Wisconsin has announced that Kevin Murdock is joining the Badgers men’s hockey team as the team’s new third assistant coach.
Murdock, who spent last season as an assistant coach at Alaska Anchorage and helped revive the program when hired in late 2021, will coach UW’s goaltenders, among his other duties.
“Kevin is a guy who just kept rising to the top when we looked at who we wanted to bring in,” said Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings in a statement. “He’s hungry, he’s paid his dues, and I like that he’s worked his way up the ranks. I got a chance to spend some time out at a rink with him and was impressed with his eye and how he goes about his business. He’s a great fit for us here at Wisconsin.
“He’ll work with our goaltenders so his combination of playing the position at a high level and developing goaltenders over the last seven years will serve our student-athletes well.”
Since his playing days ended in 2015, Murdock has been on an upward trajectory in the coaching world, starting off with Gilmour Academy in the Midwest Prep Hockey League, then joining the NA3HL’s North Iowa Bulls for three years.
He moved on to become head coach of the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears for 2019-20.
Murdock then returned to the Bulls for the 2021-22 campaign, though this time in the NAHL, to become associate head coach and associate general manager. He departed halfway through the season to take the Alaska Anchorage position.
Murdock’s playing career as a goaltender traveled the NCAA route, with a stop at Minnesota State for a season, before spending three seasons at Lake Superior State. While at LSSU, Murdock posted a .930 save percentage in 23 games during the 2012-13, which stands tied for second in school annals, while his .915 career save percentage shares third-best in school history.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation from LSSU.
Murdock also played professionally in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets and Tulsa Oilers, as well as in the SPHL with the Fayetteville FireAntz.
