After three seasons as the head men’s coach at St. Olaf, Mike Eaves has accepted a job as the head coach of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
“All of us with Ole athletics wish Mike well in his new position,” said St. Olaf athletic director Ryan Bowles in a statement. “From Day 1, Mike and his wife, Bethie, added so much to our campus community and they will be sorely missed. I am confident with our new on-campus arena and with the strength of our program we will attract a top candidate.”
During his three seasons at St. Olaf, Eaves’ teams went a combined 21-44-8 and 14-28-6 in the MIAC.
“Our three years at St. Olaf were as rich and meaningful as any point of our travels,” Eaves said. “The community of people were so amazing in every aspect and it was truly rewarding to be a part of the team that brought ice home to campus.”
Eaves was named St. Olaf’s head coach on May 27, 2016, after 14 seasons as the head coach at Wisconsin, where he led the Badgers to the national title in 2006 and a national runner-up finish in 2010. His teams went 267-225-66 in Madison and won at least 20 games eight times.
In his playing days, Eaves was a two-time All-American selection at Wisconsin and remains the Badgers’ all-time leading scorer with 267 points. He was a member of the 1977 national championship team before going on to play seven seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Calgary Flames.
“Mike Eaves has won an NCAA championship, world junior championship gold medal and developed numerous players that have gone on to play in the National Hockey League over the course of his 30-year coaching career,” said Cleveland GM Chris Clark. “He brings great passion and experience to our organization and I am looking forward to working closely with him to develop our players and bring the Calder Cup back to Cleveland.”
