DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) — Widely regarded as one of the greatest college hockey coaches of this century, St. Norbert men’s ice hockey coach Tim Coghlin recently surpassed 700 career wins — the most wins in NCAA Division III hockey history.
Coghlin’s been to 21 NCAA tournaments since 1997, winning championships in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2018. Additionally, his nine national title game appearances (as a head coach) is tied for the most in NCAA Division III history.
And, his group this year is well on its way to adding to his long coaching resume, sweeping Concordia two games to none in the quarterfinals of the Harris Cup this past weekend.
I sat down with Coghlin to discuss what’s made his 30+ years in Green Bay so special, what it’s been like building a program from the ground up, how he’s sustained the success he’s had, and his favorite moments as the head men’s ice hockey coach at SNC.
Here’s that conversation with Coghlin for Local 5 Sports (TRANSCRIPT):
CARSON FOWLER: Coach, 700 wins, that’s a huge accomplishment. Did the first win feel as good as the 700th and counting?
TIM COGHLIN: Yeah, I think the first win took about a month and a half to get done. I know we played our first home games back in the day at the Waupaca Ice Arena. So, reflection time, obviously, you look back, and it’s been a long journey. It’s been a fun journey. It’s been the overnight success story that takes 30-plus years.
FOWLER: Coach, when you look at the banners behind you and think back on some of your most memorable moments, is there one that sticks out?
COGHLIN: I would say building the program from scratch, changing the culture, and then going all the way to the top and winning the NCHA title in our fourth year in the league.
FOWLER: How hard is it to build a winning program, and one with the sustained success like the one you’ve built?
COGHLIN: The building part, I think, is actually the easier part, getting something off the ground and taking something that was club level and moving it to varsity. The hard part is trying to be there every year and being consistent.
FOWLER: What’s the best part about being a coach? Is it winning? Creating relationships with your players? Being part of the community? What makes this job special to you?
COGHLIN: I think you lose sight sometimes, like yes, you’re the hockey coach, but you also coach a lot of young men. We’re part of their academic world. We’re part of their social world. There’s a lot that goes into it, and then one of the things we do is coach hockey.
The guys in the room are clearly the answer to our success. They’re four-year guys. They stay. They all graduate on time. I think on the men’s side in athletics, we have the highest GPA of all the students on campus.
It’s really enjoyable in my chair to look at what your graduates are doing in life, how they’re giving back to their communities. They coach youth hockey teams. We have 30 different families of guys who aren’t from the area but have chosen to stay in Green Bay and raise their children much like we have here. So that’s a really enjoyable piece.
FOWLER: How do you think your players would describe you?
COGHLIN: That’s a good question. I don’t know, because every year, kids are different, things are changing. Guys want to be held accountable. They want to be pushed to be their best. They want to know that you’re in their corner, that you’re going to do your part to help them.
I think discipline, hard work and accountability are things they all crave. I really do.
FOWLER: Coach, more than 30 seasons here, you mentioned the national championships, the Frozen Four, what makes this place so special? And why did you decide to stay here as long as you have?
COGHLIN: There’s just never been a reason for me to leave. Living in Green Bay, having a place to raise our family, my daughter, my son, and my wife, we looked at every situation that came along and just never felt compelled to pack up and move.
I never expected, nor did I want, to be a guy who stays in one place for 30 years. That was never the goal when I set out. The goal was just to create a good opportunity for our family. And that’s truly what Saint Norbert College has provided for all of these years.
