Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings on summer coaching rumors, 'presenting the facts' to recruits

2022 Frozen Four Wednesday — Minnesota State Mankato coach Mike Hastings worked with his team during their practice on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 prior to the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at TD Garden in Boston, Mass.

By Mick Hatten, Jess Myers, Eli Swanson, and Kris Kerzman

October 07, 2022 at 7:30 AM

Mike Hastings has been coaching hockey since an injury forced him to retire from playing the game when he was a defenseman at St. Cloud State in 1988. He has put together quite a resume with leaving the Omaha Lancers in 2008 as the USHL's all-time winningest coach to being an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota (2008-09) and Nebraska-Omaha (2009-12) to the last 10 seasons as the head coach at Minnesota State. The Mavericks have won more games in those 10 seasons than any other team in college hockey. Hastings says "presenting the facts" are at the top of the list of how the Mavericks approach recruiting. Minnesota State went to the national championship game last season and Hastings talks about the team's prospects this season and more with The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Mick Hatten.

TIME STAMPS

1:00 The task of replacing Dryden McKay, where the Mavericks are with goalies Keenan Rancier, Alex Tracy and Andrew Miller

2:15 Going back to Omaha, where he coached junior hockey from 1994-2008

4:00 Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe played junior hockey for Hastings, some fun jabs he has with him

5:15 How the recruiting has changed for Minnesota State now vs. when he arrived in 2012, presenting the facts

7:40 Assistant coach Todd Knott being the No. 1 recruiter in the country and where he's from

10:15 Trying to figure out who is going to replace the points of Nathan Smith and Julian Napravnik, but guys like Brendan Furry, Cade Borchardt and Ryan Sandelin will lead the way

12:15 Remembering reaching the NCAA run to the championship game last season

13:50 Being more of a general manager now as a college coach with the transfer portal, extra COVID year of eligibility

15:00 His roots in hockey in Crookston, how tough you had to be to play pick-up hockey

17:45 Some of his favorite memories from 2022 Hockey Day Minnesota event in Mankato

20:10 Former Mavericks coach Don Brose, Troy Jutting coming back for Hockey Day

22:40 The development of Jake Livingstone, the reigning CCHA Defenseman of the Year

24:30 Matching up against the Gophers this weekend after playing against them in two NCAA tournaments

26:40 His name being thrown out as the head coach at places like Boston University, Michigan State during the offseason ... and a conversation with his wife

29:00 What it's like getting ready for another season, coaching since 1990

30:15 Staying away from sharing a college story with Bob Motzko

By Mick Hatten

Mick Hatten is a reporter and editor for Forum News Service and helps manage TheRinkLive.com, a website dedicated to hockey. He began working for Forum Communications in November 2018 and has covered St. Cloud State University hockey since 2010. A graduate of St. Cloud State, he has more than 30 years of experience as a journalist and has been a youth hockey coach since 2014. mhatten@forumcomm.com

For more coverage of St. Cloud and the surrounding communities, check out St. Cloud Live.

Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings on summer coaching rumors, 'presenting the facts' to recruits

Minnesota State men's head coach Mike Hastings was rumored to be the frontrunner for head coaching openings at Boston University and Michigan State, among others, over the offseason. Hastings' Mavericks have won more games than any college team in his first 10 seasons with the team.