BRIAN HAALAND
Hockey to auto racing isn’t exactly the typical transition made by most NASCAR employees. But former Maverick hockey player Brian Haaland made the switch look easy. Turns out the 2003 UNO graduate’s four years in the net served him well in the pits. Haaland broke into auto racing soon after graduating thanks to a connection through Dr. Jack Stark, an Omaha psychologist who then worked with the UNO hockey team — and Hendrick Motorsports. Haaland got a job in the pit crews, eventually serving Kyle Busch. He also became a strength coach for Hendrick pit crews and drivers. Today he’s a head coach for Penske Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series pit crews. He still has his hands in hockey, too, as owner of Old School Goal School, a training center for goaltenders.