St. Thomas has announced that Bethany Brausen will be the next head coach of the Tommie women’s hockey program.
Currently the interim head coach, Brausen led St. Thomas to its first sweep of a top-5 program this past weekend over then-No. 4 Minnesota Duluth and has played an integral role in the Tommies’ Division I transition.
“Bethany Brausen has demonstrated an alignment with our athletics and institutional values and is committed to the pursuit of comprehensive excellence,” said St. Thomas VP and director of athletics Dr. Phil Esten in a statement. “I am thrilled to introduce Bethany as our new women’s hockey head coach as she has established herself as one of the best emerging coaches in women’s college hockey. Coach Brausen’s leadership over the last four years has made me confident that she is the right person for the job, especially as we enter a new era of Tommie hockey.
“I am confident she will lead St. Thomas women’s hockey with poise and uphold the core values of Tommie athletics at the highest level.”
Brausen brings a wealth of experience to the head coaching roll, serving as St. Thomas top assistant, active head coach and interim head coach since joining the program in 2021. In her first three seasons, the Tommies rose from eighth to sixth in the WCHA standings, earning wins over ranked opponents in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. With Brausen on the bench, St. Thomas earned its first ever win over a top-10 opponent, a shootout victory over then No. 7-ranked Minnesota Duluth, in 2022-23, and defeated No. 9 St. Cloud State in 2023-24 for its first regulation win over a nationally ranked opponent.
“It is both an immense honor and one of the greatest privileges of my professional career to be named the head coach of the women’s hockey program at the University of St. Thomas,” said Brausen. “Our program is uniquely positioned within the landscape of women’s college hockey to offer an unparalleled academic and athletic experience—one that stands apart from any other institution in the country.
“At every level of our organization, from staff to student-athletes, we are committed to fostering a values-based culture grounded in gratitude, commitment, and integrity. We will lead with purpose in every facet of our daily lives, striving for excellence both on and off the ice. Our program will embody a relentless pursuit of success, ensuring that our student-athletes are equipped to thrive in all aspects of their future endeavors.”
Prior to joining St. Thomas, Brausen was an assistant coach at Minnesota. She joined the coaching staff in 2016-17 after competing for the Gophers from 2010 to 2014. Brausen’s resume also includes stops at some of the top prep programs in the state of Minnesota, including Breck High School, Minnesota’s Elite League and OS Hockey. She also has ties to the NHL. In the summer of 2023, Brausen joined the Boston Bruins development camp coaching staff as part of the NHL Coaches’ Association Diversity Guest Coach Program.
Brausen’s playing resume is equally impressive. A four-year letter-winner and two-time captain with the Gophers, Brausen led Minnesota to back-to-back national championships in 2012 and 2013 and was a member of the Gophers national runner-up team in 2014. She helped Minnesota to a 139-17-5 (.879) record during her career, including an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak. Minnesota won three-straight WCHA Final Faceoff titles Brausen’s sophomore, junior, and senior years and earned two WCHA regular-season titles during her time. A three-time WCHA scholar athlete, academic all-WCHA, and academic all-Big Ten honoree, Brausen played 161 career games, recording 51 points on 16 goals and 35 assists for the Gophers.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Vischer and Dr. Phil Esten for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity,” said Brausen. “Their unwavering support and commitment to the growth and success of our program, as well as to the broader athletics department, is unparalleled. I am both honored and humbled to lead our program towards a culture of competitive excellence as we move towards a promising future.”
