Force Coach Joins NCAA Champions

Press Release

The Fargo Force hockey club announced today that Head Coach Jason Herter has accepted the position of Assistant Coach for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, winners of the 2011 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship.

"I am excited about the opportunity to further my coaching career at the NCAA Division I coaching level and join a program that is at the top of college hockey," said Herter. "It is bittersweet to leave the Fargo Force as I have enjoyed working with the players, coaches, and staff for one of the best organizations in the USHL."

Herter led the Force to a 33-22-5 record (71 points) during the 2010-11 USHL season. The club also advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season before being knocked off by the eventual Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints. A total of 17 players on Herter's squad this season has earned commitments to NCAA Division I hockey programs.

Herter first joined the Force for their inaugural season (2008-09), serving as assistant coach to Dean Blais and helping the club reach the Clark Cup Final. He became the third head coach in Fargo Force history on September 11th, 2010 and now becomes the third Force coach to advance to a NCAA Division I coaching role after a stint behind the bench for the Force.

"In the short history of the Fargo Force, the organization has not only established itself as a launching pad for the careers of players, but as a place to advance the careers of coaches," said Force general manager Jon Kram. "We are happy for Jason on his move to the next level."

Herter is no stranger to college hockey having enjoyed a three-year playing career (1988-91) at the University of North Dakota. The defenseman was twice named Second Team All-WCHA and twice earned a spot on the conference's All-Academic Team. He collected 119 points (30g, 89a) over 118 games and ranks fifth in all-time scoring among defensemen at the school. Herter was selected in the first round (8th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He had an 11-year professional career playing in the AHL, IHL, and Europe and played in one NHL game for the New York Islanders during the 1995-96 season.

The Force have named Assistant Coach Byron Pool as the team's interim head coach.

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