Colorado College Parts Ways with Mike Haviland

In a news dump so blatant that it is almost admirable, Colorado College announced late Saturday evening, as the final championship games of conference tournaments were being played, a mutual parting of ways with head coach Mike Haviland.

Haviland coached the Tigers for seven seasons, compiling a 67-153-22 record in that time. He came to the Tigers after a long stint in the pro game, working as both an assistant coach at the NHL level and head coach at the AHL. While Haviland brought excellent X-on-O acumen, turning the Tigers into a smart, disciplined team that was always a difficult team to beat, he was quite able to turn the Tigers’ recruiting around enough to build a roster that could compete night-in and night-out in the very difficult NCHC. The Tigers best finish in the league during Haviland’s tenure was a three-way tie for fifth place in 2017-2018.

The next coach at Colorado College will likely face similar issues trying to recruit against the established national powers within their league. Helping their next coach’s cause will be a new on-campus arena for the Tigers that is slated to open next season.