With a lot of coaches making the move over the last couple of years, one stood his ground. Serratore will retire, but who will take his spot?
Bemidji State men’s hockey will start a new era after the 2026-27 season, with longtime head coach Tom Serratore set to retire following his 26th season with the Beavers. Athletic director Britt Lauritsen also announced that associate head coach Travis Winter will take over as head coach once Serratore steps down.
Serratore became the program’s head coach in 2001 after spending two seasons as an assistant under Bob Peters. He has guided the Beavers through more than two decades of change and success, including six regular-season conference championships and three conference tournament titles.
Serratore’s tenure also includes one of the most successful seasons in program history, when Bemidji State reached the Frozen Four in 2009. In 2011, they transitioned from the WCHA to the CCHA. Since that move, the program has earned two at-large berths in the NCAA Tournament.
Entering the upcoming season, Serratore has a career record of 416-397-10.
For Winter, he brings extensive experience at both the college and junior levels. He played four seasons as a defenseman for Bemidji State from 2005-09 before returning to the program as an assistant coach in 2014. He later became associate head coach and has worked closely with the team’s players and alumni. When you consider who he got to learn from, the program is in good hands.
Before returning to Bemidji State, Winter served as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Aberdeen Wings of the NAHL and spent four seasons with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL. He also served on the U.S. National Junior Team staff at the 2026 World Junior Championship, a position he may be in again soon.
With Winter already established within the program, Bemidji State will have a familiar face leading the Beavers into its next chapter, but for now, the team has one last ride with Coach Serratore.
