Meet Don Lucia, the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers Men’s Hockey Team. Under Lucia, the Gophers Hockey program has maintained its long-standing reign of success, collecting two NCAA National Championship titles in 2002 and 2003.
Prior to taking the coaching reigns at the U, Lucia got his start with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, coaching the Nanooks hockey team for six years. While with the Nanooks he compiled a 99-97-19 record and won a Great West Hockey Conference title.
His second head coaching stop saw Lucia take the helm at Colorado College for six years. While coaching the Tigers he compiled a 166-68-18 record and took the Tigers to a Frozen Four and NCCA Title game, where they finished as a runner up.
Lucia took the Gophers job in 1999, and in his third season in 2002 led the Gophers to their first national championship in 23 years. In his 15 years at the helm, Lucia has compiled a 372-187-65 record. Also under Lucia, the Golden Gophers have won three MacNaughton Cups (awarded to the WCHA's regular season champion) and won the Broadmoor Trophy three times (awarded to the WCHA playoff champion).
One of only four coaches in NCAA history to lead a team to back-to-back titles, Lucia has shaped the Gophers hockey program into a national powerhouse and a pipeline for future NHL stars.
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