A fresh coaching staff led by former St. Cloud standout Brett Larson and NHL alumni Paul Martin and Matt Cullen looks to restore the Gophers' national championship pedigree.
One of college hockey's premier programs shook up their coaching staff over the offseason. Minnesota relieved Bob Motzko of Head Coaching duties after eight years, replacing him with Brett Larson from St. Cloud State University just over a week later.
Larson led the Huskies for the same span Motzko was with the Gophers. During that time, St. Cloud made four NCAA Tournaments and the program's first National Championship appearance in 2021 alongside Nick Oliver.
"It is a tremendous honor to lead this historic program, one that I have great respect for," said Larson in a statement. "I have an incredible amount of respect for everyone who has played, coached, and built this program, and I am both humbled and energized to carry that torch forward. This job comes with great responsibility, and I could not be more excited to get to work."
However, Larson's coaching contributions are not limited to the United States. He has coached Team USA five times between the World Juniors and Olympics, winning back to back gold medals in 2024 and 2025.
Minnesota made more tweaks behind the bench. The Gophers moved Paul Martin from Director of Player Personnel to an Assistant Coach. Martin won back to back National Championships as a player at Minnesota before suiting up in nearly 900 NHL games across 14 seasons.
In Martin's former role is 2024 Hockey Hall of Famer Matt Cullen. This three time Stanley Cup Champion is a 21 year NHL veteran, reaching the summit in 2006, 2016 and 2017. All three of Cullen's sons, Brooks, Joey and Wyatt are committed to Minnesota for college hockey.
Cory Laylin comes over from the University of St. Thomas where he served as a Tommies' Assistant Coach for the past five years. His son Bode, plays for the WHL's Everett Silvertips and was a 2026 Calgary Flames' 6th round selection. Bode is also committed to Minnesota.
Finally, Brennan Poderzay received a promotion from Assistant Coach to Director of Goaltending Development. Poderzay started as a Volunteer Assistant in 2021 and was elevated to a full time role two years later. Head Coach Brett Larson praised Poderzay's dedication to development and rapport with netminders.
"I'm excited to have Brennan back on the staff. He's built strong relationships with our goalies and has a proven track record developing talent at the position," Larson said. "His experience, energy, and commitment to our players make him a big part of what we're building, and we're thrilled to have him continue leading that group."
The Gophers face a gauntlet in the Big Ten this season going up against NCAA Runner Up Wisconsin, plus heavyweights Michigan and Michigan State. Minnesota starts their season with a quartet of road games beginning on Oct. 3 at Michigan Tech.
