University of Minnesota Athletics
Johnson Continues as U.S. U-18 Coach
5/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Associate head coach Joel Johnson has been named the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team for the 2016-17 season.
Johnson will lead the team when they compete at the 2016 Women's Under-18 Series against Canada in Calgary, Alberta, between August 18-21. He will also coach the team at the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women's World Championship, which is expected to take place in early 2017.
Johnson will attend various camps, such as the USA Hockey Girls' Under-18 Select Camp (June 24-30), the USA Hockey Girls' Under-18 Player Development Camp (July 9-15) and the Girls' 15 Player Development Camp (July 18-24).
Johnson is serving as head coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team for the third consecutive season. He led Team USA to the gold medal in the 2015 and 2016 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championships. Johnson has additional experience with USA Hockey as a member of the coaching staff for the 2012 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship and a pair of Women's Under-18 Series (2013-14). He has also served as a coach at various U.S. Women's Select Festivals.
Johnson completed his 11th season as an a coach at the University of Minnesota in 2015-16, helping lead the Golden Gophers to the program's seventh national championship in its fifth-straight appearance in the championship game.
During two stints, Johnson has been a part of six national titles (2000, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) with the Gophers. He originally served as an assistant coach from 1999-2004 and returned to the University of Minnesota in the same capacity in 2010-11 after a six-year hiatus.
Johnson also spent six seasons coaching at Bethel University from 2004-10, including three years as the men's hockey head coach. Along with his men's hockey responsibilities, he was also the men's and women's golf coach and prior to that was the soccer coach where he earned MIAC Coach of the Year honors.
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