Reece Powell/Assistant Sports Director

After 8 seasons as the Men’s Hockey Head Coach for St. Cloud State, Brett Larson departs. Brett Larson will be heading to the Minnesota Gophers on a 5-year contract after having a 153-116-23 record with the St. Cloud State Huskies. Although Brett Larson faced new challenges in the most recent season for the Huskies, such as injuries and a few wins that got away from them, it’s important to remember the success Larson has brought to the program.

Larson helped the Huskies win a National Collegiate Conference title in 2023 and has the NCHC Coach of the Year award for the 2018-2019 season in his shelves.  Larson and his staff played a key role in the development of players like Tyson Gross, who was recently named the 2025-2026 NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year, and younger players such as Austin Burnevik, who continues to shine on the Huskies team despite only being in his sophomore year.

Larson will now look toward the future of the Minnesota Gophers Organization as Head Coach of the Men’s Hockey Team. During his time with the Huskies, Larson brought new insight to the Huskies and improvement to their recruitment ability. Larson’s stability should help the Gophers, who finished in sixth place in the Big Ten Conference, get their feet back on the ground and find consistency on the ice. For St. Cloud State, losing Larson is a big blow, but it isn’t the first time the Gophers have taken the Head Coach from the Huskies.

Back in 2018, the Gophers took Bob Motzko from the Huskies as well. As of now, for St. Cloud State, the Head Coach position is in the air, as it is unclear if the new coach will come from another collegiate program or if a promotion for a current member of the coaching staff is soon to fall in place.

Brett Larson departs from St. Cloud State and joins the Minnesota Gophers.

Photo Credit: SCSU Athletics