Hastings wins Penrose Award as nation's top coach

The Free Press

Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings was chosen as the Spencer Penrose Award winner as the top Division I men's hockey coach of the year by the American Hockey Coaches Association, the group announced on Wednesday.

Hastings, who will be honored at the AHCA convention on May 2 in Naples, Fla., along with assistant coaches Darren Blue and Todd Knott, led the Mavericks to a 29-8-3 record and the WCHA regular-season and tournament titles.

In three seasons with at Minnesota State he is 79-36-7, with the 79 victories being the most by any program over that period.

Hastings is the first WCHA coach to win the award since Denver's George Gwozdecky received it in 2005, although Ferris State's Bob Daniels won it in 2012 when his team was still in the CCHA. Ferris State is now in the WCHA. Daniels also won in 2003.

The runner-up for this year's award was David Quinn of Boston University.