Naurato Named Penrose Finalist for Coach of the Year
3/31/2026 2:39:00 PM | Ice Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan Graham Family Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach Brandon Naurato was named a finalist for the 2026 Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the CCM/AHCA Division I Men's Hockey Coach of the Year.
This is Naurato's third time being named a finalist in his fourth year as head coach.
Naurato has guided the Wolverines to two Big Ten Tournament championships and three Frozen Four appearances. With 98 career wins, he has the most wins by any coach in program history through the first four years.
As Michigan heads into the Frozen Four as the No. 1 overall seed, the Wolverines have 31 wins and have been ranked No. 1 the last four weeks, including being the unanimous selection in the last two USCHO polls. That follows a run of 11 straight weeks at No. 1, spanning from November to February, during which time they racked up a 10-1 record. That stretch was the program's longest run atop the polls since the dominant 1996-97 group was ranked first from mid-November through the season's end.
Additionally, Naurato guided the Wolverines to five road sweeps this season, the most in a single season in program history. U-M also went a perfect 6–0 in January and finished 5–0–1 in overtime, marking the first unbeaten overtime record in program history.
The Wolverines boast the best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 4.56 goals per game with three players averaging more than a point per game, while owning the best scoring margin with a 2.21 goal differential. Michigan has more assists (303) and more short-handed goals (11) than any other team in the nation. Naurato's power play is also ranked first at 31.6 percent, with an NCAA-leading 43 power-play goals.
The winningest team in the NCAA this season, Naurato's squad has 31 victories -- a 13-win improvement from last season. The Wolverines were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten and began the season ranked No. 12.
The winner of the Spencer Penrose Award will be announced on Tuesday, April 7.
