Todd Knott (pronounced Kuh-NOT), who spent the past 14 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Minnesota State, is joining Wisconsin men's hockey as associate head coach, UW head coach Mike Hastings has announced.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a father, a husband, a friend. He is someone who I think is outstanding at what he does," said Hastings. "Whether that is in the hockey rink or in the community or even what he is as a father, a husband, a parent. I've got an awful lot of respect for him."
The 2023 American Hockey Coaches Association's Terry Flanagan Award winner for his career body of work as an assistant coach, Knott spent the last 11 seasons on Hastings' staff at Minnesota State, first as an assistant coach, before becoming associate head coach in 2018.
Ranked the No. 1 college hockey recruiter by a panel of NHL scouts, USHL executives, agents and other college coaches according to The Athletic last fall, Knott has been key in helping Minnesota State to eight NCAA tournament appearances over the past 11 seasons, as well as a pair of NCAA Frozen Four trips and an NCAA runner-up finish.
As a coaching partner with new head coach Mike Hastings at Minnesota State, Knott's collegiate coaching resume mimics UW's new bench boss, with eight conference regular-season titles and four conference tournament titles over the last 11 seasons. That also includes 11 consecutive 20-win seasons and three 30-win campaigns.
Knott is simply the best in the business," once source said to The Athletic in the college coach recruit rankings. "He can identify and recruit talent as well as anyone. He's honest and relentless in his effort."
Before his time at Minnesota State, Knott coached in the USHL beginning in 2005 as associate head coach for Des Moines, helping the team win the Clark Cup in his first season. He moved on to become head coach and general manager in Sioux City before joining the Mavericks.
Prior to the USHL, Knott served one season as assistant coach and one as head coach for the NAHL's Fargo-Moorhead Jets, helping the team win a regular-season championship and the West Division playoff title. They finished as Tier II runners up that same 2004-05 campaign.
Knott's collegiate playing career spanned 1998 through 2002 at Bemidji State where he earned his physical education degree in 2002.
Knott's family includes his wife, Angie, and their daughters Allie and Baylee, as well as their son, Jackson.