On Tuesday, March 24 University of Minnesota Director of Athletics, Mark Coyle, announced Brett Larson as the next head men’s hockey coach. The deal is for five years, pending the Board of Regents approval.
Larson brings in 16 seasons of collegiate hockey coaching experience. He had two stints coaching at Minnesota Duluth from 2008-11 and 2015-18, helping the Bulldogs claim the 2011 and 2018 National Championships. He has spent the past eight seasons as the head coach at St. Cloud State, making four national tournament appearances, claiming two conference championships, and making an appearance in the 2021 National Championship game for the first time in program history. Additionally, Larson has tallied 153 wins with the Huskies, the fourth most by a single coach in program history.
In a release on the hiring Coyle said, “I am excited for Brett to lead our men’s hockey program and look forward to welcoming him, his wife Kelly, and their children, Lane and Calla, to Minnesota.” He continued, “Brett brings extensive coaching experience at both the collegiate and international levels, and throughout the process, it became clear that he possesses the leadership, vision, and drive to guide our program. He understands the responsibility that comes with this job and our expectation to compete at the highest level.”
Larson is a native of Duluth, having played four seasons as a defenseman at Minnesota Duluth from 1991-95. He was named team captain in his senior season ending his collegiate career with 67 total points on 24 goals and 43 assists over 133 career games.
