St. Norbert College coach Tim Coghlin, who coached his team to a second consecutive D-III championship and third consecutive Frozen Four, has been named USCHO’s Division III Coach of the Year for the second conseuctive year.
The Green Knights finished with a record of 21-5-5, the 14th time in 16 seasons they have won at least 20 games. The Knights also claimed the NCHA regular season and playoff championships once again, the latter by defeating Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-Stevens Point in consecutive shutouts.
It didn’t always seem so rosy this season, as the Green Knights were 3-2-2 in their first seven games, including trouncings by Wis.-Stevens Point on Oct. 28 (5-1) and Wis.-River Falls on Nov. 11 (6-3). As of Jan. 7, when the Green Knights finished a weekend where they tied St. Olaf and lost to St. Mary’s, their record stood at only 7-4-4, and they had sunk to No. 8 in the USCHO poll.
That weekend was the wakeup call, as the Green Knights lost only one more game all year while finishing their season with a 16-1-1 run; the lone loss was an overtime decision to Wis.-River Falls.
Under Coghlin, St. Norbert has played in the NCAA title game six times since 2004, winning the crown in 2008, 2011, and 2012, and made the Frozen Four eight times since 2003. In 19 seasons with Coghlin at the helm, St. Norbert has 16 consecutive winning seasons, has won the NCHA division title 13 times, and claimed the NCHA Peters Cup as playoff champions 10 times. Coghlin’s career conference-best coaching mark now stands at 392-103-41; only five other NCHA coaches have 200 or more conference wins. Coghlin’s overall mark is 411-113-45 (.762)
USCHO’s awards were voted on by the D-III columnists and editor. Still to come this week are the rookie of the year and the All-USCHO first, second, third and all-rookie teams.
