Brett Larson - Head Coach - Staff Directory - University of Minnesota Athletics

Staff Directory

Brett Larson

Title:
Head Coach

Gallery: (3-24-2026) Brett Larson Hiring Day

Brett Larson was named head men's hockey coach at the University of Minnesota on March 24, 2026, agreeing to a five-year term.

Larson brings 16 years of collegiate coaching experience, coming to Minnesota from St. Cloud State where he served as the head coach for eight seasons from 2018 to 2026. While at St. Cloud, he guided the Huskies to four NCAA tournament appearances, two NCHC championships and the program's first-ever national championship game appearance in 2021. He left the Huskies with 153 career wins, the fourth-most victories in program history.

Prior to St. Cloud State, Larson served two stints (2008-11, 2015-18) as an assistant coach at his alma mater Minnesota Duluth. He helped lead the Bulldogs to NCAA titles in both 2011 and 2018 as well as a runner-up finish in 2017.

In between his time at Minnesota Duluth, Larson was the head coach and general manager of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers from 2011-12 and was the associate head coach at Ohio State from 2013-15.

During his years coaching at St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth, Larson guided or recruited more than 30 future NHL players, numerous All-Americans, Olympians, and a Hobey Baker Award Memorial Award winner.

Larson also has extensive international experience on the bench with USA Hockey. Most recently, he was an assistant coach on the team that won gold at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships in Sweden. He served in the same role in 2024 (gold medal) and 2020. He was also an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics and was head coach of the U.S. Junior Select Team that won the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.

Larson, who is from Duluth, Minn., was a defenseman for Minnesota Duluth from 1991-95. He served as captain during his senior year and ended his college career with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in 133 career games with the Bulldogs.

Drafted in the 11th round of the 1990 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Larson played 12 years of professional hockey, mostly in the minor leagues in the United States, but had stints in Germany, Denmark, and England. He also skated for the U.S. National Inline Team, helping the United States earn gold in 1999 and silver in 1998.

Larson has a degree in criminology from Minnesota Duluth.

He and his wife, Kelly, have two children, a son Lane and a daughter Calla.