Here is a nice story on former Fighting Sioux hockey head hockey coach Dean Blais. All the coaches on the UNO staff have some kind of a connection to the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team. Dean is going to yell Mike and two people are going to answer, Mike and Mike…
World-Herald Staff Writer --- During his more than 30 years in hockey, Dean Blais has put together his share of talented coaching staffs.
But never before, Blais said, has he been surrounded by a pair of assistants with such an impressive combination of talent and experience.
It was big news last year when Blais brought in Mike Hastings to be UNO's associate head coach. Now, by adding assistant Mike Guentzel to the Mavs' bench this summer, Blais appears to have assembled the college hockey equivalent of a rock ‘n' roll supergroup.
“It's almost like we have three head coaches,” said Blais, who's gearing up for his second season leading the University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey program. “I think that will really help us. If I have to be gone recruiting, it's not going to bother me at all to miss practice. Because I'll know either one of them (Hastings or Guentzel) can run practice as good, if not better, than I can.”
When you add up the career numbers and accomplishments on the résumés of Blais, Hastings and Guentzel, the results are eye-popping.
Together, they boast 60 years of experience coaching at the NCAA, USHL and international levels. They've spent a combined 32 seasons employed as a head coach, compiling 1,015 victories.
Between the three, they've had a hand in six NCAA titles and five USHL Clark Cup championships. Blais was USHL coach of the year once and a two-time winner of the NCAA national coach of the year award. Hastings and Guentzel, both former head coaches with the Omaha Lancers, each was named USHL coach of the year twice.
And consider this nugget: Hastings never experienced a losing season as a head coach, while Blais and Guentzel only endured one apiece.
