New Wisconsin men's hockey coach Mike Hastings brings a 'virtually unmatched' record to Badgers
MADISON - Chris McIntosh’s mission was to bring in a proven winner to lead the Wisconsin men’s hockey program.
In hiring Mike Hastings, the Badgers Director of Athletics did just that.
Hastings comes to UW after compiling a 299-109-25 record (.719) in 11 seasons at Minnesota State. The 57-year-old has 14 years of additional head coaching experience with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League.
He has not had a losing season in 25 seasons as a head coach.
“Obvious Coach Hastings’ record of success is unbelievable,” McIntosh said Thursday. “It’s virtually unmatched, but one thing I wanted to share with you is as impressive as his hockey resume is, in the time I’ve gotten to know Mike I’m equally impressed with the kind of person he is. I’m just so excited about the fit that Mike will bring to this program.”
Hastings succeeds Tony Granato, who was fired March 6 after seven seasons. The hire was announced Thursday afternoon and followed by a video call featuring Hastings and McIntosh with the local media.
Mike Hastings says UW offers a lot on, off the ice
In Hastings, Wisconsin has a three-time NCAA coach of the year taking over a program that posted back-to-back losing seasons after winning the Big Ten title in 2021. UW has failed to finish over .500 seven times in the last nine years.
So why Wisconsin? Hastings' decision involved more than the program’s potential on the ice.
“The game ends for everybody it doesn’t matter what sport you’re talking about,” he said. “To have the track record of preparation for people that have taken the opportunity to be educated and spend time in Madison and around that campus, around the faculty and to become part of what it is to be a Badger, it prepares them for life.”
“I just think what we can afford student-athletes to be a part of there is tough to turn down. I look forward to being a part of that.”
Minnesota State finished 25-13-1 this past season and was the CCHA regular season and tournament champion. The title was the sixth straight for the program, which included a run of WCHA crowns from 2018-21.
The Mavericks’ NCAA Tournament appearance was their eighth under Hastings, who led them to the Frozen Four in 2021 and ’22 with a runner-up finish in ’22.
Hastings went 3-4 against UW during the first two seasons of his run with the Mavericks and among his personal ties with the Badgers is former UW assistant Don Granato, Tony’s brother, whom Hastings worked with on the 2022 U.S. Olympic team.
“I believe when I picked up my phone after the meeting I had with my players, the first call that was there was from Donny Granato,” Hastings said. “I had an opportunity to work with Donny at the Olympics and this speaks volumes about the Granato family, he said ‘Welcome to the Badger family.’”
Recruiting will be Job 1
Hastings said his first job at UW will be working to retain the players on the current roster as well as the Badgers' incoming recruiting class.
Talented freshmen Cruz Lucius and Charlie Stramel are among the players who could return next season. The Badgers also have 11-man recruiting class that includes Brady Cleveland and Zach Schulz, who played for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program this past season.
Hastings also noted that assistant Andy Brandt, who has been running the program during the coaching transition, was out recruiting.
“We’ve got the ability to recruit anybody in the world. Not in North America, in the world,” Hastings said. “So we’ve got to try and find people that have that like-mindedness so they can come and represent us in a way that all of us can be proud of.”
The Badgers program is in need of the kind of jolt Hastings provided upon his arrival to Minnesota State. The Mavericks had just two 20-win seasons before his arrival but never fell short of that mark during his tenure.
There is a lot of work to do. Hastings is ready for the challenge.
“I’m in the process right now of learning,” he said. “That is something I need to do before I can ever look at what needs to be tweaked, changed. I’ve got to educate myself on what is there right now. I did have a chance to speak with our athletes. There wasn’t a lot of back and forth there, but it’s going to happen sooner than later because they’re going to help me understand some of the things they’ve been through, what they liked and what they don’t like."
More: Tony Granato not surprised by his departure from Wisconsin men's hockey program.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin hires Mike Hastings as new Badgers men's hockey coach
