Ep032 Mike Hastings

Mike Hastings is the current head ice hockey coach of the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks. He was formerly the head coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League. He is also the coach for the United States World Juniors team and once the assistant coach for the 2022 United States Olympic Ice Hockey team in Beijing. When Hastings arrived in Mankato the program had only one winning season in the previous nine years and he immediately turned the program around. In his first year the team doubled their win total, going 24–14–3 and making the second NCAA tournament appearance since joining Division 1  in 1996. The team improved in each of the next two seasons, winning the WCHA tournament both years and was the #1 seed in the 2015 NCAA tournament. In the 2021 tournament, Hastings and Minnesota State won 2 games on their way to the Frozen Four. Hastings' 5 consecutive 20+ win seasons to start his career led to Minnesota State giving him a 10-year contract extension in the spring of 2017. The team also reached the frozen four in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.