A new chapter for the Saints
St. Scholastica announced this week that Brenden Kotyk will take over as head coach of the Saints’ men’s hockey program, replacing Dave Williams who is currently on a leave of absence.
Kotyk, a Duluth native who suited up for the Saints during the 2012‑13 season before moving on to Minnesota Duluth, returns to the campus with a playing résumé that includes an appearance as an alternate captain on the 2016‑17 UMD team that finished as national runners‑up.
After his college career, he turned professional, logging 151 games in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays and earning a brief call‑up to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, experiences that have now been complemented by a stint as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.
The move comes after Dave Williams stepped away from the bench for personal reasons, a decision that left the program with a 6‑18‑1 record in the 2025‑26 season, a challenging year that the administration hopes to turn around with Kotyk’s fresh perspective.
Fans and alumni have greeted the appointment with optimism, noting Kotyk’s deep ties to the community and his proven ability to compete at high levels both on the ice and behind the bench.