MINNEAPOLIS—The University of Minnesota has hired Mike Guentzel as associate head coach of men’s hockey.
Guentzel returns to the Golden Gophers after one year as an assistant at Nebraska-Omaha. He was an assistant at Minnesota from 1994-2008 and played defense for the Gophers from 1981-85.
After leaving the Gophers’ staff Guentzel was an assistant coach at Colorado College from 2008-09 and was head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers from 2009-10.
Minnesota coach Don Lucia says he wanted to hire a Minnesota alum who could work with defenseman and was familiar with the WCHA.
During his previous time on the Minnesota staff Guentzel helped lead the Gophers to back-to-back national championships, to five NCAA Frozen Fours and to 11 NCAA tournament appearances.
