In case you missed it, Michigan Hockey and head coach Brandon Naurato agreed to an extension that runs through the 2029-30 season.
Naurato, 41, played for the Wolverines from 2005-09 under the legendary Red Berenson. After bouncing around various leagues, he rejoined the program as an assistant to his eventual predecessor, Mel Pearson, in 2021.
He took over the lead job for the 2022-23 season and has already established himself as one of the more successful young coaches in college hockey. Through
his first three campaigns, Michigan went 67-42-9, made two NCAA Tournaments and two Frozen Fours, and won the Big Ten Tournament in 2023 before falling in the same spot the next season.
Now, it looks like Naurato has finally hit his stride, even considering that rapid start. The Wolverines are the No. 1 team in the nation at 20-4 overall and 11-3 in conference play.
Beyond Naurato’s ties to the university where he has excelled in a variety of roles over the last two decades, he has maintained Michigan’s ability to attract and develop elite talent. Since his arrival, players like Adam Fantilli (who won the Hobey Baker Award in 2023), Frank Nazar, Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty and graduate transfer Marshall Warren have reached the NHL after committing to Naurato.
That pipeline is deep, and while there were little concerns Naurato could uphold the standard and a key part of the recruiting pitch, it is still encouraging to see him keep that train rolling.
Furthermore, he did an excellent job of bringing in CHL prospects (Jack Ivanokvic being the top prize) and hit the transfer portal hard (hello, Jayden Perron and Ben Robertson). Schools like Michigan have a major advantage in this NIL-centric landscape — and sure, Naurato should be able to bring in this caliber of a class, but that does not mean we should take it for granted.
There are skeptics (myself at times) who believe Naurato and the Wolverines’ preference to play a more run-and-gun style has limited them during the postseason, especially in the Frozen Four, where the older, heavier teams typically hoist the trophy. But consider Pearson’s dismissal and how the program could have entered an awkward transitional period. Naurato stepped in, and while he and the fanbase still covet a national championship, he has kept Michigan among the country’s premier programs.
His age is a positive, too. Hockey is not quite basketball or football, where top college coaches are constantly linked to professional openings. The NHL coaching carousel is a nightmare; those roles are usually a two- or three-year revolving door. College hockey provides these coaches with far more autonomy and even with the shifting economics of the sport, the security of running his alma mater should wash away any NHL calls (if, hypothetically, those became an option).
Naurato could easily sign another extension after 2030 and be in Ann Arbor for decades. Perhaps that is not what everyone wants to hear, but stability is crucial, and his teams have yet to tap into their full potential.
Could he plateau and never get over the hump? Possibly. Yet, he has given us enough reasons to believe in his process and now, he can solely focus on winning the big one.
