Friday, December 30, 2011

STORM owner gives gm/coach long-term contract

Press Release

KEARNEY, Neb. – During a press conference Thursday, Tri-City Storm Owner Kirk Brooks announced that he has agreed to a long-term contract with General Manager/Head Coach Josh Hauge. Terms of the two-and-half year (30 months) contract were not disclosed. The contract will not expire until June 30, 2014.

“Josh and I have agreed to a 30-month contract,” said Brooks. “I love his coaching style. It’s a completely different style, but it’s a style I like, and Josh has done a fine job everywhere he’s been and I know he’ll do a fine job here.”

Hauge, 32, who was originally hired on July 1, 2011, entered the season as an assistant coach. The hiring followed him coaching the Fairbanks Ice Dogs to winning the Robertson Cup – North American Hockey League Championship in May. He was promoted to becoming the sixth General Manager and Head Coach of the Storm on December 7, 2011.

“I would like to thank Mr. Brooks for this opportunity, this is a dream come true,” said Hauge. “When the offer came, it was a no-brainer for me.”

Hauge was the head coach of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs for three seasons, compiling a regular-season record of 111-49-15 (.694 winning-percentage) and was 20-9-0 in the post-season, which included a 10-1-0 mark in the playoffs last season winning the Robertson Cup. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach prior to becoming the head coach for Fairbanks and spent a total of six seasons in Alaska coaching the Ice Dogs.

“I’ve come here to reconfirm my commitment to Central Nebraska and to bring a championship to Kearney and the Tri-City area,” added Brooks.

The native of Rosemount, Minn., began his coaching career as the head coach of the Twin Cities Northern Lights (Minnesota Junior Hockey League) in 2002-03. In his only season behind the bench for the Northern Lights, Hauge led them to the league championship before leaving to go to league rival Dubuque Thunderbirds for two seasons.

In his first season with Dubuque, he captured his second league title in as many years as a head coach. Hauge was later named the MNJHL Coach of the Year in 2004. The following season, the Thunderbirds would finish as the runners-up to the MNJHL Champions – Minnesota Ice Hawks and would also finish second in the Tier III Jr. National Championships to the St. Louis Jr. Blues. Overall, he comprised a regular-season record of 93-27-7 in three seasons coaching in the Tier III – MNJHL.

“We think today is a necessary and formal step for this franchise,” said Storm President Greg Shea on the signing of Hauge. “We have a mission of making Storm hockey relevant.”
“We understand the climb up the standings is going to be tough, but we know Coach Hauge can get us to where we want to be. We want to enter this second half of the season with a solid message of solidarity and commitment from Mr. Brooks.”

In six seasons as a head coach in junior hockey, he has never had a record below .500 and missed the playoffs. He has coached teams to one national championship, two national championship runner-ups, three league championships, two league championship runner-ups, two regular season titles, four divisional championships, named coach of the year once, and has a career winning-percentage of .727 (40-15) in the playoffs in his lustrous career.

“I want this to be one big family and something the community can take pride in,” Hauge said.

Hauge and his wife, Allison, live in Kearney, Neb., as they were married this past August in Minnesota.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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