Mike Hastings has left Minnesota State; ex- Gophers assistant on other side of Border Battle rivalry

Mike Hastings spent just one season with the Gophers, serving as an assistant coach in 2008-09 on his way up the college hockey coaching ladder. That was long enough to understand how intense it gets whenever the flagship universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin face off, no matter the sport, the season or the year.

"For anyone who's a student athlete, or just a student from the state, the Border Battle rings true," Hastings said. "There's so much passion on both sides. Your team can lose some games, but you can't lose against them."

On Thursday, Hastings will get a fresh point of view on this 101-year-old rivalry. After 11 seasons leading the program at Minnesota State Mankato, the Crookston native became Wisconsin's head coach last spring. This week's two-game series against the top-ranked Gophers at 3M Arena at Mariucci will mark his Big Ten coaching debut, as well as his first Border Battle in red and white.

Wisconsin tabbed Hastings, 57, to take over a program that has finished over .500 only once in the past six seasons. Though he's in unfamiliar territory, he's bringing the same philosophy that made him successful at MSU Mankato and in junior hockey.

His teams reflect effort, discipline, unity and toughness, qualities Hastings is working to instill in a roster with 12 new players. This week, the Badgers entered the national rankings at No. 14, after last weekend's road sweep of 17th-ranked Michigan Tech pushed their record to 5-1.

While Hastings appreciated the nod to his team's fast start, he and his players view it as just the first step toward rebuilding Wisconsin into a Big Ten power.

"We understand we have to keep earning respect," Hastings said. "That's what we're trying to do on a daily basis.

"The group that was here has embraced the fact that it's a clean slate, and they've been all-in from day one. They're looking through the front of the windshield and not in the rearview mirror. That's allowed us to make some progress very early."

The Gophers-Badgers series adds another chapter to the history between Hastings and Gophers coach Bob Motzko. Their long friendship began when they were teammates at St. Cloud State in the 1980s. As coaches, they have followed similar paths, including stints in junior hockey and as assistants on the Gophers staff.

Both of them made their reputations in Minnesota: Motzko at St. Cloud State and Hastings at MSU Mankato. Now that they're league rivals, Motzko knows exactly what the Gophers will see when they face Wisconsin.

"Aggressive forecheck, disciplined, hard-nosed," he said. "We played Mankato so many times, and they're trying to play the same way."

The Badgers fired Tony Granato in March after a seven-season run that included only one invitation to the NCAA tournament. In Hastings, they hired a successor who has never had a losing season in 25 years as a head coach. A three-time national coach of the year, he entered this season with a .719 career win percentage — best among active coaches — and earned his 300th career victory when the Badgers beat Augustana 4-0 to open the season.

With their children now grown, Hastings and his wife, Jean Ann, were open to a new adventure after 11 seasons in Mankato. He said Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh sold him on the job by emphasizing the school's holistic approach to sports, rather than wins and losses.

Three MSU Mankato players followed Hastings to Madison, including David Silye, last season's CCHA forward of the year. They are among four transfers and eight freshmen on the Badgers' roster, along with 14 returnees. Hastings said Granato's staff assembled a group with "ability, quality and a passion for the university," giving him a solid foundation.

He praised the holdovers' willingness to change. Goaltender Kyle McClellan, who was 3-6 with an .883 save percentage last year, improved his conditioning over the summer; this season, he's 5-1 with two shutouts and a .935 save percentage. The Badgers have shown resilience, too, rallying from deficits in three of their five victories.

"They're not afraid to work every day, or to hold each other accountable," Hastings said. "Their buy-in has been impressive. They've reacted well to adversity. We were fortunate to get off to a good start, and we've tried to ride that momentum."

Given Hastings' record in Mankato — eight NCAA appearances, eight league titles, berths in the Frozen Four in 2021 and '22 — expectations will be high. As he and his players continue to learn about each other, he's keeping the focus on what is immediately in front of them, including a Border Battle that will help clarify the Badgers' capabilities.

He is still a Minnesotan in some ways. Hastings said he's been asked about swapping his Vikings purple for Packers green and gold, a line he is not willing to cross.

Red and white, though, is looking pretty good on him.

"All of us have a lot riding on this series," Hastings said. "I'm hoping this is the first of many meaningful battles between both programs."