Andy Brandt called St. Norbert men’s hockey coach Tim Coghlin late on a recent Sunday morning with a request that he knew was going to be costly.
Brandt only hours before had returned to De Pere from an 1,800-mile round trip drive to Estevan, Saskatchewan — with a stopover in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the way back — to scout some junior players.
The Green Knights’ associate head coach and recruiting coordinator now had his eyes in the other direction. There were players he wanted to see in games Tuesday and Wednesday in Ottawa.
It was a short turnaround and a lot of money for a flight, but Brandt sold it to his boss as a necessity to have a chance at recruits.
Brandt set out for Canada’s capital with only a limited chance to land players who also were getting attention from Division I schools. But he went anyway.
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“He works, right?” Coghlin said in explaining how Brandt has been successful as a coach after a playing career that could have been described the same way.
Brandt was named an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin on Monday, 15 years after his four-year stint as a workmanlike Badgers forward ended.
His arrival comes at a critical point for the UW program, on the heels of one of the worst seasons by record in team history and with a directive from athletic director Chris McIntosh that the Badgers get back to competing for championships.
“I want to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” Brandt said from his new office Monday afternoon. “I want my energy and work ethic and passion to bleed into (players) a little bit. And then I want other people to evaluate. And I’m OK with that. It’s something I’m really looking forward to and excited to get to work.”
Associate head coach Mark Strobel resigned April 15 after the Badgers finished 10-24-3 and sixth of seven teams in the Big Ten last season. UW coach Tony Granato got a public confirmation April 22 that he’ll return as coach but had his contract reworked to decrease the school’s buyout amount.
Brandt, 38, will have to get to work quickly with Granato and associate head coach Mark Osiecki to get the Badgers back to winning ways. But Coghlin, his boss at St. Norbert for the last five seasons, described that as Brandt’s default setting.
“Any time you pop by his house, there’s three screens up,” Coghlin said. “He’s got games going on three different screens every time you turn around. He doesn’t miss much. He borrows as much as he can in the pro game to implement into the college game. Obviously some things fit better than others, but he’s a warrior.”
Brandt said he had no hesitation about making a change and moving his family from the Green Bay area with his new boss on the hot seat.
There’s some history UW wants to avoid repeating. Then-coach Mike Eaves replaced both of his assistants after a 4-26-5 finish in 2014-15, the worst season in the team’s program history. But Luke Strand and JB Bittner, brought in to remake the coaching staff for the 2015-16 campaign, were out of a job at the end of it when Eaves was fired.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now if I didn’t believe that this group and this team can win and turn quickly,” Brandt said. “First and foremost, I believe in the coaching staff and the guys that are here.”
Brandt, a Wausau native, played 130 games for the Badgers from 2003 to 2007 and was the fourth-line center alongside Nick Licari and A.J. Degenhardt when UW won its last NCAA championship in 2006. That group, far from the most talented trio the Badgers could put on the ice, had to make its way with tenacity.
“Character-wise and person-wise, everybody that met him or played with him or coached with him said the same thing: He’s ... somebody that works for everything that he gets,” Granato said. “He’s not asking for anything special. He just wants to be given chances in life and with that chance he takes advantage of it by being prepared.”
After scoring only five goals and 14 points for UW, Brandt was more productive offensively in a seven-season pro career that ended with him as captain of the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators. That’s also where he started his coaching career, first as an assistant then as coach and general manager of the team that was rebranded as the Atlanta Gladiators.
He interviewed with Granato the last time UW had an assistant coach opening in 2017 and Strobel was hired. Brandt’s resume at that point didn’t include any college coaching experience.
When Brandt returned home to Wisconsin to join the staff at St. Norbert later that year, Coghlin saw an up-and-coming coach who took over the team’s special teams and recruiting and was able to get the pulse of individuals on the team.
Coghlin now sees someone who has the required experience to fit in this time and place for UW.
“Bringing the youthful nature of a guy who played on the 2006 national championship team made sense to me,” Coghlin said. “I think that voice in the room makes sense. His communication skills are phenomenal. There’s no bigger honor, I don’t think, for him than being called to come back to his alma mater.”
Learn about the 11 former Wisconsin men's hockey players competing for the Stanley Cup in 2022
BRIAN ELLIOTT, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Brian Elliott (at UW 2003-07) joined the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning last offseason as a backup goalie. He played in 48 playoff games for four teams from 2010 to 2020.
2021-22 stats: .912 save percentage, 2.43 goals-against average, 11-4-3 in 19 games.
First-round opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs.
TRENT FREDERIC, BOSTON BRUINS
Forward Trent Frederic (at UW 2016-18) is in his fourth NHL season but didn't appear in a playoff game in his first three years.
2021-22 stats: Eight goals, 10 assists, 18 points in 60 games.
First-round opponent: Carolina Hurricanes.
LUKE KUNIN, NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Forward Luke Kunin (at UW 2015-17) scored four goals in the 10 playoff games in which he appeared for Minnesota and Nashville in 2020 and 2021.
2021-22 stats: Thirteen goals, nine assists, 22 points in 82 games.
First-round opponent: Colorado Avalanche.
RYAN McDONAGH, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh (at UW 2007-10) spoke at the White House in April as the Lightning were honored for their second straight Stanley Cup championship. He played in 162 playoff games over his first 11 years in the NHL.
2021-22 stats: Four goals, 22 assists, 26 points in 71 games.
First-round opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs.
K'ANDRE MILLER, NEW YORK RANGERS
Defenseman K'Andre Miller (at UW 2018-20) played in all 82 games this season, his second in the NHL. This is his first playoff appearance.
2021-22 stats: Seven goals, 13 assists, 20 points in 82 games.
First-round opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins.
JOE PAVELSKI, DALLAS STARS
Forward Joe Pavelski (at UW 2004-06) became the oldest U.S.-born player to reach 80 points in a season and just the 12th in NHL history to do so at age 37 or older. He's the third player in NHL history to set a career high for points at age 37 or older, joining Gordie Howe and Tim Horton. This is his 14th season in the playoffs.
2021-22 stats: Twenty-seven goals, 54 assists, 81 points in 82 games.
First-round opponent: Calgary Flames.
JUSTIN SCHULTZ, WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Defenseman Justin Schultz (at UW 2009-12) won Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. This is his seventh season in the playoffs and second with the Capitals.
2021-22 stats: Four goals, 19 assists, 23 points in 74 games.
First-round opponent: Florida Panthers.
BRENDAN SMITH, CAROLINA HURRICANES
Defenseman Brendan Smith (at UW 2007-10) has played in the playoffs in six seasons, most recently 2020 with the New York Rangers.
2021-22 stats: Four goals, four assists, eight points in 45 games.
First-round opponent: Boston Bruins.
CRAIG SMITH, BOSTON BRUINS
Forward Craig Smith (at UW 2009-11) is in the playoffs for the seventh straight season, the last two of which have been with Boston. He had five points in 10 games last postseason.
2021-22 stats: Sixteen goals, 20 assists, 36 points in 74 games.
First-round opponent: Carolina Hurricanes.
DEREK STEPAN, CAROLINA HURRICANES
Forward Derek Stepan (at UW 2008-10) has scored 20 goals in 106 career playoff games entering 2022. He joined the Hurricanes last offseason.
2021-22 stats: Nine goals, 10 assists, 19 points in 58 games.
First-round opponent: Boston Bruins.
RYAN SUTER, DALLAS STARS
Defenseman Ryan Suter (at UW 2003-04) appeared in the playoffs five times with Nashville and seven times with Minnesota, averaging more than 27 minutes of playing time per game over 88 contests.
2021-22 stats: Seven goals, 25 assists, 32 points in 82 games.
First-round opponent: Calgary Flames.