Western Collegiate Hockey Association
St. Cloud State Hires New Men's Assistant Hockey Coach
Aug. 15, 2007
St. Cloud State University Director of Athletics Dr. Morris Kurtz has announced the hiring of Mike Gibbons as an assistant coach for the men's ice hockey program at the University.
Gibbons will return to college hockey after serving as the head boys' hockey coach at Eastview High School in Apple Valley since 1997. In his coaching career that spans more than 25 years, Gibbons has had the opportunity to coach at all levels of the game including high school, juniors, college and professional.
"I have known Mike (Gibbons) for over 20 years and he has a very successful coaching resume in so many different areas. He has been a head coach at three different levels, and Mike established himself as one of the better recruiters in college hockey when he was going at it with Northern Michigan, Denver and Colorado College,"SCSU men's ice hockey head coach Bob Motzko said.
"Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our program. I couldn't be more pleased to be adding Mike to our staff."
Gibbons is a graduate of Bemidji State University, where he was a standout collegiate player for the Beavers from 1975 to 1979. He gained All-America notice in 1978 and 1979 and helped BSU win a national title in 1979. He went on to receive his Master's degree from Bemidji State in 1989.
He started his coaching career at Bemidji State as an assistant in 1981. Gibbons then served as the BSU head coach during the 1982-83 season, during which time he was named the NHCA Conference Coach of the Year and the College Division National Coach of the Year.
Gibbons moved to Northern Michigan University in 1983, and served as an assistant coach with the Wildcats' hockey program until 1988. He went on to serve as an assistant coach at WCHA powers Colorado College (1988 to 1990) and the University of Denver (1990 to 1994).
"Mike (Gibbons) has a terrific reputation as a recruiter, and more importantly he is an outstanding coach,"Motzko said. "He is one of the most loyal and hard working guys in the business.
|
|
 |
"This is just another indication of the commitment that our Athletic Director Morris Kurtz and the administration at St. Cloud State has given to our program - a commitment that allows us to add a coach of this caliber to our staff."
After leaving Denver, Gibbons worked for one year as the head coach for the Langley Thunder in the BCJHL. From 1995 to 1997, Gibbons moved into the professional ranks as an assistant coach with the Baltimore Bandits - the Anaheim Ducks' top affiliate in the American Hockey League. Gibbons returned to Minnesota to take over as head coach at Eastview High School, when that school started up its boys' hockey program in 1997. Since that time, Gibbons has gone on to earn Minnesota State High School League Section 5 Coach of the Year honors in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
In 2006, Gibbons served as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National Team, which placed fourth at the World Junior Tournament in Vancouver, B.C. In 1993, he was a co-coach with Scott Owens for the USA Select Team and he has coached numerous USA Hockey Select 17 teams during his career. A resident of Eagan, Gibbons and his wife Nancy have three children.
"This will be a great challenge for me, but I am ready to jump back into college hockey,"Gibbons said. "I am excited about the challenge. The WCHA is such a great league, and St. Cloud State has been a big part of the league's success at the national level in recent years. SCSU has been a real factor in college hockey, and I look forward to being part of the program and working with Bob Motzko." Gibbons will replace Fred Harbinson, who served as an assistant coach with the Huskies from 2002 to 2007. Harbinson was recently named the new head coach and vice president for hockey operations for Penticton of the BCHL.
"I want to thank Fred for the outstanding job he did at St. Cloud State,"Motzko said. "He helped build this program over the past five seasons, and his new job will be a great opportunity for him to be a head coach and advance his career."
The Huskies completed the 2006-07 season with a 22-11-7 overall record, and a second place finish in the WCHA (14-7-7). SCSU gained a NCAA Division I tournament bid in 2007, and the Huskies were ranked number 7/8 in the final NCAA Division I hockey polls this past winter. The 2007 DQ Cup champions, St. Cloud State also claimed top honors at the University of Vermont Catamount Cup tournament in 2006.
SCSU will open the 2007-08 season on Oct. 12-13, with a pair of home games at the National Hockey Center against Canisius College. For complete ticket information, please call 1-877-SCSUTIX or 320-308-2137.
St. Cloud State University is an NCAA Division I affiliate in hockey and a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Founded in 1869, SCSU enrolls over 16,000 students and its main campus is located on the banks of the scenic Mississippi River in the city of St. Cloud, Minn. - located one hour northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
