University of Michigan Names Interim Head Coach in Wake of Mel Pearson's Dismissal
The University of Michigan suddenly fired their men's hockey coach, Mel Pearson, following a cascade of misconduct allegations that the university deemed unacceptable.
With the season a couple short months away, the Wolverines were without a head coach. Today, the university named an interim head coach for the 2022-23 season:
Narauto, 37, spent three years as a player development consultant for the Detroit Red Wings before joining his alma mater as an assistant coach. A Michigan native, he played four seasons with the Wolverines between 2005 and 2009, totaling 64 points in 130 NCAA games.
In addition to his work with the University of Michigan and the Detroit Red Wings, Naurato has owned and operated Total Package Hockey in Detroit. Here, he launched the first web-based hockey academy in the US.
The list of NHL talent with whom he has collaborated is impressive:
- Zach Werenski
- Quinn Hughes
- Dylan Larkin
- Jacob Trouba
- Jack Hughes
- Kyle Connor
- JT Compher
- Andrew Copp
There are a number of highly touted NHL prospects who play for U.M. and their futures have just been altered severely. But it could be for the best. The list of players above is as good as a résumé. There is a case that guys like Trouba, J. Hughes, and Copp had the best years of their careers in 2021-22, and they have all worked with Naurato in the summers. And the transition from old school to new school has proven, at times, to be highly effective. For example, Martin St. Louis immediately changed the complexion of the Montreal Canadiens after being hired this past season or Larry Robinson taking over for Robby Ftorek on the '99-00 New Jersey Devils. A fresh, innovative approach could work wonders for the prospects on the 2022-23 men's team under Naurato.
The Wolverines start their season with an exhibition match on Oct. 1. Their regular season will officially begin when they face-off against Lindenwood University on Oct. 7 & 8.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Brandon Hagel | - | 5 | 5 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Nico Hischier | 3 | - | 3 | |
| Jakob Chychrun | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Will Cuylle | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Lars Eller | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alex Iafallo | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Ivan Ivan | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Drake Batherson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Simon Edvinsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Morgan Frost | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mason Marchment | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 21 | 17 | 4 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 30 | |
Devils | 23 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 30 | |
Hurricanes | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 29 | |
Golden Knights | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 27 | |
Flames | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 27 | |
Stars | 19 | 13 | 6 | - | 26 | |
Rangers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||