Coaching Staff

Jeff grew up playing competitive travel hockey in the Chicagoland area. He played high school hockey at Maine East and three years of college hockey at Illinois State University. Jeff was a dual sport athlete in college including playing baseball at ISU. Jeff has been the GBN JV Head Coach for the past four seasons and coached GBN's Varsity Gold team last season. In that time, GBN has had much success including winning the 2020-2021 State and 2021-2022 championships. 

Joey Sanchez grew up playing AAA hockey in the Chicagoland area. In 2010, he won a U18 National Championship under current Chicago Blackhawks coach Anders Sorensen. Joey was selected in the first round of the NAHL Draft and played two seasons with the Michigan Warriors and Janesville Jets. Currently, Joey serves as the captain of Team Mexico. Alongside his playing career, he has been dedicated to coaching, specializing in skill development and mentoring the next generation of players. Passionate about giving back to his community, he strives to help young athletes grow both on and off the ice. A Glenbrook North alum, Joey now lives in Northbrook with his wife and two boys.

James Sanchez grew up playing AAA hockey in the Chicagoland area. In 2014, he was selected to join the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP). That same year, he was drafted by the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and committed to playing at the University of Michigan, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Arizona State University. At ASU, he earned a Hobey Baker nomination and graduated with a Master's in Sports Law & Business. Following college, James signed a two-year contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. He later played for the Iowa Heartlanders in the Minnesota Wild organization, serving as team captain. Though his career was cut short due to injury, his passion for the game remains strong. Now, he is dedicated to mentoring and developing young players, helping them achieve their goals on and off the ice.

Adam Johnson: As a kid growing up in Illinois, I started out my hockey career as most do. Playing for my local house league team then making the jump to travel hockey where I spent some time with the Express and the Blues. After a few years of travel I moved on to play high school varsity for the Leyden Eagles my freshman and sophomore seasons. When my junior year of high school came around I made the decision to move away from home and pursue AAA hockey where I spent one season with the Indy Fuel and a second season with the Sioux Falls Power, after AAA hockey. 

I made the jump to the North American Hockey League. Where I spent a season with the Danbury Hat Tricks and a second season with the Johnstown Tomahawks during my two years of junior hockey I not only learned a lot about the game but also about myself. The grueling schedule and high level of play is a great opportunity to see what hockey is like at the next levels. 

After my two years of junior hockey I was fortunate enough to earn a NCAA division 1 scholarship to play at Lindenwood University. After my playing career was wrapped up. I knew that coaching was the right move for me. I've spent some time with a few different clubs throughout the Chicago area and started my own goalie training company where I had the privilege of working with over 50 goalies in the last 12 months, passing down the things I learned at the Division 1 college level.

Ryan Johnson: Hockey has been a major part of my life from a young age and continues to be today. Throughout my playing days, I made stops at every level of hockey’s developmental ladder, from house hockey to the NAHL. During that time, I especially cherished my one high school season with the Leyden Eagles. I loved the sense of community and family that came with playing for my school and representing my town.

At 15 years old, I left Illinois to pursue my hockey career at a higher level. I went on to play AAA hockey with the Indy Jr. Fuel at 15 and then with the Sioux Falls Power at 16 before being recruited at 17 by the Danbury Hattricks of the NAHL. That opportunity began a three-season junior hockey career, where I also played for the Johnstown Tomahawks and the Idaho Falls Spud Kings. From ages 15 to 19, I played under 10 different head coaches, experiences that allowed me to gain a deep understanding of coaching styles, leadership, and team dynamics.

When my playing career came to an abrupt end at 20, I shifted my focus toward entrepreneurship and coaching. These experiences led me to become a private hockey skills coach and to start RJ Skills, where I work closely with players on skill development, confidence, and what it takes to be a successful hockey player in today’s fast-paced game. I also founded RinkDry and developed a portable equipment dryer that hockey players and parents across North America rely on.

Hockey has always been a huge part of my life, and coaching has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I take pride in helping players grow both on and off the ice, always with achievement and personal development in mind. I bring recent playing experience, a championship mindset, and passionate enthusiasm to GBN with every coaching opportunity.