Fans and media might wonder about the return next season of Don Lucia as Gophers hockey coach, but not athletic director Joel Maturi. “Gosh, no. Not even in the thought process,” he told Sports Headliners.
The Gophers have a disappointing record of 13-15-2 overall, 8-12-2 in the WCHA. Last season Minnesota didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament for only the second time in Lucia’s coaching career with the Gophers that began in 1999. The Gophers were 17-13-7 overall, 12-11-5 in the WCHA. Lucia, who coached the Gophers to national championships in 2002 and 2003, also had a disappointing record two years ago, 19-17-9 overall, 9-12-7 in league play.
Maturi said he “continually” evaluates all coaches in his department but remains committed to Lucia whose team has lost five of its last six games. The remaining regular season schedule has the Gophers playing three top 10 ranked teams in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll: Colorado (No. 8), UMD (No.6) and Wisconsin (No. 3).
In the past Gophers men’s hockey was a source of pride to Minnesota sports fans who almost annually are frustrated with football and men’s basketball. The football team finished 6-7 including an Insight Bowl loss to Iowa State. The basketball team has lost six of its last eight games. Instead of a predicted invitation to the NCAA, the Gophers aren’t even a cinch to make the NIT.
“We’re having a tough year,” Maturi said. “Going into the year I thought we would have a banner year in our (higher) visibility sports.”
Maturi and his staff will be finalizing the department’s next budget in a few months. He isn’t counting on a reversal of state legislation that alcohol be made available to the public and not just in premium seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena. He said not having alcohol in those venues has cost the University about $1 million this past year.
The athletic department has saved money by not replacing associate athletic director Tom Wistrcill who left Minnesota last year to become athletic director at Akron. Now another Maturi assistant, associate athletic director Phil Esten, is leaving the department to become chief executive officer of the University Alumni Association. Maturi said he will decide in the next several weeks whether to fill Esten’s position.