Nick Oliver - Men's Hockey Coach - St. Cloud State University Athletics

Photo by: Tom Nelson

Nick Oliver

Title:
Men's Hockey Head Coach
Email:
nfoliver@stcloudstate.edu

Nick Oliver begins his first season as the St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey head coach in 2026-27 after being announced as the fourth head coach of the Division-I era and 19^th overall in program history in April 2026. A former Husky captain, Oliver ascended the coaching rankings quickly, spending seven seasons in collegiate hockey and four in the United States Hockey League (USHL) while helping his teams reach two NCAA Frozen Fours as an assistant coach and a USHL regular season championship as a head coach.

Oliver is the only coach or player to be a part of both NCAA Frozen Fours in SCSU history, playing in the 2013 Frozen Four and serving as an assistant on the 2021 team that reached the national championship game. He has played or coached in seven of nine NCAA Tournament wins for the Huskies and six of 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.

Oliver returns to St. Cloud for the second time after spending the past three seasons at Wisconsin under SCSU alum Mike Hastings. The Badgers have reached the NCAA Tournament twice in Oliver’s three seasons on the bench, including a trip to the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four and National Championship game, which was the program’s first Frozen Four and national title game appearance since 2010. Oliver coached the forward group during his time in Madison with three Badgers earning All-Big Ten honors.

Before returning to the collegiate game, Oliver spent one season (2022-23) as head coach of the Fargo Force of the USHL, leading the organization to 40 victories, a league-best 88 points and the franchise’s first Anderson Cup as USHL regular-season champions. Oliver was named USHL Coach of the Year for his efforts and helped lead the Force to the Clark Cup final.

Oliver spent four seasons (2018-22) on the bench for one of the most successful four-year runs of Husky Hockey, helping the Huskies to an 81-44-9 mark, three NCAA Tournaments, a NCHC Spencer Penrose regular season championship and a NCAA Frozen Four appearance. The Huskies first season with Oliver on the bench (2018-19) was one of the most successful in program history, with SCSU posting a 30-6-3 record while winning the NCHC regular season title with a conference record 19 wins and 66 points before earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies then advanced to its second-ever NCAA Frozen Four and first NCAA national championship game appearance in 2021 with Oliver helping behind the bench.

Oliver began his coaching career immediately after his collegiate playing career concluded in 2015, spending three seasons with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede (2015-18) as an assistant coach and director of scouting.

The Roseau, Minn., native played in 145 career games at SCSU from 2011-15, serving as a team captain his senior year and alternate captain as a junior. He earned three Academic All-Conference honors and was named the 2015 NCHC Sportsmanship Award recipient. The Huskies won the WCHA regular season title in 2013, the inaugural NCHC regular season title in 2014, made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament (2013-15) and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history in 2013. Oliver was a 2009 NHL draft pick of the Nashville Predators and played for the Fargo Force (USHL) from 2008-11.

Oliver is a 2015 SCSU graduate with a degree in business finance. He and his wife, Alex, have three children, Thomas, Lenna and Grant. His wife Alex (Makaric) played three seasons with the St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey team from 2013-16.

THE OLIVER FILE
Coaching Experience
2015-18: Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL), Assistant Coach
2018-22: St. Cloud State (NCAA), Assistant Coach
2022-23: Fargo Force (USHL), Head Coach
2023-26: Wisconsin (NCAA), Assistant Coach

Playing Experience
2008-11: Fargo Force (USHL)
2011-15: St. Cloud State (NCAA)

Coaching Accolades