Zach Lietz, a 2011 Farmington High graduate who helped the Falcons capture an OAA league title, has been hired as head coach of the new Lake Orion–Oxford co-op hockey team ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Lietz was hired in April to lead the Dragons' program, succeeding Nick Badder, who took the Lake Orion job prior to the 2023-24 season after coaching Romeo to a Division 2 state championship in 2016. The appointment gives Farmington-area hockey fans a familiar name to watch on the opposing bench when OAA play resumes.

"My initial reaction, I was just overwhelmed with excitement," Lietz told The Oakland Press on Wednesday, July 22. "I see the potential with their team. The sky's really the limit over there."

A Lake Orion native, Lietz moved back to the city with his wife in 2021 with a long-term goal of coaching the Dragons. His path there wound through Farmington's hockey community and beyond.

From Falcon to coach

After graduating from Farmington High, Lietz co-founded Central Michigan University's ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) Division III men's program. He then joined the Detroit Compuware AAA staff alongside his father Gordie Lietz, a former NAHL player and referee, and his brother Anthony, working with goaltenders for roughly five years.

When the opportunity arose, Lietz joined his brother Anthony as an assistant at Farmington United, helping rebuild that program. Anthony Lietz is now head coach at Novi.

Lietz spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Rochester United under head coach Tucker Penning. During that stretch, Rochester United went a combined 42-14-2 and captured D2 regional championships in both of the past two seasons.

Penning praised his departing assistant in comments to The Oakland Press: "He's a tremendous coach, friend and person. He cares about his players and knows what it takes to build a successful program."

New co-op, new challenge

Oxford's athletic department confirmed on Friday, April 17 that it had partnered with Lake Orion for a co-op team beginning in the 2026-27 winter season. Oxford players had previously been part of the co-op with the North Oakland Eagles.

Lietz said the partnership strengthens the roster and improves competition. He told The Oakland Press he wants to bring back a "usual suspect" feeling to the program with playoff runs and state-title contention, battling OAA powers like Clarkston, Rochester, and Birmingham.

What's next

The Lake Orion–Oxford co-op has a home game scheduled in January at Detroit Skating Club against Rochester United. Lietz acknowledged the matchup against his former team is already circled on his calendar. The full 2026-27 OAA schedule has not been released.