Motzko, who is in his 21st campaign as an NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey coach and eighth season at the helm of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey program, has led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA national tournament five-straight years, including two appearances in the Frozen Four. He’s also guided the program to three regular-season Big Ten Conference titles and a Big Ten Conference tournament title.

Prior to his time with Minnesota, Motzko served as the head coach of his alma mater, St. Cloud State University, from 2005-2018. In his 13 seasons with the Huskies, he led the program to eight NCAA national tournaments, including an appearance in the 2013 Frozen Four, as well as three regular-season conference championships.

Motzko earned the Spencer Penrose Award as the top coach in all of NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey in 2022-23, and has gained recognition as a conference coach-of-the-year seven times, including two in the WCHA (2006, 2007) and two in the NCHC (2014, 2018) while at St. Cloud State, and three with Minnesota in the Big Ten (2020, 2022, 2023). 

As a collegiate head coach, prior to the 2025-26 season, he owns an all-time record of 437-274-70, with 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three Frozen Four appearances. 

Prior to his time at St. Cloud, Motzko served in multiple coaching capacities in men’s ice hockey at four different schools, including a four-season span at the University of Minnesota (2001-05) that was highlighted by NCAA national championships in 2002 and 2003. His other collegiate coaching stints were with Miami University (1991-93, ’94-98), the University of Denver (1993-94) and St. Cloud State (1986-87).

Additionally, Motzko twice served as a general manager and head coach in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, where he was named USHL General Manager of the Year on two different occasions, including with North Iowa in 1988-89 and Sioux Falls in 1999-2000.

On the international stage, Motzko served as head coach for the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. National Junior Team and led the 2018 squad to the bronze medal. He was also an assistant coach for the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team.

A 1987 graduate of St. Cloud State University, Motzko was a two-year varsity letterwinner for the Huskies hockey program from 1984-86. He began his coaching career the following year as an assistant coach under the legendary Herb Brooks at St. Cloud.