UND Athletics/Russell Hons
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND Athletics)– University of North Dakota men’s head coach Dane Jackson is one of 10 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, which is presented annually to the CCM/AHCA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year.
The award is selected by the nation’s 63 NCAA DI head coaches, with the winner being announced Tuesday, April 7. The nominees represent any coach who won their conference’s coach of the year honors as well as whose teams have advanced to the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
Jackson is the only nominee to have accomplished both feats this season, doing so in his first season as the bench boss at North Dakota. In his first year, Jackson has guided UND to a 29-9-1 overall record and the program’s 23rd Frozen Four appearance. He helped NoDak capture its record-seventh Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions and was named NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year.
He coached four players to the NCHC All-Rookie Team and five selections on All-NCHC Teams, including defenseman Jake Livanavage and goaltender Jan Špunar earning All-NCHC First Team honors. Freshman forward Cole Reschny took home NCHC Rookie of the Year while Špunar became the first rookie to win NCHC Goaltender of the Year.
On the national stage, Jackson’s squad leads the country with 27 regulation wins and ranks among the top-10 nationally in goals per game (3.8), goals against per game (2.3), faceoff percentage (54.0%), power play percentage (26.7%), shorthanded goals (6), shots against per game (23.5) and shooting percentage (12.1%).
North Dakota will meet Wisconsin in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals on Thursday, April 9 at 4:00 p.m. (CT)
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