General Manager & Head Coach - Simon Watson
Simon Watson is in his second season as the Pilots Head Coach and General Manager.
Watson played professional hockey in the Central Hockey League (CHL) for the Lubbock Cotton Kings, Rocky Mountain Rage, and the Missouri Mavericks. His strong leadership qualities on and off the ice, and significant contributions to his community didn't go unnoticed as he was named the 2011 CHL Man of the Year.
He played MWJHL junior hockey in his hometown, Waterloo, Ontario, for the Waterloo Siskins. From 2001-2006 Watson played NCAA Division 1 collegiate hockey at St. Lawrence University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Masters of Educational Leadership.
On August 5, 2011, Watson retired as a player and became the Mavericks' Assistant Director of Hockey Operations. Watson has continued to work with the Kansas City Mavericks in various capacities including Associate Coach, Director of Player Personnel, and Color Analyst for televised Mavericks games.
On May 9, 2013, he was named to the coaching staff of the KC Mavs Elite Midget AAA team. He also volunteers with the Jr. Mavericks by coaching and teaching youth hockey players in the Kansas City area. Watson is a registered level 5 Coach with USA hockey.
Simon and his wife Megan live in Riverside, Missouri with their two sons Hudson and Sawyer.
Email: swatson@topekapilots.com
Manager of Content & Social Media - Morgan Roberts
Morgan joined the Pilots during the 2018-19 season as the Graphic Content and Social Media Intern. She is currently a senior at Washburn University majoring in Graphic Design and Electronic Art.
As the Creative Director, Roberts keeps the Pilots website and social media up-to-date and administrates the creation and publishing of relevant, original, high-quality content.
When she isn’t glued to a computer screen, she spends time learning French, obsessing over the Dallas Stars and/or Pittsburgh Penguins, and stress baking enough to feed the Midwest.
Morgan lives in Topeka and is excited to be a part of the Pilots organization.
Email: mroberts@topekapilots.com