Coyle Announces Leadership Change in Women’s Hockey

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A nationwide search will start immediately for Minnesota's next head coach
University of Minnesota Thomas O. Moe Director of Athletics Mark Coyle has announced that the University has parted ways with women's hockey coach Brad Frost.

Statement from Mark Coyle

"Brad is a great coach and an even better person, which is why today is extremely difficult. This decision was made after a review of the program on and off the ice. We expect to contend at the highest level in every aspect of women's college hockey, and right now we are not doing that.

"I want to thank Brad for leading our team with class and integrity for 19 years. He has coached some of the best players to ever wear the Maroon and Gold, won numerous WCHA titles and national championships in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. We are grateful for his service and wish Brad all the best in his future endeavors.

"While change like this is never easy, now is the right time for a new voice to lead our program. This is the best coaching job in women's hockey, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next head coach."

gophersports.com

Coyle Announces Leadership Change in Women’s Hockey - University of Minnesota Athletics

A nationwide search will start immediately for Minnesota's next head coach
gophersports.com gophersports.com

Go Gophers!!
 


bonin21 said:
You CAN NOT let this be an excuse to not make the move that needs to be made on the men's side.
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Not following that logic. Why would this have anything to do with the men? How would this move be an excuse? You can only change one coach per year?

Sometimes people bash Coyle for not making hard decisions. I don't understand that. He fired Tracy Claeys and brought in PJ Fleck. He fired Ben Johnson last year (yes i know he brought him in too, but it was obvious that his hand was forced there) and brought in Medved. Now he fires Frost. This doesn't seem like a guy who is afraid to make decisions.
 

I’m surprised this happened so quickly after they were eliminated. Definitely the way to do it though. Get started on the search for a replacement quicker.
 

Crosby said:
Not following that logic. Why would this have anything to do with the men? How would this move be an excuse? You can only change one coach per year?

Sometimes people bash Coyle for not making hard decisions. I don't understand that. He fired Tracy Claeys and brought in PJ Fleck. He fired Ben Johnson last year (yes i know he brought him in too, but it was obvious that his hand was forced there) and brought in Medved. Now he fires Frost. This doesn't seem like a guy who is afraid to make decisions.
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There are a number of people that feel two hockey moves in one offseason is less likely. Those with the typical Gopher athletics mediocrity rules attitude.
 



bonin21 said:
You CAN NOT let this be an excuse to not make the move that needs to be made on the men's side.
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If anything, I think this bodes well regarding a change for the Men's team, too. Fan expectations should be sky high for both hockey programs as it should be for the U.

Men's Hockey is only one (1) of three (3) profitable programs at Minnesota and was in the black at $2.5M last year if reports are correct. If we're being serious about winning, not only do we let Bob go, we figure out a way to pump some of that profit back into the Men's program to secure better talent.
 

Slim Tubby said:
If anything, I think this bodes well regarding a change for the Men's team, too. Fan expectations should be sky high for both hockey programs as it should be for the U.

Men's Hockey is only one (1) of three (3) profitable programs at Minnesota and was in the black at $2.5M last year if reports are correct. If we're being serious about winning, not only do we let Bob go, we figure out a way to pump some of that profit back into the Men's program to secure better talent.
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I think that's more the logic I'd follow with this move too.
 

bonin21 said:
There are a number of people that feel two hockey moves in one offseason is less likely. Those with the typical Gopher athletics mediocrity rules attitude.
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Okay, thanks. Who are those "number of people?" I have not seen that opinion on this board, nor have I heard it from any Gopher Hockey faithful. I think Slim is right in his earlier post... I think the fact that Coyle is not accepting this performance on the women's side means he is well aware it's an issue on the men's side too.
 
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Crosby said:
Oka, thanks. Who are those "number of people?" I have not seen that opinion on this board, nor have I heard it from any Gopher Hockey faithful. I think Slim is right in his post below... I think the fact that Coyle is not accepting this performance on the women's side means he is well aware it's an issue on the men's side too.
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From your keyboard to God's ears! The change on the men's side is just as needed as on the change was on the women's side in my opinion.
 

The first call likely will and should be to coach muzzy at Ohio State but wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t want to leave after building a giant there. Call # 2 would be to Mira Jalusuo at St, Cloud State
 

I think Frost's contract had expired, and the U chose not to renew it.

Motzko has one year left on his.
 

GopherGod said:
The first call likely will and should be to coach muzzy at Ohio State but wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t want to leave after building a giant there. Call # 2 would be to Mira Jalusuo at St, Cloud State
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Seems like it would be too early for Mira Jalosuo to leave SCSU, since she just finished up her first year there.
 



Wonder if the Men's coaches are nervous? Perhaps they have been informed by Coyle that they are safe. Not sure if he would or would not fire both at the same time.
 

#2Gopher said:
Wonder if the Men's coaches are nervous? Perhaps they have been informed by Coyle that they are safe. Not sure if he would or would not fire both at the same time.
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I would hope that he would clean house with both hockey programs and now is as good a time as any.
 

The coaching target for the women is the most clear thing I've ever seen. Now it's a question of if they have the money.
 


lrgeek said:
I think the school has the money, the question is will they spend it??
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Or will it somehow end up some massive waste of money DEI thing running the quality of academics at the U further into the ground? But i digress
 

bonin21 said:
The coaching target for the women is the most clear thing I've ever seen. Now it's a question of if they have the money.
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Thank you vagueposting king, want to say who that is for us who don't follow as closely?
 


upnorthkid said:
Would assume he’s meaning Nadine Muzerall who’s made OSU into a wagon but she played here and was a prior assistant here
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I'm not a hockey guy but if Coyle fired the girl's hockey coach with 4 titles and 566 wins I believe he's already hired the new coach. In a week or so they'll announce it.
Fired Claeys knowing he had hired PJ. Fired Whalen knowing he had Coach P.
 

Sometimes, after a beautiful evening with the sky full of stars and constellations, you get a stunning sunrise, followed by a day of blue skies and light breezes, the day ending in a spectacular sunset. But I digress.
 

60's Guy said:
I'm not a hockey guy but if Coyle fired the girl's hockey coach with 4 titles and 566 wins I believe he's already hired the new coach. In a week or so they'll announce it.
Fired Claeys knowing he had hired PJ. Fired Whalen knowing he had Coach P.
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From a hockey guy... This firing was overdue. The standards for women's hockey at the U are the highest of any sport.
 

No inside scoops but my guess is it comes down to Muzerall, Stauber and Darwitz.
 

The problem was not Frost but Coyle. Coyle needs to do a much better job of raising private monies to support athletes. You give Frost more recruitment monies and let him recruit the best players no matter where they live in the world and the Minnesota Women will be on top again. Coyle will probably have to pay as much or more to get a good replacement coach and he will probably have to give the candidate more recruitment monies or that person will not take the job. The days are gone when great players will come just because it is "Minnesota."
 

walleye said:
The problem was not Frost but Coyle. Coyle needs to do a much better job of raising private monies to support athletes. You give Frost more recruitment monies and let him recruit the best players no matter where they live in the world and the Minnesota Women will be on top again. Coyle will probably have to pay as much or more to get a good replacement coach and he will probably have to give the candidate more recruitment monies or that person will not take the job. The days are gone when great players will come just because it is "Minnesota."
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Frost has been struggling for years.
 

walleye said:
The problem was not Frost but Coyle. Coyle needs to do a much better job of raising private monies to support athletes. You give Frost more recruitment monies and let him recruit the best players no matter where they live in the world and the Minnesota Women will be on top again. Coyle will probably have to pay as much or more to get a good replacement coach and he will probably have to give the candidate more recruitment monies or that person will not take the job. The days are gone when great players will come just because it is "Minnesota."
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Frost’s problem was he was missing out on the best players here, it wasn’t that he didn’t have to money to recruit internationally. The best players are leaving Minnesota for Wisconsin and Ohio State. When he loses Pohl from Woodbury whose mom and dad are both gopher legends you have a problem, and she isn’t the only example
 

lrgeek said:
I think the school has the money, the question is will they spend it??
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I don’t see her decision coming down to money, Ohio State could easily match or surpass anything the gophers could. It will be simply whether she wants to leave her program she built from the ground up. The one thing in the gophers favor is the rink. Ohio states rink is worse than many high school rinks here and they have been promising a new rink for years but haven’t had the donor to pull the trigger
 
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Ski U Mah Gopher said:
I think Frost's contract had expired, and the U chose not to renew it.

Motzko has one year left on his.
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I was surprised to read that. I don't follow the program that closely, but he's had multi-year contracts in the past. It appears that there was no renewal or extension given since the 2023 extension. Was that a topic of discussion/common knowledge?

lrgeek said:
I think the school has the money, the question is will they spend it??
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Muzerall is signed through 2029 and I don't know the buyout. Even if that is manageable, Coyle will have to satisfy her that the ancilliary support here can match what she (and all programs) get at Ohio State. I agree with you that he's got the money on the contract side if he chooses to spend it. Not sure he can compete with OSU on the rest of it.
 

60's Guy said:
I'm not a hockey guy but if Coyle fired the girl's hockey coach with 4 titles and 566 wins I believe he's already hired the new coach. In a week or so they'll announce it.
Fired Claeys knowing he had hired PJ. Fired Whalen knowing he had Coach P.
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It was also pretty obvious Niko was going to replace Ben for about a year as well
 

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