St. Thomas women's hockey coach Joel Johnson resigns amid investigation

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | Last updated Nov 20, 2024 2:57 PM ET

St. Thomas has announced that women's hockey coach Joel Johnson has resigned from his position and assistant coach Bethany Brausen will fill in as the team's interim head coach.

The Hockey News' Ian Kennedy has since reported that the school has launched an investigation into a postgame incident that happened after the team's 4-1 loss last Friday against Bemidji State.

The University of St. Thomas has launched an investigation following player complaints into an alleged incident involving now former women’s hockey head coach Joel Johnson. https://t.co/s8ItAYtHq2
— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) November 20, 2024

St. Thomas Athletics Director Phil Esten told Kennedy that the school's investigation began after Friday night's loss and Johnson did not return to the bench on Saturday. Specifics on what occurred were not disclosed.

Johnson was the head coach of the 2022 U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal at the Beijing Games. He was named the Tommies' head coach in June 2021 as the school made the transition from Division III to Division I. He amassed a 28-88-4 record in three-plus seasons with the school.

Brausen is in her fourth season with the St. Thomas program. She was previously an assistant coach at Minnesota, where she played from 2010-14.

The Tommies have a 5-8-1 overall record and a 2-7-1 mark in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) this season. They will travel to face No. 1 Wisconsin on the road this Friday and Saturday with Brausen as their head coach.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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