Nothing was gauranteed to Matt Walsh, a member of the Badgers 1983 national championship team, but after going through the official process he had the iterim tag removed and became an official assistant coach on Mike Eaves' hockey staff for the 2013-14 season.
“I think having Matt with us since November, we were able to see first-hand how he interacts with college students and the work that he does on the ice,” said Head Coach Mike Eaves in a statement. “It became clear as time went on, that he was very capable of doing the job here.
“We also got to know him as a man, we got to know his family and it all matches up really well.
“We went through due diligence in the process,” explained Eaves. “We had many people apply. I talked to a handful of people who I thought might be serious candidates and chatted with them, but in the end it all came back to Matt and what he did for us this year.”
Walsh will continue his focus on the Wisconsin defesemen, a unit that reall propelled the Badgers to the NCAA tournament and the Broadmoor Trophy this past season. It didn't
hurt that after his first full week on the job the Badgers went on an eleven game unbeaten streak too.
“Since the end of the season, this has been a question mark,” explained Walsh in a statement released by the school. “I felt like I could do this and I wanted to do this. The interim position was good for me. It was like an internship where I got to really know what the job is like."
His passion for Wisconsin hockey shoud go without saying, being a Madison native and a four year member of the Badgers hockey program from 1982-86 and all.
“Wisconsin hockey is something I’ve been a part of since going to hockey games when I was eight years old,” Walsh concluded. “Now to actually come full circle as a coach here and try to improve the program and make it the best in the nation — that is the goal."
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