Dane Jackson named NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year
Mar. 18—GRAND FORKS — When Dane Jackson was named head coach on the evening of March 29, he didn't have much time to enjoy the moment. He inherited a decimated roster, and rival teams were working to get even more players in the portal.
It looked bleak in the moment, but it didn't turn out that way. Jackson revolutionized the way UND structures its coaching staff by turning one of his three assistant spots into a general manager. He retained key players like Jake Livanavage, Dylan James and Abram Wiebe, who had opportunities to sign professional contracts.
He went to work in recruiting to build a competitive roster. Then, Jackson's squad went out and won the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. For his achievements, Jackson was named the NCHC's Herb Brooks Coach of the Year.
Jackson beat out finalists David Carle of Denver and Anthony Noreen of Miami. "How much Jax cares about this program, I think it shows a lot," Livanavage said. "It starts at the top and it definitely trickles down to the players.
We can feel how much this place means to our staff and how much they want to win. I think it always starts at the top. They've done a great job setting an example for us.