Women's Hockey | 7/1/2015 4:33:00 PM

     Mankato, Minn. --- John Harrington, head coach of the Minnesota State women's hockey program, has announced that Jeff Giesen has been named associate head coach.

"We're excited we are able to have someone with Jeff's experience and background join our staff," said Harrington. "Jeff and I have worked together in the past and had success and we are looking forward to having that continue on here at Minnesota State."

A native of Blaine, Minn., Giesen spent eight seasons (2006-14) as the head coach of the women's hockey program at St. Cloud State. The Huskies posted a program-best winning percentage in 2007-08 when they went 18-15-4 (.539) and under his guidance, placed an all-time best third in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings in 2009-10 with an 11-11-6 league mark.  In 2008-09 Giesen served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team that won the gold medal at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World U18 Championship in Germany.  

Prior to being named the head coach at SCSU in June of 2006, Giesen served as the SCSU assistant women's hockey coach from 2003-2006. He also was on the men's hockey staff at Saint John's University, where he worked with Harrington as an assistant coach from 1992-98 and an associate head coach from 1998-2003. During his time with the Johnnies, the program captured Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in 1996, 1997 and 2003, as well as playoff titles and had NCAA Division III national tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. Saint John's finished third in the national tournament in 1997.

Giesen has worked extensively with the USA Hockey Development program. His most recent work was at the 2011 girls' 16 camp in St. Cloud, and in 2010 he worked with the girls' 17/18 camp in Lake Placid. Giesen has also worked with the girls' 15/16 camp in Lake Placid in the past, along with numerous USA Hockey boys' programs.