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| Brad Buetow | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brad Buetow |
| Birth date | 11 June 1950 |
| Birth place | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Occupation | Ice hockey coach, player |
| Known for | College ice hockey coaching at University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Michigan |
Brad Buetow (born June 11, 1950) is an American former ice hockey player and collegiate coach known for his leadership in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey during the 1970s and 1980s. He gained prominence as a player at the University of Minnesota before embarking on a coaching career that included head coaching stints at University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of North Dakota, and University of Colorado College affiliates, and a significant tenure as head coach at the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan. Buetow's career intersected with major figures and programs in North American ice hockey, contributing to the development of players who advanced to the National Hockey League and international competition.
Buetow was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and developed in the youth hockey system prevalent in Minnesota alongside contemporaries from programs such as Minnetonka High School (Minnesota), Bloomington Jefferson High School, and clubs affiliated with the American Amateur Hockey Association. He matriculated to the University of Minnesota, joining a historic collegiate program coached by John Mariucci and later Glen Sonmor and Herb Brooks-era influences. As a forward for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team, he played in the WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and competed against rivals from University of North Dakota, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
During his playing years Buetow encountered future professional players who would join franchises in the National Hockey League such as the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers. The era overlapped with landmark events including the growth of the World Hockey Association and the lead-up to the Miracle on Ice 1980 Olympic cycle, which influenced coaching styles and player development in American ice hockey. Buetow's on-ice experience and exposure to coaching figures at Minnesota furnished him with tactical perspectives that he later applied as a coach.
Buetow entered coaching in the mid-1970s, first as an assistant and then as a head coach in collegiate programs connected to prominent conferences like the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. He served on staffs and as head coach at programs that competed with institutions including Boston University, University of North Dakota, Colorado College, University of Denver, Michigan State University, and University of Minnesota Duluth. His coaching résumé includes seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey program and the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey program, where he oversaw recruiting, player development, and strategy against conference rivals such as Ohio State University, University of Notre Dame, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and St. Cloud State University.
Buetow's teams participated in the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and faced programs with storied coaches like Bob Johnson, Herb Brooks, Red Berenson, Jeff Jackson, and Miron Pavlovic. He coached future NHL draftees and professional players who signed with organizations such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. His career included both postseason appearances and rebuilding campaigns, and he navigated administrative and recruiting challenges shaped by institutional policies at the University of Minnesota and University of Michigan.
Buetow's coaching philosophy emphasized structured offensive systems, transitional play, and player conditioning influenced by the coaching lineage of John Mariucci and contemporaries like Herb Brooks and Bob Johnson. He advocated for recruiting local Minnesota talent alongside prospects from Canadian junior programs such as the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, creating rosters that blended collegiate prospects with players aiming for the National Hockey League draft. Buetow integrated video analysis and practice innovations similar to those adopted by programs like Boston College and University of North Dakota during the period.
His legacy includes contributions to coaching networks that produced assistants and head coaches who later led programs at University of Denver, Northern Michigan University, and Miami University (Ohio). Buetow's influence is evident in tactical adaptations seen in the WCHA and CCHA through the 1990s, and in the career trajectories of players who advanced to professional leagues in North America and Europe, including stints in the American Hockey League, International Hockey League (1945–2001), and European leagues such as the Swedish Hockey League and Liiga.
After stepping back from frontline collegiate coaching, Buetow remained active in hockey through scouting, player development roles, and involvement in youth and high school programs across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. He participated in alumni events with the University of Minnesota and engaged with coaching clinics hosted by organizations such as USA Hockey and the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Buetow's family ties and community work connected him to regional initiatives in Minneapolis and greater Hennepin County, Minnesota.
In later years he contributed to hockey commentary and mentorship, appearing at seminars alongside figures from NHL scouting circles and coaching luminaries from programs like Boston University and University of Michigan. His career remains part of the historical tapestry of American collegiate ice hockey through its intersections with landmark programs, coaches, and institutions.
Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:American ice hockey coaches Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey players