Nebraska-Omaha has had just one head coach in its Division I history, and it looks like things will stay that way for a while after Mike Kemp signed a four-year contract extension.
UNO athletic director David Herbster made the announcement Friday; Kemp’s new deal runs through 2010.
“I am happy to announce that Coach Kemp has signed a contract that will keep him at UNO as our head hockey coach for the next four years,” Herbster said. “He has built a strong foundation for the program and one that we will continue to move forward with Mike at the helm.”
Kemp led the Mavericks to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2005-06, posting a 20-15-6 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the CCHA. Kemp’s nine-year record is 144-171-37; he has led the Mavericks to the CCHA semifinals twice and the championship game once in the seven seasons UNO has been in the conference.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to continue the growth and development of this program that we started with its inception in 1996,” Kemp, the CCHA coach of the year in 2004-05, said. “We have experienced tremendous development in a short amount of time and I look forward to guiding the program to greater heights. I appreciate the confidence and support that David Herbster has shown in our staff and look forward to working with him to make Maverick hockey the premier sporting event in the city.”
The 53-year-old Kemp is a native of Duluth, Minn., and a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. He spent 13 years as an assistant coach at Wisconsin before coming to UNO.
