Minnesota Fires Women's Hockey Coach Brad Frost After 19 Seasons

Frost led the Gophers to a national title in 2016 but the team has struggled in recent years.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 11:38pm

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The University of Minnesota has fired women's hockey coach Brad Frost after 19 seasons with the program. Frost had been the head coach since 2007 and led the Gophers to a national championship in 2016, but the team has struggled in recent years and failed to make the NCAA tournament since 2019.

Why it matters

The University of Minnesota has one of the top women's hockey programs in the country, so Frost's dismissal after nearly two decades signals a major shift for the team. The Gophers are looking to rebuild and return to national prominence after a decline in performance over the past several seasons.

The details

Frost was let go on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, after the Gophers finished the 2025-26 season with a 16-19-3 record and missed the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year. During his tenure, Frost compiled a 426-159-54 record and led Minnesota to 10 WCHA regular season titles and 6 WCHA tournament championships.

  • Frost was hired as the Gophers' head coach in 2007.
  • Minnesota won the national championship under Frost in 2016.
  • The Gophers last made the NCAA tournament in 2019.
  • Frost was fired on March 17, 2026 after the team's 16-19-3 season.

The players

Brad Frost

The former head coach of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team, who was fired after 19 seasons with the program.

University of Minnesota

The public research university that fields the Gophers women's hockey team, one of the top programs in the country.

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What’s next

The University of Minnesota will begin a search for a new head coach to lead the women's hockey program and return it to national prominence.

The takeaway

Frost's dismissal after nearly two decades signals a major shift for the Gophers women's hockey program, which is looking to rebuild and regain its status as one of the elite teams in the country after a prolonged period of underperformance.