Union shocked much of the college hockey world this week when it tabbed Clarkson associate head coach Josh Hauge to lead the Dutchmen into the future. Hauge, a 2002 graduate of Bethel College, hails from Rosemount, Minn. He had been on the Golden Knights’ staff since 2015, serving as an assistant coach for the first...
Union shocked much of the college hockey world this week when it tabbed Clarkson associate head coach Josh Hauge to lead the Dutchmen into the future.
Hauge, a 2002 graduate of Bethel College, hails from Rosemount, Minn. He had been on the Golden Knights’ staff since 2015, serving as an assistant coach for the first five seasons before being promoted to associate head coach in 2019.
Hauge is well respected around the college hockey world and has done a great job recruiting at Clarkson. In addition to his experience at the Potsdam, N.Y., school, he brings a wealth of understanding in junior hockey. He was an assistant and head coach in the NAHL and USHL with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, Tri-City Storm and Fargo Force.
Hauge beat out Providence assistant coach Joel Beal, Harvard assistant coach James Marcou, interim head coach John Ronan, and Trine University head coach Alex Todd for the job. Beal was the candidate I expected to get the job, given that he was an alum and had previously served on the Dutchmen staff as a grad assistant.
Hauge replaces Rick Bennett, who was ousted in January. The Springfield, Mass., native led the Dutchmen to their only national championship in 2014. He had replaced current Providence head coach Nate Leaman as bench boss in Schenectady the previous year.
Union announced earlier this calendar year that the school would start giving out athletic scholarships in hockey, following the NCAA granting them and Rochester Institute of Technology a waiver to do so as Division 3 schools competing in Division 1. A handful of other similar schools had already been grandfathered in for allowing such scholarships.
That will certainly help Hauge in his bid to rebuild Union into a winner in ECAC Hockey. Hauge could retain current assistants Ronan and TJ Manastersky, but that is unlikely.
A likely candidate for one of the assistant positions is Will Messa, a Worcester, Mass., native and Northeastern graduate. He played for the Huskies from 2013 to 2016 and has been on Brett Riley’s staff at Long Island University the past two years. He’s previously been a volunteer assistant at Northeastern, Notre Dame and Union. Messa has done a great job recruiting at LIU and is a rising star in the coaching fraternity.
