Dane Jackson called und men's hockey coach – Grand Forks Herald

Grand Forks und opened the hockey coaching track for external candidates for the first time in 31 years for external candidates.

But after searching applicants and conducting two rounds interviews, it immediately landed at home.

Dane Jackson, an assistant for the past 19 years, has been named the 17th head coach of the programs.

The players were informed on Saturday evening during a team meeting.

Jackson will replace Brad Berry, who was released as head coach on Sunday after a decade. Berrys 10-year-old Run included an NCAA National Championship and five Penrose Cups. The Fighting Hawks missed the NCAA tournament in two of the last three seasons.

Jackson, 54, has been on und, when the then coach Dave Hakstol rented him as an assistant.

Jackson has rejected opportunities to go to the NHL as an assistant coach and the American Hockey League as head coach.

One of those opportunities came in 2015, when Hakstol left for the Philadelphia Flyers and Berry was called head coach on the same day. Jackson remained in Grand Forks and End that season won his eighth NCAA National Championship.

Only one coach in program history has had a longer run on und da than Jackson's 19 years. Gino Gasparini was nine as an assistant and 16 as head coach for 25 years.

Unds Coaching Search officially started on Monday, when the job was posted online. The window to apply on Wednesday at 11:55 PM.

Und has accelerated the search because the NCAA transfer portal opens for non-graduates on Sunday.

Unds Human Resource Department screened the candidates on Thursday and then delivered to athletic director Bill Chaves. Und started on Friday interviews with Zoom. It held a second round of interviews on Saturday morning.

The fighting Hawks Koos Jackson, who was strongly supported by players who had played among him for the past 19 seasons.

The other finalists were Waterlo Black Hawks Head Coach and former Captain Matt Smaby, Western Michigan assistant and former UND defender Jason Herter and US Under-17 Team Coach and Grand Forks Native Nick Fohr.

Since 1957, Und has only hired a head coach once who was never before at the school. That was Rube Bjorkman in 1968. Bjorkman is the only head coach to end with a losing record.

Jackson grew up in Castlegar, BC

Jackson came to Und as a first -year student in 1988. He played at Und for four years and served as an alternative captain as a senior. Jackson scored 59 goals and achieved 103 points.

After graduating, Jackson started an 11-year-old professional gaming career.

He served as the leader of three different AHL teams De Syracuse Crunch, Rochester Americans and Lowell Lock Monsters. He was captain of a Rochester team coached by John Tortorella to the Calder Cup in 1996.

Jackson ended his professional career at the AHLS Manchester Monarchs in 2002-03. A year later he jumped in coaching and served as an assistant in Manchesters.

In 2005-06 Jackson got his only head coaching experience.

He took over the mid -season for the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League after the head coach of the teams died.

The Frostbite, owned by ESPNS Barry Melrose, ended the 25-12-4 season under Jackson.

He came in a very difficult situation, Melrose de Herald said in 2006. He treated it just as well as everyone could have. If my memory serves me well, the team went on a winning streak of eight or nine games as soon as he took over. So that he can let boys respond under the circumstances with which they were confronted. . . It's incredible.

Jackson returned to the campus in 2006.

During his term of office as an assistant, Und, Und Won Eight Competition Championships and reached six NCAA Frozen Fours. Und won the NCAA National Championship 2016.

Dane Jackson (2025-present)
Brad Berry (2015-25)
Dave Hakstol (2004-15)
Dean Blais (1994-04)
Gino Gasparini (1978-94)
Rube Bjorkman (1968-78)
Bill Selman (1966-68)
Bob Peters (1964-66)
Barry Thorndycraft (1959-64)
Bob May (1957-59)
Al Renfrew (1956-57)
Fido Purpur (1949-56)
Don Norman (1947-49)
John Jamieson (1946-47)
Buck Cameron (1935-36)
Noland Franz (1932-33)
Joe Brown (1929-32)

Since 2005, Schlossman has dealt with college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald. He is recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the best beat writer for the Herald's Circulation Circulation Division four times and the North Dakota Sportswriter of the year twice. He lives in Grand Forks. Reach it at bschlossman@gfherald.com.