COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After guiding his alma mater to the Penrose Cup, North Dakota head coach Dane Jackson has been named the winner of the NCHC’s 2025-2026 Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced on Wednesday.
 
Jackson earns the honor in his first year in charge of the Fighting Hawks program after serving as an assistant coach or associate head coach for UND the last 19 seasons. This marks the sixth time a UND bench boss has won Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, but first since Brad Berry in 2022. Jackson joins Berry (four-time winner) and Dave Hakstol (2015) as North Dakota coaches to capture the award.
 
This season, Jackson led North Dakota to its sixth outright Penrose Cup title and seventh Penrose Cup overall in program history. The Fighting Hawks finished 17-6-1 in conference play to capture the regular-season championship after being picked third in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll. Only two of UND’s six NCHC losses came in regulation.
 
Overall, North Dakota posted a 25-8-1 mark in the regular season, including only four losses in regulation. The Fighting Hawks started the season ranked No. 11 nationally and climbed into the top five in the polls by December, where they remained much of the season, including No. 2 this week. North Dakota currently sits No. 2 in the NPI as well, and is assured of a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
 
UND led the NCHC and was third in the country with an average of 3.85 goals per game in the regular season, while ranking second in the NCHC and in the top 10 nationally in team defense at 2.3 goals allowed per game. Jackson’s penalty kill unit ranked third in the NCHC and in the top 15 nationally at 83.0 percent in the regular season.
 
Jackson helped produce four Fighting Hawks on the NCHC All-Rookie Team this year, including NCHC Rookie of the Year Cole Reschny and Goaltender of the Year Jan Špunar. UND also saw four others earn All-Conference honors this season.
 
Miami head coach Anthony Noreen was the runner-up for Herb Brooks Coach of the Year in the NCHC this season. Coach of the Year is voted on by each of the NCHC’s nine head coaches, one media member covering each of the NCHC’s nine programs, and each NCHC member school Athletics Director (27 voters total). Voting was conducted and completed following the regular season and prior to the beginning of the postseason.
 
On Thursday, the NCHC will hand out its final 2025-26 individual award, which will go to the Conference’s Player of the Year. Finalists for NCHC individual awards were announced on March 4.
 
2025-26 NCHC Individual Award Winners announced so far:

• Media Excellence Award - Matt Wellens, Duluth News Tribune
• Three Stars Award – Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
• Sportsmanship Award – Blake Mesenburg, Miami
• Goaltender of the Year - Jan Špunar, North Dakota
• Offensive Defenseman of the Year – Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
• Defensive Defenseman of the Year – Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth
• Forward of the Year – Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
• Defensive Forward of the Year – Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
• Senior Scholar-Athlete Award – Kent Anderson, Denver
• Rookie of the Year – Cole Reschny, North Dakota
• Herb Brooks Coach of the Year – Dane Jackson, North Dakota