MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota fired women’s hockey coach Brad Frost on Tuesday after 19 seasons, a decade after the program’s last national championship.
Athletic director Mark Coyle made the announcement three days after the Gophers lost on home soil to Northeastern in the NCAA quarterfinals. Frost, who makes about $300,000 annually, was in the final year of his contract, which was last extended through 2023.
Frost went 554–133–43 after Laura Halderson took over as the program’s first coach in 2007. He was Halldorsson’s assistant on national title teams in 2004 and 2005. Under Frost, the Gophers were NCAA champions four times in five years: 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. There have been four demonstrations in Minnesota. Since then the Women’s Frozen Four, but Ohio State and Wisconsin have become conference powers and have been responsible for every national title since 2018.
The U.S. women’s team that won gold at the Olympics last month had five players who played for the Gophers under Frost, including current captain Abby Murphy and former standouts Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein and Grace Zumwinkel.
“Brad is a great coach and an even better person, which is why today is extremely difficult,” Coyle said in a statement distributed by the university. “This decision was made after a review of the program on and off the ice. We expect to compete at the highest level in every aspect of women’s college hockey, and right now we are not doing that.
“I want to thank Brad for leading our team with class and integrity for 19 years.”
