Mike Hastings became the sixth Wisconsin men's hockey coach of the modern era (since 1962) on March 30, 2023.
In his first season behind the Badgers' bench and 26th overall as a head coach, Hastings continued his remarkable level of consistent excellence, directing his teams to their 26th consecutive winning season. That record includes his last 11 seasons at Minnesota State, where he directed the Mavericks to eight NCAA tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), a pair of Frozen Fours (2021, 2022) and the NCAA title game (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic prevented a ninth NCAA appearance in 2020. The winning also spans 14 seasons as head coach of the USHL's Omaha Lancers.
In the 2023-24 season at Wisconsin, Hastings engineered a 13-win improvement for the Badgers, as well as an NCAA tournament berth. He also had the Badgers in position for a possible Big Ten regular-season title until the last weekend of the season.
Hastings helped coach Kyle McClellan to UW's first Mike Richter Award as national goaltender of the year. McClellan also became UW's first All-American under the coach.
UW's bench boss ranks second among active NCAA coaches and fifth all-time with a .692 winning percentage entering the 2025-26 season (338-140-30).
A three-time Spencer Penrose Award winner as NCAA coach of the year, his Mavericks captured eight conference regular-season championships during his 11 seasons behind the bench to help him earn league coach of the year five times while at MSU.
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| The Mike Hastings File |
| Hometown |
| Crookston, Minn. |
| Education |
| St. Cloud State University |
| NCAA Head Coaching Record |
| 338-142-30 (entering 2025-26) |
| Coaching History |
| Head Coach, Wisconsin (2023-present) |
| Head Coach, Minnesota State (2012-23) |
| Associate Head Coach, Nebraska Omaha (2009-12) |
| Assistant Coach, Minnesota (2008-09) |
| Head Coach/GM, Omaha - USHL (1994-08) |
| Assistant Coach, St. Cloud State (1993-94, 1990-92) |
| Assistant Coach, Omaha - USHL (1992-93) |
| Coach of the Year Awards (NCAA) |
| 2022 Spencer Penrose Award - National Coach of the Year |
| 2022 CCHA Coach of the Year |
| 2021Â Spencer Penrose Award - National Coach of the Year |
| 2021 WCHA Coach of the Year |
| 2019Â WCHA Coach of the Year |
| 2015Â Spencer Penrose Award - National Coach of the Year |
| 2015 WCHA Coach of the Year |
| 2013Â WCHA Coach of the Year |
| International Coaching History |
| 2022 U.S. Olympic Team (Assistant Coach) |
| 2022 U.S. National Team (Assistant Coach) |
| 2019 U.S. National Junior Team (Head Coach) |
| 2005 U.S. National Junior Team (Assistant Coach) |
| 2003 U.S. National Junior Team (Assistant Coach) |
| Two-Time U.S. Junior Select Team (Head Coach) |
His MSU run includes regular-season conference titles in each of the last six seasons, winning the CCHA in 2022 and 2023, while conquering the WCHA four times from 2018-21. Minnesota State twice won the Mason Cup as CCHA tourney champions (2022, 2023) and a pair of Broadmoor Trophies as the WCHA tournament winners (2014, 2015) under Hastings direction.
Minnesota State won 20 games in a season twice during its first 16 years of NCAA Division I play, but surpassed the mark in all 11 seasons of Hastings' tenure. MSU set its school mark with 38 victories during its run to the 2022 NCAA Championship game, its third 30-win season in a four-year stretch.
The Mavericks went 299-109-25 during his 11 years leading the program for a .719 win percentage.
While at Minnesota State, seven players under Hastings skated to All-America seasons including Dryden McKay, the 2022 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner as the nation's top player. McKay was also a three-time top-three finalist for the Mike Richter Award given to the nation's top goaltender. In addition, nine of his MSU players have skated in the NHL thus far.
On the international stage, Hastings directed Team USA to a silver medal at the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship and served as an assistant coach for the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing and the 2022 U.S. National Team at the world championship. He also served as an assistant coach for Team USA's National Junior Team at World Juniors in 2005 and 2003.Â
His collegiate coaching career began in 2008 with one year as an assistant at Minnesota, before he moved on for three seasons as associate head coach at Omaha (2009-12).
His impressive success began in the USHL when he served as head coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers for 14 seasons (1994-2008). His teams won three Anderson Cups as regular-season champions (2002, 2005, 2008) and three Clark Cups as playoff winners (1998, 2001, 2008).
That all helped him win two USHL Coach of the Year honors (1997, 2002) and five USHL General Manager of the Year accolades (1997, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008).
He left for the college ranks in 2008 as the USHL's all-time winningest coach at 529-210-56 at the time.
A 1993 St. Cloud State graduate, he skated two seasons with the Huskies (1986-88) before injury cut his playing career short.
Hastings and his wife, Jean Ann, are the parents of two grown children.
