University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Legend Honored; Former Head Coach Doug Woog
12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
If it weren't for a failed physical, Woog would have began his athletic career with the South St. Paul fifth grade basketball team. Instead, he traded in his Chuck Taylors for a pair of hockey skates. Fast forward to 2002 and that fateful switch in athletic allegiance culminates with Woog's induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
"I was up north late last summer and got a call from John Mayasich," Woog recalled. "He called to congratulate me on being selected, but I was really taken aback. My first reaction was why me?"
Looking at Woog's career, it is easy to answer that question. A three-time All-State selection as a prep at South St. Paul, he became an All-American at Minnesota under head coach John Mariucci. He then followed his playing days with an illustrious coaching career which took him from junior hockey to high school to the University of Minnesota. Heavily involved with USA Hockey throughout his career, Woog was also an assistant coach with the 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.
For Woog, it's difficult to single out one accomplishment he is most proud of.
"There have been so many good things that have happened to me," Woog said. "We developed some pretty good players at South St. Paul. I look back at the days in junior hockey and it's neat to see how many of those kids are running corporations. I think some of the best accomplishments I made were during those junior years. We had kids out of high school who came and played for a year or two and then earned a college scholarship."
Woog's notoriety though, revolves around his spectacular run as head coach of the Golden Gophers. In his 14-year coaching career, Woog led the Golden Gophers to an NCAA-record 12 consecutive tournament appearances, including six trips to the NCAA Final Four. He amassed a staggering 389 wins during his tenure, more than any other head coach in the history of the hockey program.
"I spent four years here as a student, 14 years as a coach and now three selling suites (at Mariucci Arena)," Woog commented. "I feel fortunate to have spent over 20 years of my life at the University of Minnesota."
His connection with Golden Gopher Hockey remains strong as he is in his second year as analyst for Fox Sports Net. He appreciates the opportunity to keep preparing for an upcoming opponent and offering his unique and often colorful insight into the game.
"I was always so busy getting something ready for the weekend," Woog said. "It's kind of fun to still be getting ready for the broadcasts. Some people may say you're not very polished, but I think it's a chance for some people to see a different side of me since a lot of them only know me as a coach. I look at it as another experience in the game of hockey."
While Woog is humbled by the honor of being inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, he takes great pride that his career, which has covered just about every level of organized hockey, did not go unnoticed.
"I never coached for money," Woog said. "I'm pretty lucky. Not a lot of people get the opportunity to stay in the same community, the same state, within a mile for over 30 years. Every morning you wake up, you're not thinking about going to a job. The game of hockey was never a job for me and that's a very fun way to live."
Written by Athletics Media Relations Men's Hockey Contact John Romo