Mike Guentzel, a 22-year veteran of coaching at the national select, junior A and NCAA Division I levels, has been named an assistant coach on the Colorado College staff. He replaces Norm Bazin, who left the Tigers after eight seasons last month to become head coach at Division III Hamilton College.
Guentzel, whose son Gabe is a freshman defenseman at CC, spent the last 14 seasons (1994-2008) as an assistant at the University of Minnesota and played an instrumental role in steering the Gophers to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2002 and 2003.
"I am very pleased to have Mike join Colorado College and the Tiger family,” said head coach Scott Owens. “I personally have had the chance to follow Mike's coaching career and watch him grow into an elite NCAA coach. Mike will add a wealth of knowledge and experience to a veteran Tiger team. He is an exceptional person that has an unbelievable track record of developing athletes, recruiting and winning at both the WCHA and national level. I look forward to working with Mike on a daily basis.”
"We are thrilled that Mike has agreed to become a Tiger,” said
Ken Ralph, director of athletics. “He is widely known as an outstanding teacher of the game of hockey and his track record of success speaks for itself. He is a key component in our quest to bring a championship to Colorado College.”
Before joining the Minnesota staff in 1994, Guentzel served as head coach for two teams – the St. Paul Vulcans (1989-92) and the Omaha Lancers (1992-94) – in the United State Hockey League, guiding the Vulcans to a junior A national title in 1991. He went on to win one regular-season and two playoff championships with the Lancers, in 1993 and 1994, and was honored as USHL Coach of the Year on two occasions. He began his coaching career as an assistant with St. Paul in 1986.
"I'm excited about this opportunity and looking forward to getting started at Colorado College,” said the 46-year-old Guentzel. “It's obviously a program that competes at a very high level, with a philosophy similar to my own. When I started with the Vulcans back in the late 1980s, Scotty (Owens) also was in the USHL, so I'm familiar with his approach, beliefs and coaching style. I think I'll be stepping into a very compatible situation.”
Guentzel attended and played hockey at Minnesota from 1981 through 1985. He served as team captain his senior year, and was recipient of the Edwin Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship Award as well as the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero Award while earning his bachelor's degree in small business and human relations. He went on to enjoy a brief minor-league playing career with the New Haven Night Hawks and Salt Lake City Golden Eagles after graduating.
Guentzel coached the Gophers' defensemen for the last nine years under head coach Don Lucia, helping to produce five All-Americans including 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold. He earlier was associate head coach there under Doug Woog. His involvement with USA Hockey has included stints as an assistant coach with three junior national teams (1994, 1995 and 1996).
Guentzel and his wife, Sally, have three sons. The oldest, Ryan, is a sophomore at and plays Division I hockey for the University of Notre Dame. Gabe, 20, started school at CC on Monday, while younger brother Jake, 14, plays at the bantam level in Minnesota.
