March 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nHastings could have finished his career at Minnesota State, a program he revived and made his own.<\/p>\n
The school had just one winning season in the previous nine years before Hastings arrived in 2012, immediately turning it around. He recorded at least 20 wins in every season he was there, finishing top in the conference in all but three years of his tenure. The Mavericks won three WCHA titles and two CCHA titles, making two Frozen Four appearances in 2021 and 2022.\u00a0 When he left, Hastings was in the middle of a 10-year contract, signed in 2017. His family, including his wife Jean-Ann and two kids, Hudson and Hannah, were happy. They were born in Omaha, where Hastings spent 14 years in the USHL, but then moved around a bit with his assistant stint with the University of Minnesota Gophers before settling in Mankato.<\/p>\n
Hastings remembered a story when he took the MSU job and was driving home from the park with his family. Their son Hudson asked Jean-Ann, \u201cHow many times did your dad move?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, he didn\u2019t,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
It struck a chord with Hastings, who was hesitant to go anywhere. But he also remembered advice he got from former Gophers coach Don Lucia: \u201cNo matter how good or bad it\u2019s going, if you can survive 10 years (with a program), no matter where you\u2019re at and it is at, they\u2019re going to get tired of your shtick,\u201d Hastings recalled Lucia saying. \u201cYour shelf life is 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
And when Wisconsin pursued Hastings three years ago after firing Don Granato, the former St. Cloud State defenseman was intrigued. He and his wife were empty-nesters now. The Badgers program was rich in history. And it was time for a change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thankful for what I had at Minnesota State because it was a life-changing thing for myself, my family,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a place I\u2019ll never be able to repay. You don\u2019t want to wear out your welcome, and when this opportunity came about, my wife and I were like, \u2018We\u2019re doing this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
His first speech to the Badgers got their attention. There was a lot of uncertainty around the program, who would stay and who would go. Dexheimer said Hastings told them it was a new era, and that they better be ready to go to work. He told them he\u2019d make them not only unbelievable hockey players but unbelievable men when they left \u2014 it\u2019s not all about hockey, it\u2019s about life.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can I explain this \u2014 he demands us to work, but it\u2019s not like he\u2019s asking a ton,\u201d Dexheimer said. \u201cWe want to do it for him. His biggest strength is getting the most out of his players. There are days you come to the rink and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh man, I don\u2019t have it today.\u2019 Then you get to the rink with coach and his pre- or post-practice meeting, he\u2019ll get you in the mindset to be ready to work, even on a Tuesday in January when there\u2019s no one on campus and it\u2019s cold and it\u2019s the dog days. He gets the most out of you when you need it the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
After last season went awry a bit, the Badgers going 6-17-1 in the Big Ten after a 13-win improvement the year before and 13-21-3 overall, Hastings said the Badgers needed a reset over the summer. They met as a group and went through some subtle changes. A lot of it was team-building in the first eight weeks, from conversations to time together in the gym. Veteran leaders like Dexheimer invested in the younger guys.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the most part it was, \u2018We can\u2019t go alone,\u2019\u201d Hastings said. \u201cWe\u2019re a heck of a lot stronger together than we are as separate parts.\u201d<\/p>\n
That showed in the turning point of the season: a chat with the leadership group in January after injuries and inconsistencies were putting them in danger of the season going sideways. He told them that it felt like when he really pushed, and it started to get hard, \u201cWe spit the bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
It sparked a really honest conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe general idea was, the past is the past and we can\u2019t change that,\u201d Dexheimer said. \u201cAre we going to roll over and die or are we going to get up the next day? If we choose to just give up on the season after losing six games, we\u2019re going to have a lot of regrets come March and April. (Hastings\u2019) message was, \u2018Just keep the group alive, keep the positivity up.\u2019 His thing is \u2018the sun does come up no matter if you win or lose,\u2019 so the sun kept coming up and we kept going to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hastings hasn\u2019t done it alone, crediting his coaching staff and, of course, his players. The Badgers have been boosted by the help of one of their legends, Joe Pavelski, who was part of their last national title team in 2006. Pavelski has worked with the team on and off the ice this year and will be in Vegas for the Frozen Four. He\u2019s learned a lot about how Hastings operates up close.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just a fiery, competitive coach,\u201d Pavelski said. \u201cIt\u2019s just that passion for the game, and the passion for his players. There\u2019s enough out there about him that he\u2019s a demanding coach and stuff, but the guys cares as much as anybody. He cares about the player and the person. At the end of the day, it shows in big moments.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Joe Pavelski helped Wisconsin win its last national title in 2006 and is now a member of the Badgers staff. (G. N. Lowrance \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
As much as the Badgers rallied down the stretch, they needed some help to make the tournament, earning the 12th seed. Hastings remembers anxiously watching Dartmouth in the ECAC tournament final, with Wisconsin needing them to win for them to earn an at-large berth. Jean-Ann tried to watch some of the game with Hastings, but it wasn\u2019t much fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe goes, \u2018I\u2019m taking the dog and getting out of here,\u2019\u201d Hastings said, laughing. \u201cShe\u2019d seen enough of my act through the first period that she knew she wanted to be somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Hastings has thought about the NHL, having relationships in the league like David Quinn and Jeff Blashill, it doesn\u2019t sound like he plans on going anywhere else anytime soon. The job isn\u2019t done.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely come a long way,\u201d Dexheimer said. \u201cThis program is extremely historic. The school and us as players weren\u2019t happy with the direction it was going (three years ago) and they decided to go with a change and Coach Hastings came in. He\u2019s done an absolutely phenomenal job. Guys respect him every single day and we go to work for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019re not done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n