Minnesota’s Bob Motzko Is Named CCM/AHCA Division I Men’s Coach of the Year

For leading the University of Minnesota Gophers into the 2023 Frozen Four, Bob Motzko has been chosen the winner of the 2023 Spencer Penrose Award as Division I Men’s Ice Hockey CCM/AHCA Coach of the Year by his peers. The honor is the first for Motzko and just the second for the University of Minnesota in the 73-year history of the award. The last Gopher head coach to earn this honor was the great John Mariucci in 1953.

The 2022-23 Gophers bring a 28-9-1 record into Thursday’s semifinal game (5:00 p.m. ET) against Boston University as they look for their first national championship since winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.

The season has been a strong one for Minnesota, who entered the NCAA’s as the overall #1 seed. The Gophers captured the Big Ten regular season title by a whopping 19 points over runner-up Michigan. They rank second in the NCAA in scoring margin (+1.97) and offense (4.21 GPG). Motzko has built an 112-59-12 record with the Gophers and has an overall record of 388-251-61 in 18 years as an NCAA head coach. He landed his third Big Ten Coach of the Year honor during the current campaign.

A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko was an assistant coach at Minnesota from 2001 to 2005, a stretch where the Gophers captured back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Following his four years assisting the Gophers, Motzko spent 13 seasons building St. Cloud State into a championship program. The Huskies advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times under his leadership, including a run to the Frozen Four in 2013.

He previously coached at Miami (OH) and Denver, helping Miami win the CCHA title as associate head coach in 1993. He also served as an assistant under Herb Brooks at his alma mater for one season. During his college head coaching career, Motzko has been recognized as a conference coach of the year seven times, winning the award twice in the WCHA (2006, 2007), twice in the NCHC (2014, 2018) and now three times in the Big Ten (2020, 2022, 2023).

USA Hockey has twice tasked Motzko with leading the U.S. National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championships. In 2017, Motzko led Team USA to an unbeaten run at the tournament, which culminated in a gold medal, the fourth all-time for the Americans. Motzko returned as head coach for the National Junior Team in 2018, leading the squad to a bronze medal.

Twice he has led teams in the United States Hockey League (USHL) as head coach and general manager. He spent four years with the North Iowa Huskies, leading his 1989 team to the Junior A national championship earning the league’s coach of the year award. He also led Sioux Falls for the team’s first two seasons of existence and was named the league’s GM of the Year in 2000 for his work with the Stampede.

Motzko graduated from St. Cloud State in 1987 as a two-time men’s hockey letter winner. Assisting Motzko this season were Steve Miller, Ben Gordon and Brennan Poderzay. and . The runner-up for this year’s Spencer Penrose Award was Jay Pandolfo of Boston University. The award will be presented at the 2023 AHCA Convention at the Naples Grande Hotel in Naples, FL, on theevening of Wednesday, April 26.

CCMThe Spencer Penrose Award is named in memory of the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first 10 NCAA championship hockey tournaments. The CCM AHCA COACH of the YEAR AWARDS are sponsored by CCM HOCKEY and chosen by members of the AMERICAN HOCKEY COACHES ASSOCIATION. CCM is the legendary hockey brand dedicated to the endless pursuit of performance by delivering game-changing, head-to-toe innovative hockey equipment to players worldwide.

Winners of the Spencer Penrose Award
CCM/AHCA Division I Men's Coach of the Year
1951 Edward Jeremiah, Dartmouth
1952 Cheddy Thompson, Colorado College
1953 John Mariucci, Minnesota
1954 Vic Heyliger, Michigan
1955 Ralph "Cooney" Weiland, Harvard
1956 William Harrison, Clarkson
1957 Jack Riley, Army
1958 Harry Cleverly, Boston University
1959 John "Snooks" Kelley, Boston College
1960 Jack Riley, Army
1961 Murray Armstrong, Denver
1962 Jack Kelley, Colby
1963 Tony Frasca, Colorado College
1964 Tom Eccleston, Jr., Providence
1965 Jim Fullerton, Brown
1966 Amo Bessone, Michigan State
Len Ceglarski, Clarkson
1967 Edward Jeremiah, Dartmouth
1968 Ned Harkness, Cornell
1969 Charlie Holt, New Hampshire
1970 John Maclnnes, Michigan Tech
1971 Ralph "Cooney" Weiland, Harvard
1972 John "Snooks" Kelley, Boston College
1973 Len Ceglarski, Boston College
1974 Charlie Holt, New Hampshire
1975 Jack Parker, Boston University
1976 John Maclnnes, Michigan Tech
1977 Jerry York, Clarkson
1978 Jack Parker, Boston University
1979 Charlie Holt, New Hampshire
1980 Rick Comley, Northern Michigan
1981 Bill O'Flaherty, Clarkson
1982 Ferny Flaman, Northeastern
1983 Bill Cleary, Harvard
1984 Mike Sertich, Minnesota-Duluth
1985 Len Ceglarski, Boston College
1986 Ralph Backstrom, Denver
1987 John "Gino" Gasparini, North Dakota
1988 Frank Anzalone, Lake Superior
1989 Joe Marsh, St. Lawrence
1990 Terry Slater, Colgate
1991 Rick Comley, Northern Michigan
1992 Ron Mason, Michigan State
1993 George Gwozdecky, Miami
1994 Don Lucia, Colorado College
1995 Shawn Walsh, Maine
1996 Bruce Crowder, UMass Lowell
1997 Dean Blais, North Dakota
1998 Tim Taylor, Yale
1999 Richard Umile, New Hampshire
2000 Joe Marsh, St. Lawrence
2001 Dean Blais, North Dakota
2002 Tim Whitehead, Maine
2003 Bob Daniels, Ferris State
2004 Scott Sandelin, Minnesota-Duluth
2005 George Gwozdecky, Denver
2006 Enrico Blasi, Miami
2007 Jeff Jackson, Notre Dame
2008 Red Berenson, Michigan
2009 Jack Parker, Boston University
2010 Wayne Wilson, RIT
2011 Nate Leaman, Union
2012 Bob Daniels, Ferris State
2013 Norm Bazin, UMass Lowell
2014 Rick Bennett, Union
2015 Mike Hastings, Minnesota State
2016 Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac
2017 Jim Montgomery, Denver
2018 Jeff Jackson, Notre Dame
2019 Greg Carvel, Massachusetts
2020 Brad Berry, North Dakota
Mike Schafer, Cornell
2021 Mike Hastings, Minnesota State
2022 Mike Hastings, Minnesota State
2023 Bob Motzko, Minnesota