Don Lucia

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Don Lucia

| image =

| caption =

| image_size = 230px

| played_for = Notre Dame

| position = Defenseman

| shoots =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 185

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|8|20}}

| birth_place = Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| draft = 168th overall

| draft_year = 1978

| draft_team = Philadelphia Flyers

| career_start = 1977

| career_end = 1981

{{Infobox college coach|embed=yes

| name =

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Commissioner

| current_team =

| current_conference = CCHA

| current_record =

| contract =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = University of Notre Dame

| coach_years3 = 1999–2018

| coach_team3 = Minnesota

| coach_years2 = 1993–1999

| coach_team2 = Colorado College

| coach_years1 = 1987–1993

| coach_team1 = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall_record = 722–413–110 ({{winpct|722|413|110}})

| tournament_record =

| championships =

2x NCAA national champions (2002, 2003)
7x NCAA Frozen Four Appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2014)
7x WCHA regular season champions (1994-1996, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013)
3x WCHA tournament champions (2003, 2004, 2007)
4x Big Ten regular season champions (2014-2017)
Big Ten Tournament Champions (2015)
Great West regular season champions (1988)

| awards =

3x WCHA Coach of the Year (1994, 1996, 2006)
Spencer Penrose Award (1994)
Big Ten Coach of the Year (2014)

| coaching_records =

Most Wins in Minnesota Hockey History (457)

}}}}

Don Lucia (born August 20, 1958) is an American former ice hockey head coach, who was named as inaugural commissioner of the second Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) on June 17, 2020. The CCHA, which began play in the 2021–22 season, is a revival of an NCAA Division I men's hockey conference whose original version operated from 1971 to 2013 before folding in the wake of massive conference realignment in the sport.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29323929/ex-minnesota-coach-don-lucia-picked-run-new-ccha-hockey-league |title=Ex-Minnesota coach Don Lucia picked to run new CCHA hockey league |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=June 17, 2020 |access-date=June 18, 2020}}

Coaching career

Lucia is best known for his 19-season tenure as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team (1999–2018).{{cite web|url= http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/lucia_don00.html|title= Don Lucia Bio|publisher= Gopher Sports.com|access-date= 2010-06-02|archive-date= 2018-01-15|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184506/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/lucia_don00.html|url-status= dead}} He twice led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA national championship title, in 2002 and 2003.{{cite web |url= http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2007/12/21_islesgm.php |title = Isles GM Rips Lucia |publisher = College Hockey News.com| date= 2007-12-21| access-date =2010-06-02}} Under Lucia, the Golden Gophers won four MacNaughton Cups (awarded to the WCHA's regular season champion), the Broadmoor Trophy three times (awarded to the WCHA playoff champion), and the Big Ten regular season championship in each of that league's first four seasons. He coached one Hobey Baker Award winner, Jordan Leopold.{{cite web |url= http://www.vintageminnesotahockey.com/JordanLeopold.html |title = Jordan Leopold's bio |publisher = Vintage Minnesota Hockey.com| access-date =2010-06-02}} He is one of 10 coaches to record more than 600 NCAA men's ice hockey wins, and one of four to win national titles in consecutive years.Borzi, Pat. "Once-Embattled Coach Has Gophers Golden Again." New York Times 8 Feb. 2013: B11(L). Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. Lucia graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981, where he played defense for the school's hockey team.

During the 2008–2009 season, Lucia was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, but only missed four games while battling the autoimmune disease. This illness, combined with a growing number of college hockey players taking their talents to the NHL, led Lucia's Gophers to a 17–18–2 record during the 2009–2010 season. That season was Lucia's only year with a losing record with the Gophers, and his first since coaching Alaska-Fairbanks in the 1991–1992 season.

The Gophers eventually returned to the top of the WCHA, winning back-to-back conference titles in 2012 and 2013. In the summer of 2013 Minnesota joined with 5 other schools to form the Big Ten's ice hockey division. The Gophers won the inaugural regular season title and advanced all the way to the National Championship game where they fell to Union.{{Cite web|url=http://collegehockeystats.net/1314/boxes/mminuni1.a12|title = Welcome to collegehockeystats.net}} Lucia won the first 4 Big Ten titles, but could only garner 1 conference tournament championship (2015) and despite the success in the Big Ten, Minnesota was not considered a contender for the NCAA title most years.

Minnesota finished 5th in 2018 and with many of the fans unhappy with the direction of the program, Lucia resigned after 19 years behind the bench.{{cite web |last=Kotz |first=Pete |date=March 22, 2018 |url=http://www.citypages.com/news/how-don-lucia-killed-the-minnesota-gophers-hockey-dynasty/477582963 |title=How Don Lucia killed the Minnesota Gopher's hockey dynasty |website=City Pages |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323182204/http://www.citypages.com/news/how-don-lucia-killed-the-minnesota-gophers-hockey-dynasty/477582963 |archive-date=March 23, 2018}}

Personal life

Lucia and his wife Joyce have four children."SURVIVING STORMY DAYS; Don Lucia's charmed life hit a rough spell over the past couple of years, particularly when the Gophers hockey coach was hit with a rare disease that affected his even-keeled personality." Star Tribune [Minneapolis, MN] 19 Dec. 2010: 1C. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

Both his sons were drafted in the NHL Entry Draft. Tony was selected in the 6th round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks and Mario was selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild.{{cite web |url=http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=18008 |title=Tony Lucia |website=Elite Prospects}}

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=coach

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Alaska Nanooks men's ice hockey

|color = color:white; background:#1E59AE; {{box-shadow border|a|#FCD006|2px}}

|startyear = 1987

|conflong = Great West Hockey Conference

|conference = GWHC

|endyear = 1988

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 1987-88

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 21–10–2

| conference = 5–3–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason =

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = {{color|white|Alaska–Fairbanks Nanooks}}

|color = color:white; background:#1E59AE; {{box-shadow border|a|#FCD006|2px}}

|startyear = 1988

|conflong = NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)

|conference = Independent

|endyear = 1993

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1988-89

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 21–12–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1989-90

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 10–20–9

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1990-91

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 17–16–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1991-92

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 7–27–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1992-93

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 23–12–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Alaska–Fairbanks

| overall = 99–97–19

| confrecord =

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey

|color = color:white; background:#000000; {{box-shadow border|a|#EFAB1E|2px}}

|startyear = 1993

|conflong = Western Collegiate Hockey Association

|conference = WCHA

|endyear = 1999

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1993-94

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 23–11–5

| conference = 18–9–5

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = WCHA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1994-95

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 30–12–1

| conference = 22–9–1

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA West Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1995-96

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 33–5–4

| conference = 26–2–4

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA runner-up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1996-97

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 25–15–4

| conference = 17–11–4

| confstanding = T-4th

| postseason = NCAA Frozen Four

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1997-98

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 26–13–3

| conference = 16–10–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = NCAA East Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1998-99

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 29–12–1

| conference = 20–8–0

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = NCAA East Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Colorado College

| overall = 166–68–18

| confrecord = 119–49–16

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey

|color = color:white; background:#862334; {{box-shadow border|a|#FBB93C|2px}}

|startyear = 1999

|conflong = Western Collegiate Hockey Association

|conference = WCHA

|endyear = 2013

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1999-00

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 20–19–2

| conference = 13–13–2

| confstanding = 6th

| postseason = WCHA third-place game (loss)

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2000-01

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 27–13–2

| conference = 18–8–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = NCAA East Regional Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = national

| season = 2001-02

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 32–8–4

| conference = 18–7–3

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = NCAA national champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = national

| season = 2002-03

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 28–8–9

| conference = 15–6–7

| confstanding = T-2nd

| postseason = NCAA national champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2003-04

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 27–14–3

| conference = 15–12–1

| confstanding = T-4th

| postseason = NCAA Midwest Regional Final

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2004-05

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 28–15–1

| conference = 17–10–1

| confstanding = T-3rd

| postseason = NCAA Frozen Four

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2005-06

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 27–9–5

| conference = 20–5–3

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA West Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 2006-07

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 31–10–3

| conference = 18–7–3

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA West Regional Final

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2007-08

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 19–17–9

| conference = 9–12–7

| confstanding = 7th

| postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2008-09

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 17–13–7

| conference = 12–11–5

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason = WCHA Quarterfinal

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2009-10

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 18–19–2

| conference = 12–14–2

| confstanding = 7th

| postseason = WCHA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2010-11

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 16–14–6

| conference = 13–10–5

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason = WCHA first round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2011-12

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 28–14–1

| conference = 20–8–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA Frozen Four

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2012-13

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 26–9–5

| conference = 16–7–5

| confstanding = T-1st

| postseason = NCAA West Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 344–182–59

| confrecord = 206–118–39

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = {{color|white|Minnesota Golden Gophers}}

|color = color:white; background:#862334; {{box-shadow border|a|#FBB93C|2px}}

|startyear = 2013

|conflong = Big Ten Conference

|conference = Big Ten

|endyear = 2018

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2013-14

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 28–7–6

| conference = 14–3–3

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA runner-up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 2014-15

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 23–13–3

| conference = 12–5–3

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2015-16

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 20–17–0

| conference = 14–6–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = Big Ten Runner-Up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 2016-17

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 23–12–3

| conference = 14–5–1

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2017-18

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 19–17–2

| conference = 10–12–2

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Minnesota

| overall = 113–66–14

| confrecord = 64–31–9

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = 722–413–110 ({{winpct|722|413|110}})

}}

References

External links

[http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/don_lucia_760345.html Minnesota bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326145251/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/don_lucia_760345.html |date=March 26, 2017 }}

{{succession box | before = George Gwozdecky| title = Spencer Penrose Award | years = 1993–94| after = Shawn Walsh}}

{{succession box | before = Mike Sertich
George Gwozdecky
George Gwozdecky | title=WCHA Coach of the Year | years = 1993–94
1995–96
2005–06 (with Bob Motzko)| after=George Gwozdecky
Dean Blais
Bob Motzko/Jamie Russell}}