Head coach Brad Frost was notably emotional in the postgame presser after Saturday’s loss to Northeastern. When asked about where the emotion was coming from, he pointed to how much pride he has in coaching at Minnesota. 

“I think it’s mainly coaching this group and just what this program means to me,” Frost said. “I just love coaching here and with this program.”

Three days later, the University of Minnesota announced his time with the program would be coming to an end. The decision followed their loss against Northeastern University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. The loss extended their seven-year streak of missing the title game.

Before that, Frost led the Gophers to four national championships in the span of five years. His 19 year career with the Gophers will go down as highly decorated — not just in games won, but by players he helped develop.

In recent years, Frost has helped develop standout talent such as the first PWHL overall draft pick Taylor Heise, 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year Grace Zumwinkle and current graduate forward captain Abbey Murphy. All three were part of the gold medal Olympics winning team, joined by other Gopher alumni Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein. 

Graduate student Abbey Murphy took to her Instagram story after the decision was made public to praise what Frost has done for the program.

“The best person and impacted more people than you know,” wrote Murphy. “Losing a great one.”

Many other Gophers on the team also took to Instagram to make similar comments, regardless of if they had been coached by him for one year or five. They thanked Frost for his time and said how much they will miss him.

Frost was a staple for Gophers hockey culture and his impact is ever present with all of his players, who routinely expressed pleasure having him as their coach.

Athletic director Mark Coyle said the decision was due to a belief that the Gophers were not living up to their potential. 

“We expect to contend at the highest level in every aspect of women’s college hockey, and right now we are not doing that,” wrote Coyle in the press release.

Coyle will talk more about the firing on Monday, but right now the decision still feels like a surprise. The Gophers ranked No. 4 in the NCAA at the end of the season and Frost finished his career with the Gophers with a 556-131-43 record.

Frost will leave the program boasting as the winningest coach in Gophers history. For teams looking for a new head coach, it will come as no surprise if he jumps to the top of the list of coaches to hire.

Meanwhile, the Gophers will begin searching for a new head coach of their own, one of the most crucial decisions facing the program. To stay competitive both in the standings and in recruiting against Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson and Ohio State’s Nadine Muzerall, the Gophers will need to hire someone with an equally as impressive resume and name.

Failing to do so could cost them top recruits and potentially lead to current players entering the transfer portal. 

Coyle did not express any worry over this, claiming the Gophers women’s hockey head coaching job is the best out there.

“While change like this is never easy, now is the right time for a new voice to lead our program,” wrote Coyle.