Second straight honor, third in six years for UND bench boss
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UND Athletics) –– University of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Herb Brooks Coach of the Year for the second straight time, announced Thursday by league officials. Berry and his second-ranked Fighting Hawks claimed their second consecutive NCHC Penrose Cup and have the top seed for this weekend’s upcoming NCHC Tournament. The award is voted on by NCHC head coaches and select media members that cover each league school.
Berry has now won the award in three of his six seasons behind the UND bench. His rookie season saw North Dakota win its first of three regular season championships in his tenure, culminating in the team’s eighth NCAA title in 2016. Last year, UND was poised to return to the NCAA Tournament with a 26-5-4 record and the No. 1 Pairwise Ranking, until the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This season, the Fighting Hawks are back atop the national landscape, holding down a top three spot in the national polls every week while racking up an 18-5-1 record despite playing just seven home games all season. The Bashaw, Alberta native’s team leads the NCHC in goals for (3.92 per game) and goals against (1.96/game), along with pacing the league in wins (18), win percentage (.771) and power play goals (27).
Berry is now tied with Dean Blais and Gino Gasparini for most conference coach of the year honors at North Dakota. Overall, UND coaches have won 13 league coach of the year accolades.
UND COACHES TO WIN LEAGUE COACH OF THE YEAR ALL-TIME
2021 Brad Berry (NCHC)
2020 Brad Berry (NCHC)
2016 Brad Berry (NCHC)
2015 Dave Hakstol (NCHC)
2009 Dave Hakstol (WCHA)
2001 Dean Blais (WCHA)
1999 Dean Blais (WCHA)
1997 Dean Blais (WCHA)
1987 Gino Gasparini (WCHA)
1982 Gino Gasparini (WCHA)
1979 Gino Gasparini (WCHA)
1967 Bill Selman (WCHA)
1965 Bob Peters (WCHA)
Men’s Hockey 3/11/2021 3:52:00 PM Mitch Wigness, FightingHawks.com
