St. Cloud State men’s hockey head coach Brett Larson and former University of Minnesota assistant coach and player Grant Potulny are finalists for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey head coaching position.
Then-President George W. Bush (L) receives a shirt from University of Minnesota’s Grant Potulny (R) after a photo opportunity with the NCAA men’s hockey champions in the East Room of the White House 17 June, 2003, in Washington, DC. (Photo by STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Sources confirmed on Friday that Larson was a finalist for the position. Larson would not comment on his status. On June 15, 2021, Larson signed a contract extension that keeps him with the Huskies through the 2027-28 season.
The Gophers mutually parted ways with Bob Motzko after eight seasons on Wednesday. The Gophers were 108-62-19 in Big Ten play and 170-103-24 overall during Motzko’s tenure. In 2025-26, the Gophers were sixth in the Big Ten during the regular season, lost to Penn State in the Big Ten quarterfinals and finished 11-22-3.
Larson replaced Motzko as head coach at SCSU. In 2018-19, Larson led the Huskies to the NCHC regular season championship with a conference record of 19-2-3 and to a 30-6-3 overall record. SCSU lost, 3-2, to Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship and was upset by American International, 2-1, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
In 2021, the Huskies lost, 5-3, to North Dakota in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship. But SCSU advanced to the national championship game for the first time, losing 5-0 to Massachusetts. In 2022, Quinnipiac defeated the Huskies, 5-4, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson, top, talks with the team during the first period of the NCAA men’s Frozen Four hockey championship game against Massachusetts in Pittsburgh, Saturday, April 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
In 2023, SCSU defeated Colorado College, 3-0, for the Frozen Faceoff championship and then lost, 4-1, to Minnesota in the Fargo Regional championship game.
The Huskies are 93-81-18 in NCHC play and 153-116-23 overall in Larson’s eight seasons. SCSU has missed the NCAA tournament each of the past three seasons.
Potulny, 46, played for the Gophers from 2000-04. He was an assistant coach for the Gophers from 2009-17 under head coach Don Lucia.
Potulny left the Gophers to become the head coach at Northern Michigan and coached the Wildcats from 2017-24. The last two seasons, he has been the head coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
Minnesota made the NCAA Division I tournament five straight seasons under Motzko from 2021-25.
In 2025, the Gophers lost 5-4 in overtime to Massachusetts in the first round of the Fargo Regional.
In 2024, the Gophers lost, 6-3, to Boston University in the Sioux Falls Regional final.
In 2023, Quinnipiac defeated Minnesota, 3-2, in overtime in the national championship game. In 2022, Minnesota State Mankato defeated the Gophers, 5-1, in the Frozen Four semifinals.
In 2021, MSU Mankato defeated Minnesota, 4-0, in the West Regional championship.