On Tuesday, May 6 sources confirmed to Flag Family Media that Dane Jackson has not yet signed a contract to take over as head coach of the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team. According to the sources as far back as April 3, 2025 Jackson had signed a term sheet with the impression that a full contract would be signed in the following days…
Since that initial term sheet was agreed to, it has been almost five weeks with no official contract signed. The question that remains from this information is why has the contract not been signed yet? Is it the number of years, the compensation about, or something else?
Will the contract be signed in the coming days? Day-by-day that ink doesn’t hit the contract paper makes it seem that there may be something going on behind the scenes to prevent the completion of the deal.
Additionally, North Dakota still needs to fill its current Associate Head Coaching vacancy within the men’s hockey program. Sources close to the men’s hockey program say that there were eight applicants for the Associate Head Coaching position. That may not be as many applicants as you’d normally expect, but what’s even more odd is the finalists… Currently there is only one finalist for the position. His name, Matt Smaby.
Smaby is currently head coach of the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL. He played three seasons at North Dakota helping the program to a pair of Frozen Four appearances, along with leading UND as the team captain in his final season. Smaby was the 41st overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Is Smaby truly the only finalist for the Associate Head Coaching position? Or are there others in contention? Only time will tell.
