Rick Bennett, Union Dutchmen
Age: 48
Alma Mater: Providence College
Head Coaching Record: 80-27-16
First Year Coaching: 2000-01
First Year as Head Coach: 2011-12
Current Record: 13-14-9
Current Pairwise: 29th
Current Tournament Probability: 0%
Rick Bennett was hired away from his alma mater by former Union Head Coach Nate Leaman prior to the 2005 season and was promoted to Associate Head Coach after 2 seasons. Bennett took over the Head Coaching job following Leaman’s departure. Bennett is in his 5th season leading the Union hockey program and has experienced some early success in his career. In his 5 years as a head coach Bennett has 3 NCAA tournament appearances (2012, 2013 & 2014), 2 Frozen Fours (2012 & 2014) and won the 2014 NCAA Championship. Bennett was named the 2014 National Coach of the Year and put together the best season in Union’s history, and along the way setting program records for Wins, Win% and finished 2nd in Scoring offense and 4th in scoring defense.
Coaching History:
2000-05 Providence Assistant
2005-07 Union Assistant
2007-11 Union Associate Head Coach
2011-16 Union Head Coach
Seasons at Union:
11-12: 26-8-7
12-13: 22-13-5
13-14: 32-6-4
14-15: 18-16-2
15-16: 13-14-9

Guy Gadowsky, Penn State Nittany Lions
Age: 48
Alma Mater: Colorado College
Head Coaching Record: 212-253-43
First Year Coaching: 1996-97
First Year as Head Coach: 1996-97
Current Record: 20-12-4
Current Pairwise: 22nd
Current Tournament Probability: 12%
Guy is a Guy (just wanted to get that out of the way) that I think should absolutely be considered in a coaching search. Gadowsky’s coaching career started as soon as his playing career finished when he took over the Fresno Falcons of the WCHL (now merged into the ECHL), he led the Falcons o the playoffs in each of his 3 seasons in charge and left as the franchise’s all-time winningest coach. In his first season he was named the WCHL Coach of the Year. Gadowsky’s collegiate coaching career began in 1999 when he took over the University of Alaska program, which had failed to win more than 14 games in the previous 5 campaigns (its first 5 years in the CCHA). Was named the 2002 CCHA Coach of the Year as he led the Nanooks to its only 20-win season. He followed that season up with 15 and 16 win seasons. During his tenure with the Nanooks his teams set school records for team GPA, wins and attendance. In 2004 Gadowsky took the head coaching job at Princeton, a job he held for 7 seasons. Guy’s win totals increased every year for the first 5 seasons in charge including a program record 22 wins in the 2008-09 season earning their second straight NCAA tournament appearance. The 2007-08 season saw Gadowsky win the ECAC Coach of the Year honors and led the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament since 1998. When Penn State announce they were adding Hockey as a Varsity Sport the hired a man who had not shied away from previous challenges. We have all seen what he has done at Penn State and know that they have quickly become a thorn in Michgan’s side (before this season that is). At every stop in Guy’s career he has been named Coach of the Year in that league.
Coaching History:
1996-99 Fresno (WCHL) Head Coach
1999-04 Alaska Head Coach
2004-11 Princeton Head Coach
2011-16 Penn State Head Coach
Coaching Record:
at Alaska  
99-00: 6-25-3  
00-01: 9-19-8  
01-02: 22-12-3 
02-03: 15-14-7 
03-04: 16-19-1 
at Princeton
04-05:   8-20-3
05-06: 10-18-3
06-07: 15-16-3
07-08: 21-14-0
08-09: 22-12-1
09-10: 12-16-3
10-11: 17-13-2
at Penn State
11-12: 29-4-1 (ACHA)
12-13: 13-14 (D-1 Ind.)
13-14: 8-26-2
14-15: 18-15-4
15-16: 20-12-4

Nate Leaman, Providence Friars
Age: 43
Alma Mater: SUNY Cortland
Head Coaching Record: 217-185-54
First year coaching: 1998-99
First year as Head Coach: 2003-04
Current Record: 27-5-4
Current Pairwise: 4th
Current Tournament Probability: 100%
Already in his 13th season as a division 1 Head coach Nate Leaman has built up two different programs. Leaman’s coaching career began in 1998 when he became an assistant coach at Maine, where he got his first taste of success behind the bench as the Black Bears won a National Championship. After that one season he moved on to an assistant job at Harvard for 4 seasons before accepting his first head coaching job at Union in 2003, a job he held for 8 seasons. While at Union Leaman built a winner going .500 or better in 5 of his final 6 seasons. Leaman as twice named ECAC Coach of the Year in his final 2 seasons at Union (2010 & 2011) and was recognized as National Coach of the Year in 2011. Following the 2011 season Leaman moved on to take the Head coaching job at Providence, and left his Associate Head Coach, Rick Bennett, in charge and saw his old squad win the 2014 National Championship. Since arriving and taking over the Friars Leaman has increased his win totals in each of his first four seasons including 2 NCAA Tournament Appearances (2014 & 2015). In his third season at Providence the Friars ha the 3rd best penalty kill in the country and the 7th ranked scoring defense, which was improved to 5th the following season. Nate Leaman was named National Coach of the Year in 2015 after winning a National Championship.
Coaching History:
1998-99 Maine Assistant
1999-03 Harvard Assistant
2003-11 Union Head Coach
2011-16 Providence Head Coach
NCAA Coaching Records:
at Union
03-04: 14-17-5
04-05: 13-22-2
05-06: 16-16-6
06-07: 14-19-3 
07-08: 15-14-6
08-09: 19-17-3
09-10: 21-12-6
10-11: 26-10-4
at Providence
11-12: 14-20-4
12-13: 17-14-7
13-14: 22-11-6
14-15: 26-13-2
15-16: 27-5-4

Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech Huskies
Age: 57
Alma Mater: Michigan Tech
Head Coaching Record: 72-68-17
First year coaching: 1982-83
First year as Head Coach: 2011-12
Current Record: 23-8-5
Current Pairwise: 15th
Current Tournament Probability: 54%
The obvious #1 choice. Do I need to say anything more?
Mel spent 23 seasons in Ann Arbor on Red Berenson’s staff and has moved on and has made Michigan Tech, the school he played for, a winner for the first time in a while. The Huskies have made the NCAA Tournament once (2015), earning National Coach of the Year honors along the way. Despite a losing record, Mel was named WCHA Coach of the Year in his first season as a Head Coach in 2012, after he quadrupled the win total from the season prior.
Coaching History:
1982-88 Michigan Tech Assistant
1988-99 Michigan Assistant
1999-11 Michigan Associate Head Coach
2011-16 Michigan Tech Head Coach
Seasons at Michigan Tech:
11-12: 16-19-4
12-13: 13-20-4
13-14: 14-19-7
14-15: 29-10-2
15-16: 23-8-5

I can look into more in-depth statistical breakdowns of these coaches if it’s something the blog wants. Let me know of anyone I may have missed.