Herb Brooks
Coach of the 1980 'Miracle on Ice' U.S. Olympic team.
Herb Brooks was an American ice hockey player and coach, born on August 5, 1937, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is best known for leading the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Games, where his squad stunned the Soviet Union in a contest that became famous as the "Miracle on Ice." Over his career, Brooks also coached several NHL teams and guided the French national team at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He later returned to coach the U.S. men's team to a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. At the time of his death in a car accident on August 11, 2003, Brooks was serving as director of player personnel for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His honors include induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990 and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999. After his death, he received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2004 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.
Brooks grew up in Saint Paul, the son of Pauline and Herbert David Brooks. He played for Johnson High School, winning the state ice hockey championship in 1955. He then played for the University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955 to 1959. In 1960, he was the final cut from the U.S. Olympic team just before the Games began. Watching from home with his father as the team he nearly made won gold in Squaw Valley, Brooks later told coach Jack Riley, "Well, you must have made the right decision—you won." That moment fueled his already intense drive. From 1960 to 1970, he set a record by playing for the U.S. national team eight times, including the 1964 and 1968 Olympic teams. During the 1961–62 season with the Rochester Mustangs in the USHL, he was part of the league’s highest-scoring forward line at the time, alongside Bill Reichart and Ken Johannson.
After retiring as a player, Brooks briefly sold insurance. Former teammate Lou Nanne helped recruit him into coaching, starting with the freshman team at his alma mater, Minnesota, in 1970. He coached the Minnesota Junior Stars from 1971 to 1972 and became head coach of the Golden Gophers in 1972, leading them to NCAA championships in 1974, 1976, and 1979. Nine players from that 1979 championship team were later picked for the 1980 Olympic squad, which Brooks had already been recruited to coach. He got the job after lobbying from Nanne and USA Hockey executive Walter Bush, following Jack Parker’s decline.
Quick Facts
- Halloffame
- 2006 (Builder)
- Birth Date
- 5 August 1937
- Birth Place
- Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
- Death Date
- 11 August 2003 · 1937 · 8 · 5
- Death Place
- near Forest Lake, Minnesota, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Brooks was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and attended Johnson High School, where his team won the 1955 state ice hockey championship. He played for the University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955 to 1959 and was a member of the 1960 Olympic team but was the last cut before the Games. He later set a record by playing for the U.S. national team eight times from 1960 to 1970, including the 1964 and 1968 Olympic teams. While playing for the Rochester Mustangs in 1961–62, he formed part of the highest-scoring forward line in USHL history at the time.
After retiring as a player, Brooks sold insurance before being recruited by Lou Nanne to coach the freshmen at his alma mater in 1970. He became head coach of Minnesota in 1972, leading them to three NCAA championships. For the 1980 Olympic team, Brooks stressed peak conditioning to compete with the Soviet Union, working with Jack Blatherwick on testing and drills, and timing shifts to keep players on the ice no longer than 40 seconds. The team played 63 games, and after a 3–3 tie with Norway, Brooks had them do a punishing sprint drill called a 'Herbie,' which lasted over an hour. The U.S. lost to the Soviets 10–3 two weeks before the Olympics but won the gold medal game 4–3 on February 22, 1980.
Reader's Guide
Brooks' significance lies in his 1980 Olympic gold medal victory, labeled by Sports Illustrated in 1999 as the greatest moment in 20th century sports. He was the first American-born coach in New York Rangers history to win 100 games. After coaching the Rangers, he took a job at St. Cloud State University in 1986, where he spearheaded funding for an Olympic-size ice sheet and led the team to the NCAA Division II Tournament; he called that season the most enjoyable of his coaching career. He returned to the NHL to coach the Minnesota North Stars in 1987, the last time a college coach was selected to coach an NHL team until 2015. Brooks later coached the Utica Devils of the AHL and then the New Jersey Devils in 1992, where he stressed youth and speed but argued with players such as Claude Lemieux. He died in a car accident in 2003 while serving as director of player personnel for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His legacy includes induction into multiple halls of fame and the posthumous Wayne Gretzky International Award.
Did You Know?
- Brooks was the last cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, which won gold; he later told the coach, 'Well, you must have made the right decision—you won.'
- The punishing conditioning drill called a 'Herbie' was named after Brooks and lasted over an hour, even after the rink lights were turned off.
- Brooks was the last college coach hired to coach an NHL team until Dave Hakstol in 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Herb Brooks?
Herb Brooks was an American ice hockey figure born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on August 5, 1937. He played collegiately at the University of Minnesota before becoming one of the most celebrated coaches in the sport's history.
What is Herb Brooks most famous for?
He is universally remembered for helming the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey squad to a gold medal at Lake Placid, most notably by defeating the dominant Soviet Union team in what fans and media still call the Miracle on Ice.
What were Herb Brooks's college coaching accomplishments?
At the University of Minnesota, Brooks won three NCAA Division I championships as head coach in 1974, 1976, and 1979. That sustained success at the highest level of college hockey established him as a top-tier coach before he moved on to international and professional assignments.
Did Herb Brooks have a career in the NHL?
Yes, after his college and Olympic successes he took head-coaching positions with several NHL franchises. He also served as head coach of the French national team at the 1998 Winter Olympics and later returned to lead the U.S. men's squad to a silver medal in Salt Lake City in 2002.
How did Herb Brooks's life end?
Brooks was killed in a car accident on August 11, 2003, just six days after his sixteenth birthday in 1937 would have marked his sixty-sixth year. His death cut short what many fans felt was an ongoing legacy of coaching excellence.
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