USA Hockey announced on Wednesday that Don Granato has been named head coach of its men’s national team for the 2026 World Championship in Switzerland this spring.
Granato was most recently head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2021 to 2024, finishing with a record of 122-125-27.
Prior to that, he spent two seasons as assistant coach of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and one season as associate head coach with the University of Wisconsin’s men’s hockey team.
Granato also served as a head coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program from 2011-17 and during that time guided the NTDP’s U.S. National Under-18 Team to a pair of championships at the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament (2012, 2014) in addition to leading the U.S. National Under-17 Team to titles at the Four Nations Tournament (2013), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (2013) and Under-17 Five Nations Tournament (2014).
His career has also included stops as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues (2005-06) and head coach for the Chicago Wolves (2008-10). Granato also served as head coach of the Worcester IceCats from 2000-2005, where he received the AHL’s Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the league’s most outstanding coach.
He also coached three seasons in the ECHL with the Columbus Chill (1997-99) and Peoria Rivermen (1999-2000), following four seasons in the USHL with the Wisconsin Capitols (1993-94) and Green Bay Gamblers (1994-97). He led Peoria to the 2000 ECHL Kelly Cup championship and claimed the 1996 USHL Clark Cup championship with Green Bay.
On the international stage, Granato has served as an assistant coach of a U.S. Men’s National Team on three different occasions, including in 2022, 2018 (bronze medal) and 2014. He also led the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team to gold (2015) and silver (2013) medal finishes at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship as head coach, while also serving as an assistant coach for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team.
The U.S. enters the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship as defending gold medalist.