St. Thomas women's hockey coach Joel Johnson resigns after "incident," officials say
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The head coach of the University of St. Thomas' women's hockey team has resigned following an "incident," according to school officials, who would not disclose the details of what occurred.
Joel Johnson resigned Tuesday, athletic director Phil Esten said in a statement.
"While I cannot comment on the specifics of the incident itself, I can confirm we immediately started an investigation after concerns were brought to our attention following Friday night's game," Esten said. "Coach Johnson did not coach the team on Saturday night and resigned on Tuesday. We hold all our coaches to the highest standards consistent with university values and convictions, and prioritize the experience and well-being of our student-athletes."
The Tommies lost 4-1 at Bemidji State on Friday night. Johnson's overall record as Tommies head coach was 28-87-4.
Johnson was hired to coach the team in 2021. He was previously an associate head coach for the University of Minnesota women's hockey team and head coach of the Bethel University men's program. Johnson also coached the U.S. Women's Hockey Olympic team in 2022.
Assistant coach Bethany Brausen will take over in the interim, the school said.