Minnesota State women's hockey associate head coach Jeff Giesen joined the Mavericks in the summer of 2015.
During his time at Minnesota State, the Mavericks have amassed 116, including a program record 17 wins in 2025-26.
Over the past five years, the Mavericks have averaged nearly 15 wins a season, after averaging just eight wins a year the previous five season.
During the 2025-26 season, Minnesota State swept second-ranked Minnesota in a home-and-home series, winning 3-1 at Ridder Arena before picking up a 4-1 victory at home. Additionally, the Mavericks defeated ninth-ranked Minnesota Duluth, two games to one, in the best of three series to open the WCHA Playoffs, advancing to the Final Faceoff for just the second time in program history.
Freshman Mercury Bischoff was named to the WCHA’s All-Rookie team after posting 29 points on 19 goals and ten assists. Her 19 goals led the team and were the most by a Maverick rookie. Additionally, Bischoff was a finalist for the WCHA’s Rookie of the Year award.
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 prior to joining Minnesota 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.
In 2022, Giesen served as a scout for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which earned a silver medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark. He has also worked as an evaluator coach for the National 15 and National 16/17 Player Development Camps, the Women’s National Under-18 Festival, the Girls National Under-19 Training Camp, and the Women’s National and Collegiate Select Player Development Camps.
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.
Jeff and his wife Karla live in North Mankato and have two daughters, Delaney and Maleah. Delaney will be a junior at Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., and plays on their women’s hockey and golf teams, while Maleah is entering her senior year at Mankato West.
