MINNEAPOLIS -- Garrett Hendrickson, who has served on the coaching staff for Augsburg University men's hockey teams that have qualified for the NCAA Division III national tournament each of the last two seasons, has been named the program's new head coach, it was announced on Friday.
 
Hendrickson served as a full-time assistant coach for the last two seasons under former head coach Greg "Boom" May, who left Augsburg in July to accept a position as associate head coach for the University of Minnesota's women's hockey team.
 
"I'm really honored to be the next head coach at Augsburg. I don't take it lightly, knowing what a historic program it is and what the past head coaches have done to get the program where it is today," Hendrickson said. "I'm very excited to continue to build on what we have accomplished the past two seasons. I believe we have a very special group that can continue to have success. This group knows what it takes to win. They know that if we stick to our process, continue to grow as a team and get better every day, the success will come and we will have a shot at the end."
 
Hendrickson becomes just the sixth head coach in the modern history of Augsburg's men's hockey program (1959-present), joining a fraternity that includes Ed Saugestad (1959-96), Mark Wick (interim head coach in 1990-91, co-head coach with Saugestad from 1993-95), Mike Schwartz (1996-2006), Chris Brown (2006-2021) and May (2021-23).

 

"Garrett has been a part of a championship coaching staff the last two years and has proven his effectiveness, not only in leading the hockey program but also in being a part of the Augsburg athletics family," said Augsburg Athletic Director Jeff Swenson. "He's an excellent and tireless recruiter, a skilled coach, and I believe he will be a great fit for Augsburg."
 
As part of May's coaching staff, Hendrickson helped guide the Auggies to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship and the NCAA Division III national semifinals in the 2021-22 season, and the MIAC playoff title and a national playoff berth in 2022-23. Augsburg was 41-15-2 overall and 24-7-1 in MIAC play the last two seasons.
 
"The last two seasons I had the pleasure of working with 'Boom', we believed in a lot of the same things when it comes to hockey and team culture. I learned a ton from him, Hendrickson said. "I plan to continue on what we've done thus far. But with every head coach, there comes some change. But overall, I believe for this group of players that it will be a seamless transition. I can't wait to get started."
 
The Auggies went 25-5-0 overall and 14-2-0 in MIAC play in 2021-22, winning the MIAC regular-season title for the 11th time in school history. The Auggies topped perennial rival St. Norbert (Wis.) in the NCAA quarterfinals to reach the NCAA semifinal round for the third time in school history, finishing in a tie for third nationally.
 
In 2022-23, Augsburg finished with a 16-10-2 overall record and 10-5-1 mark in MIAC play, finishing second in the conference regular-season standings. The Auggies claimed a 4-1 win at regular-season champion St. Scholastica in the MIAC playoff championship, winning the postseason title for the sixth time in school history. The Auggies advanced to the NCAA national tournament for the eighth time in school history and sixth time in an eight-year span.

 

Hendrickson has accomplished a great deal in his young coaching career, after his playing days were completed at Concordia College-Moorhead in 2017. Prior to coming to Augsburg, Hendrickson served as an assistant coach for the North American Hockey League's Bismarck (N.D.) Bobcats in 2020-21. The Bobcats finished 29-21 overall and 3-3 in the league's Robertson Cup playoffs that season.
 
Also as a junior hockey coach, he served as an assistant coach for the Superior International Junior Hockey League's Wisconsin Lumberjacks in 2019-20, and as an assistant coach/assistant general manager for the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness in 2018-19.
 
A native of Virginia, Minn., Hendrickson played collegiately as a forward at Concordia-Moorhead, earning All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17, while earning MIAC All-Rookie Team honors in 2013-14. An alternate captain his senior year, Hendrickson played in 100 career games for the Cobbers, scoring 26 goals with 45 assists for 71 points.
 
An Associated Press Minnesota All-State first-team selection in 2010-11, he was a high school star for the Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl boys' hockey team, scoring 76 goals with 113 assists for 189 points in his final three seasons, including a 27-goal, 45-assist effort his senior season.
 
He played junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League for the Penticton Vees (2011-12) and Salmon Arm Silverbacks (2011-13), and for the NAHL's Coulee Region Chill (2012-13), prior to his collegiate career.
 
Hendrickson was a communications major at Concordia-Moorhead. He married his wife Andrea, a middle school math teacher in the Stillwater (Minn.) School District, in April 2023. The couple lives in Hugo, Minn.