When Scott Sandelin accepted his first collegiate head coaching job with the University of Minnesota Duluth shortly after the new millennium, he had earned a reputation as one of the profession's more promising up-and-comers. Now, the college hockey community knows why.
The 2003-04 Spencer Penrose Award winner as the American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA I Coach of the Year, Sandelin, 41 (8/8/64), has helped thrust the Bulldog program back into the national forefront. In his five winters behind the UMD bench, he has compiled an overall record of 85-97-22, including a 65-45-15 mark (for a .580 winning percentage) since the start of the 2002-03 season. Last year, the Bulldogs were named the preseason league favorite in the Grand Forks Herald WCHA Coached Poll for the first time ever and in, mid-October, occupied the No. 1 spot in a national poll (uscho.com/cstv and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) for the first time in 15 years. Over the Christmas Holidays, Sandelin displayed his coaching wares on the international stage as the head coach of Team USA at 2004 World Junior Hockey Championships in both Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn.
Sandelin turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation two years ago while shepherding the Bulldogs to their most victories (they were 28-13-4 in all outings) and highest WCHA finish (second place on a 19-7-2 mark) since the 1992-93 season. UMD also sported the nation's second highest scoring team, and, during the course of the year, pieced together a school-record 14-game unbeaten streak. For his efforts, he was chosen the WCHA Coach of the Year as well as the national coach of the year by both insidecollegehockey.com and uscho.com.
In 2002-03, Sandelin's Bulldogs racked up their best overall mark (22-15-5) and WCHA showing (fifth place) while experiencing the greatest one-year turnaround of any WCHA club. UMD ended that season as one of nation?s hottest clubs, going unbeaten in 12 of its final 16 games (11-4-1) and capturing third place at the WCHA Final Five playoff championships. One year earlier, he directed the Bulldogs to a 13-24-1 record in all games -- nearly doubling the number of victories from the previous season (7-28-4) -- while going 6-19-3 in the WCHA. In addition to racking up its most goals in five years, UMD also ranked fifth in the nation in power play scores (47) that season.
Prior to officially becoming the Bulldogs' 12th head coach on March 31, 2000, Sandelin, served with the University of North Dakota coaching staff the prior six years, (including the last three as an associate head coach). During his tenure in Grand Forks, North Dakota laid claim to two NCAA titles (1996-97 and 1999-2000), three WCHA regular season championships (1996-99), two WCHA playoff crowns (1996-97 and 1999-2000) and earned four straight berths in the NCAA tournament (1996-2000). His primary responsibilities with the Fighting Sioux included handling the team's recruiting coordinator and academic advisor duties, and assisting head coach Dean Blais with all aspects of practice and game preparation.
Sandelin spent the 1993-94 season as the head coach of the Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings of the Junior Elite Hockey League after working in that same capacity (and doubling as general manager) the previous winter with the American Hockey Association's Fargo-Moorhead Express.
Born and raised in Hibbing, Minn., Sandelin capped off his four-year playing career at North Dakota in 1985-86 by being named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. He captained the Fighting Sioux that season and also was an All-WCHA first team pick and an NCAA I All-American second team selection. Named North Dakota's Most Valuable Player as a senior after amassing a career-high 38 points in 40 games, Sandelin went on to play seven years of professional hockey, including National Hockey League stints with the Montreal Canadiens (1986-88), Philadelphia Flyers (1990-91) and Minnesota North Stars (1991-92). The second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1982 NHL draft (40th selection overall), he was credited with four assists in 25 lifetime NHL outings. A nagging back injury forced him to retire prematurely from the professional ranks following the 1991-92 season.
Sandelin, one of two current WCHA coaches to do time in the NHL, also skated wore the U.S.A. crest at the 1989 Goodwill Games, the 1986 World Championships, and the 1984 World Junior Championships.
Sandelin, who graduated from North Dakota in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in marketing, is a past vice president of the American Hockey Coaches Association. He resides in Hermantown with his wife, Wendy, and their son, Ryan (6).
Shannon Miller, one of the most renowned women's hockey coaches in the world, marks her eighth season with the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2006-07.
Miller has amassed an amazing overall record of 176-46-20 for a .769 winning percentage and has led the Bulldogs to five NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 WCHA Coach of the Year and the 2003 AHCA Women's Division I Coach of the Year.
Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller's time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 10 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, two WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. On top of all this, Miller sports the best winning percentage (.769) of any active NCAA Division I head coach.
Not only has Miller enjoyed incredible success with the Bulldogs, but she first made her name known by her accomplishments on the international stage as a player and a coach. Miller coached Canada to a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and to three consecutive gold medals at the Women's World Ice Hockey Championships (1992, 1994, 1997). She also coached Canada to gold medal finishes at both the 1995 and 1996 Pacific Rim Championships as well as the Three Nations Cup Tournament in 1996.
Shannon started her coaching career as an assistant with the Alberta Women's Hockey Team (18 and under) in 1989 and two years later was part of a club which captured a gold medal in the first-ever hockey competition for women in the Canada Winter Games.
Miller has held other hockey related duties including: a volunteer member of the Canadian Hockey Association Female Council, president of the Southern Alberta Women's Hockey League and chairperson of the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League. She also was a referee on the collegiate level for three years (1982-85).
The Melfort, Sask. native, competed in Four Canadian National Championships as a player (1982-85) before retiring in 1989.
In 1985, Miller graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor's degree in physical education and received her Masters of Education degree from UMD in 2005.
Before being hired by the Olympic Oval in Calgary to build the first-ever international high performance-training program for women's hockey, Miller was a police officer in Calgary from 1988-1996.
After the 1998 Olympics, Miller was given the prestigious Canadian Advancement of Women in Sport Award for all her successes for women's hockey in Canada.
Apart from her duties at UMD, Miller also operates hockey schools across North America and is a professional speaker at local, national and international events.
