Minnesota State women's hockey associate head coach Jeff Giesen joined the Mavericks in the summer of 2015.
In 2016-17, the women's hockey squad finished 7-26-4, 4-21-3 WCHA. The win total eclipsed the previous two seasons combined. In addition, the Mavericks knocked off Minnesota Duluth 2-1, which was ranked third at the time, on Dec. 10, 2016.
During the 2017-18 season, the Mavericks finished 5-28-1, 3-21-0 WCHA. Minnesota State won an exhibition game against the South Korean National Team 3-0 on Jan. 1, 2018. The Mavericks were also able to knock off Ohio State 4-1, who was ranked five at the time, on Feb. 9, 2018.
In 2018-19, the team finished 9-19-7, 3-16-5 WCHA, which was the most wins in a season since the 2013-14 season and the seven ties were the most in program history. Minnesota State opened the season with a home series sweep over Rensselaer, which was the first home series sweep since the 2016-17 season. On Nov. 23 - Dec. 1, the Mavericks shutout three straight opponents for the first time in program history, including a 3-0 win over the No. 6 Ohio State at Verizon Center.
For the 2019-20 season, Minnesota State finished with double figure wins for the first time since the 2013-14 season. The 11-20-6, 4-16-4 WCHA record included a road sweep over St. Cloud State on Oct. 25-26 for the first sweep over a WCHA opponent since sweeping then No. 4 North Dakota on Feb. 15-16, 2014. MSU also captured a win over Wisconsin by defeating the then No. 1 Badgers 3-1 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
Giesen coached the 2021-22 Mavericks to a 15-19-1 overall record and the team fell in three games to Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA quarterfinals. MSU finished 15-20-1 in 2022-23 and made another trip to the WCHA quarterfinals. Giesen helped the Mavericks win the Smashville Classic in Nasville, Tennessee in 2023-24 and the team went 13-25-0, including a win over No. 3 ranked Minnesota in the WCHA quarterfinals at Ridder Arena.
In 2024-25, the Mavericks collected key wins over No. 8 St. Cloud State and No. 2 Ohio State during the regular season, then reached the WCHA Quarterfinals, where they fell in the deciding game to No. 3 ranked Minnesota at Ridder Arena.
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.
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.
