Minnesota State University Head Coach Mike Hastings has been named an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, Feb. 4-20, 2022.
Hastings, a native of Crookston, Minn., will join Brett Larson (Duluth, Minn.), head men's ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University; Scott Young (Clinton, Mass.), a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and current director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins, David Lassonde (Durham, N.H.), national goaltending coach for USA Hockey, and Alex Dawes (Utica, N.Y.), video coach at Penn State University, and head coach David Quinn (Cranston, R.I.) in guiding the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team it was announced today by USA Hockey.
"We have a group of assistants who not only bring passion and experience, but who know how to win," said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. "Together with David Quinn, we're thrilled with the group of coaches that will lead our team in Beijing."
About Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings
Mike Hastings is serving as an Olympic assistant coach for the first time, but is no stranger to international hockey.
He will be behind the bench of a U.S. team for the sixth time, with his last appearance as head coach of the silver medal-winning U.S. National Junior Team at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
An assistant coach for the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team, Hastings filled the same role with the 2003 U.S. National Junior Team and twice served as head coach of the U.S. Junior Select Team, including in 2000 when Team USA won the Viking Cup.
In his 10th season as head coach of the Minnesota State men's ice hockey team, where he has transformed the program into a national powerhouse, Hastings has led the Mavericks to more wins than any other team in the nation with a 236-89-24 mark entering the 2021-22 season.
His teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions, including a trip to the Frozen Four in 2021; won six Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season titles, including an unprecedented four consecutive (2018-21); and three league post-season championships.
The two-time NCAA Coach of the Year arrived at Minnesota State following a three-year stint (2009-12) as the associate head coach for the University of Nebraska-Omaha men's ice hockey team. He also served as an assistant coach with the men's hockey program at the University of Minnesota (2008-09) for one season after a 14-year run (1994-2008) as head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey League's Omaha Lancers.
During his time in Omaha, the Lancers never had a losing season as he helped the team capture three Anderson Cups (2001-02, 2004-05 (shared), 2007-08) as the league's regular-season champion and a trio of Clark Cup titles (1998, 2001, 2008) as the USHL's playoff champion. Hastings, who left the USHL as the league's all-time winningest coach with a 529-210-56 (W-L-T) record, was named USHL Coach of the Year twice (1997, 2002) and league General Manager of the Year on five occasions (1997, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008).
A 1993 graduate of St. Cloud State University, Hastings played two years for the Huskies (1986-88) before a back injury ended his playing career.