Cedar Valley native who grew up in Waterloo’s youth hockey program. He brings a unique combination of familiarity with the community and experience in the sport after previously working with hockey clubs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana. Upon returning to northeast Iowa in 2016, Dobes re-engaged with the Waterloo Youth Hockey Association in various roles, including Coaching Director.
He joined the Black Hawks in the summer of 2024 from a full time role at Waterloo-based O&P1 (Orthotics & Prosthetics).
As Director of Sales, Dobes works with businesses across the Cedar Valley. Those relationships are crucial to the team’s on-ice success, while also providing the partner-companies with exposure via a team which generated over 80,000 in attendance during 2023/24. Dobes also assists large groups as they enjoy Young Arena’s hospitality amenities.
This is Dobes’ second stint with the team. From 2007 to 2010, he was a member of the Hawks’ hockey operations staff under Head Coach P.K. O’Handley. In addition to on-ice work with Black Hawks players, Dobes managed a range of administrative tasks including hotel and travel arrangements.
Over the years which followed, his coaching career continued with the Twin Cities Northern Lights (Minnesota Junior Hockey League), Janesville Jets (North American Hockey League), and Butte Cobras (Western States Hockey League). Dobes developed a wide skill set over that time and was involved in many aspects of those teams’ operations. Back in the Cedar Valley beginning in 2016, Dobes has applied his knowledge within the WYHA, serving most recently as the head coach for the program’s Junior Gold team.