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Brandon Naurato named permanent Michigan hockey coach

tony garcia, detroit free press
·3 min read

Michigan hockey will no longer have an interim head coach when it takes the ice for the Frozen Four on Thursday in Tampa, Florida.

On Friday, the program announced Brandon Naurato — who has served under the interim tag all season after taking for the fired Mel Pearson in August — has been named full-time head coach of the Wolverines. Per the university, a five-year contract "will be finalized and communicated following the completion of the Frozen Four."

Michigan (26-11-3) faces Quinnipiac (32-4-3) in the NCAA tournament's national semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner will face either Minnesota or Boston University in the national championship game on April 8.

"I'm extremely honored to be officially named the head coach of Michigan Hockey," Naurato said in a statement. "Michigan holds a special place in my heart. It's where I met my wife and where I started my family. It's where I want to be for a long time."

Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naurato, center, watches a play against Michigan State during overtime of the "Duel in the D" at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.
Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naurato, center, watches a play against Michigan State during overtime of the "Duel in the D" at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

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Few expected a Frozen Four trip in 2022-23 for the Wolverines after they lost six former NHL draft picks to the league, but Naurato's team hit the ground running, led by the return of 2021 No. 4 overall pick Luke Hughes (a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season) on defense and the addition of freshman forward Adam Fantilli, a Hobey Baker Award finalist this season and the projected No. 2 overall pick in this summer's NHL draft. The Wolverines also added 2022 NHL first-rounders in Rutger McGroarty on offense and Seamus Casey on defense. U-M's 4.22 goals per game led the nation as the Wolverines were ranked in the top 10 for most of the season, despite being the youngest team in the nation.

U-M finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament, then upset top-seeded Minnesota in Minneapolis (for the second straight season) to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines then beat Colgate, 11-1 — their most goals in an NCAA game since 1953 — and Penn State, 2-1 in overtime, to earn their record 27th Frozen Four last weekend.

Michigan's Adam Fantilli celebrates scoring a goal against Colgate during a men's NCAA tournament first-round game at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Michigan's Adam Fantilli celebrates scoring a goal against Colgate during a men's NCAA tournament first-round game at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, March 24, 2023.

"I am thrilled that Brandon Naurato will continue to lead our ice hockey program, and it is with that knowledge that I am incredibly excited for the future of this storied program," athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. "Simply put, Brandon has done a phenomenal job with this team over the past year. In his first year as the Head Coach, Brandon has kept his focus on the success of our student-athletes and staff who support the program … and the results of his leadership are clearly evident.

"He leads with positivity and with vision and has demonstrated his capability to lead at a high level. I look forward to watching the program sustain great success under his leadership."

Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naurato, center right, associate head coach Bill Muckalt, center left, assistant coach Rob Rassey, center right, and director of hockey operations Topher Scott, left, pose for a photo with the Iron D trophy after a 4-3 overtime win against Michigan State of the "Duel in the D" at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

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Naurato, 38, is a finalist for the 2023 Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the nation's top college hockey coach. He joined U-M's staff as an assistant in 2021 after spending three seasons as a player development consultant with the Detroit Red Wings.

A Livonia native, Naurato played at Michigan from 2006-09; he scored 32 goals and added 32 assists in 130 career games, including Michigan's 2008 trip to the Frozen Four.

Naurato is Michigan’s ninth full-time hockey coach over 100 seasons. Pearson, his predecessor, lasted five seasons, including last year’s Frozen Four trip, before he was fired for creating an allegedly toxic environment within the Michigan program. Pearson took over for Red Berenson, who coached the Wolverines (including Naurato) for 33 seasons.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan hockey makes Brandon Naurato its full-time coach