David Hoff Named 2022 Paralympic Coach of the Year

By USA Hockey, 03/06/23, 1:00PM EST

Hoff led the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team to gold at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.), head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, has been named the recipient of the 2022 Paralympic Coach of the Year it was announced today by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

“We are fortunate to have David leading our national sled team and he is most deserving of this recognition,” said Dan Brennan, general manager of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. “He brings a unique demeanor and style that gets the best out of our players and puts them in an environment to succeed.”

Established in 2004, the Paralympic Coach of the Year is presented to a coach of an elite-level club, collegiate or national-level team, or the coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level of their sport.

“I am very fortunate to work with an outstanding group of players and staff,” said Hoff. “The team has never dwelled on individual accomplishments, and the same goes for me. This award recognizes the outstanding effort of each member of our group, both players and staff."

At the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, Hoff led the U.S. to a perfect 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, including a 5-0 win over Canada in the gold medal game. Hoff’s success behind the bench continued at the inaugural IPH Cup in Ostrava, Czechia, in September, with the U.S. winning the tournament with a 5-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record. The U.S. concluded the year with a Para Hockey Cup championship in December in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, going 4-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in five games.

Hoff has been the head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team since the 2018-19 season and served as an assistant coach of the team for three years prior. Since being named head coach, Hoff has guided the U.S. to an astounding 31-1-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, winning one Paralympic gold medal, two IPC Sled Hockey World Championship gold medals, three Para Hockey Cups, and one IPH Cup title.