Eight coaches have been named finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the top men’s coach in all of NCAA Division I.
Voting will be conducted prior to this year’s Frozen Four in Boston and the winner will be announced on April 8.
The nominees represent any coach who won or shared Coach of the Year honors in his conference this past season, along with coaches whose teams have advanced to the NCAA semifinals.
Of this year’s finalists, two are past recipients of this award – two-time winner Dean Blais of Omaha (winner in 1997 and 2001 while at North Dakota) and Nate Leaman of Providence (who won while at Union in 2011).
| Name | School | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Dean Blais | Omaha | NCAA semifinalist |
| Greg Carvel | St. Lawrence | ECAC Coach of the Year |
| Guy Gadowsky | Penn State | Big Ten Coach of the Year |
| Dave Hakstol | North Dakota | NCHC Coach of the Year, NCAA semifinalist |
| Mike Hastings | Minnesota State | WCHA Coach of the Year |
| Nate Leaman | Providence | NCAA semifinalist |
| David Quinn | Boston University | Hockey East Coach of the Year, NCAA semifinalist |
| Derek Schooley | Robert Morris | AHC Coach of the Year |
The Spencer Penrose Award is named in memory of the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first 10 NCAA championship hockey tournaments. The award will be formally presented at the AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet in Naples, Fla., on May 2.
