After the mediocre SCSU season and before Bob departed, I was thinking Larson could get fired. Now he may be our new coach? I hope that speculation is wrong.
Vegoe reporting that Coyle has widened his search over the past couple days. Good to hear.
Yep
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
Interview with Rabs where he discusses having declined to pursue the job
It would be very like Youth Hockey Hub to post that Fersch nugget for clicks so I won’t believe anything til I see it. I will say this though, the longer this drags out the more it looks like they’re waiting for someone’s season to end in the NCAA’s.
If we don’t have a coach by this time tomorrow there may be some credence to it.
Yep, that YHH guy is a bit of a clown and not who I would consider a reporter.
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Glad to see he's been reading GPL 😉 😆Vegoe reporting that Coyle has widened his search over the past couple days. Good to hear.
Current NCAA coach? Nadine Muzerall?
Where did we learn that Coyle has not spoken to Ferschweiler?https://bsky.app/profile/puckmyers.bsky.social/post/3mhrfv4idnd2r
Where did we learn that Coyle has not spoken to Ferschweiler?https://bsky.app/profile/puckmyers.bsky.social/post/3mhrfv4idnd2r
Yeah I’d argue that Jess Myers is less plugged in than half of this message board.
It seems like a lot of this story is coming together by one "media person" speculating on something and then a dozen other "media members" running to report that speculation as fact.Where did we learn that Coyle has not spoken to Ferschweiler?https://bsky.app/profile/puckmyers.bsky.social/post/3mhrfv4idnd2r
Yeah I’d argue that Jess Myers is less plugged in than half of this message board.
As fun as it is to dream of Ferschweiler taking the job, why would he ever leave WMU
Motzko was paid $750,000 per season. Ferschweiler was paid $420,000.
I have read online that his buyout is $2.29 million which is a huge value and might make it totally cost prohibitive to lure him away. I think they would have to touch $1 million with additional significant off-ice revenues to make him even consider it while simultaneously paying the vast bulk of the buyout.
But compared to Western Michigan, Minnesota should have the pockets to go deep and make financial considerations a meaningless issue. But, in the end I doubt it. Our sports community is minor leagues compared to other colleges.
the direct money in ticket sales and TV revenues, and lifetime value of re-energized alums that the Gophers’ men’s hockey program makes off every single Frozen Four run should make the slam-dunk business case for sparing no expense on this hire. At least, that’s what I’m hoping…
As fun as it is to dream of Ferschweiler taking the job, why would he ever leave WMU
Huh?
he’s a WMU alum, just signed a contract extension, has a very fancy new building on the way that his fingerprints are all over, consistently wins over there, he basically has the keys to Kalamazoo for life now.
As I mentioned earlier, this would be 3x what we paid WMU for Fleck. If it's $2.3M and not $1.8M as previously suggested, this isn't just a hill to climb. It would men committing like 4 years of the program's profits just to the buyout. Where's that money coming from up front? Boosters? Other programs? Ticket prices? That's an enormous buyout for a hockey program. As far as I can tell, Hastings might have the largest on record as paid at ~$250k. Motzko's was $175k. I can't find much in the way of others.
I think that's enough for all parties to feel fairly secure in that contract.
Obviously I could be wrong here depending on what Coyle wants to do. If he can scrounge up $2.3M for hockey and make it work, then go for it. But I suspect that's going to come directly from ticket prices for the most part.
Interview with Rabs where he discusses having declined to pursue the job
Cliff notes? It’s behind a paywall.
Interview with Rabs where he discusses having declined to pursue the job
Cliff notes? It’s behind a paywall.
Full text below, it’s not paywalled for me. none of the Forum Communications outlets ever are, maybe my adblocker defeats their paywall.
SIOUX FALLS — Garrett Raboin's decision to remain with the Augustana hockey team sent shockwaves across the college hockey landscape on Friday.
The 40-year-old coach had been widely considered to be the leading candidate to become Bob Motzko's successor at the University of Minnesota, where he'd spent four years serving as an assistant under Motzko before starting the Vikings' program from scratch in 2022.
However, on Friday night, Augustana athletic director Josh Morton posted a photo on social media standing alongside Raboin from just inside the home team's bench area at Midco Arena.
"Our Coach. Now and for years to come - LET'S GO," Morton's post read.
It quickly spread far and wide, leaving many mystified as to what went into Raboin's decision to remain in Sioux Falls and remove his name from the hat for one of the premier jobs in college hockey.
On Monday, I caught up with Raboin to talk about his decision to stay at Augustana.
While he didn't confirm or deny whether or not U of M athletic director Mark Coyle had officially offered him the job, Raboin made it clear that there was interest and that he had begun to explore the opportunity.
"Obviously there are different things out there in this crazy world of college hockey that we're living in," Raboin said. "Just like our players, different opportunities come and go, but for me, my family and our hockey program, I can say honestly that my focus was to be as committed and respectful of them, especially in the time that we were living in. You have to explore. I think when different opportunities arise, you have a responsibility in a sense to explore it and evaluate your own situation, and ultimately for me, my wife, Emily, and our three children, we felt like Augustana was our place.
"It's about what's happened here over the last four years from someone who arrived to a campus he knew very little about, a community that he knew very little about, hoping and believing that really good things can happen here and that you can lay down roots and become a part of a community and a university. It's the warmth of how Augustana and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has delivered on every single front."
Dave Eggen / Inertia
Choosing Augustana
In a day and age where pursuing the next big opportunity has increasingly become the norm, Raboin still believes strongly in the opportunity he has in Sioux Falls.
Throughout his time at Augustana, Raboin has shown that loyalty is of high value, and it's been reciprocated by players and school administrators alike.
Last offseason, the Vikings were one of five Division I programs that didn't lose a single player to the transfer portal. In fact, Augustana has yet to lose a point in production to the portal in each of its two offseasons since it first took the ice in 2022.
While the private university isn't obligated to share the terms of Raboin's contract with the public, it's apparent that Morton and others were committed to holding up their end of the bargain by ensuring resources needed in order to succeed.
"I think when things happen in college athletics nowadays, it's a great opportunity to have healthy conversations about where you're at, where you're going and where the vision is," Raboin said. "Everyone at Augustana was just incredible through it all, and that's not just administratively but also those in the community, our players, our staff.
"Everything was handled and the communications we were able to have were so reaffirming. … It was really important that a decision was made in a timely manner."
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
No life-changing decisions are made easily, nor are they done without considering how everyone involved would be affected.
For Raboin, that includes his wife, Emily, and their three children.
A year ago, I asked Raboin at the end of our one-on-one interview following the conclusion of the season about how he liked living in Sioux Falls. His eyes widened as he spoke glowingly about his community.
On Monday, Raboin reiterated those comments.
"There's just a belief that this is where I'm called to be, and our family is so happy here," said Raboin, who turns 41 on Friday. "From when I accepted the job at Augustana, questions have always been asked, and I've been completely transparent and completely honest in the way I've answered all of those questions. People have looked at me and maybe thought that I was just saying what was the most respectful and easiest thing at that time. These are conversations we have in recruiting frequently and with families of young men who are committing to come to our university, and I don't shy away from them. Part of that is extremely flattering, but I was completely honest. There's things I was committed to through that.
"There's a belief in a continued build at Augustana. There's reasons why Augustana and the Sioux Falls community is a place I find greater belief in. As time passes, this is a hockey program that I believe can win. This university attracts student-athletes that are most important in that process that I believe we can win with and continue to elevate our men's hockey program, but outside of the job of being the head coach of this program, this is one of the best communities in the United States. … Our family, which is most important to me in all of this, is completely fulfilled here, and that's a big part of it. It's not something I knew when I got to town. Many told me, but after four years of calling Sioux Falls home, we understand it."
Contributed / USA Hockey
Raboin says he also reached out to incoming recruits and their families in the days following Wednesday's news that Motzko and the U of M had mutually agreed to part ways.
Part of that is integral to the character of a coach who served three seasons on the leadership team as a player under Motzko at St. Cloud State, but he also recognizes the obvious discomfort his recruits were experiencing as they weighed the possibility of a potential coaching change.
"It was also important for me to communicate what I was feeling in my heart, my belief in Augustana, my belief in our hockey program, why I'm making certain decisions and how that impacts them," Raboin said. "The biggest thing was a belief that Augustana hockey can win. We can continue to make the strides needed to afford our student-athletes the opportunity to have an incredible collegiate experience while developing them to chase their dreams of playing in the National Hockey League."
Scoreboard watching & what lies ahead
Amid the uncertainty over their coach potentially leaving for a different job, the Vikings' season wasn't even officially finished.
Going into Saturday's final day of conference tournament action, Augustana needed three games to fall its way in order to secure the final at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.
The Vikings got the first win they needed Saturday night when Dartmouth knocked off Princeton 2-1 in overtime in the ECAC championship game. However, Merrimack's 2-1 victory over Connecticut in the Hockey East final effectively ended Augustana's season at 22-11-4.
Michigan's 7-3 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game meant that the Vikings were the first team left out of the national tourney field, finishing just outside the cut line at No. 15 in the NCAA Percentage Index.
Peyton Bartsch Photography
Raboin says the players were together as they watched Saturday's action, while he and his staff watched with their families.
"The way Friday played out, we were excited in the sense that we lived to Saturday, and you're looking at three different games where you need the top seeds to hold in each scenario," Raboin said. "We got through Dartmouth in overtime, one down, and then you start watching the second game. You follow the first game so closely, and then how it all ends, you don't have a lot of juice left to watch the second game, right? But UConn was playing well enough that you weren't concerned that they were down 1-0 because there was so much time left on the clock.
"You get in the third period, and the anxiety slowly starts to creep. But you always have hope, and for us, there was so much belief. And when you have hope, you never envision a world where it doesn't work out, even up until the point when Merrimack comes down with an empty net. And all of a sudden, they missed the net. Like, that was crazy. As a coach, you've seen so many different things, you think it's just Disney. … Those final seconds tick off the clock, and you're watching Merrimack celebrate. What a fantastic run for those guys, but then your mind just shifts to 'Shoot, our Sunday's changed, and we're going to have to wrap up this season and begin to celebrate our seniors.' You turn your mind's eye toward putting some finality to a season that had so much positive, but it's tough to see it end."
Now, the focus for Raboin shifts to the program's third full offseason.
Four seniors will graduate from the 2025-26 team, and the upward trajectory continues for a program that won 12 games in year one, 18 in year two and 22 in year three.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
The exceptional play of goalie Josh Kotai could lead to a professional opportunity in the near future.
On Friday, the junior from Abbotsford, British Columbia, was named one of three finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is given annually to the top goaltender in Division I men's hockey.
Kotai, who was named the 2025-26 CCHA Player of the Year, finished his junior season with a 20-11-4 record, 1.99 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.
"There's other conversations that some of our athletes are working through in terms of opportunities beyond Augustana, which I want to be as supportive as possible in all of those," Raboin said. "As time passes, in the upcoming weeks, you begin to have your player meetings and learn as much as you can in terms of how we can best support them through an offseason. … As I've said before, the days of the coach going to Florida to get some rest and relaxation, that doesn't exist, so we're back at it.
"We met with the team on Sunday. The staff's all here discussing different recruiting trips and player conversations, and you move forward quickly."
Peyton Bartsch Photography
There's no telling where the Vikings' bench boss will end up down the road, but for now, Raboin remains steadfast in his current spot in Sioux Falls.
A bit fitting, isn't it?
A city that barely knew about the game of hockey before Motzko arrived in 1999 as the first-ever coach of the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede is now entering its fourth year as the flagship of Division I hockey in South Dakota, steered by a coach who's eternally grateful for his longtime mentor.
"I hope he has so much pride in what he's been able to accomplish," Raboin said about Motzko, who won 172 games and appeared in two Frozen Fours during his eight years at the helm of the Gophers' program. "What a tremendous man, what a tremendous coach. How he's elevated different programs that he's had the opportunity to be at the helm of and all of those people he's been able to impact, I don't know if there's anyone more than myself.
"You just want to talk to him and express your appreciation and try to celebrate him and let him know how much he means to so many, the impact he's had on not just me personally but the teams I was able to be a part of at St. Cloud State, the different staffs over the 10 years I was able to work for him with, what he's meant to me and my family and just so many. What an incredible man and an incredible career in our sport."
Good on him to think of everyone else in his circle (family, the players, community) and do what’s right for everyone, and not just thinking of the power, prestige, and dollar signs - those things aren’t always going to make one happy. Honoring his commitment to the city and program is worth something and is honorable.
I know that turning down a primo coaching gig baffles and probably angers a lot of folks, but it speaks a lot to his character and he deserves respect for his decisions.
He’s young, and who is to say he might not eventually aspire to a different challenge when the maroon and gold is looking for change down the road…😁
Thanks for posting, nice article!
Well stated, agreed!
I totally respect his decision and figured it could be something as simple as not wanting to move his family and liking where he's at. I guess we'll see what he builds there and how loyal Augustana is to him if things get difficult but if he thinks that's in his and his family's best interest I get it and don't hold any ill will towards the guy.
Also a little reassured by that Coyle interview as it sounds like he isn't just doing this all on his own and is talking to and listening to a lot of different people. Hopefully those voices know what they're doing but I gotta imagine they understand the importance of getting it right.
He's dead to me.
It would be very like Youth Hockey Hub to post that Fersch nugget for clicks so I won’t believe anything til I see it. I will say this though, the longer this drags out the more it looks like they’re waiting for someone’s season to end in the NCAA’s.
If we don’t have a coach by this time tomorrow there may be some credence to it.
Yep, that YHH guy is a bit of a clown and not who I would consider a reporter.
He is a meathead and he's blocked everyone on twitter possible. However, he does have people he knows all over the freaking place because of this cash cow he's started, so the comment that made me turn my head a bit is "....he wants to come to Minnesota."
When you say that in public, you better damn well know it.
He also doubled down on it basically, by retweeting Meyers tweet above and saying "The smoke is getting in my eyes." I'd post the tweet but I can't since I'm one of the million he's blocked.
I didn't think of this view until my boss brought it up the other day. Raboin is young enough where what happens to him if he comes to the U and fails? You fail at the job which is considered top of the mountain, so what job do you get next? You're probably not going back to Augustana but you won't be going to another high profile job right away. You would probably have to work your way back up the mountain. So with that said, I don't blame Rabs for staying and building his resume and the Auggie program. The Gopher job will come up again and will be better prepared to take that on.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
@g-manpuck I 100% agree with you. This thread has become way to focused on one man that can fill this role of replacing Bob. I am confident that once the position is filled that we will all give that individual our full support no matter who it ends up being. The sky has not fallen even though it may feel like it has given the difficult season we just experienced. But this program is not immune to this happening. Three years ago, Bucky went through something very similar and Hastings has turned that program around as much as I hate to say it. This is a new era where programs can and will turn things around quickly.
@g-manpuck I 100% agree with you. This thread has become way to focused on one man that can fill this role of replacing Bob. I am confident that once the position is filled that we will all give that individual our full support no matter who it ends up being.
For maybe two days. 😆
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Larson announcement is inevitable. We just need to come to peace with that. He’s certainly not a bad coach, what’s frustrating is that it’s about as lateral a move from Motzko as it gets.
Larson announcement is inevitable. We just need to come to peace with that. He’s certainly not a bad coach, what’s frustrating is that it’s about as lateral a move from Motzko as it gets.
Could be. I am...okay with it. He seems well-respected; SCSU has been slowly slipping but I have to imagine it has become increasingly difficult to win there.
Not a home run hire, which would be disappointing. Sometimes those work out best, however. My big questions would be assistants.
Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
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Well...if Coyle did indeed cast the net and Larson was the one that stood out, then I gotta get behind the man and hopefully this season was just a small bump and this program gets back to where it belongs quickly.
I'd like to believe this will make the recruits in the pipeline and current roster happy...anyone from SCSU gonna follow? Get him to Dinkytown and in front of Mooney, Zeimer and the boys and burning the phones with recruits.
Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
Very important point regarding the school. He has the respect of the NCHC fans and program as well, including from Grand Forks.
Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
Very important point regarding the school. He has the respect of the NCHC fans and program as well, including from Grand Forks.
Not sure how long the scsu community will be respectful if they send another coach to the U…if this is the coaching change that happens……
Just announced by channel 9 Jim Rich
Larson named new head coach
Anyone who drives around the campus can see the school itself is dying. It's in brutal shape. I can't imagine going on a campus tour and wanting that school as anything but a last-ditch option.Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
I hope to god he’s not actually going to bring in Laylin and Bell as assistants
So Rohlik was the mystery candidate it appears.
Interesting if Coyle truly didn't open it up or reach out to Barr, Cashman, or Ferschweiler.
Rohlik was a finalist, per the Athletic article:
Larson was recently a finalist for the Wisconsin job that went to Mike Hastings. He was chosen by the Gophers over finalists Grant Potulny (University of Minnesota alum and current Hartford Wolf Pack coach) and Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik. There was speculation that Minnesota would pursue Garrett Raboin, but he agreed to an extension with Augustana on Friday.
His first three phone calls better be to Brodie, LJ and Mr. Cullen.
So Rohlik was the mystery candidate it appears.
Interesting if Coyle truly didn't open it up or reach out to Barr, Cashman, or Ferschweiler.
he told Randy Johnson that he had been speaking with coaches of tourney teams
Some need to realize that Brett is in a bad situation right now at SCSU... The school itself is dying. They have no money for NIL. It is just a bad situation all around. He is VERY well regarded in the hockey world and I am starting to think that this will be a brilliant move.
Did you talk to Pat about him? I heard Pat on the Fellowship of the Rink pod that was taped on Friday and he seemed all in on Larson. I know he had Coyle’s ear so I assumed he was the one really pushing behind the scenes for him.
Yikes. Not saying he couldn't possibly do a good job but it seems like a hire that got made because nobody else wanted it.
Yikes. Not saying he couldn't possibly do a good job but it seems like a hire that got made because nobody else wanted it.
thats my concern but after thinking about it he honestly does have the best resume of all the realistic options. Rohlik’s never been to a Frozen Four nor has he been a 1/2 seed in the tourney. The trajectory of Larson’s tenure is concerning but how much of that is SCSU itself, yknow. I’ll keep an open mind.
I am WILLING to keep an open mind. But BOY is it going to be hard
lmao…you guys have until the news conference to bitch & complain UNTIL you gleefully jump back on to the Gopher 🏒 bandwagon!Yikes. Not saying he couldn't possibly do a good job but it seems like a hire that got made because nobody else wanted it.
I believe that Potulny wanted it.
Larson’s resume as a head coach blows Potulny’s out of the water and it’s really not even close