Concordia (Wis.) announced Tuesday that Bill Horton has been promoted to interim head coach for the Falcons’ men’s team.
Horton replaces Jasen Wise, who stepped down earlier this offseason after eight seasons.
“I am pleased to announce that we have elevated Bill Horton to the position of interim head coach of our NCAA men’s hockey program,” Concordia director of athletics Dr. Rob Barnhill said in a statement. “In talking with Coach Horton over the past few weeks, it became apparent to me, that he has earned the right to lead our team in this capacity at this time. At the conclusion of next season, I will reevaluate our program and we will name a permanent head coach. Coach Horton has done a great job of leading the recruitment efforts in this time of transition and we feel that we can put a highly competitive team on the ice next season.
“This opportunity provides our program with some continuity and allows him to compete for the permanent position while we administratively deal with navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the hiring process.”
Horton completed his second season as an assistant with Concordia in 2019-20.
“I want to thank Dr. Barnhilll for the opportunity to take over the men’s hockey program,” Horton said. “I think we have a very strong incoming class for next season and things are looking upward for the 2020-21 season. My expectation is to return to the playoffs and I think teams are a direct reflection of their head coach and we’ll be playing a tough brand of hockey.
“We are trending in the right direction and I know we had a down year two years ago, but with our incoming recruits and new leadership, the upcoming season has the makings of being something special.”
Horton is the third head coach in the program’s 13 years of existence.
