Wisconsin assistant coach Andy Brandt has been named the new head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Madison Capitols.
Brandt takes over the franchise after spending one season behind the Badgers bench as an assistant coach.
Brandt played for Wisconsin’s 2006 NCAA championship team before moving on to a professional playing and coaching career.
Before spending last season on UW’s coaching staff, Brandt spent the five years as associate head coach at St. Norbert. He helped lead the Green Knights to the 2018 NCAA Division III championship in his first year back in Wisconsin.
Prior to his tenure with the Green Knights, Brandt spent time as head coach and general manager of the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. He served as interim head coach of what was then the Gwinnett Gladiators in 2014-15 before taking the reins of the Atlanta Gladiators for the 2015-16 season. He joined the staff as an assistant coach for the 2013-14 season, after playing parts of six seasons with Gwinnett, along with AHL stints for Lake Erie, Manitoba and Abbotsford. He also played part of one season for Victoria of the ECHL.
He played in a team-record 357 games with Gwinnett, tallying 76 goals and 192 points. He also served as an alternate captain from 2007 to 2012, before becoming captain for the 2012-13 campaign.
As a Badger, Brandt skated from 2003 to 2007 and scored five goals and 14 points in 130 games played. He was voted the Jim Santulli 7th Man Award winner by Badger fans for both the 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons.
Brandt joins a Madison organization that is led by president Andrew Joudrey, a former Badger teammate of Brandt’s, including the 2006 NCAA title season. The Capitols ownership group includes former Badgers Ryan Suter and Tom Sagissor.
Brandt also takes over for former Badger Tom Gilbert, a 10-year NHL veteran who finished out the 2022-23 season as interim head coach and general manager of the Capitols. Like Joudrey, the All-American Gilbert was a 2006 NCAA champion teammate of Brandt’s.
