Hockey Operations

Kyle Sharkey

Head Coach/ Director of Hockey Operations

Sharkey, 31, a native of Moore, Okla. – is in his second season with the Fayetteville Marksmen, and his first as head coach and director of hockey operations. Named head coach May 2, 2024, Sharkey served as Fayetteville’s assistant coach during the 2023-24 season after spending the year prior as the assistant coach for the NAHL’s Minot (N.D.) Minotauros.

An SPHL veteran, Sharkey logged 150 SPHL regular season games as a player and notched 130 points (50g, 80a) with the Huntsville Havoc. In 2018-19, Sharkey finished third in points for the eventual President’s Cup champion Havoc.

A two-time SPHL champion, Sharkey also contributed for the 2017-18 championship Havoc team, and served as an alternate captain for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on the Pointers 2015-16 NCAA division-III championship squad.

Hayden Hulton

Assistant Coach

Hayden Hulton enters his first season of professional hockey coaching during the 2024-25 campaign after a strong playing career.

Hulton, from Kingston, Ontario, played four seasons in the SPHL and logged eight games as a Marksmen during the 2023-24 season. However, Hulton is best known for his 145 games played as an Evansville Thunderbolts standout. He captained Evansville in the 2022-23 season after having served as an alternate captain the year prior with the Thunderbolts.

The 31-year-old contributed 25 points in 112 games for Carleton University during his collegiate career in Canada’s USports league. Prior to his collegiate career, he skated with the CCHL’s Brockville Braves in juniors and captained the Braves in 2013-14.

The first hockey operations staff hire under Kyle Sharkey, Hulton fills an assistant coaching role that has produced current head coach Kyle Sharkey, ECHL assistant coach Cory Melkert (Fort Wayne Koments), and ECHL head coach Jason Binkley (Reading Royals).

Kyle Sherrill

Head Athletic Trainer

The 2023-2024 season is Kyle Sherrill’s sixth with the Marksmen as the Head Athletic Trainer. He has been involved in minor league hockey in Fayetteville since 2007.

A native of Red Springs, N.C., Kyle earned his B.S. in athletic training from Methodist University . He also minored in physical education as well as strength and conditioning. He has been a BOC certified athletic trainer since 2008.

He was a member of the medical staff for the Fayetteville FireAntz, SPHL championship season (2006-07), and the FireAntz Regular Season Championship (2012). He was also a member of medical staff for the Fayetteville Guard, NIFL Championship season (2007) and the Cape Fear Heroes AIF Championship Season (2012), SIF Championship Season (2017).

Along with his passion of working with professional athletes, Kyle also enjoys providing athletic training services youth athletes in the Cape Fear region. Kyle has been a member of the NATA since 2005 and enjoys using his knowledge to educate the community in sports medicine.

Chad Ray

Head Equipment Manager

The 2023-24 season is Ray’s first as Head Equipment Manager for the Fayetteville Marksmen.

The Mississippi native is no stranger to hockey and has had stints with the Odessa Jackalopes(NAHL), Louisiana IceGators(SPHL), Dayton Bombers(ECHL), Tupelo T-Rex(AWHL), Adirondack Thunder(ECHL), and Roanoke Railyard Dawgs(SPHL); all in the same capacity.

He spent four seasons volunteering with the University of Mississippi’s ACHA D3 Club team as equipment manager and director of game operations, and also worked with the Mississippi SeaWolves(ECHL) as their video coach and equipment assistant.

Ray is a 2011 graduate of East Mississippi Community College, where he obtained an Associates of Applied Science degree in Paramedic/EMT Technology. Away from the rink you can find him enjoying the outdoors, at the gun range, or just seeing what the Cape Fear River has to offer.